Railroad News

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) on Wednesday will host the first of two public scoping meetings for a project to improve capacity on the Red and Purple subway lines.

The project involves widening a tunnel entrance between Los Angeles Union Station and the Red-Purple subway yards in the city's Arts District. The project also includes building new tracks in the yard to allow trains to turn around quickly.

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) announced late last week that Michael McLaughlin has been named chief of rail transportation.

McLaughlin joined the department after 20 years of service with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and U.S. Congress.

Sound Transit's board last week renamed Seattle Union Station's Great Hall after Joni Earl, the agency's former chief executive officer.

In May, the board adopted the motion to rename the hall after Earl, who served as CEO until 2016. She joined the agency in 2000.

Class Is employed 146,673 workers in the United States as of mid-September, down 0.44 percent since mid-August's employment figure and down 3.81 percent compared with mid-September 2016's level, according to Surface Transportation Board (STB) data.

All six employment categories reflected workforce decreases last month compared with August levels: Professional and administrative positions were down 1.82 percent; executives, officials and staff assistants, down 1.56 percent; transportation (other than train and engine), down 0.44 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, down 0.43 percent; maintenance of way and structures, down 0.41 percent; and transportation (T&E), down 0.01 percent.

Caltrain today will begin construction on a grade separation project at 25th Avenue in San Mateo, California.

Crews will start building the bridges and walls needed to elevate Caltrain's track above the road. The separation is aimed at reducing local traffic congestion and increasing safety for drivers and pedestrians, Caltrain officials said in a press release.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has invested $1 billion to restore and protect its infrastructure since Hurricane Sandy struck five years ago this month.

The authority has plans to invest the remainder of the estimated economic loss of $2.8 billion in the coming years to further rebuild and add resiliency to port assets, according to a PANYNJ press release.

TRAM Construction welcomed staff members of U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin this week to mark the company's 35th anniversary.

Located in Garrison, Kentucky, TRAM is a family owned and operated railroad contracting company that provides track services and rail materials for the public and private sectors.

Stadler recently broke ground on a new locomotive manufacturing plant in Salt Lake City. The company in 2016 rented a service plant from the Utah Transit Authority to build trains for the future TEX Rail commuter system in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. After Stadler received a contract from Caltrain for 16 bi-level trains in August 2016, the company determined it needed more production space, according to a Stadler press release. The new facility will include 75,000 square feet of production space, as well as test track to commission trains.

Railway and Industrial Services Inc. (RISX) has retained mergers-and-acquisitions specialist Equity Partners HG to seek a refinancing, joint venture or equity partner. Equity Partners also may assist in selling land, buildings, equipment and business, officials from that company said in a press release. For the past 17 years, RISX has performed rail-car repairs and conversions, as well as general lease returns.

Valley Metro's board has approved a new code of conduct for its light-rail system.

Dubbed "Respect the Ride," the code is aimed at discouraging disruptive behavior on the agency's 26-mile light-rail line. The rules give Valley Metro the authority to remove riders who engage in inappropriate or unsafe behavior, agency officials said in a press release.

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and Sycuan Casino have signed a naming rights agreement for the Green Line light-rail route.

The route will be renamed the Sycuan Green Line. The pact will generate up to $25.5 million in nonfare revenue for MTS operations over 30 years, agency officials said in a press release.

BNSF Railway Co. yesterday named Farmrail System Inc. as its "Short Line of the Year" at the Class I's annual short-line conference.

A holding company for Grainbelt Corp. and Farmrail Corp., Farmrail System was recognized for its "entrepreneurial spirit and diligence in attracting new customers," BNSF officials said in a press release.

Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) General Manager Neil McFarlane this week announced plans to retire in early 2018.

McFarlane joined the agency in 1991 and became general manager in 2010. During his time at TriMet, he helped grow the MAX light-rail system from a single 15-mile line to a five-line, 60-mile network.

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today announced the 2017 recipients of the Holden-Proefrock Award and 2016 Non-Accident Release (NAR) Grand Slam Awards, which are given annually to individuals and railroads that operate in the fields of hazardous materials.

AAR named Paul Williams of Norfolk Southern Railway as the Holden-Proefrock Award winner. For 34 years, Williams has worked to ensure the safe transport of hazardous materials by rail.

Kansas City Southern reported record third-quarter operating income, operating ratio and adjusted earnings per share, company officials announced today.

Operating income for third-quarter 2017 rose 17 percent to $234 million, adjusted earnings per share increased 21 percent to $1.35 and the operating ratio improved 2.5 points to 64.4 percent compared with third-quarter 2016 results, according to a KCS press release.

During the first nine months of 2017, the number of average weekday rides on TransLink's system increased 6.2 percent compared with ridership for the same period last year.

In September alone, ridership on the agency's Expo/Millennium SkyTrain line shot up 10.6 percent to 9.2 million boardings. SkyTrain's Canada Line logged 4 million boardings, marking a 4.6 percent increase.

The Port of Longview in Washington has entered into an agreement with International Raw Materials (IRM) to lease the port's Bridgeview Terminal, port officials announced yesterday.

IRM operated from the port between 1981 and 2001. Based in Philadelphia, IRM intends to use the terminal for the export of bulk minerals, fertilizers and grains.

Bay Area Rapid Transit's (BART) new reduced-contact wheel profile has helped cut down on interior noise in trains.

Carload and intermodal volumes rose for U.S. railroads during the week ending Oct. 14, according to data from the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Total carloads for the week rose 0.5 percent to 264,161 units, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume increased 5.5 percent to 284,103 containers and trailers compared with the same week last year, AAR officials said in a press release.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) on Saturday will finish installing positive train control (PTC) infrastructure on the Needham commuter-rail line.

The work is wrapping up one month earlier than scheduled, MBTA officials said in a press release. Regular Saturday service on the line will resume Oct. 28.