Railroad News

MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) President Patrick Nowakowski will resign tomorrow.

In a statement, he said now is a good time to "step aside and allow new leadership to continue the progress we've begun to make on improving customer service."

People with expertise in transportation related roles have been shifting agencies and positions this week with major job changes occurring among the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and a nomination to the National Transportation Safety Board.

HNTB Corporation has announced the addition of John Orrison as a senior technical advisor in the railway engineering practice.

Union Pacific will invest $22.3 million into its Idaho network as part of the state's capital program for the year.

Amtrak this week announced its plans for infrastructure renewal work at New York Penn Station during the summer.

The projects will feature what Amtrak describes as critical reconstruction of three major rail assets in New York City: the Empire Tunnel and Spuyten Duyvil Bridge, which provides access between Upstate New York and Penn Station, as well as renewal work on the station's Track 19.

Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx have issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) and a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for two projects that will help expand GO Transit rail service to improve the movement of people around the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

Five prequalified teams received the RFP to build and finance the Lakeshore East – Central Corridor Expansion project. The project includes two grade separations, track grading and drainage work and all supporting infrastructure.

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

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications in the rail industry can help improve efficiency and safety, said ARC Advisory Group Research Analyst Pranav Misal during a webcast yesterday.

Mosaic Transit Group has been selected by Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario as the preferred proponent for the Finch West Light Rail Transit (LRT) project in Toronto, Ontario.

U.S. rail traffic climbed 3.8 percent to 524,905 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending April 7 compared with traffic the same week a year ago, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

U.S. carload traffic during the week rose 4.6 percent to 261,898 units, while intermodal volume increased 3.1 percent to 263,007 containers and trailers compared with the same week in 2017.

The New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) Board of Directors has approved the reconstruction of the Elizabeth rail station.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is applying for $1.4 billion from California's Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) to build six major transit projects.

The project list includes building the West Santa Ana Branch light-rail line between Artesia and downtown Los Angeles, as well as extending the Green Line light-rail route to Torrance. The funds also would go toward building a light-rail line or bus rapid transit route in the East San Fernando Valley.

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

From Berlin to San Francisco, hackers continue to launch cyber attacks on rail industry targets. Earlier this year, the Ontario government confirmed that Metrolinx was the victim of a cyberattack originating in North Korea. In May 2017, Germany’s Deutsche Bahn rail network was swept up in the worldwide “WannaCry” ransomware attack, while the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) endured a different ransomware attack only six months earlier.

The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) has unveiled a pilot program to offer discounts on Lyft rides at two light-rail stations.

CATS will provide $4 toward Lyft fares for passengers that need a ride to or from the JW/Clay UNC Charlotte Station or the Parkwood Station in Charlotte, North Carolina.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on Monday joined President Donald Trump and other cabinet members in signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that calls for federal departments to follow Trump's One Federal Decision framework for processing environmental reviews and other permits for major infrastructure projects.

Under the memorandum, the agencies commit to working together to make the necessary environmental and permitting decisions for major infrastructure projects with a goal to complete the entire process within two years, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) press release.

Patriot Rail Co. has promoted Alin Campian to chief commercial officer.

Campian, previously senior vice president of business development and commercial strategy, will now oversee all commercial efforts related to the transportation, services and ports business units across the company's growing business platform, Patriot Rail officials said in a press release.

New Jersey Transit's board yesterday approved a $71 million plan to reconstruct a commuter-rail station in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Crews will construct new inbound and outbound station buildings and longer platforms for more boarding capacity. In addition, the project calls for improving security and communication systems, as well as accessibility for riders with disabilities.

Union Pacific Railroad this year will invest nearly $60 million in its infrastructure in Arizona and Washington.

In Arizona, the Class I has budgeted $26.5 million to improve rail infrastructure. That sum includes $14.5 million to maintain track and $3.2 million to maintain bridges in the state.

Union Pacific Railroad this year will invest nearly $60 million in its infrastructure in Arizona and Washington.

In Arizona, the Class I has budgeted $26.5 million to improve rail infrastructure. That sum includes $14.5 million to maintain track and $3.2 million to maintain bridges in the state.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) named fatigue as the probable cause of a 2015 accident between two Southwestern Railroad trains in Roswell, N.M., that left one engineer dead and a conductor seriously injured.

The accident, which also derailed 11 locomotives and three empty hopper cars, occurred when a westbound Southwestern Railroad train traveled through a switch left in the reverse position at the east end of the Chisum siding and collided with Southwestern Railroad's Roswell Local, which was standing in the siding.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report saying the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) can strengthen its safety oversight by improving the guidance provided to states.

Specifically, GAO recommends that FTA (1) create a plan, with a timeline, for developing risk-based inspection guidance for state safety agencies, and (2) develop and communicate a method for how FTA will monitor whether state safety agencies' enforcement practices are effective.