Commentary: Will We Ever Learn?
MARCH 2024 ISSUE OF RAILWAY TRACK & STRUCTURES –– Editor’s Notebook
Metra Hosting Open House for Woodstock Yard Project
CHICAGO ––Metra will hold an open house meeting in Woodstock on Thursday, March 21, to share information about the potential locations, engineering, and design of a planned new layover yard near the McHenry County community.
FRA Announces $900,000 in New Planning and Development Grants for Intercity Passenger Rail Services
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today announced that it has awarded $900,000 to three entities through the Interstate Rail Compacts (IRC) Grant Program.
LeAnna Gutierrez Cumber Joins Herzog as Chief Strategy Officer
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Serving as Chief Strategy Officer, LeAnna Gutierrez Cumber will work to expand Herzog’s capabilities and reach.
MBTA Reports Worker “Near Miss” on Orange Line
BOSTON –– The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) reported the “near miss” of workers on the Orange Line earlier this month.
MDOT Announces M-REP Grants; $16MM For 10 Freight Rail Projects
LANSING, Mich. – Through the Michigan Rail Enhancement Grant Program (M-REP), the MDOT awards $16 million for 10 rail projects across the state to invest in rail corridors and facilities.
Watch: Caltrain Marks EMU Testing Milestone –– From Our Colleagues at Railway Age
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. ––Caltrain has conducted testing of its Stadler-built KISS bilevel EMUs between Redwood City and Mountain View, Calif., marking a new milestone in the electrification of the system, due to launch this fall.
OCTA Continues Coastal Rail Resiliency Study; Catchment Wall Wooden Panels Now Up
ORANGE COUNTY – As OCTA and Metrolink work to address a stretch of the rail line after a landslide in January, it seeks longer-term solutions for protecting the rail right of way.
$111.1MM Investment in New York Port and Freight Rail Infrastructure
ALBANY, N.Y. – The $111.1 million investment comes from New York’s Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program (PFRAP) and will go toward 38 projects.
LA Metro Launches Website For Women in Construction
LOS ANGELES – “Women Breaking Ground”, a website dedicated to giving women information about joining an apprenticeship readiness training program and other resources.
NJ TRANSIT Moves Forward With Resiliency Upgrades at Hoboken Terminal
NEWARK, N.J. – NJ TRANSIT announced it has approved a contract to construct six new tracks, three ADA-accessible high-level platforms and a new passenger/rail personnel facility.
City of Waterloo Receives $750,000 to ‘Lay Groundwork’ for Railyard Relocation
WATERLOO, Iowa – $750,000 from the USDOT’s NAE Program will go toward relocating a CN railyard to the outskirts of town.
$1M for Track Expansion and Rehabilitation for Chautauqua County
CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N.Y. – As part of a $111.1 million investment, $1 million will go to Chautauqua County, New York for the Monofrax track expansion and rehabilitation.
Squats & Studs: Emergent Damage Mechanisms on Rail Transit Systems
ATLANTA – Railway Track & Structures, March 2024 Issue. The unforgiving environment of the wheel/rail interface creates many damage mechanisms. These manifest in defects as varied as corrugations, rolling contact fatigue, and gage-corner cracking, to name only a few.
TTC Issues RFP For Bloor-Yonge Capacity Improvements Project
TORONTO – The TTC released a Request for Proposals for the BYCI project in Toronto, and it expects to award a contract by the end of 2024.
NRC Chairman’s Column: The Challenge of Communicating Across the Generations
ATLANTA – From the March 2024 issue of Railway Track & Structures, Joe Daloisio and Erika Bruhnke discuss the challenge of communicating across generations.
North American Rail Solutions Acquires West Rail Construction
FORT WORTH, Texas – Through its subsidiary American Track, North American Rail Solutions acquired Vancouver, WA.-based West Rail Construction.
Governor Hochul Announces Five-Point Plan to Protect New Yorkers on the Subway
NEW YORK –– While this story is a bit out of our wheelhouse, we decided that this significant step by Governor Hochul is worth reporting.
Metra’s Homewood Station to Close April 1-May 20 for Stair Replacement
CHICAGO –– Metra recently announced that the Homewood Station will be closed all of April and most of May for stair replacement.
Government of Canada Announces Rail Safety Investments in Various Regions of Ontario
MARKHAM, ONTARIO –– The Government of Canada is making a significant investment in rail safety in Ontario.