Railroad News

Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. has named several new appointments as a result of the company's succession plan.

Al Satunas has been promoted to chief operating officer. He will report to Joe Parsons, who recently was named the railroad's new general manager.

Canadian Pacific has awarded ENSCO Rail a contract to provide inspection systems for the railroad's new track evaluation car. The unit will be equipped with track measurement and imaging system technology to provide key indicators of track quality and safety, ENSCO officials said in a press release. Specifically, the onboard technology installed on the new CP car will include a track geometry system, rail profile measurement system, track component imaging system and other systems. Together, the systems are expected to provide the data needed to help improve track maintenance and reduce operating costs, ENSCO officials said.

Miller Ingenuity has entered an agreement to install its ZoneGuard electronic roadway worker protection system on the Maryland Transit Administration's light-rail lines. The system provides a "robust communication network" that's triggered when a track vehicle approaches an on-track worker or work crew, Miller Ingenuity officials said in a press release. In addition, the train detection and communication network architecture is designed to eliminate costly false alerts found on similar systems. ZoneGuard also can be outfitted with wearable devices that provide equipped workers with an alert of an impending train.

Caltrain's board late last week adopted a new bicycle parking management plan aimed at enabling the railroad to more effectively manage the growing number of bike riders using the system.

Under the plan, Caltrain will increase bike parking capacity at stations along the corridor. The improvements will include secure, low-cost parking options, such as electronic bike lockers.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has scheduled two open houses to gather input on its latest energy action plan.

The first meeting will take place today, while the other is scheduled for Nov. 21. The plan outlines strategies for reducing SEPTA's greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050.

Leaders of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and its Highways and Transit Subcommittee are calling for further oversight of a federal competitive grant program after a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found a lack of transparency in projects chosen to receive grants.

The GAO report focused on the selection of projects under the Nationally Significant Freight and Highways Projects (NSFHP) competitive grant program, created under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act in 2015.

The city of Davenport, Iowa, has received a federal grant to improve rail access to an industrial park and manufacturing facility.

The $2.2-million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) will go toward constructing a new interchange track and rail spur to serve a new manufacturing facility and other businesses located in the Davenport industrial park.

The city of Davenport, Iowa, has received a federal grant to improve rail access to an industrial park and manufacturing facility.

The $2.2-million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) will go toward constructing a new interchange track and rail spur to serve a new manufacturing facility and other businesses located in the Davenport industrial park.

The city of Davenport, Iowa, has received a federal grant to improve rail access to an industrial park and manufacturing facility.

The $2.2-million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) will go toward constructing a new interchange track and rail spur to serve a new manufacturing facility and other businesses located in the Davenport industrial park.

Canadian Pacific (CP) awarded a contract to ENSCO Rail to provide inspection systems for a new track evaluation car.

ENSCO Rail says the car will be the newest track evaluation car in the CP fleet and will be equipped with state-of-the-art track measurement and imaging system technology.

Canadian Pacific (CP) awarded a contract to ENSCO Rail to provide inspection systems for a new track evaluation car.

ENSCO Rail says the car will be the newest track evaluation car in the CP fleet and will be equipped with state-of-the-art track measurement and imaging system technology.

Canadian Pacific (CP) awarded a contract to ENSCO Rail to provide inspection systems for a new track evaluation car.

ENSCO Rail says the car will be the newest track evaluation car in the CP fleet and will be equipped with state-of-the-art track measurement and imaging system technology.

Miller Ingenuity and Maryland Department of Transportation have entered into a collaborative agreement to install Miller Ingenuity's ZoneGuard on Maryland Transit Administration's Baltimore light-rail lines.

ZoneGuard is an electronic roadway worker protection system that combines Train Detection Modules and Train Alert Modules. The system can also be outfitted with wearable devices to provide equipped roadway workers with an alert of an approaching train.

Miller Ingenuity and Maryland Department of Transportation have entered into a collaborative agreement to install Miller Ingenuity's ZoneGuard on Maryland Transit Administration's Baltimore light-rail lines.

ZoneGuard is an electronic roadway worker protection system that combines Train Detection Modules and Train Alert Modules. The system can also be outfitted with wearable devices to provide equipped roadway workers with an alert of an approaching train.

Miller Ingenuity and Maryland Department of Transportation have entered into a collaborative agreement to install Miller Ingenuity's ZoneGuard on Maryland Transit Administration's Baltimore light-rail lines.

ZoneGuard is an electronic roadway worker protection system that combines Train Detection Modules and Train Alert Modules. The system can also be outfitted with wearable devices to provide equipped roadway workers with an alert of an approaching train.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has invested more than $101 million since winter 2015 in capital improvement projects aimed at making the transit system more resilient in severe weather.

The investments followed severe service disruptions in February 2015 that hampered the MBTA's commuter-rail operations and left passengers stranded.

The House tax bill's failure to address long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) is a "glaring omission" in efforts to reform the nation's tax code, American Public Transportation Association (APTA) officials told members of Congress last week.

In a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee, APTA Acting President and Chief Executive Officer Ricard White wrote that the proposed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) neglects to include a long-term solution to the trust fund's solvency.