Railroad News

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) last week launched its Ventra fare card on iPhone and Apple Watches to provide some riders a contactless, tap-and-go fare payment option.  

The new feature allows CTA train and bus riders who use an iPhone or Apple Watch to add a Ventra Card to their device and tap the device at a Ventra fare reader to enter the CTA system. 

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) next week will began seeking rider input on the agency’s Forging Ahead plan to preserve transit access for riders who depend on it as the agency prepares to cut low-ridership services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Nov. 9, the MBTA will announce which services will be prioritized and protected and which will have proposed changes in service. MBTA will host virtual meetings on the proposed changes in December.

Amtrak's random drug testing program doesn't test many employees in safety-related positions because the railroad limits the program to minimum federal requirements, Amtrak's Office of Inspector General (OIG) reported last week.

The OIG assessed the extent to which Amtrak's 11,356 employees involved in safety-related work are at risk for prescription opioid impairment or misuse, as well as the railroad's efforts to detect and deter risk. The inspector found that Amtrak's random drug testing program is limited to those in safety-work positions that are regulated under the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), such as locomotive engineers, conductors, maintenance-of-way employees and train dispatchers.

Reading & Northern Railroad officials announced this week that the first rail cars have been unloaded at a new rail-truck transload facility, which is located at the North Star BlueScope Steel (NSBS) mill in Delta, Ohio.

The announcement caps a multiyear effort to convert shipments of anthracite from truck to rail, Reading & Northern officials said in a press release.

The Denton County Transportation Authority’s (DCTA) board last month approved a contract with Rio Grande Pacific Corp. (RGPC) and subcontractor Stadler U.S. Inc. to provide operations and vehicle maintenance services for the A-Line commuter-rail service in northern Texas. 

Under the contract, which went into effect Oct. 31, RGPC is responsible for signaling, dispatching, maintenance of tracks and operations and communications. Stadler is responsible for maintaining DCTA’s rolling stock of 11 GTW DMU trains.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper last week appointed Michael Fox to the North Carolina Railroad Co.’s (NCRR) board.

Fox will fill the remainder of the unexpired term previously held by Nina Szlosberg-Landis.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) yesterday announced they've reached a tentative labor agreement with the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway (NYS&W).

The contract would govern rates of pay and work rules for about 45 members.

Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) officials yesterday provided more details on the Newington Road Bridge project in Fairfax County, which will be funded in part by a $14.4 million federal grant awarded last week.

The $37 million project calls for replacing the existing, substandard two-track railroad bridge with a new, publicly owned two-track structure over Newington Road in Lorton, Virginia, and a new two-track rail bridge for use by CSX trains. The result will be a four-track structure that separates passenger and freight service, and provides continuity of corridor operations for both types of service while construction is underway, DRPT officials said in a press release.

New Jersey Transit is seeking developers to design and build transit-oriented development (TOD) projects on NJ Transit properties located in Jersey City and Woodbridge.

The agency is accepting statements of qualifications and expressions of interest in developing 2 acres on Communipaw Avenue in Jersey City, near the Liberty State Park Hudson-Bergen light-rail station; and 12 acres  located adjacent to the Metropark Station on the Northeast Corridor Line. 

Edmonton, Alberta, officials last week selected Marigold Infrastructure Partners as the preferred contractor to design, build and partially finance the city’s nearly 8.7-mile Valley Line West light-rail line.

Marigold Infrastructure Partners is a team consisting of Colas, Parsons, Standard General, Francl Architecture, Fast & Epp and Stantec. 

Canadian Pacific set a new record for shipping Canadian grain and grain products in October at 3.04 million metric tons (MMT) moved, the first time CP exceeded 3 MMT in a month.

The achievement exceeds the highest-ever record for a month, set in April 2020, by 6.9%. It also represents a 14.2% increase from the previous October record of 2.66 MMT set in in 2019, CP officials said in a press release.

Canadian Pacific set a new record for shipping Canadian grain and grain products in October at 3.04 million metric tons (MMT) moved, the first time CP exceeded 3 MMT in a month.

The achievement exceeds the highest-ever record for a month, set in April 2020, by 6.9%. It also represents a 14.2% increase from the previous October record of 2.66 MMT set in in 2019, CP officials said in a press release.

CN's Wisconsin Central Ltd. cannot unilaterally designate the Belt Railway Co. of Chicago's (BRC) Clearing Yard as the location where it will receive traffic in interchange with Canadian Pacific's Soo Line Railroad Co., the Surface Transportation Board ruled last week.

In April, CN/Wisconsin Central petitioned the STB for a declaratory order on a long-running disagreement with CP/Soo Line concerning interchange operations in the Chicago area. CN asked the board to determine whether CN had the right to designate the Clearing Yard, which BRC owns, as the point where the railroads may interchange and who should pay for the interchange costs.

Hitachi Ltd., Hitachi Rail STS SpA and Mitsubishi Corp. have signed an $883 million contract with HPH Consortium, the prime contractor for Panama Metro’s Line 3 in Panama City. Under the contract, Hitachi and Hitachi Rail will provide 28 six-car vehicles (168 cars), the signaling systems, telecommunication systems, power systems, control center, platform screen doors and depot equipment for the monorail. Mitsubishi will manage the project's administration. Line 3 is a 15.5-mile, elevated double-track system that will cross over the Panama Canal. It will include 14 stations and open in 2025, Hitachi officials said in a press release.

Hatch completed its merger with LTK. The integration of Hatch and LTK will allow Hatch to broaden its U.S. capabilities and deliver solutions to clients globally, Hatch officials said in a press release. LTK’s focus on rail and rail systems combined with Hatch’s integrated, multidisciplinary transportation expertise will provide clients with comprehensive options across the entire supply chain and lifecycle of their operations, officials said. AEC Advisors initiated the merger transaction and served as the financial advisor to Hatch.

The Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission, SunRail’s advisory board, last week voted to begin work to extend the commuter-rail system 12 miles into DeLand in Volusia County, Florida.

The vote passed narrowly by 3-2, with some officials saying the $100 million project wouldn’t payoff and that it would put a burden on county taxpayers, the Orlando Sentinel reported. 

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) last week released its Watchlist 2020 list of eight key safety risks that require government or industry attention, including the risk of unplanned or uncontrolled movements of railway equipment.

The list is compiled as a result of hundreds of investigations, compelling findings, data and active TSB recommendations, board officials said in a press release. The list evolves each year, with the TSB removing some risks and adding new ones as they arise.