Railroad News

The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority's (SFRTA) governing board has elected Esteban Bovo Jr. as chairman and Tim Ryan as vice chair.

Last month, the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners tapped Bovo to serve as its representative on SFRTA's governing board. Ryan was added to the agency's governing board in January 2015.

Construction of Sound Transit's East Link light-rail tunnel in downtown Bellevue, Washington, is more than 90 percent completed, the agency announced late last week.

Crews are on track to finish the tunnel within 15 months, or about five months earlier than scheduled, Sound Transit officials said in a press release.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy announced $1 million in state grants to fund projects that will return blighted areas to productive use.

The funds are being awarded by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development through the recently launched Brownfield Area-Wide Revitalization Grant program. This is the second round of grants being awarded under the program.

Stillwater Central Railroad and its operator Watco Cos. LLC are seeking proposals from rail providers interested in operating the Eastern Flyer or "Sooner Sub" passenger-rail service between Sapulpa and Del City, Oklahoma.

Interested parties are asked to send an email requesting a nondisclosure agreement. Once the agreement is completed, a bid package will be mailed to the provider.

City leaders in Gatineau, Quebec, earlier this week unveiled plans for a CA$2.1 billion, 16-mile light-rail system to connect with Ottawa's transit-rail network.

The project would include 30 stations and connect Chemin Eardley in the east to the future Rideau station along Ottawa's Confederation Line light-rail route, CBC News reported Wednesday.

MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) next month will close three Manhattan subway stations to fix structural defects and deterioration.

The 57th Street, 28th Street and 23rd Street stations are in "various states of disrepair," with crumbling concrete and deteriorated structural steel columns and beams, cracked or missing tiles, water leaks and deficient lighting, NYCT officials said in a press release.

Sound Transit has named Kimberly Farley deputy chief executive officer.

Working alongside current Deputy CEO Mike Harbour until his retirement late next year, Farley will play a vital role in expanding transit service across the Central Puget Sound region, agency officials said in a press release.

The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) yesterday adopted a $277.6 million capex plan for fiscal-year 2019.

The largest capital plan in the authority's history, the program includes funds for projects to modernize terminals, increase capacity and accommodate intermodal growth, SCPA officials said in a press release.

The Port of Long Beach, California, last week released a draft environmental study on Toyota Logistics Services' proposed reconfiguration of its Pier B auto facility, including new power and fueling infrastructure.

The study found that the project would have no significant impacts on the environment. The public can submit comments on the draft study until July 10.

Brightline late last week announced the appointment of four new executives, including a former Amtrak officer.

The company named Jeff Swiatek chief financial officer; Ravneet Bhandari, chief commercial officer; Michael Cegelis, executive vice president of infrastructure development; and Jeff Schappert, senior VP of technology.

American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) President Linda Bauer Darr will step down next month to become the chief executive officer of another trade association, ASLRRA Chair Judy Petry announced yesterday in a memo to members.

Darr joined ASLRRA in 2014. She leaves the association on July 27 to start her new position in August, according to Petry.

The Illinois Department of Transportation will receive a $132 million grant to help fund the completion of three components of the Chicago Region Environment and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) program's 75th Street corridor improvement project, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced yesterday.

The CREATE program was designed to address one of the most congested points in the U.S. rail network. The three rail projects that will receive grant funds are:
• the Forest Hill flyover, which consists of a new north-south flyover structure that will eliminate conflicts between north-south and east-west train movements at the Forest Hill Junction;
• the 71st Street grade separation that will separate the Western Avenue rail corridor from 71st street; and
• the Argo and Canal junction improvements, which will address the 87th Street chokepoint and increase capacity at Argo yard.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has released a report that charts the agency's sustainability efforts in 2017.

Last year, the agency used 4 percent less traction power energy for its light-rail system, registered a 2 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and a 13 percent reduction in waste, the report states.

BNSF Logistics LLC has named Nancee Ronning to the newly created position of chief commercial officer.

Ronning has more than 20 years of experience in sales, marketing and account and relationship management. Most recently, she served as president for Print Craft, a commercial printing and packaging company in Minnesota. She also served stints in sales, marketing and account management positions at C.H. Robinson, Merrill Corp. and GE Capital.

U.S. railroads moved 565,502 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending May 26, marking a 4.4 percent increase over the same week last year.

Total carloads ticked up 3 percent to 273,226 units during Week 21, while intermodal traffic grew 5.8 percent to 292,276 containers and trailers, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

CSX Corp. has named James Schwichtenberg as the Class I's new vice president and chief safety officer.

A "recognized leader in rail safety," Schwichtenberg will lead the company's renewed focus on safety, CSX officials said in a press release. He will report to Ed Harris, executive vice president of operations.

Railinc Corp. has promoted Joan Smemoe to chief information officer and vice president of information technology (IT). She will begin her new position June 11.

A member of Railinc's executive management team, Smemoe will lead the company's data, product development and information systems platforms. She will report to President and Chief Executive Officer Allen West in her new role.

The Oregon Senate has confirmed three new board members for the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet).

Nominated by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, the new directors bring experience in community involvement, construction, labor, business and education, agency officials said in a press release.

California has approved a $750,000 grant to help connect the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) rail systems.

The grants will help fund planning for the ACE-BART connection, according to a press release issued by the Tri-Valley—San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority.