Railroad News

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will restore most service to pre-COVID levels starting Aug. 16, the agency announced yesterday. 

WMATA will add 15 hours more of service per week on the Metrorail, return opening times to normal and close two hours later in anticipation of potential ridership increases after Labor Day, WMATA officials said in a press release.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) a $600,000 grant to conduct preliminary planning for a transit-oriented development (TOD) along a 25-mile segment of a Kansas City Southern line in Denton County, Texas.

The planning will help determine if the KCS corridor could provide mobility and economic opportunity, DCTA officials said in a press release. The study area is a separate right-of-way for freight rail and is proposed for commuter-rail service that would connect to DCTA's A-train and Dallas Area Rapid Transit. 

The North Carolina Railroad Co. (NCRR) today announced Carl Warren has been named the company's next president. He will begin his new job Aug. 17.

Warren comes from CSX, where he led industrial, port and commercial development across 23 states, two Canadian provinces and Mexico. His most recent role focused on driving growth to CSX by aligning business development efforts around short lines, port authorities, site selection consultants and new customers, NCRR officials said in a press release.

Metra in August will begin a two-month closure of the West Hinsdale Station on the BNSF Line in Chicago to replace the station’s boarding platforms. 

Metra crews will replace existing platforms with asphalt and install new tactile strips on the platform edges.  

Valley Metro’s board last week awarded the Kiewit-McCarthy joint venture a $257.3 million contract to construct Phase II of the Northwest light-rail extension in Phoenix. 

The project would extend light-rail 1.6 miles on Dunlap Avenue from 19th Avenue to a terminus on the west side of Interstate 17. 

Imports at the major U.S. retail container ports are expected to remain significantly below last year's levels into fall as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the National Retail Federation (NRF) announced earlier this month.

Retailers are being conservative with the amount of merchandise they import this year, said Jonathan Gold, NRF vice president for supply chain and customers policy, in a press release.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Transportation (WisDOT) is soliciting public comment on the proposed Muskego Yard freight-rail bypass project, which is designed to improve rail infrastructure along the Canadian Pacific corridor in Milwaukee in preparation for a future Amtrak Hiawatha service expansion.

The $54.6 million project would improve rail operations and safety by creating a new double-track mainline through the corridor to increase yard capacity and efficiency; remove a majority of freight-rail traffic that currently runs through the Milwaukee Intermodal Station in the city's downtown; and remove rail traffic from several grade crossings in the downtown area, WisDOT officials said in a press release.

Amtrak achieved all energy, fuel, recycling and emissions targets in fiscal-year 2019, according to the railroad's latest sustainability report, which was issued earlier this week.

According to the report, Amtrak has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent since 2010 and lowered emissions by 4 percent in FY2019.

The North County Transit District (NCTD) last week awarded Bombardier Transportation a $43 million contract to supply 11 BiLevel commuter-rail cars for the Coaster service in San Diego.

The additional rail cars will position NCTD to increase service frequencies and begin state of good repair replacement of current legacy coaches and cab cars, Bombardier officials said in a press release.

The Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) this week announced grant awards to Indiana & Ohio Railway (IORY) and Hocking Valley Scenic Railway (HSVR), the Mennel Milling Co. and Menard Inc.

The ORDC approved a $10,240 grant award to the IORY and HSVR for the repair of a connecting track between the two railroads. The track is out of service, which prevents the HVSR from receiving passenger-rail cars for its excursion operation.

Sound Transit yesterday marked the start of construction on the 7.8-mile Federal Way Link light-rail extension from Angle Lake Station in SeaTac, Washington, to the Federal Way Transit Center. 

Opening in 2024, the route will offer service between South King County and Sea-Tac Airport, downtown Seattle, the University of Washington, Northgate, Lynnwood and Bellevue. 

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) yesterday, reversing an earlier decision, determined that Texas Central Railroad's proposed Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail service will qualify as part of the interstate rail network and therefore falls under the board's jurisdiction.

Texas Central in May 2018 petitioned the STB to reconsider its earlier decision that the proposed rail line would be constructed and operated entirely within the state of Texas and therefore not subject to board approval. However, circumstances have since changed "substantially" now that it has through-ticket and transfer arrangements with Amtrak. At the time of a July 2016 STB ruling, Texas Central did not yet have concrete plans for a connection with Amtrak or any other interstate passenger-rail carrier.

Kansas City Southern reported second-quarter 2020 revenue of $547.9 million, a 23 percent decline from second-quarter 2019 primarily due to the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Overall, carload volumes tumbled 21 percent compared to the prior year, KCS officials said in a press release.