Canadian Pacific entered into an agreement with Canadian Tire Corporation Limited, which extends to early 2017 and awards the railway with the vast majority of Canadian Tire’s domestic container traffic.
“Transit holds the key to a successful and prosperous region,” said Minnesota’s Metropolitan Council Chair Susan Haigh, while delivering her first State of the Region speech. Several hundred people attended the State of the Region event at Target Field in Minneapolis, where Haigh highlighted the role of transit in economic development and job creation.
In his 2012 State of the State speech, California Governor Edmund Brown Jr. spoke of plans for a high-speed rail system, which would connect the Northern and Southern parts of the state.
In his speech he stated:
“As governor the last time, I signed legislation to study the concept. Now 30 years later, we are within weeks of a revised business plan that will enable us to begin initial construction before the year is out.
“President Obama strongly supports the project and has provided the majority of funds for this first phase. It is now your decision to evaluate the plan and decide what action to take. Without any hesitation, I urge your approval.
“If you believe that California will continue to grow, as I do, and that millions more people will be living in our state, this is a wise investment. Building new runways and expanding our airports and highways is the only alternative. That is not cheaper and will face even more political opposition.
“Critics of the high-speed rail project abound as they often do when something of this magnitude is proposed. During the 1930s, The Central Valley Water Project was called a “fantastic dream” that “will not work.” The Master Plan for the Interstate Highway System in 1939 was derided as “new Deal jitterbug economics.” In 1966, then Mayor Johnson of Berkeley called BART a “billion dollar potential fiasco.” Similarly, the Panama Canal was for years thought to be impractical and Benjamin Disraeli himself said of the Suez Canal: “totally impossible to be carried out.” The critics were wrong then and they’re wrong now.”
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio approved authorization from the Ohio Rail Development Commission, directing CSX, Norfolk Southern and Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway to install flashing lights and gates at grade crossings in Delaware, Jefferson and Lorain counties, respectively.
Canadian Pacific says that part of the company’s multi-year plan is to invest between $1.1 billion (US$1.085 billion) and $1.2 billion (US$1.18 billion) for infrastructure renewal, network enhancements and expansion projects in 2012. The 2012 Capital Plan will focus on strategic and targeted investments to improve service and increase network capacity while funding business development and initiatives with rapid return on investment.
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) called on CSX, Amtrak, the New York Department of Transportation and Federal Railway Administration to quickly complete a plan for the construction of the high-speed rail line from Buffalo to Albany, N.Y., that is set to begin in Genesee County. Schumer helped secure $58 million in federal funds to construct the first part of the high-speed rail line in Western New York, but the money cannot begin flowing to the project until the parties complete service, construction and maintenance agreements.
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton released his bonding proposal for the 2012 legislative session, building on his jobs plan to get Minnesotans back to work. The bonding proposal is focused on making the kind of long-term investments to create jobs. The bill would put up to 21,700 Minnesotans back to work and includes $25 million for the Southwest Corridor Light Rail.
A statement by the Governor’s office said, “Investing in strong, reliable infrastructure is a critical part of building an environment where businesses can thrive. Repairing our roads, bridges and rail lines for the future with smart investments can not only give Minnesota the assets to attract businesses, but can also put hundreds of Minnesotans back to work in the construction industries that are suffering from high unemployment.”
“This bill is our chance to put thousands of Minnesotans back to work by investing in important projects throughout our state. My bonding proposal makes reasonable, focused investments on projects that are ready for immediate action. I hope that the legislature will join me in growing Minnesota’s economy now by passing a bonding bill in the first month of the session. Doing so will enable many of the projects and their jobs, to become realities this year,” Governor Dayton said.
U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $77 million in grants to 22 University Transportation Centers to advance research and education programs that address critical transportation challenges facing the nation. The UTCs, which are located throughout the United States, conduct research that directly supports the priorities of the US DOT and the participating universities are a critical part of the national transportation strategy.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel officially re-opened the Grand Avenue Red Line Station, which has undergone a complete rehabilitation over the past several years. Additionally, Mayor Emanuel announced that the city will construct a new Green Line station at Cermak, build a new station at Washington and Wabash and conduct a complete rehabilitation at the station at Clark and Division.
Rockford, Ill., received a $3 million investment to develop a new multi-modal station just south of the downtown area. The Illinois Jobs Now! capital plan funding to design and engineer the new facility is in addition to the $60 million allocated to construct the Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque rail corridor. The two projects together are expected to support nearly 700 jobs and bring rail access back to a part of the state that has not seen service in 30 years.
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority carried more than 46 million riders throughout 2011, a nearly four percent increase since 2010.
In just December of 2011, GCRTA had an increase of 12.5 percent more riders this year than the same month in 2010. On the Red Line specifically, more than half a million riders used this heavy rail service, making it the highest December Red Line usage since 1988.
L.B. Foster Company has begun delivery of $3.4 million of rail and trackwork products to rail contractor Wintrow Construction of Barberton, Ohio, for the construction of 8.5 miles of track and other track materials at the new Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes Star Steel pipe mill in Youngstown, Ohio.
For four consecutive weeknights hundreds of New York Metropolitan Transit Authority workers labored through the late night and early morning hours cleaning, inspecting, repairing and replacing subway infrastructure on a nearly seven-mile segment of the Lexington Avenue Line.
The White House Council on Environmental Quality and the U.S. Department of Transportation revealed a pilot program to expedite environmental review of Northeast Corridor high-speed passenger rail projects. The statement below is from Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman:
Mercuria Energy Trading, Inc., based in Chicago, has developed a terminal to ship crude oil on the Panhandle Northern Railway, which operates on 31 miles of track between the towns of Panhandle and Borger, Texas.
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, in joint partnership with the Buckhead Community Improvement District, Georgia Department of Transportation, State Road and Toll Authority, Federal Transit Administration and the city of Atlanta, is preparing to begin construction in the spring on a pedestrian bridge to reconnect the east and west sides of the Buckhead community.
RailComm upgraded its existing yard system at BNSF Corwith’s mechanical facility in Chicago, Ill. RailComm’s Domain Operations Controller System is used to remotely control derails.
Members of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Blacksmiths, Iron Ship Builders, Forgers and Helpers; the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; and the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association have ratified new contracts with the nation’s largest freight railroads.
The National Transportation Safety Board issued two safety recommendations to the Federal Railroad Administration related to five rear-end collisions in which crewmembers failed to operate their trains at the required restricted speed.
After re-evaluating route options for the Central Valley to Los Angeles Basin segment of California’s high-speed rail system, the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s Board decided to continue to move forward with a proposed route through Palmdale.
