As the 2010 construction
season gets under way, Amtrak is embarking on $1-billion construction program
to fund capital projects designed to rebuild, upgrade and modernize its tracks,
bridges, stations and other critical infrastructure along the busy Northeast
Corridor and across the country, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and
the Miami area.
On April 27, employees of
Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad chose to be represented by the Brotherhood
of Maintenance of Way Employes Division – International Brotherhood of
Teamsters. After the National Mediation Board had reviewed the validity of the
authorization cards, the BMWED was certified to represent the 277 DM&E
maintenance of way employees.
Southern California
officials have one week to come to agreement on the public benefits of a
planned railroad overpass in Colton, or risk losing $125 million for the Inland
area, The Press-Enterprise reports. To quell concerns from coastal counties,
San Bernardino County officials have offered to pull their request for state
bond money for a massive interchange overhaul proposed near Devore. Officials
said they will find money elsewhere to reconfigure the Interstate 215 and Interstate
15 convergence.
December 6, 2010 is the date for
completion of the final sections of the Green Line light rail project. Two sections,
from MLK, Jr., Station near Fair Park south to Buckner Station in Pleasant
Grove and from Victory Station northwest to North Carrollton, will open
completing the 20-station, 28-mile, $1.8-billion project.
Parsons Brinckerhoff appointed
Richard A. Schrader Chairman, succeeding Keith J. Hawksworth, who is retiring
after 33 years with the firm. In his new position, Schrader, currently
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will provide broad policy
oversight for PB, a global infrastructure strategic consulting, engineering and
program/construction management organization.
Caltrain will reconstruct
the East Bellevue Avenue crossing beginning at 8 a.m. May 7 and continuing
through 6 a.m. May 11. During that time the street will be closed to through
traffic between Claremont Street and San Mateo Drive.
Buses will replace train
service for Long Island Rail Road customers traveling between Long Beach and
Valley Stream May 1-2 as work continues on the construction of two new railroad
bridges over Powell Creek and Hog Island Channel. The $24.5-million project,
which is funded through the MTA Capital Budget and federal grants, will also
require another train outage on the weekend of May 15-16. The railroad’s goal
is to complete the installation of both bridges before Memorial Day.
The Rev. Brian Davis
quips that he may have to change the name of his church, Bay Street
Presbyterian, to "Can’t Get Here From There" if the Mississippi
Department of Transportation permanently shuts down the railroad crossing near an
intersection to the church, the Hattiesburg American reports.
Your eyes weren’t
deceiving you. Yes, that was a passenger train rolling down the Florida East
Coast Railway toward Miami, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. On May 1,
the same train will return north to Jacksonville, this time filled with state
and local officials who are pushing to return passenger service to the coastal
tracks. Amtrak board chairman Tom Carper also is expected to be on board.
Because of extensive
grade crossing work, shuttle buses will replace trains for several weekends on
the light rail Blue and Green lines this spring. The lines are operated by the
Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. During this time, workers will
replace existing grade crossings, track and sidewalks with a new concrete
crossing surface, asphalt road approaches, new track and new concrete
sidewalks.
The Maryland Transit
Administration started upgrades at the Warren Road Light Rail Stop Parking Lot.
These improvements are part of a scheduled maintenance project and include
resurfacing, wheel stops replacement, new pavement markings and new traffic signs.
Washington, D.C.-area Metrorail
customers can expect lengthy delays of up to 30 minutes April 30 to May 2 as
old track components are replaced on the Blue and Yellow lines. Inbound and
outbound trains will take turns sharing one track on portions of the rail
system while the work is taking place.
Nearly 4,000 Quebecers
have signed a petition that calls for a cross-Quebec railroad that would link
the province’s Nunavik region to southern Quebec, The Montreal Gazette reports.
The Quebec government and its major financial institutions should support the
construction of a "Trans-Quebec Express" railway, which would cross
Quebec from the Gaspé to Nunavik, a huge area bordered by Hudson Bay, Hudson
Strait, Ungava Bay and Labrador, says the petition, which was tabled yesterday
at the Quebec legislature by MLA Denis Trottier.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority adopted a revised 2010-14 capital plan of $26.2 billion that cut $1.8 billion from it’s original plan, but is still $9 billion short of being completely funded.
The new plan includes plans for new subway cars, station improvements, new signals on the Number 7 subway line, new environmentally-friendly buses and larger-scale projects including the Second Avenue subway line and the East Side access for the Long Island Rail Road. LIRR will also receive about a dozen new, smaller diesel trains, which will cost around $78 million. About half the $26.2 billion is earmarked for New York City Transit that is used by about 8 million people a day.
The board adopted the plan without comment after Jay Walder, the MTA’s chairman, spoke about the importance of "consistently investing in our system in consecutive five-year plans" rather than making one-time stabs at rebuilding here and there.
