National Gateway addresses need for infrastructure improvements






According to government forecasts, freight volumes
in the United States will significantly increase by 2020. Unless major
transportation infrastructure improvements are made, this could lead to reduced
productivity resulting in job losses, higher prices for the goods we buy and
reduced worldwide demand for the goods we sell. The National Gateway – an $842-million
multi-state public-private infrastructure initiative – will help meet current
infrastructure needs and prepare the nation for this projected growth by
investing in surface transportation infrastructure improvements.

Don’t get on deep tunnel express, governor-elect






(The following opinion
piece by Alfred Doblin appeared in The Record in Northern New Jersey.) Last
week, Governor-elect Chris Christie met with The Record’s editorial board.
During the meeting, he was asked about transportation projects and the
possibility of a gas tax to help keep the Transportation Trust Fund solvent.



Minnesota high-speed route to Chicago may take year to map






Mapping the route of a
proposed high-speed passenger train between the Twin Cities and Chicago will
take a year or more, a Minnesota transportation official said, according to
local newspapers. Dan Krom, who made a presentation to Washington County commissioners,
said as many as eight routes are under study. One of them, which the
commissioners favor, would follow the existing Amtrak route, known in planning
circles as Red Rock, through southern Washington County and eastern Dakota
County.

Future of rail in Missouri could depend on Washington






Whether
you might take the train for holiday travel in the future might well depend on
a $200-million request for federal funds. Missouri Transportation Director Pete
Rahn says people are being drawn to rail travel for reasons other than saving
money on fuel, local media report.

Inver Grove Heights, Minn., gets grants to renovate bridge






The city of Inver Grove
Heights, Minn., has received a couple of mighty big gifts totaling $1.4 million
in grant money to convert a historic swing bridge into a 670-foot public pier
over the Mississippi River, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. And now, as
they’re getting ready to seek contractors to do the work, city officials say
they’re expecting that bids could come in 20 to 40 percent lower than
anticipated by engineers — thanks in part to highly competitive bidding during
tough economic times.

Dakota Southern owners consider rehabilitation for regional railroad line






The recent sale of the
Chamberlain, S.D.-based Dakota Southern Railway Company could result in lower
shipping prices for area producers served by the line, according to its new
owners, the Daily Republic reported. Mike Williams and Stan Patterson, who
purchased the line, met in Chamberlain with the Mitchell-Rapid City Regional
Rail Authority and laid out the broad strokes of a multi-year rebuilding plan.

First phase of Number 7 subway extension completed






New York City Mayor
Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert C. Lieber
and Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman and CEO Jay H. Walder lauded
the completion of the first phase of the Number 7 subway extension at the
Hudson Yards in Manhattan. The second of two tunnel boring machines has reached
the southern wall of the 34th Street Station cavern after mining a combined
2,900 feet from their starting point at 26th Street under 11th Avenue. The
$2.1-billion project, funded by the City and managed by the MTA, will help
transform the Hudson Yards vicinity into a vibrant 24-hour neighborhood,
containing a mix of commercial, residential, retail, open space and
recreational uses.

Port of Seattle to acquire BNSF rail corridor






The Port of
Seattle Commission approved a Memorandum of Understanding with King County and
BNSF that will result in the Port’s acquisition and receipt by donation of the
42-mile Eastside rail corridor in King and Snohomish counties from the
railroad. Acquisition of the southern corridor for the public is one of the
largest and most significant in the history of the federal rail-banking
program.

IMT expands into new manufacturing facility






Iowa Mold Tooling Co. Inc.,
an Oshkosh Corporation company, has expanded its manufacturing operations into
McIntire, Iowa, by opening a new facility to handle its increased welding
activities. The plant opening created about 40 welding jobs. IMT has also hired
more welders at its main facility in Garner, Iowa.

HRT announces changes to light rail budget, schedule











Construction of Norfolk’s
starter light-rail line is running as much as 41 percent over its original
budget, and that has angry local leaders demanding an explanation from Hampton
Roads Transit, which manages the project, The Virginian-Pilot reports. HRT
officials said this week they need $38 million to $40 million more to finish
the 7.4-mile transit system, which is just over 50 percent complete.

TransLink 2010 budget maintains services levels, cuts costs






Vancouver’s
TransLink’s Board of Directors has approved a 2010 budget that will preserve
its roads and transit program. Revenue increases and cost cutting initiatives
have eliminated the structural deficit and TransLink will maintain services and
keep equipment and facilities in a state of good repair. Funding levels do not
allow TransLink to proceed with further expansion of the transportation system
in 2010.

New president named for VIA Rail Canada






Canada’s Transport
Minister John Baird and the Honorable Rob Merrifield, Minister of State said
Marc Laliberté, of Boucherville, Québec, has been appointed president and chief
executive officer of VIA Rail Canada Inc. for a term of four years, effective
January 4, 2010.

 

BART expands wireless access to Transbay Tube






BART customers who
subscribe to the five major mobile phone companies can now use their mobile
phones and wireless hotspot devices to make calls or surf the web as they go
under the bay between San Francisco and Oakland. Over the weekend
Sprint/Nextel, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and MetroPCS turned on their
networks inside the Transbay Tube. In fact, BART passengers now have a
continuous wireless access from the West Oakland BART Station all the way to
Balboa Park.

Ft. Worth mayor seeks fix of rail line






Fort Worth officials and
regional planners have long tried to get federal support behind solving the
infamous freight train delays at a railroad intersection south of downtown, the
Dallas Morning News reports. Mayor Mike Moncrief on Dec.21 seemingly made more
progress with one phone call than North Texas politicians have made in years of
lobbying federal lawmakers. Moncrief’s audience: Vice President Joe Biden.

Army corps of Engineers approves BNSF intermodal facility permit






The
Kansas City District Corps of Engineers with cooperation from the United States
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7, has concluded review of the proposed
BNSF Railway Company’s Intermodal Facility in Johnson County, Kansas. The Corps
determined that the project is in the public interest, is the least
environmentally damaging practicable alternative and will not significantly
impact the human environment.

CSXT to speed up work on its National Gateway project






With a goal of speeding
freight between East Coast ports and the Midwest, CSX Transportation has
undertaken what it calls the National Gateway project – an $842-million
public-private upgrade of rail infrastructure to accommodate double-stack
container cars, The State Journal in Huntington, W.Va., reports.

Railway hubs lay down tracks for expansion






This city (Chicago) was
built on railroads that moved meat from its famous packing houses, steel from
its mills, corn from surrounding fields. Today Chicago is still the nation’s
leading rail hub, with about 37,500 rail cars passing through daily, the Washington
Post reports. But massive congestion on Chicago tracks costs millions of
dollars in shipping delays, and it causes substantial noise and air pollution
as trains idle for hours, waiting for track clearance. The problem threatens to
get worse since freight traffic is expected to double in the next 20 years.

Editorial: Narrow rules are no excuse to withhold rail money






(This editorial appeared on
the Boston Globe Website on December 21, 2009.) The Federal Railroad
Administration says it was just following the law in requiring a major environmental
review before Amtrak can seek money for improvements on its Boston-Washington
route. The review should be performed as quickly as possible, and, if it can’t
be completed in time to qualify for some of the $8 billion in high-speed rail
funds in the federal stimulus bill, Congress should change the rules. The
Northeast Corridor is, after all, a century-old railbed, and environmental
risks stemming from fairly simple improvements aren’t serious enough to
jeopardize the best chance in a generation to push American rail policy in the
right direction.