Railroad News

Norfolk Southern Corp. has named Barbara Paul vice president of human resources.

Her appointment went into effect May 1. Most recently, Paul served as assistant VP of human resources and diversity.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced more than $22 million in grant funding to three passenger-rail projects that collectively span eight states.

The grants will help fund an expansion of Amtrak's Empire service between Minnesota, Wisconsin and Chicago; the CTrail Service in Connecticut; and restoration of service along the Gulf Coast.

CSX will discontinue intermodal operations at its McKees Rocks facility near Pittsburgh, and has reached an agreement with Shell to lease the 70-acre property.

Shell will use the site for a storage-in-transit (SIT) rail facility, CSX spokeswoman Sheriee Bowman said yesterday in an email.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) this weekend will begin a track replacement project near its station in Orinda, California.

Preliminary work is already underway on the effort to replace critical track components that in many cases date back to when BART first started service on its Contra Costa line in 1973, BART officials said in a press release.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority on May 10 will begin work to complete reconstruction of mainline infrastructure on the Media/Elwyn Line.

The work — which is part of the larger Southwest Connection Improvement Program — includes overhead wire replacement, tree trimming, bridge inspection, interlocking work and rail tunnel repair in the University City, Philadelphia area.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) yesterday announced it completed accessibility upgrades to Murray Hill Station in Queens, New York City.

The station now has two elevators, renewed retaining walls, upgraded lighting, security cameras, new signage and an updated plaza area.

On May 18, Metra will add service to its Electric Line in Chicago in order to complete positive train control (PTC) implementation. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Electric Line has been running on a reduced schedule. Now, Metra will operate the line at about 74 percent of normal weekday service. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) will provide a $500 million loan to Long Beach, California, to help finance construction of the Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement project, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced yesterday.

The loan is being provided under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA). The project calls for replacing the bridge, which is the primary link between the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, and the warehouses and rail yards north of the ports.

Canadian Pacific posted a record-setting movement of Canadian and grain products in April, the Class I reported yesterday.

CP moved a best-ever monthly total of 2.8 million metric tons to market, bettering the previous record set in November 2019 by more than 100,000 metric tons, CP officials said in a press release.

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) yesterday recognized four railroads with its Business Development Award.

The awards annually recognize member railroads for outstanding business development efforts aimed at growing short-line business, ASLRRA officials said in a press release.

The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) today announced it has been awarded $23.4 million in stimulus funding through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The federal funds will help fill anticipated gaps created by decreased sales tax revenue in the Denton, Texas, transit agency's annual budget due to the COVID-19 pandemic, agency officials said in a press release.

The Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA) logged a “noticeable” drop in recent intermodal traffic due to falling imports from China because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

TRRA also recorded a decrease in traffic volumes from auto plant shut downs in the area, TRRA officials said in a press release.

The Southern Rail Commission (SRC) has received a $5.45 million grant toward its efforts to restore a passenger-rail line along the Gulf Coast, which has been without service since it was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Awarded through the federal Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Program, the grant will fund operating expenses for the first and second years of service along the restored line between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. The grant also leverages commitments from the states of Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as from the city of Mobile, according to a May 3 press release issued by U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, and U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo. All are Republicans from Mississippi.

The Purple Line Transit Constructors (PLTC) last week announced its intent to exit its contract to build Maryland’s Purple light-rail line after project delays.

PLTC’s design-build agreement with the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) includes an exit clause under which PLTC may leave the project if total delays reach 365 days. 

Most railroads required to implement positive train control (PTC) are "generally optimistic" about meeting the federally mandated deadline at the end of this year, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released last week.

Forty-two railroads — including Amtrak, 30 commuter and several freight railroads — were required to implement PTC by Dec. 31, 2018. Almost all received two-year extensions. By the end of 2019, more than three-quarters of the railroads were conducting advanced testing or had implemented PTC on their own tracks, but had work left to reach full implementation, GAO officials said in the report.