Railroad News

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is looking for participants in a new pilot program aimed at expediting transit capital projects.

Authorized under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, the program includes a streamlined federal review process to help deliver projects more quickly, FTA officials said yesterday in a press release.

Following a recent audit, Amtrak's Office of Inspector General (OIG) has determined that the railroad's information technology (IT) management has room for improvement if it wants to minimize the possibility and impact of IT service disruptions.

The audit evaluated Amtrak's business continuity planning and testing efforts, then compared them to private- and public-sector IT management controls standards issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and ISACA, according to the OIG report, which was released this week.

U.S. railroads moved 502,208 carloads and intermodal units — up 4.1 percent — in the week ending Sept. 8 compared with rail traffic during the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total carloads for the week increased 2.6 percent to 253,293 units over last year, while intermodal volume rose 5.8 percent to 248,915 containers and trailers, according to an AAR press release.

Instead of raising fares in 2019, Metra board members and executives will spend the next year calling for more state aid and "sounding the alarm" about the impact the lack of such funding has on the Chicago commuter railroad's service levels and state of good repair.

The railroad's board yesterday agreed that another fare hike for capital needs would overburden riders following four consecutive fare increases, Metra officials said in a press release.

Canadian Pacific, in collaboration with its customers and supply chain, is prepared to move this year's Canadian grain crop, the Class I told federal officials yesterday during a roundtable discussion on grain transportation.

Minister of Transport Marc Garneau and Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay hosted the discussion in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with grain producers, shippers and railroads to share information stemming from the Transportation Modernization Act, which became law in May.

Metrolink yesterday held a ceremony at Los Angeles Union Station to mark the 10th anniversary of the fatal crash in Chatsworth, California.

The incident left 25 people dead and spurred Congress to pass the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. Among its provisions, the act mandated railroads to install positive train control (PTC) technology.

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

Siemens Mobility will unveil the world's first autonomous tram at InnoTrans 2018, slated to run Sept. 18-21 in Berlin, Germany. The company will demonstrate the unit on a 3.7-mile section of the tram network in Potsdam, Germany. Local transit agency ViP Verkehrsbetrieb Potsdam GmbH has provided a Siemens Combino tram for the project. The experimental vehicle is equipped with multiple lidar, radar and camera sensors to serve as its "digital eyes." Using artificial intelligence, the tram responds to trackside signals and reacts to hazards such as crossing pedestrians and other vehicles.

Alstom has signed a framework contract with Syndicat des Transports de l'Agglomeration Lyonnaise (SYTRAL) in Lyon, France, for 11 streetcars. The first order in is valued at more than $46.37 million, according to an Alstom press release. The agency may place other orders depending on future needs. The units will be used to boost capacity on line T4 of the Lyon agglomeration's tramway network. The streetcars' design will be identical to the 92 vehicles now operating on the Lyon network. The first unit is slated for delivery before 2019's end.

The Confederation Line light-rail route in Ottawa, Ontario, won't open to passengers in November as originally planned, city officials announced this week.

The 7.8-mile line's opening date likely will be pushed into 2019, according to a Sept. 10 city council update.

Anacostia Rail Holdings Co. this week announced the promotion of Stephane Perri to general superintendent of the Pacific Harbor Line (PHL).

Since joining PHL in 2000, Perri has served as a locomotive engineer, trainmaster, transportation director, operations director and superintendent, Anacostia officials said in a press release.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has released the 2018 State Rail Plan, which calls for increasing passenger-rail travel, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, boosting the economy and improving safety.

The document presents a plan for an integrated transportation system that will allow passengers to easily transfer from local transit services to regional, intercity and future high-speed rail, according to a Caltrans press release.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority's (MARTA) board late last week approved a contract to extend bus, rail and paratransit services to Gwinnett County, Georgia.

Under contract terms, MARTA would immediately assume control of six local bus routes and fixed express routes now operated by Gwinnett County Transit.

The Kansas City Streetcar Authority (KCSA) late last week applied for federal funding for its Main Street Extension to the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

The agency is seeking $151 million in New Starts Capital Investment Grants (CIG) funding from the Federal Transit Administration. KCSA, the KC Area Transportation Authority and the city of Kansas City submitted the formal application for the funding.

Freight railroads are taking direct action to protect employees, customers and infrastructure that are in the potential path of Hurricane Florence, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) announced yesterday.

As the nation prepares for what could be the first Category 4 hurricane of the season to hit the eastern seaboard, railroads have been working with the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Railroad Administration to monitor the storm's path and potential effects, AAR officials said in an announcement.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today announced a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for $46.3 million in grants to help railroads pay for the cost of implementing positive train control (PTC).

The NOFO represents the balance of the $250 million PTC Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program that remained after selections were announced in August, FRA officials said in a press release.

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

Metro Transit-St. Louis has installed temporary fencing at three light-rail stations as part of a pilot project to tighten security.

In addition to the fencing, Metro Transit-St. Louis security officers will check fares and monitor riders as they arrive at the modified platform access points, agency officials said in a press release.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) this month plans to perform seismic retrofit construction work inside its Fruitvale Station in Oakland, California.

Workers will retrofit columns and fixtures in and around the station to help the infrastructure better withstand earthquake damage.

MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) President Philip Eng yesterday announced a $17.9 million project to upgrade its Lynbrook, New York, station along the Babylon and Long Beach branches.

The project calls for rehabilitating the 1930s-era Lynbrook Viaduct, improving the drainage system, replacing platform canopies and installing two new glass platform waiting rooms.