Search Results for: short lines

Sound Transit expedites light-rail extension, implements sustainability plan

The Sound Transit Board approved accelerating construction of the South Link light-rail extension from Sea-Tac Airport to South 200th Street in Seattle, Wash. The South 200th Link project includes a 1.6-mile, elevated guideway and station with a planned opening in September 2016, four years earlier than envisioned in the voter-approved Sound Transit 2 plan and at the same time, University Link service will begin.

"Moving forward with construction of the South 200th light rail extension earlier than planned is an exciting opportunity for South King County," said Aaron Reardon, Sound Transit Board chair and Snohomish County executive. "In just a few short years, thousands of south county residents every day will be able to enjoy fast, efficient light rail service to the airport, downtown Seattle and the University of Washington, with numerous connections to other major employment centers throughout the region."

The decision to accelerate construction was based on the project’s state of readiness to move forward with final design and construction, its potential to increase ridership and its capacity to provide additional system parking concurrent with the opening of the University Link project. The agency is also in a position to take advantage of a favorable bidding climate. Sound Transit plans to use a design-build delivery method for the project.

The project is estimated to cost $383.2 million and Sound Transit will apply for a federal Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery grant. Based on the size of the South 200th extension, if awarded, the grant could be between $28 to $34 million. Grant funding received would be added to the financial capacity of the South King County subarea.

By 2018, the South 200th Station will serve an estimated 2,700 boardings on an average weekday. The stations at Capitol Hill and the University of Washington will serve 11,800 and 14,900 riders each weekday, respectively. System-wide, 25 million transit users will ride Link in 2018. By 2030, Link light rail will serve 260,000 people each weekday.

Additionally, Sound Transit Board has plans for the implementation of an agency Sustainability Plan.

The plan outlines how the agency will implement and fund sustainability efforts across all activities related to planning, designing, constructing and operating transit services and facilities. It establishes long-term priorities and provides a roadmap for how actions will be accomplished as Sound Transit delivers major transit investments across the region in the years ahead.

"Sound Transit offers residents throughout our growing region the opportunity to reduce their environmental footprints by climbing aboard our buses and trains. However, our contributions don’t end there," said Sound Transit Board Chair and Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon. "We are committed to making sustainability a core factor in everyday operating decisions."

The Sustainability Plan, available at www.soundtransit.org/environmental, will build on the agency’s work since 2004 to respond to this global challenge.

 

UTU wins protection for members on beer railway

The United Transportation Union has won a protection for employees of Manufacturers Railway, a 124-year-old subsidiary of brewer Anheuser-Busch, on behalf of 12 train and engine employees represented by the UTU and employed by the rail company.

In March, the carrier sought permission from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to discontinue operations and asked the agency not to impose so-called labor protection for workers who would be put in unemployment lines as a result of the discontinuance.

The railroad’s case rested on a long-standing policy of the board and its predecessor, the Interstate Commerce Commission, not to impose labor protection when an entire system is abandoned.

The UTU Law Department told the STB that they believed Manufacturers had provided the agency with "misleading information" with regard to the intended cessation of operations.

Rather than abandon its system, the UTU told the STB that Manufacturers had said it intended to transfer those rail operations to a third party that would operate over the railway’s tracks and yard, which would remain under Manufacturers Railway and Anheuser-Busch ownership.

The STB agreed and ruled that so-called Oregon Short Line labor protection be granted as a condition of the discontinuance of operations by Manufacturers Railway.

The protection provides for six years of income protection for all adversely affected employees of Manufacturers Railway.

 

RFQ issued for Ottawa LRT project

The City of Ottawa in Ontario Canada released a Request for Qualifications for Ottawa Light Rail Transit Project: Tunney’s Pasture to Blair Station as outlined and approved by City Council on May 25, 2011.

The document outlines the evaluation criteria that will be used to identify respondents with the skills and experience to deliver Ottawa’s Light Rail Transit project.

Respondents will need to demonstrate their success in design, management, construction, system integration, testing, commissioning and maintenance of high capacity Light Rail Transit projects of similar scope and size as the OLRT project.

