Proposed National Gateway projects create thousands of jobs






The National Gateway
initiative will spur thousands of employment opportunities throughout the
Midwest and East Coast, creating growth and building the nation’s economic
competitiveness. The National Gateway is an $842-million, multi-state
public-private infrastructure initiative that will create a more efficient
freight rail route between Mid-Atlantic ports and Midwestern markets. Planned
improvements that will create job opportunities include raising bridges,
increasing tunnel clearances and building new terminals along existing rail
corridors to support the movement of double-stacked containers on rail cars.

Contract approved for Sound Transit University Link tunnel work






The Sound
Transit Board on Thursday unanimously approved a contract to dig twin-bored
tunnels between the Capitol Hill Station and downtown Seattle for the
University Link light rail extension. The contract, with JCM U-Link Joint
Venture, is for $168.9 million, which includes a 10 percent contingency. The
firm’s bid was 12 percent below the engineer’s estimate.


Governor pushes for action on Connecticut rail yard






Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi
Rell said that she would push ahead with plans to borrow $100 million so that
the state can build a key part of the New Haven rail yard, the Hartford Courant
reports. One of Connecticut’s biggest contractors recently offered to build a
293,000-square-foot maintenance center for rail cars that was only about half
as expensive as transportation officials and a consultant had projected.

LA Metro Board Approves 2009 Long Range Transportation Plan






The Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors has approved the 2009
Long Range Transportation Plan that will guide transportation development in
the county through the year 2040, a period in which the county is expected to
experience unprecedented growth.

Port Authority awards new PATH signal system contracts






Fulfilling a commitment to
the PATH rail system’s long-term growth, the Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey’s Board of Commissioners authorized more than $340 million worth of
contracts to help replace antiquated mechanical train controls on the
101-year-old system with state-of-the-art, computerized signals.

Work begins on improvements to several Eastside MAX stations






TriMet in the Portland,
Ore., area is beginning work on the first of several stimulus-funded projects
aimed at improving rider and pedestrian safety, security and convenience at
Eastside MAX stations. TriMet is using federal stimulus funds to repaint six
MAX stations, starting at the E 162nd Ave station in Gresham.

North County Transit District, AECOM agree to settle claims






The North County Transit
District reached an agreement with AECOM (formerly DMJM+Harris) to settle all
claims arising from the design services performed by DMJM+Harris for the SPRINTER
light rail project in the San Diego area. The settlement allows each party to
avoid future litigation regarding disputed claims. With this agreement, NCTD
should complete the SPRINTER project well within its federally approved budget
of $484.2 million.

Hampton Roads Transit Board picks builder for light-rail stations






Hampton Roads Transit’s
board awarded a $3.96-million contract to build 11 light-rail stations,
slightly under the $4.09 million projected budget, according to The
Virginian-Pilot. The contract went to W.M. Schlosser Company Inc., which is
already building the light-rail vehicle storage and maintenance facility. The
company has done similar work for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit
Authority.

Investment in public transit creates U.S. job for new green economy






Although it has been a part
of our lives for more than 150 years, public transportation is one of the key
investments to create jobs as we address the new emerging green economy, according
to the American Public Transportation Association as it released a new report Oct.
23. With previous research showing public transit’s significant contribution to
reducing greenhouse gases, the report, "Economic Impact of Public
Transportation Investment," demonstrates how increased investment in public
transportation provides good green jobs, wages and business income in
industries that have been particularly hit hard by the economic downturn.

BMWED representative meet to finalize national bargaining demands






BMWED National Division
President Freddie Simpson convened a meeting Oct. 21 for the purpose of
reviewing membership surveys and finalizing bargaining demands that will be
served on the nation’s freight railroads in November. The national contract
with most freight railroads will expire January 1, 2010 and the next round of
bargaining will begin.

NCTD leaders slam federal requirement on PTC mandate






North County Transit
District leaders in the San Diego area floated the idea of refusing to pay for
an expensive and federally mandated rail safety program, then did a quick
about-face when they learned such a move could shut down the district’s coastal
railway, the North county Times reports. In the end, the district’s board voted
8-1 to pay for a $332,728 study of how to install positive train control. The
required safety technology could cost NCTD anywhere from $27 million to $90
million. To put that in perspective, as board member and Solana Beach City
Councilman Dave Roberts did, $90 million is about the size of NCTD’s entire
annual budget.

Invensys Rail wins Brazilian Metro contract






On October 22, railway
control and communications systems provider Invensys Rail, Brazilian
engineering company Montagens e Projetos Especiais (MPE) and Spanish telecoms
specialists Infoglobal have signed a milestone $418-million contract to upgrade
the Signaling and ATC on lines 8, 10 and 11 of São Paulo’s rapidly developing
Metro system.

Caltrain construction, maintenance update, Oct. 24-30






Work on Caltrain’s Grade
Crossing Improvement Program, which will enhance safety at 25 grade crossings
in San Mateo County, continues in Burlingame, Menlo Park and Atherton. Throughout
the project area, at least one lane of the impacted street will remain open.
Flagmen will direct traffic and pedestrians around the construction.

Caterpillar names Doug Oberhelman Vice Chairman and CEO – Elect






The
Board of Directors of Caterpillar Inc. elected Douglas R. Oberhelman to the
offices of Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer – Elect, effective January
1, 2010. Oberhelman, 56, currently serves as Group President of Caterpillar
with responsibility for the company’s engine and gas turbine businesses, human
services, rail services and remanufacturing divisions. As Vice Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer – Elect, Oberhelman will take on the additional
responsibilities of managing the leadership transition and updating the company’s
strategy.  


Northwestern Pacific repairs substantially complete






North Coast Railroad
Authority Chairman, Allan Hemphill said that $40 million in repairs to 62 miles
of the Northwestern Pacific railway between Napa County and Windsor have been
completed. He said Federal Railroad Administration inspection of the repairs to
trackway, crossing signals, and bridges between Windsor in Sonoma County and
the national rail interchange (Lombard), located North of American Canyon in
Napa County, will take up to 90 days.

Global Rail Systems acquired by Vossloh






Global Rail Systems, Inc.,
a Marlin, Texas-based railroad automation company, said that Vossloh has
acquired a majority interest in the company, effective October 16, 2009. Vossloh
is a global player in the rail technology markets. The acquisition of Global
Rail Systems complements Vossloh’s three other U.S.-owned companies: Vossloh
Track Material (formerly Pohl Corp.), Cleveland Track Material, Inc., which
manufacture track switches, and Vossloh Fastening Systems America Corp., based
in Chicago. Under terms of the agreement, Global’s management will remain in
place.

New York MTA hires consultant for North Shore study






Whether trains or buses
will roll along the abandoned North Shore Rail right-of-way on Staten Island will
be decided in the coming months, after the MTA said it has hired a consultant
to evaluate the options, the Website SILive.com reports. SYSTRA Engineering,
Inc., was chosen to conduct the study at a cost of just under $1.5 million. The
company has done previous work on the North Shore Rail and West Shore Light
Rail projects.