Local and federal officials gathered on Thursday, August 21, 2014, for a ground-breaking ceremony of a underpass at Carpenter Street in Springfield, Ill. The grade separation is part of a larger rail project that will consolidate rail traffic and improve safety as part of the Chicago to St. Louis high-speed corridor.
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has allocated funds for three California rail projects.
The Federal Railroad Administration funded two grants totaling $350,000 to support development of a Short Line Safety Institute. The institute will help mitigate risk associated with shipping hazardous materials by rail by working to improve the culture of safety within the shortline and regional rail industry while improving its overall safety record.
The Metropolitan Council received federal approval to begin designing the METRO Blue Line Extension northwest of Minneapolis, Minn., the region’s fourth light-rail transit project. Future approvals needed include approval to enter Final Engineering (anticipated late 2016) and approval of the Full Funding Grant Agreement (anticipated in 2018).
A Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) on a proposed extension of the Gold Line light-rail system from East Los Angeles to either South El Monte or Whittier was released by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA).
Kansas City Southern promoted Shawn Vecellio from director to assistant vice president production and standards for the engineering department.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published its final rule concerning Positive Train Control (PTC) systems in the Aug. 22 Federal Register. The rule, which takes effect Oct. 21, 2014, expands certain exemptions and comes 16 months before the full implementation deadline of Dec. 31, 2015.
The Region of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, celebrated the start of ION Stage 1 Light Rail Transit (LRT) construction August 21. The event took place at the future home of ION’s Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility on Dutton Drive.
North Dakota Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak has outlined a proposal for a state-run rail safety program to increase oversight of North Dakota rail operations. The program is included in the agency’s budget request submitted last week to the governor.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) selected ARG Transportation of Eugene, Ore., to operate the 26-mile rail line in central Washington, with a goal to restore rail service to a portion of Grant County, assisting farmers getting their products to market.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) closed a $1.28-billion Transportation Infrastructure Financial Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) for construction of Phase Two of the Metrorail Silver Line extension.
The commonwealth of Massachusetts plans to purchase the Knowledge Corridor rail line between East Northfield and Springfield from Pan Am Southern, a joint venture of Pan Am and Norfolk Southern.
The Port of New Orleans Board of Commissioners awarded a $13.3-million construction contract to Hard Rock Construction LLC for the Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal improvement project. Hard Rock Construction, of Metairie, La., was the lowest of eight bidders.
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) will begin work on a major upgrade and modernization of the Blue Line in downtown Long Beach September 20.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) $40-million improvement project at Massapequa Station will enter its next phase August 25 with work shifting to the station’s east end.
The Hennepin County Board completed its municipal approval process for preliminary design plans for the Southwest light-rail transit project, in voting to approve the portion of those plans serving the city of Minneapolis.
Effective September 1, Kansas City Southern will increase train speed on portions of its line from Gulfport to Hattiesburg, Miss., from 25 miles per hour to 49 miles per hour.
Canada’s Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt issued a statement in response to the release of the Transportation Safety Board’s (TSB) final report from its investigation into the July 6, 2013 train derailment in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn joined local and state officials August 19 to break ground on a $29.6-million grade separation project in Lynwood, Ill., which will improve traffic flow and safety at the U.S. Route 30 and Canadian National crossing.
Watco Transportation Services promoted Jeffrey Pacheco to general manager for the San Antonio Central Railroad (SAC).