An independent Fairness Commissioner will oversee the evaluation process to protect the city’s interests and ensure an equal playing field from potential bidders. There are also lobbying restrictions in place to prevent firms from lobbying council or staff outside of the formal submission process.

Respondents will have until September 13, 2011 to make submissions. The city will take one month to complete evaluations and will publish a short list of qualified respondents in October, 2011.

The pre-qualified respondents will be invited to respond to the OLRT Request for Proposal.

The RFP process will last nine months, after which the winning firm will complete negotiations with the city. The final contract is due to be signed by December 2012 and construction will be completed within five years.

Mica, Shuster roll out passenger rail plan

A dramatic new direction that focuses on bringing competition to high-speed and intercity passenger rail service across the country was presented during a national briefing by committee leaders. The plan incorporates competitive bidding and private sector involvement to bring high-speed rail to the Northeast Corridor and improve intercity passenger rail service nationwide.

U.S. Representative John L. Mica, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee, and U.S. Representative Bill Shuster, chairman of the Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, presented their new direction for U.S. passenger rail service to national and state transportation officials and passenger rail stakeholders across the country and enabled their participation via webcast and teleconference. The Mica/Shuster initiative is called the Competition for Intercity Passenger Rail in America Act.

"Competition in high-speed and intercity passenger rail will cut taxpayer subsidies, improve service and bring our nation into the 21st century of passenger rail transportation," Mica said.

"Our plan will create jobs by finally bringing real high-speed rail to the one region of the country where it makes the most sense – the Northeast Corridor – and do so in a dramatically shorter time than Amtrak’s 30-year plan, at a fraction of their proposed $117 billion cost," Mica said.

The Mica/Shuster proposal will also give states greater control and authority over their intercity passenger rail services, currently operated by Amtrak. Ridership on state-supported routes has increased significantly over the past 15 years and incentivizing private sector competition for rail services on these routes will ensure states and taxpayers get a said good deal and a good service. The initiative will also open up other Amtrak long-distance money-losing routes to competition, allowing the private sector the opportunity to bid on any intercity route and potentially improve service.

The Mica/Shuster initiative will aim at bringing real high-speed rail to the nation’s Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., New York City and Boston. The corridor is already owned almost in its entirety by Amtrak and the initiative will end the Amtrak monopoly and separate the NEC from it creating a separate business unit.

Fifteen states around the country currently pay Amtrak to operate intercity passenger rail. The initiative encourages private companies to compete not only on these state-supported intercity routes but on long-distance routes as well, which Rep. Mica and Rep. Shuster say will save taxpayers’ dollars and create and protect jobs.

 

 

House T&I Committee leaders want to privatize NEC

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-FL) and Rail Subcommittee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) announced at a Congressional hearing that they are preparing legislation they believe will speed up development of high-speed rail and reduce high taxpayer subsidization of the project. Their proposal would transfer development of the nation’s most congested corridor from Amtrak to private sector competition.

"We plan introduce legislation to separate the Northeast Corridor from Amtrak, transfer it to a separate entity and begin a competitive bidding process that would allow for a public-private partnership to design, build, operate, maintain and finance high-speed service. Our plan would do so in a dramatically shorter time, in closer to 10 rather than 30 years, and at a fraction of the $117 billion cost proposed by Amtrak, while creating new jobs," Mica said.

"We’ve tried it Amtrak’s way without success for nearly 40 years and it’s time to go down a new path and inject private sector competition," Shuster said. "It is time to deregulate America’s passenger rail system and the Northeast Corridor presents the best place to start with private investment and market-based ideas."

