The Surface Transportation Board said the Michigan Department of Transportation does not need board approval to acquire certain physical assets of a Norfolk Southern rail line in Michigan to enable MDOT’s plans for high-speed passenger rail service over the line.
Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have unanimously ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with the Great Western Railway of Colorado. The three-year agreement runs through February 15, 2015, and includes a lump sum allowance that is retroactive to July 1, 2008.
SteelRiver Infrastructure Partners, an independent investment management firm focused on investment and asset management services within the infrastructure asset class in North America, has agreed to acquire 100 percent of the capital stock of Patriot Rail Corp. through its dedicated infrastructure investment vehicle SteelRiver Infrastructure Fund North America LP.
Amtrak has begun eTicketing on the Heartland Flyer, which operates daily in Oklahoma and Texas. Passengers can now make reservations and print their electronic tickets from home or the office.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s latest performance report shows several key indicators moving in the right direction as the system advances its multi-year WMATA Forward rebuilding effort.
Kansas City Southern appointed Michael Naatz as senior vice president and chief information officer with responsibility for information technology and business planning. Naatz will report to KCS president and chief executive officer David Starling.
“Mike is a great addition to the KCS team,” said Starling. “His extensive transportation leadership experience will enhance our information technology efforts and business planning capabilities.”
Naatz has 18 years of transportation experience. He joins KCS from USF Holland, a YRCW company, where he served as president for the past year. Since USF was acquired by YRCW in 2005, he held the position of chief information and service officer, as well as a variety of other leadership positions for YRCW, including customer service and enterprise management. Prior to the acquisition, he held similar positions with USF for 11 years.
Canadian National Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Jean-Jacques Ruest made senior marketing changes May 7 which are effective immediately.
Axion International Holdings, Inc., has received its first purchase order being shipped to New Zealand’s Kiwi Rail. The railroad ties are the rail line’s first such order of Axion’s recycled ECOTRAX products and are being installed in critical application areas such as turnout switch-sets and transoms.
On Thursday May 10, 2012, the OneRail Coalition will host a briefing on “The American Rail Industry: Investing in Infrastructure, Creating Jobs” at 2:00pm in the Capitol Visitor Center, Meeting Room North (CVC 268).
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors unanimously approved several resolutions that will move the Central Subway Project forward.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation received $6.75 million from the Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery III program to rehabilitate 49 miles of state-owned rail line between Elk City and Sayre, Okla., in the Anadarko Basin.
The Design-Build Institute of America recognized the Denver Regional Transportation District with its 2012 DBIA Transportation Owner of the Year Award in the category of transit. The award was presented Thursday, April 26, during the 2012 Design-Build in Transportation Conference in Phoenix.
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dan Grabauskas, recommended reducing the agency’s budget for next year by $1.57 million. He suggested lowering HART’s fiscal year 2013 operating budget by nearly sevent percent to $21.3 million.
The Utah Transit Authority will close a section of its TRAX light-rail system for construction from Saturday, May 5 through Wednesday, May 23. Stations affected by the closure will include Planetarium, Old Greek Town and Salt Lake Central Station, all in the downtown Salt Lake City area.
HDR, Inc., has acquired the business of Stetson Engineering, Inc., a Wyoming-based firm with offices in Gillette and Riverton. Stetson Engineering, Inc., specializes in design, engineering and consulting services related to water, sewer, storm sewer, hydrology and transportation.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority Board certified the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for the Merced to Fresno section of the high-speed project, allowing the Authority to take additional steps toward starting construction in late 2012 or early 2013. The Authority also chose a north-south route and station locations for Merced and Fresno.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority released a new mobile “Go Metro Los Angeles” smartphone app that will make it easier for the public to navigate L.A. County’s extensive and growing bus and rail system utilizing their mobile devices.
The Federal Railroad Administration strengthened its positive train control team by naming Mark Hartong senior scientific technical adviser for railroad electronic systems within the FRA’s Office of Safety.
Modjeski and Masters, a bridge engineering firm, has named David Petermeier, PE, SE vice president. In this role, Petermeier will help guide strategy for Modjeski and Masters, while continuing to oversee operations throughout the Mid-America region.
Southern California’s Metrolink Board of Directors us initiating a public outreach process for a potential system-wide fare increase to help close an existing $13 million funding gap for Fiscal Year 12-13 budget and Metrolink’s proposed Title VI Service Delivery Policy. The public will be asked to give feedback regarding an average system-wide fare increase between five and nine percent to go into effect on or after July 1, 2012.