Railroad News

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Union Leasing Inc. has appointed Todd Heemsoth president. Before joining the company, he was partner-in-charge for the strategic technologies division at Sikich LLP, a public accounting and technology consulting firm. Heemsoth also served as president of Hale Solutions Inc., an information technology consulting firm he founded in 2004 and sold to Sikich in December 2016. Heemsoth's successful track record in information and business systems, software implementation and strategic technologies makes him "uniquely suited for his new role," said Jeff Walsh, chief executive officer of Sasser Family Holdings, the parent company of Union Leasing, in a press release.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has awarded Kapsch TrafficCom a contract to design, develop, implement, support and maintain a turnkey regional mobile ticketing system. The new system will enable MARTA riders to purchase and electronically validate tickets using their mobile smart devices, as well as directly through the mobile ticketing site. The project is valued at just under $11 million. Kapsch and its partners Bytemark Inc. and TransTrack Systems Inc. will deliver a mobile ticketing app and website, a customer service tool for account management, electronic validators, and account-based back-office solutions for MARTA to manage the new system.

Great Western Railway Ltd. (GWR) has announced it won a bid to purchase 150 grain hoppers from the Saskatchewan government. The largest short line in the province, GWR operates 450 miles of track and serves shippers in the agriculture, energy, aggregates and potash industries.

"This is the first purchase of its kind since our inception, when the line was first purchased from Canadian Pacific in 2000," GWR officials said in an announcement.

On Wednesday, Cummins Inc. executives, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, and other state and local leaders announced plans for a $30 million railroad overpass on State Road 46 in downtown Columbus, Indiana.

The overpass is necessary as CSX continues to advance about $100 million worth of upgrades to a line shared with the Louisville & Indiana Railroad between Louisville and Indianapolis, Cummins officials said in a press release. When the work is completed in mid- to late 2018, CSX expects to begin increasing the number, weight and length of trains on the line.

Amtrak next week will begin running Empire Service trains to and from Grand Central Terminal in New York City as the railroad gears up for emergency repairs to Penn Station.

In coordination with the New York State Department of Transportation, Amtrak will provide six trains between Albany-Rensselaer and Grand Central during the renewal work period, which runs from July 10 through Sept. 1.

Port Freeport has awarded a more than $21 million contract to Primoris Heavy Civil to build rail infrastructure at the southeastern Texas port.

Part of Primoris Services Corp., Primoris Heavy Civil will construct a rail spur and yard that includes 21,000 linear feet of track, as well as complete associated high-mast lighting, paving and drainage work. The rail spur will tie into a Union Pacific Railroad line and support an ongoing expansion at the port. Work is scheduled to start in the third quarter and conclude in second-quarter 2018.

The National Mediation Board (NMB) appointed Harry Hoglander chairman, effective July 1. He succeeds Linda Puchala, who will continue to serve as a board member.

An NMB member since August 2002, Hoglander previously was chairman in 2004-05, 2007-08, 2010-11, 2012-13 and 2014-15. The chair serves a one-year term running from July 1 in a given year to June 30 in the succeeding year.

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has allocated $20 million for Caltrain's electrification project.

The project involves electrifying the commuter railroad's corridor between San Francisco and San Jose, California. It also includes the purchase of electric multiple units for operating the new service.

Building a new Hudson River rail tunnel between New York City and New Jersey could cost up to $12.9 billion, according to a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) released yesterday by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). That amount includes $1.8 billion to rehabilitate the existing North River Tunnel.

The figure marks a jump from January, when Amtrak estimated the project would cost $7.7 billion. Nonetheless, the publication of the DEIS is a milestone in the clearance process before design or construction can begin, FRA officials said in a press release.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is offering free in-state commuter-rail trips through the remainder of 2017.

The move is aimed at raising awareness of the state's rail services and encouraging Rhode Islanders to choose trains over their cars, RIDOT officials said in a press release.

There's still time to nominate someone for the League of Railway Industry Women's (LRIW) 2017 Outstanding Woman of the Year Award.

Co-sponsored by Progressive Railroading, the award is presented annually to a woman who has made significant contributions to the rail industry through leadership, dedication and vision. Women working in the North American rail industry are eligible to receive the award.

Operation Lifesaver Canada has named Metrolinx safety officer Peter Mohyla the recipient of its 2016 Roger Cyr Award. Named after Operation Lifesaver Canada founder Roger Cyr, the award recognizes an individual's efforts to improve rail safety.

Mohyla has served Metrolinx as a transit safety officer for 30 years. During his career, he has helped promote safety along Metrolinx's corridors in the greater Toronto and Hamilton area (GTHA), coordinated school presentations and community events, worked with police and other public safety agencies, and helped find innovative ways to educate the public, including through social media, Operation Lifesaver Canada officials said in a press release.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has installed Shelton Goode as executive director of diversity and inclusion.

He started the job in June. Goode most recently served as director of diversity and inclusion at Oshkosh Corp. He has more than two decades of human resources and business development experience.

The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) yesterday announced that Thomas Murta has been named executive director. Murta will join the organization July 10.

Most recently CSX's assistant vice president of safety and operations compliance, Murta served in a variety of roles during his 24 years at the Class I, including positions responsible for safety and compliance, hazardous materials systems, environmental compliance and infrastructure.

Officials from Maywood, Illinois, late last week held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Metra station.

The nearly 900-square-foot station replaces an existing outdoor shelter. In addition to providing shelter from the elements, the new station is heated.

​North American rail volumes continued to inch upward in week 26, with railroads reporting a 5.2 percent increase in carloads and intermodal units compared with traffic hauled during the same week in 2016, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) announced yesterday.

North American carloads for the week ending July 1 totaled 366,143 units, up 4.5 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week rose 5.9 percent to 353,457 containers and trailers.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Build America Bureau will provide a $537.1 million loan to the New York State Urban Development Corp. for the Moynihan Train Hall redevelopment project.

The loan was issued through the department's Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program.

Leica Geosystems has acquired InfraMeasure, a company specializing in rail measurements. Financial details of the transaction weren't disclosed. InfraMeasure designed and developed the patent-pending SafeLoad® system, which is a portable, laser-based measurement and documentation solution. The system, which has been implemented by four Class Is, can help reduce high-wide measurement time and labor by at least 50 percent, according to a Leica Geosystems press release.

Harsco Rail has received an order for seven Stoneblower track geometry machines from Network Rail, the owner and manager of mainline rail infrastructure in Great Britain. The Stoneblower units automate the process for restoring track geometry by using pneumatic stone insertion below the cross ties. The latest generation units are equipped with a computerized measurement and design system and automatic stone metering system, Harsco officials said in a press release. The Network Rail order calls for deliveries over two years beginning in late 2019. The new units will succeed a fleet of retiring Stoneblower units that have logged more than two decades of service for Network Rail, which operates 20,000 miles of track in England, Scotland and Wales. Under a long-term agreement, Harsco Rail will ensure availability of spare parts and software support.