The Mica and Shuster proposal is being developed according to the following principles:

Ending the Amtrak monopoly

• Separates the NEC from Amtrak, spinning it off as a separate business unit

• Transfers the title for the NEC to a separate entity

Bringing competition and the private sector to the table

• Requires a competitive bidding process for the NEC

• Establishes performance standards for true high-speed rail with a requirement for service in less than two hours between Washington, D.C. and New York City

• Reduces and potentially eliminates the need for federal subsidies

The time is now

• Moves America forward in less than half the time as Amtrak’s proposal with firm deadlines for action

Creating jobs and worker protections

• Ensures labor protections are kept in place and provides for hiring preference to any potentially displaced Amtrak employees

KCS responds to Joplin, Mo., tornado

Kansas City Southern CEO David Starling issued a statement concerning the May 22 tornado that ripped a six-mile path through Joplin, Mo., destroying a significant part of the city.

The statement read in part:

The KCS railroad through Joplin was relatively unscathed. The tornado touched down about a half mile west of its tracks and crossed over the railroad between 18th and 20th Streets. Flashing signals are located at each grade crossing and were severely damaged. A few trees were across the track, but no power lines. KCS maintenance-of-way forces were on the scene shortly after the tornado and the main line was open to run trains by midnight; however, the operating team chose to wait until 7:00 a.m. to start operations due to the uncertainty throughout the city.

The 18th Street crossing signal was repaired and is back in service. The 20th Street crossing is currently protected by flagmen as train operations are back to normal through Joplin with a 25-mile per hour speed restriction. The 20th Street crossing is in the process of being repaired.

KCS has 10 employees living in Joplin. All employees and their families have been confirmed to be safe, although some damage was reported to some homes. KCS is providing assistance to the few families that have specific needs.

The Kansas City Southern Charitable Fund made a contribution to Heart to Heart International, an organization that has already deployed volunteer medical professionals, supplies and a Mobile Medical Clinic. Heart to Heart’s response continuum includes readiness, response, recovery, rebuilding and restoration.

PHL earns Harriman Safety Award

Pacific Harbor Line has received the Harriman Certificate of Commendation for the most improved employee safety record among more than 500 smaller U.S. railroads. Association of American Railroads President Ed Hamberger presented the award at a special luncheon in Washington, D.C., honoring this year’s award winners.

To earn the award, PHL achieved a continuous gain in employee safety from 2008 through 2010 and showed the greatest improvement in the last two years among regional and short-line railroads working between 250,000 and four million man-hours annually.

PHL President Mike Stolzman said, "This is a tremendous achievement and recognition of the hard work by our employees to improve our safety record and make Pacific Harbor Line a safer place to work."

This is the first Harriman award earned by an Anacostia & Pacific company, a regional railroad development firm. Other Anacostia rail affiliates include: Chicago South Shore & South Bend, Gulf Coast Switching Company, Louisville & Indiana, New York & Atlantic and Northern Lines Railway.

Amtrak ridership up nearly 10 percent in April

Amtrak ridership surged in April to be the best April on record and extends Amtrak’s streak to 18 consecutive months of year-over-year ridership growth.

Ridership for April 2011 was nearly 2.7 million passengers, which represents an increase of 9.9 percent over April 2010 and keeps Amtrak on the path to set a new annual ridership record.

This performance is part of a long-term trend that has seen Amtrak set annual ridership records in seven of the last eight fiscal years, including more than 28.7 million passengers in FY 2010.

Comparing the first seven months of FY 2011 (October – April) to the same time period in FY 2010, national Amtrak ridership is up 6.5 percent so far this fiscal year and all three major business lines are showing gains: the Northeast Corridor up 4.8 percent, state-supported and other short distance corridors up 8.1 percent and long-distance trains up 5.6 percent.

According to Amtrak, factors contributing to these record highs include strong Easter holiday travel in April, high gasoline prices which have trended higher, continued growth in business travel on the high-speed Acela Express trains with Wi-Fi service, the increased appeal and popularity of rail travel and effective marketing campaigns.

The streak of 18 consecutive months of year-over-year ridership growth began in November 2009.

RailAmerica to acquire three Alabama railroads

RailAmerica, Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of three short-line freight railroads in the state of Alabama for a total purchase price of $12.7 million. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2011 and is subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory approvals. The three railroads, known individually as the Three Notch Railroad (THNR), the Wiregrass Central Railroad (WGCR) and the Conecuh Valley Railroad (COEH), are currently owned by affiliates of Gulf and Ohio Railways, Inc.

The Three Notch Railroad includes 35 miles of track connecting Georgiana and Andalusia, Ala.; the Wiregrass Central Railroad is a 20-mile railroad that runs between Waterford and Enterprise, Ala.; and the Conecuh Valley Railroad is a 15-mile railroad linking Troy and Goshen, Ala. Each of the three lines interchanges with CSX Transportation and serves customers shipping primarily agricultural and manufactured products. Collectively, the three lines hauled approximately 6,000 carloads of freight during the fiscal year ended 2010.

RailAmerica President and CEO John Giles said, "We are pleased to add these high-quality assets to our existing Alabama rail franchise. Collectively, the railroads have a solid customer base as well as a number of opportunities for further growth. Additionally, the railroads are clustered in close proximity to our existing Alabama operations, which we expect to create significant operating efficiencies. We look forward to partnering with new and existing customers on the line and with the local community to continue growing business on these lines."

Giles added, "We continue to have a strong balance sheet to take advantage of acquisitions that complement our core business. We approach this process with a disciplined focus on investment criteria designed to generate attractive returns and operational synergies."

For the next twelve months, RailAmerica anticipates these railroads will generate approximately $3.7 million in revenue, $1.2 million in operating income and $0.7 million in depreciation and amortization. RailAmerica intends to use cash on hand to finance the purchase.

 

 

Amtrak on its way to setting annual ridership record

March marked 17 consecutive months of year-over-year ridership growth for Amtrak, was the best March ever for the company and puts Amtrak on track to set another annual ridership record.

"Our ridership has grown more than 36 percent since 2000, and I expect that trend to continue – and if gas prices continue to rise – to accelerate. Our only restriction will be the available capacity," Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman told a House Appropriations committee that is considering the national passenger railroad’s FY 2012 budget request.

This performance is part of a long-term trend that has seen Amtrak set annual ridership records in seven of the last eight fiscal years, including more than 28.7 million passengers in FY 2010.

Specifically, there was a 5.5 percent increase in riders in March 2011 vs. March 2010, or more than 137,000 passengers. The 17 straight months of year-over-year ridership growth spans from November 2009 to March 2011 and averages a 6.3 percent growth rate over this period.

Comparing the first six months of FY 2011 (October to March) to the same time period in FY 2010 shows ridership is up 5.9 percent, or 802,745 passengers. In addition, during that same period ridership has increased on all three of Amtrak’s major business lines: Northeast Corridor up 3.9 percent, state-supported and other short distance corridors up 7.7 percent and long-distance trains up 5.3 percent.

AAR to Congress: Freight rail investments propel safety achievements

The Association of American Railroads has told Congress that private capital investments made over the past 30 years by the nation’s freight railroads have helped propel the industry’s enviable safety record. Testifying on behalf of AAR, Norfolk Southern Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Manion told members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee that the rail industry’s record safety achievements are due in large part to the commitment and tremendous resources freight railroads put into constantly improving safety.

"For Norfolk Southern and America’s other freight and passenger railroads, safe operations are an imperative," Manion said, noting the industry has made massive investments in safety- enhancing infrastructure, equipment and technology, as well as employee training and cooperative programs with other safety stakeholder groups like labor unions, customers and federal regulators.

"Nothing is more important to our nation’s freight railroads than the safety of their employees, customers and the communities they serve, as demonstrated by the scope of the industry’s safety efforts," he added.

At the Hill hearing on the status of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, Manion said Congress passed the most costly federal mandate in U.S. railroad history – a $13.2 billion price tag and a 20-to-one cost-benefit ratio – which will require railroads to deploy positive train control technology by 2015 on lines handling certain types of hazardous materials and passenger operations.

"The cause of safety will not be advanced if resources are directed to programs or requirements that siphon resources that would have a more pronounced impact on safety if spent elsewhere," he said. "It is short sighted to put such enormous emphasis on one technology, when less costly, more effective alternatives exist for reducing the risk of accidents."

