Rail-customer advocates say BNSF deal highlights need for reform






There was an almost
euphoric tone to the news last week when the nation’s beloved sugar daddy,
Warren Buffett, sprung for the rest of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., a
big part of Lincoln’s economy, Nebraska’s and the nation’s, the Lincoln, Neb.,
Journal Star reports. The guys on CNBC acknowledged they just couldn’t get
enough of their videos of BNSF trains chugging mightily across America’s TV
screens. A hard-headed business decision can pull at least a couple of carloads
of railroad nostalgia, if the whistle is far enough away.

Osmose celebrates its 75 Anniversary






In the fall of 1934,
several Buffalo businessmen joined forces to create the Osmose Wood Preserving
Company of America, building on patents for a unique, non-pressurized wood
preservation. During the following 75 years,  Osmose continued to advance the wood preservation science
and grew into various related divisions serving the railroad, utility and consumer
marketplaces. Close relationships with an evolving customer base encouraged
Osmose to embark on infrastructure inspection, maintenance and repair solutions
for the railroad industry.

Metro-North Railroad faces safety mandate






Like other railroads
across the country, Metro-North Railroad is considering how to outfit its
trains to comply with a federal safety technology mandate that would alert
engineers when trains become dangerously close, the Connecticut Post reports.

 

Pittsburgh North Shore Intersection to see lane closures Nov. 9-14






Pittsburgh area motorists
can expect intermittent lane closures Nov. 9-14 near the intersection of
Allegheny Avenue and Reedsdale Street on the North Shore due to construction
activity in the area. Contractors will intermittently close lanes beginning Nov.
9 at 6:00 a.m. and ending at 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14. Work will be
conducted around the clock, and police will help direct motorists through open
lanes.


Pennsylvania, four other states seek $300 million to improve rail lines






Pennsylvania and four other
states are seeking stimulus money to make upgrades to their rail systems,
including the proposed intermodal terminal in Greencastle, the Chambersburg
Public Opinion Website reports. Pennsylvania was a co-signer of an application
for $300 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, according to
PennDOT spokesperson Rich Kirkpatrick.

Bridge to be constructed over railroad tracks by 2013







Drivers on Allen Road in
Woodhaven, Mich., will be traveling under the railroad tracks near Van Horn
Road by 2013, Wayne County officials said, according to local newspapers.

 County
and engineering officials from Wade Trim and Hennessey Engineering met at City
Hall to discuss the project and answer questions from residents.





Hallandale Beach meeting covers proposed rail and train services






Residents were updated on
an ongoing transit study during a recent public workshop in Hallandale Beach, Fla.,
the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. 

The workshop, at the Cultural
Community Center, is part of a series of meetings offered to residents to
gather input on the South Florida East Coast Corridor Transit Analysis Study. 

The
study, managed by the Florida Department of Transportation, is exploring
options to mitigate roadway congestion in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach
counties.





Fridley Station elevators, mechanical and electrical pass inspections






The majority of
construction activities at the Fridley, Minn., Northstar commuter rail station
are complete. Milling and overlay of 61st Way was completed the week of Nov. 2.
All three station elevators have passed inspection. Plumbing/mechanical and
electrical passed inspections are set for the week of Nov. 9. Installation of
station signage and landscaping continue.

Metra proposes four more stations in McHenry County






A proposed $500-million
project to improve commuter train service in Chicago and its suburbs includes
adding four stops in McHenry County, the Chicago Tribune reports. Prairie Grove
and Johnsburg would get train depots. Those communities are along a branch line
off the Metra UP Northwest Line that veers north near Crystal lake, Ill., to
the city of McHenry. The other proposed stops would be about 1.5 miles apart
along tracks that run parallel to U.S. Highway 14. Those stops would be between
existing downtown depots in Crystal Lake and Woodstock.

Final weekend for downtown San Jose rail rehab project






Weekend motorists, cyclists
and pedestrians using the intersection of Almaden Boulevard and San Carlos
Street, and VTA light rail riders using or passing through the Convention
Center Light Rail Station insane Jose, Calif., should allow more time for their
trips the weekend of Nov. 7-8.

BNSF, BLET reach tentative agreement






BNSF
has reached a tentative agreement with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
and Trainmen to settle wage and work rule matters concerning BNSF’s locomotive
engineers for the major round of collective bargaining that will begin Jan. 1,
2010.

Historic railway yanked away for Sioux City project






It’s been decades since
select ground just east of Floyd Boulevard in Sioux City, Iowa, was exposed to
sun and other elements, the Sioux City Journal reports. Now, the area is being
laid bare by workers moving southward, pulling out old railroad spikes and
prying up the steel track.

D.C. Metro sets weekend track maintenance






Track maintenance on the
Washington, D.C., Metro Orange, Blue and Yellow lines Nov. 6-8 will cause
inbound and outbound trains to take turns sharing one track. Customers should
add 30 minutes to their trips.

Dulles Metrorail project update






Beneath a busy interchange
on top of the highest point in Tysons Corner, Va., crews are mining a tunnel
that will carry the Dulles Corridor Metrorail tracks from Route 123 to Route 7.
Working two 12-hour shifts per day, crews began tunnel construction, using the
New Austrian Tunneling Method to mine the first of two tunnels, the outbound
segment. Construction will start on the inbound tunnel in the coming months.

Final girder to be installed on West Valley TRAX bridge






Utah Transit Authority in
the Salt Lake City area is scheduled to place the final girder on the new West
Valley TRAX bridge over Union Pacific’s Roper Yard Nov. 5. The bridge is the
largest single structure on the West Valley TRAX line and its completion is an
important milestone on the project. The West Valley TRAX Line will extend TRAX
service from 2100 South Central Pointe station on the North-South TRAX line
southwest to West Valley City Hall.