FEC builds spur to move airport extension aggregate
Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) will move in excess of 15,000 tons (30 million lbs.) a day of aggregate for the extension of the elevated runway over U.S. 1 and the FEC mainline.
Watco Transportation Services begins operations of PVSR
The Pecos Valley Southern Railroad (PVSR) will begin operating as a subsidiary of Watco Transportation Services, LLC, under a long-term lease agreement reached with PVSR. The operations will transition to Watco effective September 1, 2012.
Ohio utility commission OKs seven crossing upgrades
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) approved construction authorization from the Ohio Rail Development Commission for the installation of flashing lights and gates at seven highway-rail grade crossings in Ashtabula, Fayette, Medina, Summit and Wayne counties.
L.B. Foster supplies concrete ties to Bay Area SMART transit project
L.B. Foster Company has been awarded a contract to provide 89,175 of its CXT Concrete Ties for the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) project.
Parsons Brinckerhoff awarded on-call contract for Midwest HSR construction
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has awarded an on-call contract to Parsons Brinckerhoff for construction services in support of the agency’s efforts to implement accelerated rail services along a high-speed rail corridor between Pontiac/Detroit, Mich., and Chicago, Ill.
Plains All American to construct oil rail facilities in Colorado and Virginia
Plains All American Pipeline, L.P., is constructing new crude oil rail facilities in Tampa, Colo., and Yorktown, Va., and making additional modifications to its Yorktown facility. The new rail facilities and modifications are expected to be completed by the third-quarter of 2013 at an aggregate cost of approximately $125 million.
BNSF plans $106 million capital program in Washington
BNSF plans to invest an estimated $106 million on maintenance and rail capacity improvement and expansion projects in Washington this year.
MTA completes seven station rehabilitation projects along D Line
The completion of the work to rehabilitate seven stations along the West End D Line in Brooklyn, N.Y., is now complete.
Caltrain ridership hits historic high
For the first time in the nearly 150-year history of the railroad, San Francisco Bay-area’s Caltrain average weekday ridership is more than 50,000, according to the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board.
RailComm to provide DOC system to PATH’s Harrison Yard
RailComm has been selected to provide a wireless remote control 3rd rail and switch heater system for Port Authority Trans-Hudson’s (PATH) Harrison Yard in New Jersey.
UP receives Provider of the Year Award from Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics
Union Pacific was named the 2011 Provider of the Year by Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics Vehicle Services Americas Inc. (WWL). This award evaluates railroad, truck and short sea companies to determine the best overall logistics excellence provider in the areas of quality, performance and customer service.
NS names Rathbone and Squires to new executive positions
Norfolk Southern made two personnel changes to broaden the experience of its senior management team.
KeRail and Tata Steel enter into long-term agreement
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and a newly-formed GWI subsidiary, KeRail Inc. have entered into a long-term agreement with Tata Steel Minerals Canada Ltd. for KeRail to provide rail transportation services to the 4.2 million tons per annum direct shipping iron ore mine TSMC is developing near Schefferville, Quebec, Canada, in the Labrador Trough (the Mine). In addition, KeRail will construct an approximately 21-kilometer (13-mile) rail line that will connect TSMC’s mine to the Tshiuetin Rail Transportation interchange point in Schefferville.
Patriot adds Shoener to board of directors
Patriot Rail Corp., operator of shortline and regional freight railroads, appointed Arthur Shoener to the board of directors of the company. In this role, Shoener will provide executive support and oversight in company proceedings.
Metro-North begins work on two Mount Vernon bridges
Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad is refurbishing two bridges in Mount Vernon, N.Y., this summer, one that carries cars over train tracks and one that carries train tracks over cars.
UP campaign urges Austin residents to stop for trains
Stop for trains because they cannot stop for you. It is a message Union Pacific and Operation Lifesaver are rolling out as part of a bilingual awareness campaign aimed at promoting safety around railroad tracks in Austin, Texas.
NS completes coal line maintenance blitz
Norfolk Southern recently completed $20.5 million of track, bridge and signal improvements along its major coal line through the Monongahela Valley in Pennsylvania in a record seven days. To ensure coal customers in Southwest Pennsylvania continue to receive consistent and reliable rail service, Norfolk Southern schedules a maintenance blitz each July to coincide with the coal miners’ annual weeklong summer break.
Siemens secures order to electrify Hawaii’s transit system
Siemens has received a multi-million dollar order from Ansaldo Honolulu JV to electrify the track for the new Honolulu rail transit system. The rail system is the first for the state and is scheduled to be completed in 2019. It will span 20 miles from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Center with 21 stations along the route, including Pearl Harbor and the Honolulu Airport.
Tyco executive to take the helm at Harsco
Harsco Corporation hired Patrick Decker as president and chief executive officer, effective September 10, 2012.
Federal money to aid track projects in Alaska, Kentucky, fund UTCs
The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded more than $12.6 million for Alaska and Kentucky infrastructure projects and will extend University Transportation Center (UTC) grants by one year.