Railroad News

The U.S. Senate last night approved President Trump's nomination of Ronald Batory as the administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

The Senate also confirmed Raymond Martinez as administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Adam Sullivan as assistant secretary for governmental affairs, according to a statement from the FRA.

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

West Memphis Transload LLC has acquired the assets and transloading business of Arkansas Logistics LLC in West Memphis, Arkansas. Arkansas Logistics' facility will be operated in conjunction with a new bulk transfer facility under construction on adjacent property. The joint operation will be capable of handling steel coils, railroad ties, lumber, agricultural products and various container commodities, West Memphis officials said in a press release. The facility connects to the Friday-Graham Railway, which is switched daily by Union Pacific Railroad.

Pandrol's VIPA DRS rail fastener system has been selected by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand for the northern extension of its Green Line elevated rail route. The 11.8-mile extension of the Bangkok Skytrain will run from Mo Chit to Saphan. Pandrol's system is designed to reduce the transmission of low-frequency noise and vibration due to its low stiffness, company officials said in a press release. The system features an e-Clip baseplate, which is mounted on a studded rubber pad to provide resilience. Pandrol's VIPA DRS system previously was selected for Bangkok's Purple Line and Green Line south extension.

Louisville & Indiana Railroad (LIRC) has painted a new logo on two diesel locomotives to honor U.S. military members and highlight the railroad's efforts to recruit military veterans for employment.

Designed by Tyler Hardin, the logo depicts the silhouettes of three soldiers from different eras — World War I, World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam wars — against a backdrop of the American flag. The design is framed by the LIRC keystone and includes five stars for the branches of service.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) yesterday called on the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to reverse its decision to drop a proposed rule that could have required railroads to test train engineers for obstructive sleep apnea.

In a letter to USDOT Secretary Elaine Chao, Schumer said the proposed rule was a "modest, common-sense approach to combating fatigue on our roads and rails."

Wabtec Corp. has signed a $62 million contract to design, install, test and commission a positive train control (PTC) system for the Central Florida Rail Corridor, which operates the SunRail commuter-rail service in Orlando, Florida.

Under the agreement, Wabtec will provide its Interoperable Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS®) equipment for 24 locomotives and cab cars, a back-office server, wayside communications and signals, a dispatch system, training and system integration.

President Donald Trump yesterday unveiled his long-awaited infrastructure plan, which calls for a $200 billion federal investment over the next decade.

The federal funding would be used to stimulate at least $1.5 trillion in new investment, as well as shorten project permitting time to two years, invest in rural infrastructure projects and improve worker training.

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) has shut down the entire subway system in Baltimore to make emergency repairs that could take up to four weeks to complete.

The agency announced the closure on Feb. 11 after performing a systemwide inspection. MTA determined that the system would remain closed through at least March 11 "to ensure the safety of all customers," agency officials said in a press release.

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

When freight-rail executives and advocates meet in Washington, D.C., for the annual Railroad Day on Capitol Hill on March 7, they will come armed with a wish list for Congress and President Donald Trump's administration to consider when it comes to policies, legislation and regulations that impact the railroad industry.

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

Class I and freight-rail industry executives are continuing to raise concerns about the economic turmoil that would occur if renegotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) break down and President Trump follows through on his threat to pull the U.S. out of the trade deal if he doesn’t like the final results.

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

As President Donald Trump releases his long-awaited infrastructure plan today, a coalition of Northeast business leaders are calling on the president and Congress to provide federal resources to repair and upgrade the Northeast Corridor.

Trump is expected to unveil a plan today that would ask Congress to invest $200 billion over the next 10 years for infrastructure improvements such as roads and bridges. Federal dollars would serve as matching funds to encourage states and local communities to invest in infrastructure projects.

In 2017, TransLink logged a record 407 million boardings, marking a 5.7 percent increase over 2016.

Ridership grew across all modes of transit except the West Coast Express commuter-rail line, which experienced a 5.5 percent drop. That decline occurred because some riders moved to the new Evergreen SkyTrain extension, agency officials said in a press release.

Friday is the deadline to submit nominees for Progressive Railroading's sixth annual Rising Stars Awards program.

The magazine defines a Rising Star as an employee of the railroad industry who is under the age of 40 and who is making a positive difference in his or her company, department or team. Rising Stars are viewed as up-and-comers by their peers, colleagues, supervisors, clients or associates.

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) crews have sectioned and aligned existing Green Line rail with new tracks for the Crenshaw/LAX Line.

Rail, fasteners, screws, nuts and bolts are in place and await final assembly, Metro officials said in a blog post.

The Chicago Infrastructure Trust has received four proposals to design, build, finance and maintain an express rail line to O'Hare International Airport.

The new service would take 20 minutes or less to travel from downtown Chicago to O'Hare, trimming the current transit time by about 50 percent. The Chicago Transit Authority's Blue Line trains take about 45 minutes to travel from downtown Chicago to O'Hare, according to the agency's website.