Railroad News

The Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) and Purple Line Transit Partners yesterday held a "topping-out" ceremony, which marked the completion of the future light-rail line's operations and maintenance facility.

The 170,000-square-foot facility, located off Veterans Highway in Maryland's Glenridge community, will support rail-car maintenance, repair and refabrication of running gear and electronic train control systems, MDOT MTA officials said in a press release.

Georgia's Port of Savannah moved a record 4.5 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the fiscal year that ended June 30, a 7.3 percent increase compared with the same period a year ago.

And for the first time, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) handled more than half a million container lifts by rail, growing that number by 16.6 percent in the just-completed fiscal year versus a year ago. The 506,707 intermodal boxes constituted more than 20 percent of total containers, another record, GPA officials said in a press release.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Partnership for New York City jointly announced yesterday the completion of the Transit Tech Lab, a startup accelerator program designed to enable companies to test and introduce new projects designed to improve transit services. 

Two of the six companies graduating from the program will begin one-year pilots with the MTA to implement products that address key subway challenges, MTA officials said in a press release.

Shannon Emberly, 32
Production manager
CN

Nominator’s quote: “Shannon epitomizes CN’s core values of working together to deliver safety and responsibility, operational and service excellence, enable supply chain and create value for shareholders and customers. She is a safety champion for the organization and a model employee from whom others learn.” — Emilia Marceta, Metrolinx

Metra yesterday announced it has partnered with Chicago State University (CSU) to rehabilitate the 95th Street Station on the Electric Line in Chicago. 

The project calls for construction of a new platform, entrance and commuter parking facility to make the station a “welcoming gateway to the university as well as the Metra system,” Metra officials said in a press release. 

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will hold a hearing tomorrow on Capitol Hill to consider the next steps for positive train control (PTC) implementation.

The hearing will focus on PTC implementation and anticipated compliance with the mandatory federal deadline of Dec. 31, 2020.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) found that a high-speed ground transportation system providing one-hour trips between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, would improve mobility and boost economic growth in the region, according to a business case study released earlier this month. 

The study, which expands on a preliminary examination of the proposed project, examined an ultra-high-speed system that is projected to exceed 200 mph via high-speed rail, magnetic levitation or hyperloop technology. However, the exact route and type of ultra-high-speed transportation has not been determined and would require more analysis, WSDOT officials said in a press release.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has selected TransLink to receive the 2019 Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award. 

The award recognizes a transit agency's ridership growth, operational efficiency, maintenance initiatives, customer service, financial management, marketing and sustainability.

Karl Alexy has been named associate administrator for railroad safety and chief safety officer for the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Office of Railroad Safety.

Alexy succeeds Robert Lauby, who retired from the FRA in April. In his new role, Alexy will manage the FRA's regulatory oversight of rail safety. He will also oversee the development and enforcement of regulations and safety programs for the freight and passenger-rail industry, FRA officials said in an online statement.

The Greenbrier Cos. has completed its acquisition of the rail-car and components manufacturing businesses of American Railcar Industries (ARI) from ITE Management LP, the companies announced today.

The asset acquisition is valued at about $430 million and consisted of cash and convertible debt, according to an ITE press release.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s (SEPTA) board last week announced it will use solar technology to reinforce power for its rail signal systems on the Warminster, Doylestown and West Trenton commuter lines in Philadelphia. 

The $16.2 million project eliminates the need for conduit and external wiring and will allow SEPTA’s system to run for 48 hours if its normal power source is lost, SEPTA officials said in a press release. 

Virgin Trains, formerly known as Brightline, last month marked serving 1 million riders on the passenger-rail service between Miami and West Palm Beach, with a stop in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the railroad announced last week.

Riders used the South Florida service for business and leisure trips, Virgin Trains officials said in a press release.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) last week named Theresa Impastato executive vice president and chief safety officer, effective Aug. 12. 

Most recently, Impastato was deputy chief safety officer of Amtrak, where she led the drafting and implementation of the railroad’s first safety management system and oversaw Federal Railroad Administration safety certification programs for Amtrak’s new high-speed trainsets, rolling stock procurements and facilities projects, WMATA officials said in a press release.

Bay Area Rapid Transit’s (BART) board last week appointed Robert Powers as the agency's 10th general manager.

Powers most recently served as BART’s interim GM following the retirement of Grace Crunican earlier this month. He also has served as the authority’s deputy GM and assistant GM of planning, development and construction, BART officials said in a press release. 

Canada's Transport Minister Marc Garneau last week announced CA$102 million in projects designed to increase efficiency at the Port of Vancouver.

Investments in projects that involve rail improvements include CA$42.7 million to consolidate the Annacis Auto Terminal and the Richmond Terminal operations to accommodate the growing Asian automobile market and improve rail operations in the area.

Landon Downes, 31
Assistant project manager
Balfour Beatty

Nominator’s quote: “He is a quick learner. He mentors his team and has strong abilities to partner in relationships and develop a consensus. His natural ability and personal nature to compromise, focus on the goals of all parties and leave a task with everyone happy is a rare asset that Landon brings to the industry.”  — Joe Reed, Balfour Beatty

Trinity Industries Inc. reported second-quarter revenue of $736 million, a 16 percent year-over-year increase over the same period a year ago. The company’s leasing and management services brought in $189 million in revenue in the quarter. The leasing group grew its wholly- or partially-owned fleet to 102,140 units, bringing its net value to $7.4 billion. The rail products group reported quarterly revenue of $712 million compared with $566.2 million a year earlier, Trinity officials said in a press release. The group also reported quarterly rail-car orders and deliveries of 2,105 and 5,255, respectively, resulting in a total car backlog of $2.9 billion.

NRE has reopened its 450,000-square-foot locomotive plant in Paducah, Kentucky, to meet an increase in work orders after shuttering the facility two years ago, NRE officials said in a press release. NRE employees have begun making light repairs and inspections of locomotives. The company is seeking additional employees to fill positions.

The Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) earlier this week announced it will launch an income-based fare discount program on July 29. 

The LiVE Program will provide a 40 percent discount to qualifying riders whose household income is at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level; are between 20 and 64 years old; and live within the RTD district, RTD officials said in a press release.