Railroad News

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) yesterday announced it has awarded AECOM a $1.3 million contract to study the feasibility of initiating passenger service on a freight-only rail line that runs from Bay Ridge/Sunset Park in Brooklyn to Astoria in Queens, New York.

The study will evaluate cost and feasibility for subway, commuter-rail, light-rail or bus service that would operate in conjunction with existing freight-rail service to connect riders within Brooklyn and Queens, and create a potential for reverse commutes to the suburbs, MTA officials said in a press release.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has signed off on Amtrak's permit application for a one-time movement of its next-generation high-speed train from the Alstom production plant in Hornell, New York, to the FRA's test track in Colorado, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced yesterday.

Earlier this month, Schumer called on the FRA to fast-track Amtrak's permit application so that the train can be moved to the Pueblo, Colorado, facility, where the train will be inspected and tested for safety.

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) and GoRail on Tuesday presented U.S. Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) with the Railroad Achievement Award in his district.

The award honors Clyburn for his longstanding leadership on surface transportation issues, including matters that affect freight and passenger railroads in South Carolina and across the nation, AAR officials said in a press release.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) yesterday announced the appointments of seven new executives to the agency's leadership team. The new appointees will oversee system security and law enforcement, ethics, auditing, risk management, sustainability, and equity and race. 

The new executives are: Robert Green, chief system, security and law enforcement officer; Cindy Morgan Kim, chief ethics officer; KeAndra Cylear Dodds, executive officer of equity and race; Kenneth Hernandez, chief risk, safety, and asset management officer; Shalonda Baldwin, interim chief auditor; Cris Liban, chief sustainability officer; and Heather Marie Repenning, executive officer of sustainability policy.

U.S. freight railroads logged 499,732 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Jan. 18, an 8 percent decline compared with the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total carloads during the week fell 8.4 percent to 237,394, while intermodal volume dropped 7.7 percent to 262,338 containers and trailers.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) yesterday announced it has awarded Sound Transit a $790 million grant to extend the transit agency’s light-rail system 7.8 miles within King County, Washington, and approved Sound Transit for a $629.5 million loan.

The $790 million full funding grant agreement will help fund the agency’s Federal Way Link extension project, which will extend light rail from the existing Angle Lake Station in SeaTac through Des Moines, Kent and Federal Way in southern King County. 

Union Pacific Railroad reported today that fourth-quarter 2019 net income fell to $1.4 billion, or $2.02 per diluted share, from $1.6 billion, or $2.12 per diluted share, in fourth-quarter 2018.

Operating revenue dipped 9 percent to $5.2 billion during the quarter compared to the same period a year ago. Fourth-quarter business volume — measured by total revenue carloads — decreased 11 percent.

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) last week was recognized as one of Canada's top 100 employers for young people by Mediacorp Canada Inc. 

The annual competition recognizes organizations that offer the nation's best workplaces and programs to attract and retain young people starting their careers. The TTC was honored in part because of its robust student co-op, internship and apprenticeship program, TTC officials said in a press release.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) earlier this month was recognized with the Chestnut Hill Conservancy 2019 Preservation Recognition Award.

The award was presented Jan. 5 to recognize the transit agency's "commitment to preserving the character of community landmarks across the system," SEPTA officials said in a press release.

The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) last month completed construction of a 19-mile mixed-used trail along its A-train commuter-rail line to connect pedestrians and cyclists between the Downtown Denton Transit Center and Hebron Station in Lewisville, Texas.

The $14 million project was completed in three phases. The trail's original 9 miles were completed in 2011 in conjunction with A-train line construction, followed by two other portions in 2016 and 2018. 

Progressive Railroading has opened its nomination process for the eighth annual "Rising Stars" Awards, a recognition program for up-and-coming leaders in North America's railroad industry.

Progressive Railroading defines a Rising Star as someone under the age of 40 who is making a positive difference in his or her company, department or team, and is viewed by others — peers, colleagues, supervisors, clients or associates — as a rising star in the rail industry.

The Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina departments of transportation have held public hearings on a Tier 1 draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for a proposed Atlanta-to-Charlotte, North Carolina, passenger-rail corridor investment plan.

The draft compared three alternatives, two of which are "true" high-speed rail lines, according to a High Speed Rail Alliance newsletter. The Federal Railroad Administration defines "high-speed rail" as traveling between 90 mph and 150 mph or higher.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will host an industry event next month to encourage small business contractors to get involved in a VTA project that will extend the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) rail service into Santa Clara County, California.

On Feb. 11, VTA will present an overview of the project’s scope and timeline, as well as construction contract and procurement information. After the presentation, small business and disadvantaged business enterprise representatives can meet with the project's prime contractors to learn more about opportunities to participate in the project, VTA officials said in a press release.

MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) yesterday unveiled the design of its newest subway cars now in production at the Kawasaki Rail Car Inc. facility in Lincoln, Nebraska. Thirty pilot rail cars will be delivered for testing by the end of the year.

The new rail car will feature wider doors to reduce delays when riders enter and exit trains; full color digital customer information and advertising displays; door opening alerts; security cameras; large windows; LED headlights; and a new paint scheme.

TranSystems promoted Matthew Gehman to principal and senior vice president, and Todd Herman, VP. Gehman has more than 20 years of project management and technical experience, including with projects involving facility physical evaluation, terminal operation analyses and master planning of container terminals and intermodal rail facilities. Meanwhile, Herman has more than 26 years of experience in bridge design, planning, and project and client management of transportation structures, with an emphasis on railroad structures for Class Is, TranSystems officials said in a press release.

London Trackwork Inc. has been awarded a one-and-a-half-year contract to supply special trackwork for the Trillium Line light-rail extension in Ottawa, Ontario. The contract includes track work at five geometry turnouts, a single crossover and double crossover, London Trackwork officials said in a press release. The nearly 10-mile extension will include eight new stations and will extend from Greenboro to Limebank in Riverside South. SNC Lavalin Constructors Inc. is the design-build contractor.

Metro Transit plans to install new security cameras on its light-rail trains to enable transit officials and police officers to monitor activity in real time and respond faster to crimes committed on trains.

The Metropolitan Council Transportation Committee last week approved $1.3 million in spending to install higher-resolution cameras on the transit agency's 91 light-rail vehicles, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

The Societe de transport de Montreal (STM) last month awarded contracts to two architectural firms to design the last two stations on the agency's Blue Line rail extension in Montreal. 

Les Architectes FABG will design the first phase of Viau Station for $617,667, and STGM + Daoust Lestage Architectes en consortium will design the first phase of the Lacordaire Station for $962,725.

Ontario's government last week released a draft plan to build a better transportation system that will connect people and businesses in southwestern Ontario.

Dubbed "Connecting the Southwest," the plan features more than 40 advancements and strategies, including options for improvements to existing rail corridors and private-sector partnerships to advance passenger- and freight-rail service.

Metra intends to increase fare collection enforcement this year, the commuter railroad announced last week.

Metra police officers will join train conductors in validating fares by checking that riders have the appropriate ticket for the trip they’re taking, and potentially citing those who do not and removing them from the train, Metra officials said in a written statement posted to the Metra Facebook and Twitter accounts.