Railroad News

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) plans to hold three seminars across the country to discuss regulations pertaining to drug testing and safety-related employee training.

WSP USA, formerly WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff, has named Keith Powley as a senior engineering manager and rail transportation construction program manager in Charlotte, N.C.

Alstom has been selected by the Paris Transport Authority (RATP) to provide its automatic train operation system I-CBTC — an interchangeable communications-based train control-type automation system — to line 6 of the Paris metro. The contract consists of two parts: the on-board system, which carries out the automatic train operation, and the radio system that transmits data between the train and the ground. Alstom is in charge of the development, validation, industrialization, installation, testing and commissioning of both parts.

Bourque Logistics will open a new office in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jacksonville group will provide expanded business development, customer support and other services for Bourque's growing client base in North America and, in particular, on the U.S. East Coast, the company said in a press release. "The Jacksonville area has a wealth of experienced rail talent whose expertise our clients require," said President Steve Bourque. The company has named Edna A. Rice Executive Recruiters Inc. as its exclusive recruiter for sourcing rail and logistics talent in Jacksonville and elsewhere.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) on Friday announced it has improved the accuracy of subway arrival prediction times on its website and certain smartphone apps.

The agency's Rapid Transit Realtime (RTR) system has begun using more sophisticated data to provide more frequent arrival time updates on the Orange, Red and Blue lines. Now, the system refreshes train arrival times every six seconds; previously, arrival times were refreshed every 15 to 45 seconds.

Yesterday, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) began a new train-testing stage along the 10-mile Berryessa Extension running from Fremont to San Jose, California. Testing could occur up to 20 hours a day and continue for several months, according to a press release issued by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA).

VTA is overseeing construction of the Berryessa Extension, which is the first phase of BART's 16-mile Silicon Valley Extension. 

INFORMS recently honored BNSF Railway Co. with an award for pioneering and integrating operations research and analytics programs into its organization.

An international association for operations research and analytics professionals and students, INFORMS presents the award annually to recognize effective integration of operations research into organizational decision-making.

INFORMS recently honored BNSF Railway Co. with an award for pioneering and integrating operations research and analytics programs into its organization.

An international association for operations research and analytics professionals and students, INFORMS presents the award annually to recognize effective integration of operations research into organizational decision-making.

Three states¬ – Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania – have obtained Federal Transit Administration (FTA) certification of their State Safety Oversight (SSO) Programs.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) wrapped up a project to increase pedestrian safety at more than two dozen Blue Line crossings following approval from the California Public Utilities Commission.

The $31.5 million project began in November 2015 and is part of a larger $1.2 billion effort to upgrade the Blue Line, which is LACMTA's oldest and most frequently used light-rail line. Work performed at the 27 crossings included new pedestrian swing gates and crossing gates, new and wider walkways, new continental crosswalk pavement striping, ADA curb ramps and roadway improvements, as well as the installation of improved signage.

Ridership on Charlotte Area Transit System's (CATS) LYNX Blue Line light-rail service increased 48 percent in March compared with the same 2017 period, thanks in large part to last month's opening of a 9.3-mile extension, according to a CATS press release.

Service for the LYNX Blue Line extension began on March 16 and also contributed to a 6 percent year-to-date increase in light-rail ridership over the same 2017 period.

CSX yesterday announced Vice President of Mechanical Brian Barr will assume the new role of senior VP of engineering and mechanical. He will continue to be responsible for the mechanical department while now leading the engineering team.

VP of Engineering Ricky Johnson will remain in that role and report to Barr, who will report to Executive VP of Operations Ed Harris.

Harsher-than-normal winter weather in the first quarter, including extremely low temperatures in Canada in February, put the deep freeze on CN’s financial results.

Q1 revenue was flat at $3.2 billion while operating income fell 16 percent to $1 billion, net income tumbled 16 percent to $741 million and operating expenses ballooned 9 percent to $2.2 billion compared with first-quarter 2017 results (all figures are in Canadian dollars).

Harsher-than-normal winter weather in the first quarter, including extremely low temperatures in Canada in February, put the deep freeze on CN’s financial results.

Q1 revenue was flat at $3.2 billion while operating income fell 16 percent to $1 billion, net income tumbled 16 percent to $741 million and operating expenses ballooned 9 percent to $2.2 billion compared with first-quarter 2017 results (all figures are in Canadian dollars).

CSX Corporation has announced the appointment of Brian Barr, vice president of mechanical, to serve as the company's new senior vice president of engineering and mechanical.

Union Pacific (UP) plans to invest $2.1 million to strengthen Montana's transportation infrastructure in 2018.

MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) this summer will install four elevators at its Astoria Boulevard Station on the N and W rail lines in Queens.

The project includes a pair of street-to-mezzanine elevators, as well as another two mezzanine-to-platform elevators. The installation of the street elevators will require the complete demolition and reconstruction of the station mezzanine, which will be raised to reduce strikes by trucks on the road below. 

VIA Rail Canada Inc. late last week released a report highlighting its sustainability efforts in 2017.

Last year, the railroad provided 4.39 million trips, marking a 10.5 percent increase over 2016’s total. As ridership increased, VIA Rail logged a 34 percent drop in greenhouse-gas emissions since 2015, railroad officials said in a press release.

As of mid-March, U.S. Class Is employed 145,105 workers, up 0.2 percent compared with mid-February’s level, but down 2.8 percent compared with mid-March 2017's count, according to Surface Transportation Board data.

Only two of six employment categories reflected workforce increases on a month-over-month basis. They were transportation (train and engine), up 0.8 percent to 60,297 employees, and maintenance of way and structures, up 0.6 percent to 32,433 workers.