Railroad News

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) announced the appointments of Bruce Carter and Cynthia Hostetler to its board.

Their appointments expand the number of G&W board directors to 12, 11 of whom are independent directors, company officials said in a press release.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) Fiscal and Management Control Board on Monday awarded a $102.7 million contract to Barletta Heavy Division to rebuild the Wellington rail yard in Medford, Massachusetts.

The contract also calls for upgrading the Orange Line's signal system. The 36-month project is needed to support the arrival of 152 new Orange Line subway cars, MBTA officials said in a press release.

Norfolk Southern Railway's service "is not where we or our customers need it to be," the Class I's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer James Squires acknowledged in a letter to the Surface Transportation Board (STB).

Squires' letter was sent April 2 in response to the STB's recent request for the Class Is to submit 2018 service outlook reports, as the board looks into shippers' complaints about deteriorating freight-rail service.

Former New Jersey Transit Executive Director Steven Santoro has joined Dewberry as director of rail and transit. In the new role, he'll help grow Dewberry's practice by mentoring employees, expanding relationships with rail and transit agencies on costs and assisting with project delivery. Santoro had worked at NJ Transit for 18 years. The agency him in 2000 to manage the Hudson-Bergen light-rail project. He became executive director in fall 2016.

Peaker Services Inc. has acquired Energy Conversions Inc. (ECI), a firm that develops natural gas conversion kits for high horsepower diesel engine applications. Those applications include using multipoint direct gas injection and custom engine modifications in dual-fuel natural gas EMD locomotives. ECI will continue to operate out of its plant in Tacoma, Washington, as Engenious Engineering LLC, Peaker Services officials said in a press release. PSI was founded in 1971 to repair and maintain EMD diesel generators. The company grew and diversified into complete locomotive remanufacturing, marine propulsion service and other industrial EMD applications. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Metra in June will stop selling tickets on its website in an effort to save money.

Rolled out in September 2009, the railroad's Ticket-by-Internet program allows riders to buy monthly passes and 10-ride tickets on Metra's website. The program also allows passengers to set up recurring orders to receive tickets on a monthly schedule.

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has halted all work related to the Center City Connector streetcar project pending an independent review of its proposed cost.

Last week, Durkan called for an independent technical review of the proposed costs of the project. In conducting a preliminary assessment, it was discovered that the project could face a "significant capital shortfall," according to a press release issued by Durkan's office. The release didn't state who or what organization conducted the assessment.

A new $130 million container staging facility designed to boost productivity will be constructed on Terminal Island at the Port of Los Angeles.

The Harbor Performance Enhancement Center (HPEC) — a public-private partnership dedicated to facilitating freight movement and supply-chain efficiencies — has reached an agreement with Macquarie Principal Finance to provide capital for the development of the 5.5 million-square-foot container hub.

The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) and local businesses are urging Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to amend a recent funding bill for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).

In two March 26 letters, they expressed support for the $154 million set aside for WMATA but asked Northam to ensure that the funding doesn't come at the expense of other key transportation priorities in the region.

MTA Metro-North Railroad has begun a full-scale renewal of its station in White Plains, New York.

The $94 million project includes refurbishment of entrances, along with installation of security cameras and speakers throughout the station.

Sound Transit has started building light-rail guideway in the Bel-Red area of Bellevue, Washington.

Crews are setting girders that will support light-rail tracks near the future Bel-Red/130th Station, agency officials said in a press release.

Watco Cos. LLC, owner and operator of Greens Port Industrial Park located on the Houston Ship Channel, has acquired the assets of Industrial Terminals LP.

Watco has entered into a long-term lease for use and operation of Industrial Terminals' facility, which is adjacent to Greens Port, Watco officials said last week in a press release.

The Berkshire Flyer Working Group last week released a report examining the feasibility of Amtrak-operated rail service from New York City to Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

The initial service could run for 20 weeks of the year, or from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. The corridor includes track segments owned by Amtrak and CSX.

Canadian Pacific, CSX Corp. and Union Pacific Railroad last week responded to the Surface Transportation Board's (STB) request for Class Is to provide the board with their 2018 service plans in response to shippers' complaints about deteriorating freight-rail service.

In his report to the board, CP President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Creel said the railroad's network has recovered from winter weather challenges in the upper Midwest and Canada that affected car velocity and locomotive cycles to such an extent that March volumes will be CP's highest since March 2015 as measured by revenue ton miles.

Today, Progressive Railroading announces the 20 people chosen for recognition as the 2018 Rising Stars of the North American railroad industry.

This is the sixth year that Progressive Railroading has sponsored the Rising Stars Awards program. The magazine defines a Rising Star as someone under the age of 40 who has made, or is making, a positive impact on his or her company, organization, department or team, and is viewed by others — peers, colleagues, supervisors, clients or associates — as an up-and-coming leader in the rail industry.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) yesterday joined rail industry stakeholders for a tour of Loram Maintenance of Way Inc.'s manufacturing facility in Hamel, Minnesota.

The tour group included representatives from Loram, United Steelworkers Local 2002-9, Operation Lifesaver Inc., Amtrak and local Minnesota railroads. During Klobuchar's visit, the group discussed rail safety programs and continued economic development in greater Minneapolis, according to a press release issued by the Railway Engineering-Maintenance and Suppliers Association (REMSA).

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) last week finalized a $699.19 million contract with a Cubic-John Laing consortium for the design, implementation, operation and maintenance of a new automated fare collection system. Known as AFC 2.0, the system will enable riders to use smartphones or contactless credit cards to pay fares. The technology also will help speed up boarding times and reduce lines for Green Line trains, MBTA officials said in a press release. The new system will be available on all transit modes to allow for easy transfers. The system's initial elements will be implemented in late 2019, with full implementation by mid-2020. By 2021, the MBTA will retire its existing fare system.

In fiscal-year 2017, Siemens boosted its U.S. research-and-development investment by $175 million to $1.3 billion, marking a 16 percent increase over the prior year. The company has placed a "strong focus on digital innovation" with its investments, Siemens officials said in a press release. For instance, in Chicago, the company is investing $13 million annually in a new digital R&D hub focused on cloud and Internet of Things applications to support the building management and automation market. Globally, Siemens aims to spend $6.9 billion on R&D in FY2018, up from $6.3 billion in FY2017.