Railroad News

HDR Inc. has been tapped to lead final design for GoTriangle's $2.48 billion Durham-Orange light-rail project in North Carolina.

HDR's team will design all 16 bridge structures on the project, and lead engineering and architecture for infrastructure along the entire 17.7-mile alignment. In addition, the company will lead track design, traffic management, utility relocation, site planning and roadway design, HDR officials said in a press release.

Kansas City Southern, U.S. Customers and Border Protection and Mexican Customs officials last week dedicated a new, joint unified cargo processing facility at the rail border crossing in Laredo, Texas.

The facility will be used to share nonintrusive inspection security scanning images; conduct Mexico export processing at the U.S. railhead; streamline documentation review of northbound trains; and conduct joint inspections when needed on inbound shipments.

U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) joined Skanska and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) officials last week on a tour of the completed second phase of the Exposition light-rail project, which extended service from Culver City to Santa Monica, California.

A Skanska-Rados Joint Venture obtained the design-build construct for the project in March 2011. The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) presented the joint venture with the "Large Project of the Year" award in 2016.

Texas Central Partners and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner yesterday signed an agreement to work together on a jobs and economic development plan for the area around a future Houston rail station and the private company's bullet train.

Under the agreement, Texas Central will consult with the city on finalizing the passenger station area in Houston. The site is expected to be located in the general area south of U.S. 290, west of Loop 610 and north of Interstate 10, which is near major employment centers, city and Texas Central officials said in a press release.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) earlier this week began testing a new passenger screening system at the Red Line's west entrance to Union Station.

Developed by Evolv Technology, the portable system is designed to screen riders for weapons and explosives. The system can scan 600 people per hour and automatically detect mass casualty threats, Metro officials said in a media advisory.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Wednesday named Kevin Quinn administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA).

Quinn has been serving as acting administrator since June 6. He previously served as director of planning and programming to ensure MTA delivered on its service goals.

Sound Transit has picked STV and Mott MacDonald to oversee the construction of two major light-rail extensions.

The two firms will work as part of the Northwest Transit Systems Partners (NTSP) joint venture, which Sound Transit's board approved in May, STV officials said in a press release.

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority will receive CA$250,000 in federal funds toward a project that will assess real-time information on the supply-chain performance of rail cargo moving to and from the Port of Vancouver, the Canadian government announced earlier this week.

The port authority launched the Supply Chain Visibility Project in 2015. The federal contribution will fund a part of the project that will measure performance of the grain and fertilizer sectors, as well as address data quality.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has granted the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District permission to begin commuter-rail service on Aug. 25.

SMART's initial 43-mile route includes 10 stations between the Sonoma County Airport and downtown San Rafael, California. Service will be free on opening day.

CSX President and Chief Executive Officer E. Hunter Harrison has fired back at a coalition of rail-shipper trade associations that complained to Congress about rail-service disruptions as the Class I implements a restructuring aimed at improving efficiency.

In a letter sent Wednesday to the Rail Customer Coalition (RCC), Harrison said CSX was disappointed at the "many unfounded and grossly exaggerated statements" the group has made about CSX's service performance as the Class I implements precision scheduled railroading.

The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) later this month will provide free rides on a portion of its A-train commuter-rail line in North Texas.

Beginning Aug. 28, rides between the Downtown Denton Transit Center and the MedPark Station will not require fares. Trips between the Hebron Station and Trinity Mills Station also will be free.

Four Florida counties have established the Gulf to Gadsden Freight Logistics Zone (FLZ) to enable freight transportation and infrastructure services to become a platform for broader economic development.

The establishment of the FLZ can provide the counties of Gulf, Gadsden, Liberty and Franklin with priority for state funding and incentives when pursuing certain projects within the zone.

CN has hired Andrea Waldock Niethold to serve as the Class I's director of government affairs in Washington, D.C.

Waldock Niethold brings a wide range of transportation policy experience to her new role, CN officials said in a press release.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and ELERTS Corp. yesterday rolled out the SEPTA Transit Watch app, which enables riders to report security or safety issues to agency police.

Passengers can use the app to anonymously send photos or videos with GPS locations to alert police of potential criminal behavior, SEPTA officials said in a press release.

U.S. railroads logged 268,364 carloads for the week ending Aug. 12, a 0.3 percent increase compared with carload activity in the same week a year ago, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Combined with intermodal volume, U.S. railroads posted 548,790 carloads, containers and trailers during the week, a 2.7 percent increase compared with a year ago. Intermodal volume rose 5.1 percent to 280,426 units for the week.

Metra's board has chosen James Derwinski as the Chicago commuter railroad's next executive director and chief executive officer.

He will succeed Don Orseno, who earlier this year announced plans to retire the end of 2017, Metra announced yesterday in a press release.

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Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) crews will rebuild track in downtown Oakland, California, over the Labor Day weekend.

Workers will replace rail and upgrade electrical systems, and perform other maintenance and repair work, BART officials said in a press release.