Following the issuance of FRA’s final rule for implementing PTC, AAR filed suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, seeking to change certain aspects of the rule. Earlier, FRA agreed to undertake a review of the rules, and the suit was put on hold.

"FRA’s review of the final PTC rule provides the Obama Administration a great opportunity to make good on its Executive Order to identify and change regulations that are preventing job growth and economic recovery," said AAR’s President and CEO Edward Hamberger. "Given the vast amounts of private capital and resources that will be required to meet the PTC mandate, much will depend on how the revised rules are ultimately shaped."

MassDOT land exchange clears way for MBTA station

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has approved a land exchange agreement to facilitate extending the Green Line north of Lechmere Station to Somerville and Medford, Mass., while also advancing the NorthPoint mixed-use development project. The agreement between the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and Pan Am Railways, approved by the MassDOT Board of Directors, allows for construction of a new Lechmere Station on the east side of O’Brien Highway in East Cambridge across from the current station location. The project will lead to new jobs and economic development for the area.

"This landmark agreement represents an important next step in the Green Line Extension project that will help create jobs in both the short- and long-term," said MassDOT Secretary Jeffrey Mullan. "At the same time, we have secured the use of important rights-of-way that are critical to our longer-term rail vision and are important for the Commonwealth’s transportation and economic future."

The MBTA is also obtaining crucial track and property rights necessary for MassDOT and the MBTA to build and operate the Green Line Extension, among other projects. In exchange for granting those rights to the MBTA, Pan Am is acquiring the property on which the existing Lechmere Station is located.

"The new Lechmere Station will benefit Cambridge residents by increasing the public transportation options available to them and enable the city of Cambridge to redevelop an important land parcel that will improve the overall vitality of the neighborhood," said Cambridge Mayor David Maher. "We are encouraged by the MBTA’s investment in East Cambridge by moving forward with Lechmere Station. This is an important step in completing the NorthPoint area so it can meet its full potential as a place to live and to work."

Among the key elements of the newly-approved agreement:
The MBTA and MassDOT will receive:

• All of the trackage and property rights necessary to build and operate the Green Line Extension, which have a combined value of $12.5 million. In addition to this real value, these rights provide a $5.5 million savings for MassDOT and the MBTA, which had expected to pay $18 million for these rights.

• Trackage rights off the Worcester Main Line to allow potential future passenger service from Worcester to Ayer. This will provide a connection between the Worcester and Fitchburg Commuter Rail Lines, and a potential future connection to North Station.

• Trackage rights to provide future passenger service to New Hampshire. This would allow for the extension of MBTA Commuter Rail service from Lowell to Concord, NH through Nashua and Manchester. That project would ultimately be sponsored and funded by the State of New Hampshire, similar to current Commuter Rail service to Rhode Island.

• While not part of the Land Exchange Agreement, Pan Am has agreed to assume costs associated with the required street and sidewalk improvements in the Lechmere area. The Green Line Extension project and the Commonwealth were planning to absorb this $9 million expense, which may now be deducted from the project’s total cost.

$590M secured for Washington state passenger rail

Agreements have been signed that guarantee Washington state will get $590 million in federal stimulus money to improve the Amtrak Cascades rail corridor from Portland to Seattle.

One agreement was signed between the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration that commits FRA to allocate 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money to Washington’s passenger rail projects. The $590 million initially was awarded in early 2010, and this new agreement guarantees the money.

Separately, Amtrak, BNSF and WSDOT signed an agreement that outlines how rail investments will be made based on service outcomes and passenger rail performance benchmarks on rail lines shared by freight and passenger rail, such as on-time performance, faster travel times and frequency of service.

