Railroad News

TransLink next month expects to issue its first-ever green bonds, the agency announced this week.

Bond proceeds will fund projects in the agency's 10-Year Vision, the largest transit expansion in Vancouver, British Columbia. The plan includes SkyTrain's Broadway subway extension and construction of the new Surrey light-rail line.

BNSF Railway Co. and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District have been preliminarily awarded a $22.6 million grant from the California Air Resource Board to pilot emissions-reducing technologies in and around rail yards.

BNSF will collaborate with industry partners to test the feasibility of the technologies, company officials said in a press release.

Keolis Commuter Services — the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) commuter-rail operator — next week will replace 30,000 ties between the Littleton/495 and Wachusett stations along the Fitchburg Line.

The project is slated to start Oct. 15 and will continue through November. The tie replacement is needed to help ensure a "smooth and comfortable ride for passengers," Keolis officials said in a press release.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City yesterday launched the Transit Tech Lab, an accelerator program for startups looking to solve public transit challenges.

Early- and growth-stage tech companies can submit ideas to address the lab's two challenges: determining a way to better predict subway incident impacts, and finding a way to make buses faster and more efficient.

Canadian Pacific has released the Canadian and U.S. schedules for its 2018 Holiday Train.

Beginning Nov. 25 and 27, two CP trains — decorated with thousands of colorful, glittering lights — will leave Montreal to visit 164 communities along CP's network.

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has announced the winners of its President's Safety Awards in the Southern Region.

The awards recognize outstanding safety records of smaller railroads that have achieved either a 0.0 accident frequency rate, or the best safety rate as measured by the lowest accident frequency rate per man-hour of operation below the industry average, according to the ASLRRA.

U.S. rail traffic rose 1.2 percent to 554,238 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Oct. 6 compared with the traffic during the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Railroads reported 269,634 total carloads for the week, up 0.7 percent compared with the same week in 2017. Intermodal volume inched up 1.8 percent to 284,604 containers and trailers compared with a year ago, according to an AAR press release.

Metra's 2019 budget proposals came with a stark warning about the railroad's continued deterioration and budget shortfalls.

The railroad on Monday proposed a $185.6 million capital budget that falls "far short" of its needs, Metra officials said in a news release. The budget is funded through $173.6 million in federal funds, $5 million in local Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) funds and $7 million in fare revenue.

Texas Central, developers of the proposed Dallas-to-Houston bullet train, has selected international railway company Renfe as the railroad's operating partner.

Based in Spain, Renfe has more than 25 years of experience operating high-speed trains in Europe and other countries, Texas Central officials said in a press release.

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Managing Editor

The U.S. High Speed Rail Association (USHSR) has selected Dan Richard as chair of its advisory board.

Richard currently chairs the California High-Speed Rail Authority — a position Gov. Edmund Brown appointed him to in 2012. Under his leadership, the agency has begun building the United States' first "true" high-speed rail network, USHSR officials said in a news release.

The Iowa Transportation Commission has approved more than $3.1 million in funding for five rail infrastructure and development projects under the state's Railroad Revolving Loan and Grant program.

The projects are expected to support the creation and retention of 136 jobs within three years of project completion. The proposed developments will leverage millions in new capital investments across the state, according to a press release issued by the Iowa Department of Transportation.

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., senior associate editor

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy yesterday unveiled a comprehensive audit of New Jersey Transit calling for leadership, operational and financial changes at the beleaguered transit agency.

Conducted by The North Highland Co., the audit identified the absence of both "strategic planning and a technology roadmap" as the two core issues at NJ Transit.

CSX has filed a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern Railway and Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad (NPBL), alleging the Class I and short line have conspired to create a monopoly at the Port of Virginia's largest container facility, a local newspaper has reported.

Filed in Norfolk federal court, the case alleges NS and the short line boxed out CSX from serving Norfolk International Terminals (NIT), The Virginian-Pilot newspaper reported Oct. 8. The case names as defendants three NS vice presidents and the president of the Belt Line.

The El Paso Streetcar in Texas yesterday began pre-revenue service.

During this period, the streetcar will run its downtown and uptown loops without a safety escort, according to a press release issued by the Sun Metro Mass Transit Department.

Metra and an economic development corporation have agreed to work together on testing and sharing the costs of a new "reverse commute" service to Lake County, Illinois.

Discussions between the Chicago-based commuter railroad and Lake County Partners began in April, when the private-sector group asked Metra to explore improving reverse-commute service to help Lake County employers recruit and retain employees living in Chicago, which is in Cook County.