Amtrak testing higher speeds along NEC
Beginning September 24 and continuing into next week, Amtrak plans to operate high-speed test trains at 165 mph in four areas covering more than 100 miles of the Northeast Corridor.
MassDOT Board of Directors appoints Scott MBTA GM
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board of Directors appointed Beverly Scott as general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and MassDOT Rail and Transit Division Administrator. A 30-year transportation veteran, Scott will be the first female general manager of the MBTA.
TTCI adds NYCT’s Bianco to board
Transportation Technology Center, Inc., Board of Directors elected Carmen Bianco, senior vice president, Department of Subways, New York City Transit, as a new board member.
Multimodal transportation center in Joliet, Ill., breaks ground
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, joined by Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider and other state and local officials, broke ground September 21 on a new multimodal transportation center in downtown Joliet, Ill.
PANYNJ to study extending PATH rail service to Newark Liberty International Airport
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Board of Commissioners approved long-awaited plans to consider extending the World Trade Center-Newark PATH rail line to Newark Liberty International Airport.
NJ DOT and NJ Transit unveils “Another Train Coming” safety device
Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chairman James Simpson joined NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein September 21 at Plauderville Station in Garfield to unveil a new “Another Train Coming” rail safety device designed to enhance pedestrian safety around the tracks. The installation is part of an ongoing effort to ramp up rail safety across the state through recommendations from the NJ Safety at Railroad Crossings Leadership Oversight Committee.
“Ensuring the safety of NJ Transit customers and residents in the communities we serve requires a multifaceted approach, which is what the committee aims to achieve through its ‘E-cubed’ tactics-engineering, enforcement and education,” said Commissioner Simpson. “While Plauderville Station’s new technological warning system represents the engineering component, it will be supported by an array of other initiatives, including crossing enforcement by the NJ Transit Police Department and NJ Transit’s continuous efforts to educate our school children through our successful rail safety program.”
The New Jersey Department of Transportation and NJ Transit recently installed the “Another Train Coming” warning system at the Outwater Lane grade crossing, adjacent to the Plauderville rail station. The warning system consists of active signs in all four quadrants of the rail crossing, with an LED text message that reads, “DANGER, Another Train Coming,” as well as an audio component that repeatedly sounds the same message.
Metrolink and SCRST enforce safety at five crossings
As part of California’s Rail Safety Month, Metrolink and the Southern California Rail Safety Team (SCRST) targeted law violators at five crossings in the cities of Los Angeles and San Fernando on September 21.
CP hires vice president and CIO
Canadian Pacific appointed Michael Redeker to vice president and chief information officer, effective October 15, 2012. Redeker was most recently chief information officer at ATB Financial.
Sandhogs join MTA tunnels in Queens and Manhattan
Sandhogs working on the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s East Side Access megaproject broke through the final piece of reinforced concrete separating newly built tunnels in Queens from newly built tunnels in Manhattan.
First TRACS safety meeting with FTA oversight underway
The U.S. Department of Transportation kicked off the first meeting of the Transit Rail Advisory Committee for Safety (TRACS) since President Obama signed the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act” (MAP-21), which granted the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) authority to implement and enforce transit safety oversight standards on heavy rail, light rail, buses, ferries and streetcars.
Metrolinx seeking private operator, not TTC, for Eglinton light rail
Metrolinx recently decided to engage in a process known as Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP), where a private company will design, build, finance, maintain and operate its new light-rail lines.
NCDOT awarded $26.5 million to alleviate passenger rail congestion
The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $26.5 million to the North Carolina Department of Transportation to improve reliability and reduce delays on Amtrak service in eastern North Carolina. The resulting improvements are centered in the area between Rocky Mount, N.C. and Petersburg, Va., and will improve service for both the Amtrak Carolinian line, which runs between New York City and Charlotte, N.C., and the Amtrak long distance trains that run between New York City and Florida.
VTrans plans railyard project in Burlington, Vermont
The city of Burlington, Vt., and the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) is planning a new railyard project that will link Pine and Battery streets through a new urban street grid, creating a multi-modal network of rail, truck, car, transit, bike and pedestrian connections to access Burlington’s southern waterfront and railyard.
Wisconsin awards $12 million in freight rail grants
The state of Wisconsin awarded $11,955,358 that will be used to construct freight rail-related facilities and preserve and upgrade rail infrastructure as part of overall efforts to support job growth and Wisconsin’s economy.
California HSR section receives approval from feds
In a major step forward for California high-speed rail, the Federal Railroad Administration issued a Record of Decision that approved the alignment from Merced to Fresno, allowing construction to begin next year.
CDOT exploring technology for possible I-70 HSR plan
As part of its Interstate 70 Mountain Corridor Advanced Guideway System (AGS) Feasibility Study, the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT’s) Division of Transit and Rail is issuing a Request for Statements of Technology Information.
Massachusetts rail network report shows progress
Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray released a progress report titled “Transforming the Rail Network for Economic and Community Development.”
GCRTA Cedar-University Station groundbreaking ceremony held
The Greater Cleveland and Regional Transit Authority on Wednesday, September 19, broke ground for a new, fully accessible transit facility near Case Western Reserve University that will serve as one of Cleveland’s busiest transit centers, serving the RTA Red Line train and Circle Link shuttle buses.
USDOT awards more than $74 million for development of the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor in Virginia
The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded more than $74.8 million to the Commonwealth of Virginia to continue development of the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor. The funding will help improve passenger and freight rail service between Virginia and Washington, D.C., and reduce delays on the Virginia Rail Express (VRE) commuter service.
CSX named to Dow Jones Sustainability Index for second consecutive year
CSX Corporation was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for North America for the second consecutive year and was the only U.S. railroad listed in 2012.