As a result of the $590 million in Recovery Act high-speed-rail funding:

• Two additional daily Amtrak Cascades round trips will be added between Seattle and Portland, for a total six, by 2017.
• On-time reliability is expected to increase from 62 to 88 percent.
• More consistent speeds will be possible throughout the corridor, resulting in faster travel times between Seattle and Portland.
• Major construction projects will be completed that will include building bypass tracks to allow for increased train frequency and multiple upgrades to existing track.
• Several safety-related projects will be completed, including grade separations and the latest technology in advanced-warning signal systems. This will reduce passenger/freight congestion, making passenger travel times shorter with more reliable on-time service.

"This is another great development for our state in that this rail work will generate thousands of highly skilled construction and operating jobs and result in important improvements in rail passenger service," Gregoire said.

Gregoire said credit is due to the state’s congressional delegation, including Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Rick Larsen, who were instrumental in working with federal partners in Washington, D.C., to secure this passenger rail funding.

"Signing this agreement now means work can begin during this year’s construction season," said Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond, noting that the ARRA funds will create more than 6,000 direct and indirect jobs in the Pacific Northwest. "Ultimately, the goal is to boost the rail-line capacity and relieve mainline congestion, allowing Amtrak Cascades to offer more frequent and reliable passenger rail service between Portland and Seattle."

"This is an important milestone in our longstanding relationship with WSDOT to fund improvements for additional and improved passenger service in the Cascades corridor," said Matt Rose, BNSF Railway chairman and CEO. "We believe reaching this agreement is consistent with that long-term relationship with WSDOT and our agreement with Amtrak, which will bring improved passenger service in the corridor."

Washington state received an additional $161.5 million in high-speed rail funds redirected from Wisconsin and Ohio, which declined the ARRA money. Agreements to obligate this additional funding for Washington projects are expected in the near future.

 

RJ Corman to rehabilitate railroad infrastructure in Ky, Tenn. and W.Va.

A project to improve railroads in several Appalachian states including Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia, kicked off February 14, reports Kentucky radio news Website www.wkyt.com.

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear joined officials with the R. J. Corman Railroad Group to begin the company’s Appalachian Regional Short Line Project.

The project is creating jobs by rehabilitating railroad infrastructure.

It is being funded in part with a $17.5 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"This project creates highly needed jobs and holds the promise of long-term benefits for Appalachia," Gov. Beshear said in a news release. "The Appalachian region historically has suffered from limited connections to national transportation systems. Rehabilitating shortline tracks will provide continued and much-needed access to the national rail network for customers who depend on rail freight movement."

State officials say in Kentucky, the project will improve 246 miles of aging shortline track along the Memphis, Central Kentucky, and Bardstown lines in 12 counties: Bullitt, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jefferson, Logan, Nelson, Shelby, Scott, Todd, Warren, and Woodford.

State officials say the work includes rail and grade crossings and bridge and tunnel improvements.

WMATA launches aggressive safety plan

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is launching a plan to improve safety and bring the Metro rail system back to a state of good repair that will have staff working around the clock to get the work done as quickly and safely as possible. The end result will mean improved service reliability, on-time performance and a smoother ride.

“This is the short-term pain of outages on weekends for long term gains for our customers in terms of a safer, more reliable and better quality service,” said Richard Sarles, Metro’s general manager. “This is the most aggressive program of work Metro has taken since the system was built.”

To minimize inconvenience and maximize efficiencies, track work will be accelerated and performed around the clock. Regular weekend single tracking will commence at 9 p.m. on Fridays and continue through closing on Sunday nights. Shutdowns during holiday weekends will typically commence at 9 p.m. on Fridays and continue through closing on Monday nights. Metro officials will periodically schedule daytime single tracking that will not impact off-peak schedules. As a result of this aggressive work plan, Metro will need to close portions of the rail system multiple times during weekends in 2011. The work will necessitate single-tracking and/or station closures. 


The 2011 tentative shutdown schedule: 


Jan. 14 to 17, 2011 — Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Weekend: Metro plans to close the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange lines during the three-day Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Weekend from 10 p.m., Friday, Jan. 14, through Monday, Jan. 17, as the agency undertakes a major rehabilitation and rebuilding project to improve safety, to comply with a recommendation made by the National Transportation Safety Board and maintain service reliability and a state of good repair. During the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Weekend, Metro will replace four track switches. Metro also will conduct several additional projects in the area of the closure to maximize the amount of work to be done while there are no trains in the area.

