Railroad News

Metrolinx and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) have agreed to study potential connections between GO Transit's Kitchener commuter-rail corridor and Toronto Pearson International Airport's future transit and passenger center.

The agencies also will explore other potential transit connections to the airport, such as the Eglinton Crosstown West light-rail project.

The Regional Plan Association (RPA) yesterday released more details on its proposal to combine three commuter-rail networks in the New York City area.

The association's Trans-Regional Express (T-REX) plan outlines a set of investments to combine MTA Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad and New Jersey Transit's commuter-rail operations into a unified system.

U.S. railroads reported a 4.3 percent increase in traffic for the week ending April 14, logging 534,198 carloads and intermodal units compared with the same week last year, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Intermodal volume outpaced growth in carload activity during the week, with railroads moving 276,075 containers and trailers, up 6.9 percent, and 258,123 carloads, up 1.6 percent compared with the same week in 2017, according to AAR data.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) yesterday awarded a $152.9 million contract to Kiewit-Aldridge AJV for a Blue Line track signal improvement project.

The contractor will replace the line's original 34-year-old signal system between Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood and Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

Norfolk Southern Railway has awarded its 2017 Thoroughbred Chemical Safety Award to 52 chemical customers for safely handling rail-shipped products.

Last year, the honorees shipped 153,213 carloads of chemical products regulated as hazardous material on NS rail lines without incident, company officials said in a press release.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao yesterday announced that Mathew Sturges has been appointed deputy administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Sturges previously served as majority staff director of the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I), where he directed legislative oversight and authorization efforts related to all modes of transportation.

CN will acquire 350 boxcars to serve an increase in demand from industrial customers across the Class I's North American network.

Equipped with 12-foot plug doors, the leased, 50-foot, high-capacity plate F boxcars are expected to be delivered beginning in late summer with all the cars in service by the end of the year, CN officials said in a press release.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 1:45 p.m. (CDT) to correct the Q1 2017 operating expense figure.

Safety Vision LLC

Safety Vision LLC offers the RoadRecorder® 8400 Network Video Recorder, which features an open architecture designed to enable “unlimited integration” of mobile video with other security and business applications, the company says. With up to two terabytes of storage, the RoadRecorder 8400 can support up to 16 IP cameras for high-definition video surveillance that can be used with any open VMS platform, according to Safety Vision.

Siemens has acquired Agilion GmbH, a Germany-based supplier of industrial real-time locating systems (RTLS). Agilion specializes in the RTLS field in the ultra-wideband frequency spectrum. The technology enables precise localization of tools, vehicles and other assets to optimize production and logistics processes, Siemens officials said in a press release. The acquisition marks a "significant addition" to Siemens' offerings in the field of industrial identifications, and to its digital enterprise portfolio, said Herbert Wegmann, head of the company's industrial communication and identification business segment. In addition, RTLS marks the next step toward "flexible automation in production," he added.

VIA Rail Canada Inc. has awarded a CA$46 million contract to Cad Railway Industries to upgrade 25 rail cars for use on the Canadian long-haul route, which runs from Toronto to Vancouver, British Columbia. Built in the 1950s, the cars will undergo a complete refurbishment that includes mechanical upgrades and interior design updates. The work also includes renewing heating systems and installing devices to prepare the units for future Wi-Fi deployment.

GoTriangle has chosen a Gannett Fleming/WSP joint venture to serve as construction management consultant for the Durham-Orange light-rail project in North Carolina.

The 17.7-mile system will connect southwest Chapel Hill to eastern Durham and serve educational, medical and other key activity centers.

In a newspaper column published this week, Federal Railroad Administrator Ronald Batory called on motorists and pedestrians to "make safe choices" at railroad crossings by honoring warning signals and lowered gates.

Batory pointed out that 94 percent of rail-related fatalities and injuries occur at crossings or while trespassing. Also, about every three hours, a person or vehicle is hit by a train in the United States.

Port Manatee in Palmetto, Florida, has posted a record first half of fiscal-year 2018 and is on pace to break full-year marks, the Manatee County Port Authority announced yesterday.

The Central Florida Gulf port logged new first-half highs for total tonnage throughput and a host of cargo sectors, according to a port authority press release.

Metra has set aside $84.8 million for its 2018 construction program, which includes major bridge replacement projects on two lines.

Projects will include station improvements, track upgrades and grade crossing updates. Among the highlights: The Chicago commuter railroad allocated $20.9 million for track maintenance and $12 million for bridge projects.

The Hartford Line commuter-rail route in Connecticut and Massachusetts will begin serving passengers June 16, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) announced yesterday.

The department will hold an inaugural launch event June 15, followed by free weekend train service June 16 and 17. Full, expanded weekday service will begin June 18, with trains running every 45 minutes during the morning and evening peak periods, CTDOT officials said in a press release.

CSX Corp. yesterday announced first-quarter 2018 earnings that surpassed analysts' estimates and a profit that nearly doubled compared with a year ago, as the Class I continued to cut costs and advance its scheduled railroading model.

CSX reported record Q1 2018 net earnings of $695 million, or 78 cents per share, compared with $362 million, or 39 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

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

Sound Transit today will kick off early scoping meetings for its Tacoma Dome Link light-rail extension.

The open house-style meetings will allow residents to comment on route and station locations for the project, as well as the location for a new operations and maintenance facility.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) has approved more than $30,000 in grant funding for rail-crossing upgrades in Auburn.

Auburn city officials requested the funds to improve safety at the C Street SW crossing, according to a UTC press release.