Railroad News

Two commuter-rail accidents at train stations in the New York City were caused by engineer fatigue resulting from undiagnosed sleep apnea, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined yesterday.

The Sept. 29, 2016, accident involving a New Jersey Transit train at the terminal in Hoboken, New Jersey, killed one person and injured 110. The MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) accident that occurred Jan. 4, 2017, at the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, New York, injured 108 people.

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) opened a new rail bridge over the San Diego River to traffic on Monday, Feb. 5.

The 900-foot bridge is part of the $93.9-million San Diego River Double Track (SDRDT) Project that will increase the passenger and freight rail capacity and improve service for commuters.

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) opened a new rail bridge over the San Diego River to traffic on Monday, Feb. 5.

The 900-foot bridge is part of the $93.9-million San Diego River Double Track (SDRDT) Project that will increase the passenger and freight rail capacity and improve service for commuters.

Bryan MacDonald was elected chairman of the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, which oversees Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner route.

An Oxnard, California, city councilman, MacDonald  served as the agency's vice chairman for the past year. He succeeds outgoing Chairman Tony Kranz, who remains a voting board member representing San Diego County.

Five teams have been prequalified by Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario to bid on an expansion of the Toronto area's GO Transit network.

The Lakeshore East – Central Corridor Expansion project is part of the multi-year Go Regional Express Rail program to extend the region's rail system.

Five teams have been prequalified by Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario to bid on an expansion of the Toronto area's GO Transit network.

The Lakeshore East – Central Corridor Expansion project is part of the multi-year Go Regional Express Rail program to extend the region's rail system.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) has awarded SPS New England, Inc., an on-call commuter rail right-of-way construction services contract worth $17,040,846.

Pandrol signed multi-year distributor partnership agreements with Industry-Railway Suppliers, Inc. (IRS), in the United States and Davanac, Inc., in Canada.

Pandrol says the agreements will involve IRS and Davanac distributing Railtech Matweld hydraulic tools and Rosenqvist rail equipment. In addition to the distribution agreement, IRS will act as a sales agent for Pandrol's equipment and welding products in the U.S. in a move designed the companies say will enhance customer service.

Sound Transit has scheduled three open houses this month as part of its early scoping work for light-rail extensions to West Seattle and Ballard, Washington.

The hearings will allow residents to offer opinions on the extensions' proposed route and station locations. The meetings will be held Feb. 13, 15, and 20.

BNSF Railway Company announced it recently became the first Class I railroad to join the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), comprising more than 200 freight transportation companies working to develop blockchain standards for the logistics industry and the supply chain as a whole. 

"Blockchain technology has the potential to change several aspects of the transportation industry and it is important that the industry comes together to align around a set of standards," said Muru Murugappan, BNSF vice president of technology services and chief information officer. "We are excited to help drive those standards forward as a member of BiTA."

The Texas Central bullet-train developers announced yesterday that the Houston rail station will be located at Northwest Mall near the interchange of Interstate 610 and U.S. Highway 290.

The terminal will be situated in a high-growth area with access to employment centers and the downtown, Texas Central officials said in a press release.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) Fiscal and Management Control Board awarded a $17 million commuter-rail right-of-way construction services contract to SPS New England Inc.

The agreement provides on-call construction services for urgent repair and reconstruction needs across the agency's commuter-rail system. The contract does not relieve Keolis Commuter Services of its current contractual obligations to operate the MBTA's commuter-rail network, agency officials noted in a press release.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has completed its $203 million reconstruction of the nearly century-old Wilson Station on the Red and Purple lines.

The final component of the project, which began in 2014, was the restoration of the historic Gerber Building, which has served as the station's main entrance.

Industry-Railway Suppliers, Inc. (IRS), a leading distributor of tools and products for railway construction and maintenance, has acquired the business assets of ESCO Equipment Company.

Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc., and Georgetown Rail Equipment Company (GREX) have completed a definitive merger agreement where Loram will acquire all outstanding shares of GREX.