Old grant funds transferred to Cincinnati streetcar
Cincinnati’s streetcar project is the unexpected recipient of an extra $268,000 via a rail-related grant Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) received.
FCC, railroads reach agreement on PTC towers
An agreement has been reached between the seven Class 1 freight railroads and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding the installation of positive train control (PTC) antennas, but the Association of American Railroads (AAR) says the delay in developing the process has severely impeded PTC implementation and a fully operable system by the 2015 deadline is not possible.
UP to invest in Missouri’s infrastructure
Union Pacific will strengthen Missouri’s transportation infrastructure by investing $9 million in the rail line between Sedalia and Pleasant Hill, Mo. The project began May 15 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of June.
PATCO set to begin Ben Franklin Bridge Track Rehabilitation Project next week
Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) is ready to start a two-year, $103-million track rehabilitation project on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, which connects the New Jersey and Philadelphia portions of the system.
Metro-North undertakes series of safety reforms
MTA Metro-North Railroad has announced details of a sweeping series of reforms it is undertaking to better ensure the safety of its customers and employees. The reforms address factors identified during several serious safety incidents over the past year, as well as issues identified by an in-depth Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) review of its operating practices that took place this past winter.
VIA Rail presents action plan to address Barrhaven-area railway crossings’ challenges
VIA Rail Canada has developed an action plan based on a study conducted by RailTerm, Hatch Mott MacDonald and Siemens that looked into issues with Automatic Warning Devices (AWDs) systems at six Barrhaven-area rail crossings in Ottawa.
Union Pacific utilizing TRT 909 for Nebraska track renewal project
Union Pacific Railroad is in the midst of a $39.5-million track renewal project in Nebraska. The work, which began May 6, is being performed between Clarks and Schuyler and is scheduled to be completed by mid-July.
Transport Canada issues proposal to fine Railway Safety Act violators
Transport Canada is proposing regulations that will provide Transport Canada with new enforcement tools for railway companies that violate the Railway Safety Act.
Comment period on SCVTA’s Mountain View Double Track Environmental Document begins
The public now has the opportunity to comment on the environmental document for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (SCVTA) project to add a second set of light-rail tracks in Mountain View, Calif.
SEPTA plans overhaul of Levittown Station
Elected officials joined Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) representatives to reveal reconstruction plans for Levittown Station. SEPTA says the project will enhance service for customers at a key station along the Trenton Regional Rail Line and represents one of many critical improvement projects under SEPTA’s renewed “Catching Up” capital improvement program.
Caltrain releases RFQ for electrification portion of modernization program
The Caltrain Modernization Program in southern California released the Request for Qualification (RFQ) for the electrification contract portion of the project that will reinvent Caltrain.
Baker selected for CSX Intermodal Terminals professional services agreement
Michael Baker Jr., Inc., an engineering unit of Michael Baker International, has been awarded a Professional Services Agreement by CSX Intermodal Terminals, Inc. (CSXIT) to provide construction management and inspection services for its Trans-Shipment Terminal Expansion Project in North Baltimore, Ohio. Additionally, Baker will provide engineering review services during the construction phases of projects. CSXIT has issued Baker the first work order under this agreement. CSXIT is expanding the original terminal, completed in 2011, due to increased intermodal container traffic.
Erie Rail Terminal plan dies as funding is pulled
A plan to develop a new intermodal terminal that was to be served by CSX in Harborcreek Township, Erie County, Pa., has stalled following negative community reaction to the project.
UP adds to its 2014 capital spending program
Union Pacific’s Board of Directors approved an additional $150 million in capital expenditures, bringing the railroad’s total 2014 capital spending plan to $4.1 billion.
TIGER grant applications request 15 times more than available funding
The application period for the sixth round of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants recently ended. Once again, USDOT says the request for funds far exceeds what is available. The 797 eligible applications, compared to 585 in 2013, request $9.5 billion, 15 times the $600 million set aside for the program.
Metra hosts Rep. Duckworth to highlight need for Fox River bridge replacement
Metra officials gave U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) an up-close look at why Metra needs to replace an aging, single-track bridge that carries the Milwaukee West Line over the Fox River near Elgin, Ill.
Sens. Murray and Collins push for increased safety resources for shortlines
U.S. Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), chair and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Transportation, respectively, urged U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx to increase safety resources for shortline railroads, which make up one third of the nation’s rail network, but lack the funding and support that larger, Class 1 railroads receive.
Metro-North continues power upgrades on New Haven Line
An ongoing power upgrade for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line has achieved a major milestone with the installation of a second new transformer at Mount Vernon, providing additional redundancy and increased capacity.
Construction begins on Metra Lombard station improvements
Chicago’s Metra, Union Pacific, the Village of Lombard, Ill., and DuPage County officials broke ground May 14 on more than $9.7-million in improvements at the Lombard Station along the UP West Line, including a new pedestrian underpass, rebuilt platforms and new platform canopies.
Arlington County releases new ridership and cost estimates for streetcar projects
By 2035, transit ridership along the Columbia Pike and the Crystal City-Pentagon City corridors is expected to more than double, according to updated ridership forecasts released by Arlington County, Va., with more than 62 percent of projected daily transit trips to be on streetcar versus bus.