Railroad News

Starting in January 2018, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) will deploy police and community service officers to perform proof-of-payment inspections within paid areas of stations and on trains.

If requested by authorized BART personnel, riders must present a valid ticket or Clipper fare card anywhere within paid areas.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has received certifications that two bids for its Green Line light-rail extension will be on budget, the agency announced last week.

Two of the three design-build teams on a short list to work on the $2.2 billion project have verified that their proposals will be at or below the established $1.319 billion affordability limit.

The Railway Association of Canada (RAC) last week announced VIA Rail Canada Inc. and short-line operator ArcelorMittal Infrastructure Canada are the winners of the association's 2017 Safety and Environment Awards.

The awards recognize RAC members for outstanding contributions to rail safety and environmental stewardship, RAC officials said in a press release.

The Port of Everett Commission in Washington has authorized its staff to solicit construction bids for the $36 million South Terminal modernization project.

The project, combined with the double rail siding now under construction, will ensure the port will be able to accommodate the next generation of over-dimensional cargo, including aerospace parts, port officials said in a press release.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) late last week unveiled a $3.1 billion budget for fiscal-year 2019, which will begin July 1, 2018.

Although the budget calls for increased funding for safety and reliability capital improvements, the plan won't require any fare increases or service cuts, agency officials said in a press release.

A joint interline service initiative established between CN and Norfolk Southern Railway in August is reducing transit times by a day or two for carload traffic between Western Canada and NS destinations in the Eastern United States, the Class Is announced late last week.

The service enables freight to bypass traditional interchange points in Chicago in favor of using the "most efficient" existing CN and NS routes. The service has cut transit times by up to 48 hours, according to a press release issued by the railroads.

Direct ChassisLink Inc. (DCLI) has agreed to acquire TRAC Intermodal's fleet of 72,000 53-foot domestic chassis, along with related customer and hosting contracts with Class Is and intermodal shipping companies throughout the United States. The transaction is expected to close in January 2018, DCLI officials said in a press release. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. After the acquisition is completed, DCLI will own, lease or manage 136,000 marine chassis, as well as 80,0000 domestic chassis. Through its REZ-1 asset management platform, the company manages more than 86,000 domestic intermodal containers for third parties.

CSX has been selected as a recipient of the National Defense Transportation Association's (NDTA) 2017 Distinguished Service Award in recognition of the railroad's "invaluable support of the organization's goals and aims."

The NDTA is a nonpolitical, nonprofit educational association that works to benefit national security and defense by sharing information about logistics, transportation and passenger travel services.

The Metropolitan Council has awarded $4.6 million to four transit-oriented development (TOD) projects along Metro Transit's Green and Blue light-rail lines.

The grants support development aimed at improving mobility via mass transit and generating economic investment and jobs.The council's investment leverages almost $216 million in private funds and nearly $26 million from other public sources, Met Council officials said in a press release.

Rail-car orders in the third quarter totaled 8,671 units compared with 17,665 units in the second quarter and 5,526 units in third-quarter 2016, according to statistics compiled by the Railway Supply Institute's American Railway Car Institute Committee (ARCI).

Car deliveries in Q3 rose to 11,015 units from 10,625 units in Q2, but were down from 15,375 units in Q3 2016.

The Merced County, California, Board of Supervisors earlier this week authorized a memorandum of agreement with the the Port of Los Angeles that calls for a joint business development plan.

The agreement will help open the door to "significant investment and development" in the Mid-California International Trade District located at Castle Commerce Center and Castle Airport in Atwater, California, county officials said in a press release.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (Metro) board has approved a staff recommendation to study proposed safety improvements that could lead to converting the Orange bus-rapid-transit (BRT) line to a light-rail line.

The study will examine the possible installation of railroad-style crossing gates at intersections along the Orange Line BRT route. The agency also will examine other possible grade separations at key locations along the 18-mile bus line, which has its own right of way.

Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) President Bonnie Murphy will complete her term and leave the organization Nov. 1 to become a vice president of rail and railroad management at Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).

Murphy, who joined OLI in January 2016, has more than 30 years of rail experience and 10 years of executive-level government experience.

Union Pacific Railroad and logistics service provider Katoen Natie this week broke ground on a new plastic packaging facility in south Dallas County, Texas.

The plant will be located at the 3,000-acre Prime Pointe Industrial Park, which is adjacent to UP's Dallas Intermodal Terminal.

U.S. railroads moved 559,989 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Oct. 21, a 3 percent increase over the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total carloads for the week ticked up 0.2 percent to 268,943 units, while intermodal volume surged 5.6 percent to 291,046 containers and trailers compared with year-ago traffic results.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has awarded a $539.5 million contract to Cubic Transportation Systems to replace the agency's MetroCard with an electronic fare payment system.

The new system will enable riders to pay for rides using credit and debit cards or mobile devices instead of purchasing and adding value to a separate fare card.