Railroad News

Kansas City Southern (KCS) and CloudMoyo (CM), an information technology and services company, announced a partnership April 30 to modernize KCS' railroad operating system.

Watco Supply Chain Services LLC (WSCS) has purchased an interest in MID-SHIP Group LLC (MSG), which operates under three divisions: Marine, Logistics, and Kinder Morgan Logistics (KML).

Watco and MSG have had a long business relationship, particularly among MSG's logistics and KML business units and Watco's WSCS and Terminal and Port Services assets and operations. The new investment "further deepens that relationship and extends the companies' cooperation into marine chartering and international market expansion," Watco officials said in a press release.

The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) late last week awarded more than $2.6 billion in grants for rail and transit projects throughout the state.

In Southern California, grants were awarded to projects that are critical to preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games, which will be held in Los Angeles.

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) late last week toured Aaron Enterprises Inc.'s facility in York, Pennsylvania.

He was joined by representatives from Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and other York-based businesses, according to a press release issued by the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA), which coordinated the event.

The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission has awarded Siemens a contract to build four diesel-electric Charger locomotives, with an option to purchase four additional units. The contract, which includes additional services and equipment, is valued at about $30 million, Siemens spokeswoman Elizabeth Cho said in an email. The locomotives will operate on the Altamont Corridor Express, a commuter-rail service that runs between Stockton and San Jose, California. Delivery of the units is slated to begin in December 2019. The 4,400-horsepower Charger locomotives will meet the Environmental Protection Agency's Tier 4 emissions standard, Siemens officials said in a press release. The locomotives are currently in use in other parts of California, as well as in Illinois, Maryland and Washington.

TRAC Intermodal has announced that it's doubling the size of its mobile service unit (MSU) truck fleet to help accelerate chassis repairs and increase intermodal shipment velocity at key rail ramps across the United States. The company established its MSU program in 2016 to ensure that chassis are readily available for customers. The program provides needed repair capacity in select markets and has been expanded each year since it was launched, TRAC Intermodal officials said in a press release. The MSUs are staffed by TRAC mechanics trained in repairing chassis brakes, lights, tires and other equipment at rail ramp locations.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) board earlier this week passed a capital plan amendment to provide additional funding for accessibility improvements at subway stations.

The amendment includes $300 million to undertake critical station improvements such as adding elevators and redesigning stairs, mezzanines and platforms.

The California Transportation Commission has recommended awarding $78 million in grant funding for two grade separations along the Alameda Corridor-East (ACE) freight-rail corridor in eastern Los Angeles County, the Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority announced yesterday.

The proposed grants are among a statewide list of projects recommended for funding through California's new Trade Corridor Enhancement Program, which is administered by the commission.

Union Pacific Railroad yesterday provided an update on its positive train control (PTC) implementation effort through the first quarter.

As of March 31, the Class I had prepared eight additional track segments for PTC operations in the quarter, boosting the total number of segments to 176, or 97 percent completion.

Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company, has announced the appointment of Paolo Covoni as managing director of ECM S.p.A., an international signaling company it recently acquired. Covoni's new role is effective immediately.

Charles Bailey, director of design and construction Engineering for CSX Transportation, has been awarded the 2017 John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Brightline tomorrow will launch simulated service to Miami.

The company will operate trains without passengers between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The simulated service is part of the required training and testing before revenue service begins "in the coming weeks," Brightline officials said in a press release.

During the week ending April 21, U.S. railroads moved 264,552 carloads and 274,873 intermodal loads, up 3.5 percent and 8.9 percent, respectively, compared with the same 2017 period, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total weekly U.S. rail traffic reached 539,425 units, up 6.2 percent year over year.

ENSCO, Inc. has announced two new appointments April 27. Ruben D. Peña B. has been selected to serve as director of Government Surface Transportation to its Applied Technology and Engineering Division staff, and Robert Coakley has been tapped for the role as director of Business Development in the Applied Technology and Engineering Division.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has proposed a $749.62 million capital budget for fiscal-year 2019.

The agency has proposed $42 million for improvements to its communications and signal systems, and another $30.6 million to modernize substations, which were originally built in the 1920s and 1930s.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has wrapped up a project to boost pedestrian safety at 27 Blue Line grade crossings.

The California Public Utilities Commission this week brought the project to a close by providing final approvals for the work, Metro officials wrote in a blog post.

The newly formed Metrorail Safety Commission (MSC) has named David Mayer chief executive officer, effective June 4.

Lawmakers in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. established the commission to serve as the state safety oversight agency for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) rail system.