Feb. 18 to 21, 2011 — Presidents Day Holiday Weekend:
Metro will close two Blue and Orange Line stations (Federal Triangle and Smithsonian Metrorail stations) during the three-day Presidents Day Holiday Weekend from 9 p.m., Friday, Feb. 18, through Monday, Feb. 21. During the Presidents Day Holiday Weekend, Metro will replace four track switches, to comply with a NTSB recommendation.

March 4 to 6 and March 11 to 13, 2011 – Cheverly Aerial Structure Repairs: There will be no train service on the Orange Line between the Stadium-Armory and New Carrollton Metrorail stations as Metro works to stabilize the ground, the abutment and aerial structure outside the Cheverly Metrorail station.

Orange Line Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project: During the weekends of March 18 to 20, March 25 to 27, May 27 to 30, June 3 to 5, Sept. 2 to 5, and Oct. 7 to 10, the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project will continue major construction activities that will eventually connect the new rail line to the existing Metrorail system. During these weekends, the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations will remain open although there will be no train service between those stations. 



May 27 to 30, 2011 — Memorial Day Holiday Weekend: Metro will close the Eastern Market Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange lines during the three-day Memorial Day Holiday Weekend from 9 p.m., Friday, May 27, through Monday, May 30. During the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend, Metro will replace four track switches, which comprise the entire rail interlocking at the Eastern Market Metrorail station to comply with a NTSB recommendation. 



Sept. 2 to 5, 2011 — Labor Day Holiday Weekend:
Metro will close two Blue Line stations (Franconia-Springfield and Van Dorn Street Metrorail stations) during the three-day Labor Day Holiday Weekend from 9 p.m., Friday, Sept. 2, through Monday, Sept. 5. During the Labor Day Holiday Weekend, Metro will install two new track switches between the Van Dorn Street and King Street Metrorail stations, to comply with a NTSB recommendation. 



Oct. 7 to 10, 2011 — Columbus Day Holiday Weekend:
Metro will close the U St/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo Metrorail stations on the Green and Yellow lines during the three-day Columbus Day Holiday Weekend from 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 7, through Monday, Oct. 10. During the Columbus Day Holiday Weekend, Metro will replace four track switches, which comprise the entire rail interlocking at the U St/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo Metrorail station to comply with a NTSB recommendation. 



Nov. 10 to 13, 2011 — Veterans Day Holiday Weekend: Metro will close the Anacostia and Navy Yard Metrorail stations on the Green Line during the three-day Veterans Day Holiday Weekend from 9 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 10, through Sunday, Nov. 13. During the Veterans Day Holiday Weekend, Metro will replace eight track switches, which comprise the entire rail interlockings at the Anacostia and Navy Yard Metrorail stations, to comply with a NTSB recommendation. 


Closures are subject to change.

CSXT to grow, create jobs

Leveraging the economic and environmental benefits of rail, customers committed to 130 new or expanded facilities on CSXT lines in 2010. Upon completion, these projects will create as many as 5,200 new jobs.

The facilities are located in 18 states, and include markets such as energy, consumer goods and manufacturing. They represent more than $3.6 billion in customer investments, and ultimately will contribute $216 million in annual revenue to CSXT, said Clark Robertson, assistant vice president-regional development.

The facilities will be built on both CSXT lines and on some of the more than 240 shortlines and regional railroads that connect to CSXT.

"CSXT is playing an important role in our nation’s economic recovery, providing the critical link to connect producers, distributors and consumers," Robertson said. "Just as important, we’re helping to stimulate community investment and jobs."

In addition, 98 customers who had committed to new or increased rail traffic in 2010 and prior years began moving goods and commodities that at full production will result in more than $168 million in revenue.

