MTA appoints interim NYCT president
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thomas Prendergast named James Ferrara as interim president of MTA New York City Transit (NYCT).
Crews continue fortification work on NYCT Cranberry Tube
The Cranberry Tube, which carries the A and C Lines between Lower Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn, will be shut down in both directions for 40 non-consecutive weekends for Superstorm Sandy-related repairs.
CHSRA issues RFQ for environmental and engineering servies
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for environmental and engineering services for the San Francisco to San Jose Project Section and the San Jose to Merced Project Section of the high-speed rail program.
Hadnett named president of HNTB West Division
Art Hadnett joined HNTB Corporation as senior vice president and president of the firm’s West Division, overseeing vital and complex infrastructure programs in growth markets, including rail/transit.
KCS bolsters its intermodal WIT
The opening of the Wylie Intermodal Terminal centralizes KCS’ Dallas-area facilities and allows the railroad to continue tapping cross-border intermodal traffic.
Semi-annual ballast update:Part 2
Customer-driven focus leads to faster and more accurate ballast maintenance.
Engineers share views on 2015 trends
For North American railroad engineering departments, safety is the top feature required in a piece of equipment, while dealing with tight work windows is a shared issue across both freight and passenger operations.
First U.S.-Mexico rail bridge in more than a century is now operational
The West Rail Bridge, the first rail bridge connecting U.S. and Mexico in more than 100 years, became operational August 7.
WMATA receives independent auditor’s report for FY2014
The Washing Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) Board of Directors received an independent audit of its FY2014 Financial Statements from McGladrey LLP, which WMATA says is a significant milestone in its work to improve financial management.
ACE provides grade separation updates
Legislators voiced support for the Alameda Corridor-East (ACE) rail-roadway grade-separation projects during a progress update briefing, which focused on six projects in construction or final design and located in the cities of San Gabriel, Industry and Pico Rivera and unincorporated Los Angeles County, including Rowland Heights.
Rep. McKinley tours Warwood Tool facility, discusses rail issues
On August 5, Rep. David B. McKinley (R-WV-1) joined representatives from Warwood Tool Company and the Appalachian & Ohio Railroad (A&O) to tour Warwood’s steel tool manufacturing facility and discuss public policy priorities for the business and rail communities in West Virginia.
Sound Transit executes sale of green bonds to help fund light-rail extensions
Sound Transit executed the sale of nearly $1 billion of green bonds that will help fund voter-approved regional transit projects, including construction of more than 30 miles of light-rail extensions.
One of nation’s “most dangerous” crossings gets safer
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ-9), New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Jamie Fox and New Jersey Transit Executive Director Ronnie Hakim unveiled safety improvements made to Midland Avenue railroad crossing in Elmwood Park Aug 3. The crossing was labeled as one of the nation’s most dangerous in a New York Times article in February.
Two Connecticut passenger lines undergoing improvements
Crews will be out along Metro-North Railroad’s New Canaan Branch in Connecticut during the first four weekends of August to renew railroad crossings at three intersections with local streets and rebuild the railroad bridge over the Merritt Parkway.
Norfolk Southern EVP and CIO Deb Butler to retire
Deborah H. Butler, executive vice president planning and chief information officer of Norfolk Southern, will retire Oct. 1, 2015.
New study analyzes condition of Washington state’s shortline railroads; repair costs
According to a recent study by the Washington Department of Transportation and the Washington State University Freight Policy Transportation Institute, more than half of the state’s shortline rail miles aren’t up to modern standards.
RTD begins construction on Colorado’s longest bridge
One of the bridges along Denver Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) North Metro Rail Line will be the longest in the FasTracks program. It will also be the longest bridge in Colorado. Construction began in early August 2015 and it will take about two years to complete.
Canada commits funds to VIA Rail’s Ottawa-Montreal corridor infrastructure improvements
The Canadian government plans to invest CA$102 million (US$77 million) over a two-year period to support several infrastructure projects that will increase the safety and efficiency of VIA Rail Canada‘s Ottawa-Montreal rail corridor for travelers.
SFMTA begins service along E Embarcadero streetcar line
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) launched the E Embarcadero (E Line) streetcar line, offering a single-seat ride from AT&T Park and the Caltrain station to Fisherman’s Wharf and the northeast waterfront.