Port Authority issues milestone report on WTC rebuilding

The Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey released its latest quarterly milestone report announcing
that it has met 19 of 20 second-quarter 2009 rebuilding milestones. Milestones
for the second quarter included: the installation of more than 2,400 tons of
steel for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, the equivalent of 20
Statues of Liberty; the installation of 1,250 cubic yards of concrete – the
equivalent of six miles of New York City sidewalk – bringing the plaza and main
entrance of One World Trade Center to street level; and, competitively bid one
of the largest and most critical work packages for the World Trade Center
Transportation Hub.


Missouri commission approves rail projects

 

Provide more reliable
rail service. Eventually produce faster travel times. That’s exactly what the
Missouri Department of Transportation seeks to do in making applications for a
portion of $8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding set
aside for high-speed rail development.

Rail conference calls for papers

Papers and presentations are being solicited on all aspects of railroad civil, mechanical, electrical and systems engineering, as well as rail safety, planning, design, financing, operations and management for the Joint Rail Conference – 2010 High Speed and Intercity Rail to be held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign April 27-29, 2010. Both freight and passenger rail subjects will be included, but the conference theme will be high-speed rail and other forms of developing intercity passenger rail.

Miner provides ballast systems to Brazil mining corporation

Miner Enterprises, Inc., has been chosen by Vale, the Brazilian multinational mining corporation to supply 70 AggreGate® ballast systems. The state-of-the-art air-powered dual cylinder AggreGate® system was specified for the order, demonstrating Miner’s international reach and reputation for high-quality freight car components around the world.

Restoring Amtrak to Gulf Coast will be costly

Restoring passenger rail service from New Orleans along the Gulf Coast to Orlando, Fla., will cost tens of millions of dollars and take a minimum of almost two years to accomplish, according to a new Amtrak study that also predicts the revived route would be a money-loser, according to the Mobile, Ala., Press-Register.

Memphis logistics industry embraces NS expansion

Although Norfolk Southern Corp.’s planned $129-million intermodal yard won’t be built within the city limits but instead in neighboring Rossville, Memphis’ logistics and distribution industries stand to benefit from the railroad’s decision to expand its local presence, The Daily News in Memphis reports. Not only is the railroad’s sprawling facility dubbed the Memphis Regional Intermodal Terminal, but it will be close enough for Memphis-based companies to gain unprecedented logistical access to eastern cities.

NTSB releases cause of 2007 Ohio derailment

The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that the derailment of a CSX train in Painesville, Ohio, Oct. 10, 2007, was a combination of a rail problem and human error in fixing the track, according to local media. The report showed that the CSX Transportation division engineer responsible for track maintenance said the temporary rail joint involved in the accident was installed only 10 months before the incident.

Union Pacific proposes solution to Tower 55 gridlock

To relieve the notorious Tower 55 train gridlock in Fort Worth, Texas, one of the nation’s biggest railroads wants to dig a 1.5-mile-long trench and submerge its tracks as they run through a commercial and residential area south of downtown, according to the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram. The east-west trench proposed by Union Pacific would roughly parallel Vickery Boulevard from Eighth Avenue to Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway and require buying of 15 properties, partial purchase of 15 more and moving 16 residences and businesses.

Portions of Boush and Bute streets close in Norfolk

Boush and Bute streets are scheduled for partial closures beginning July 21, according to the Norfolk, Va., Department of Public Works. For the next seven days, the closures will take place so that utility work may be done in preparation for light-rail construction. This is the first of two phases of work set to occur in the area.

Rockford, Ill., officials seek commuter trains

Rockford, Ill., area officials pushing to bring commuter train service Metra to Winnebago County are using Amtrak to help deliver the service – and their efforts threaten to derail DeKalb County’s bid for passenger rail service, according to the Northwest Herald.

Nazarow named vice president with Gannett Gleming

Greg Nazarow was named a vice president with Gannett Fleming, an international planning, design, and construction management firm. Nazarow serves as a senior rail operations analyst with Gannett Fleming Transit & Rail Systems, a division of Gannett Fleming specializing in transit and railroad track, signal, communication, and electric traction design.

Prince Rupert British Columbia’s ship finally comes in

Prince Rupert’s ship has finally come in, but it was expected 100 years ago, the Daily Commercial News reports. In 1909 this port in northern British Columbia was being groomed to become a major transportation hub and a large, vibrant city. Although it has the deepest, ice-free harbor in the world, it was a large iceberg that crushed that Prince Rupert dream.

Minnesota Northstar commuter rail work continues

Beginning July 21, crews will tie the overhead catenary system of the Hiawatha Light Rail Transit line into the existing system at the Warehouse District Station. The Warehouse District Station will close at 7:30pm on Tuesday, July 21 and reopen on Wednesday, July 22 at 4:00am. At the Minneapolis LRT, crews poured the final course of concrete on the LRT platform. Communications system testing and programming continues at both the LRT and commuter rail stations. Energization and testing of the OCS wires of the LRT extension will begin the week of July 20. Crews installed the glass at the LRT station shelters this week. Fencing at the commuter rail platform will be installed next week.

New Jersey governor launches rail service to the Meadowlands

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine inaugurated new rail service to the Meadowlands Sports Complex, launching an era of travel convenience for the millions of New Jersey residents and visitors who attend year-round events at the Meadowlands. Dozens of officials and guests, including players from the New York Jets and New York Giants, joined the Governor for the train ride, which originated in Hoboken and finished with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Meadowlands Station.