Railroad News

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will host a webinar on June 4 aimed at helping those seeking funding for the recently announced positive train control (PTC) grants.

The administration will award $250 million of its available PTC grant funding with applications for the grants due by July 2. The funding under the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program was authorized by the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and funded through the 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announced May 22 the launch of the next two major Blue Line station improvement projects, as part of the $492 million Your New Blue program.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has announced LIRR Forward, a new initiative through which the railroad intends to revamp its operations and efficiency.

Miner Enterprises has acquired Texas-based DFW Grating, a manufacturer of metal grating products.

Operations will cease by the end of 2018 along the Huron Central Railway (HCRY), a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Canada Inc., which cites a lack of provincial funding needed to maintain service.

HCRY operates a 175.8-mile Northern Ontario route between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury. The shortline was established under a 1997 lease agreement with Canadian Pacific. Genesee & Wyoming Canada notes that the railway serves major employers in the region, including Domtar, Algoma Steel and Eacom, which together ship approximately 13,000 annual carloads of freight.