The revised plan will now be submitted to the state’s Capital Program Review Board for approval. Gov. David Paterson, who chairs the board, vetoed the original plan last year because the state’s own economic crisis precluded additional funding for the MTA.
The state, which provides the single biggest chunk of funding for the capital plan, included money for 2010-11 as part of last year’s MTA bailout.
TriMet Board of Directors voted unanimously to appoint Neil McFarlane as the new General Manager for the regional transit agency. McFarlane replaces TriMet’s current general manager Fred Hansen who will leave the agency at the end of his contract after more than 11 years in the position.
McFarlane is currently TriMet’s executive director for capital projects, a position he has held since 1998. He will begin to transition into the position beginning June 1, and will begin serving as general manager on Thursday, July 1, 2010.
Cressie Brown, a 22-year veteran, has been named CSX Transportation’s vice president-service design and advanced technology, reporting to David Brown, executive vice president and chief operating officer. The appointment is effective immediately.
Brown succeeds Alan Blumenfeld, who is retiring. Her new responsibilities will include service planning, operations research, network planning and joint facilities, and advanced engineering.
Susan Arko has been named assistant vice president-customer service operations, succeeding Cressie Brown. Arko will report to Cindy Sanborn, vice president and chief transportation officer.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Rail Division is going green with the installation of the state’s first solar-powered railroad crossing signal lights and gate warning system. The new system was recently activated in the Stokes County town of Pinnacle on Surry Line Road.
"This is an outstanding opportunity to use renewable, healthy and clean energy," said NCDOT Rail Division Director Pat Simmons. "While the crossing will operate as effectively as any other to help keep motorists safe, we can take pride in knowing that it’s also energy efficient."
Beyond the use of the solar panels to charge the batteries and operate a couple of low-draw electric items, such as an interior light, vent fan, etc., the crossing signals and gates will operate like any other crossing automatic warning system connected to the power grid. It also looks like any other signal and gate crossing warning system except for the mast-mounted solar panels atop the crossing signal’s control panel.
C&S Signaling of Pewee Valley, Ky., designed and installed the system. The Rail Division has plans for at least one other solar panel signal and gate crossing and will continue to encourage the further use of this green technology.
The U.S. must make a renewed and aggressive national commitment to modernize its infrastructure in order to keep its leading position in the global economy, Michael Ward, CSX Corporation’s chairman, president and chief executive officer said as part of a panel discussion on "Investing in Global Infrastructure" at the Milken Institute Global Conference.
"The quality of America’s infrastructure has long been one of the key reasons for its stunning success in the global marketplace," said Ward. "Other nations are making serious forward-looking investments. The U.S. needs to do the same and do a better job of maintaining the strong, but aging systems we already have in place."
The nation’s investor owned and privately financed railroads have invested more than $440 billion back into their infrastructures since 1980, said Ward. Since that time, freight traffic has nearly doubled, and railroads today offer competitive advantages and solve real, pressing problems as a result of their fuel efficiency, low emissions and ability to relieve highway congestion.
Thirty years ago, the nation’s freight railroads were "literally falling apart," Ward said. But in 1980 Congress made a major infrastructure decision that solved the problem with balanced regulations and a belief in the power of private capital.
While Ward noted that the freight rail model is not applicable to all infrastructure challenges facing the nation, he said the U.S. should consider what role private capital can play, identify places where public and private funds can work together to provide real, tangible benefits to the public, and encourage regulations that both empower and hold accountable businesses that own and operate infrastructure.
The Milken Institute Global Conference brings together scientists, business executives, philanthropists, journalists, Nobel laureates and other dignitaries to discuss, debate and deliberate on today’s most pressing social, political and economic challenges.
Gov. Chet Culver signed legislation on Monday setting aside $6.5 million for a rail line between Iowa City and Chicago. State lawmakers committed up to $20 million in funding last month. The estimated cost of the project is $102 million and officials plan to ask for the remainder in federal funds.
Plans for the railway have been ongoing; an attempt to begin construction last year failed because of funding problems.
The 79 mph high-speed passenger rail service would make two trips daily. A one-way trip between Iowa City and Chicago would take about five hours and cost roughly $42. Amtrak expects 120,000 people to take the route annually.
The next step is to submit an application for the federal dollars by July. Local officials will find out whether they will receive the money in October.
Amtrak says it has reached tentative agreements on new labor contracts with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the Joint Council of Carmen, Coach Cleaner and Helpers (JCC) and the Transportation Communications International (TCU) covering the period of Jan. 1, 2010, through Jan. 1, 2015.
The new contracts must be ratified by the union membership and will cover electricians, machinists, carmen and coach cleaners, clerks and telegraphers.
The IBEW, IAM, JCC and TCU are four of 14 labor organizations and joint councils representing Amtrak employees.
The tentative agreements will affect about 6,900 employees, or 40 percent of the Amtrak unionized labor force, according to Amtrak.