Trains are capable of moving a ton of freight nearly 500 miles on a gallon of fuel. That fuel efficiency, coupled with CSXT’s market reach that includes connections to more than 70 ocean, lake and river ports, is important to customers and economic development agencies as they look for sites for a variety of businesses.

 

Metra will begin testing

 

After Metra requested passenger feedback on the idea of implementing quiet cars, the agency received more than 1,000 e-mails. The vast majority – about 86 percent – expressed support for the idea, and so the agency decided to conduct a test on one line.

The rules are simple: No cell phone calls. If passengers must answer their phones, they should make it brief or move to the vestibule or another car. Conversations should be short and in subdued voices. All electronic devices must be muted, and headphones should not be loud enough for anyone else to hear.

The test will go for three months. It will apply to morning inbound and evening outbound rush-hour trains, from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The quiet cars will be the first and last cars of the train during those hours. They will be identified with decals on the outside of the car and signage inside the car.

Metra is using the Rock Island line for the test to make sure it is proceeding in the right way. If the test goes as expected, the program will be expanded to other lines. The Rock Island Line, which runs from Joliet to LaSalle Street Station downtown, serves more than 15,000 passengers a day.

Metra expects this program to be largely enforced by peer pressure and conductor intervention when necessary. Many riders said that having a rule in place will empower them to ask noisy people to be quiet or move. Conductors will carry small notices that they can discreetly present to passengers who are violating the quiet car rules.

Metra hopes all passengers will remember to treat their fellow passengers with courtesy and respect, no matter where they are sitting.

Patriot Corp. completes acquisition of Weyerhaeuser Company

Patriot Rail Corp., a privately-held shortline and regional freight railroad holding company, has completed the acquisition of the six shortline railroads belonging to Weyerhaeuser Company. This acquisition is the largest for Patriot to date, giving it a total of 13 shortline railroads owned.

The six Weyerhaeuser railroads operate over approximately 160 miles of track in four states, employ 88 people and handle approximately 60,000 carloads of freight annually. The railroads primarily serve Weyerhaeuser and International Paper mills and a number of third-party customers. Major commodities hauled include wood and paper products, chemicals, industrial waste, minerals and agricultural products. Each of the railroads interchange traffic with multiple Class I carriers and other shortline railroads.

The six railroads include:
• The DeQueen and Eastern Railroad
• The Texas, Oklahoma & Eastern Railroad
• The Columbia & Cowlitz Railway
• The Patriot Woods Railroad
• The Golden Triangle Railroad
• The Mississippi & Skuna Valley Railroad

In addition to the rail lines and other track assets, the acquisition also includes 28 locomotives, over 300 railcars, 2,500 leased railcars, 50 motor vehicles, right-of-way real estate, general office buildings, maintenance of way equipment, locomotive shops, rail car repair shops, a wheel shop, rail yards and office and shop equipment.

"This transaction represents the acquisition of very attractive railroads with strong cash flow, a dedicated workforce, a well-maintained track infrastructure, a highly-stable customer base and appealing growth opportunities," said Gary Marino, president of Patriot Rail. "We look forward to growing the business on the rail lines through innovative and competitive service offerings to existing and new customers."

"We are pleased to complete the transaction with Patriot and look forward to working with them to continue receiving dependable rail service to our mills," said Daniel Fulton, Weyerhaeuser president.

Work to begin on Colton grade separation project near San Bernardino






U.S. Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood said that a final agreement has been signed for a $33.8-million
Recovery Act-funded project that will upgrade a train crossing and eliminate
delays in the San Bernardino, Calif., area. As a result, work can now begin on
the project, which will elevate two Union Pacific tracks over two BNSF main line
tracks in Colton.

Fort Worth & Western names Schlosser to succeed George as president and CEO






Fort Worth & Western
Railroad said that Steven George would retire in the first quarter of 2011 as
president and chief executive officer of the Fort Worth-based 276-mile regional
railroad. Succeeding him will be Thomas Schlosser, former chief executive
officer of Global Rail Systems, Inc., Marlin, Texas, and chairman of the
American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association from 2007 to 2010.