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Aug
29

Sacramento transit agency to lower fares

The Sacramento Regional Transit District's (SacRT) board on Monday agreed to reduce fares in a bid to boost ridership.

The board approved staff recommendations to use funds from cost-cutting measures and operational savings to "invest back in the Sacramento community," agency officials said in a press release.

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Aug
29

NYCT to reopen Cathedral Parkway Station over Labor Day weekend

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 8/29/2018 Rail News: Passenger Rail
The repair effort was completed on time and on budget, agency officials said.Photo – NYC Councilmember Mark Levine's Twitter account

MTA New York City Transit's (NYCT) Cathedral Parkway-110th Street subway station in Manhattan will reopen over the Labor Day weekend following structural repairs.

The repair effort, which lasted less than five months, was completed on time and on budget, agency officials said in a press release. The project included functional improvements to the station's steel and concrete structure, mezzanine, walls, stairs and platforms.

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Aug
29

Jaxport broke container volume record for July

The Jacksonville Port Authority (Jaxport) logged its best July ever in container volumes, with total container movements rising 17 percent over the same period last year, port officials announced yesterday.

Nearly 97,250 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) moved through the port last month, according to a Jaxport press release.

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Aug
29

Reading & Northern promotes Ludwig to VP customer service

Rail News Home Railroading People 8/29/2018 Rail News: Railroading People
Susan LudwigPhoto – Reading & Northern Railroad

The Reading & Northern Railroad has appointed Susan Ludwig vice president of customer service.

She will oversee all customer service managers, as well as all business — including anthracite coal, forest products and general merchandise — for over 70 customers, Reading & Northern officials said in a press release.

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Aug
29

MBTA to begin Green Line track, signal replacement in October

Rail News Home Maintenance Of Way 8/29/2018 Rail News: Maintenance Of Way
The project includes installing 25,000 feet of track along the Green Line's D Branch.Photo – MBTA

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in October will start construction on a major Green Line track and signal replacement project, the agency announced earlier this week.

The project calls for installing 25,000 feet of track and 6.5 miles of modernized signal infrastructure along the Green Line's D Branch. The work is expected to continue through December 2020, according to an MBTA news release.

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Aug
29

CN honors 40 businesses for sustainability efforts

Rail News Home Canadian National Railway - CN 8/29/2018 Rail News: Canadian National Railway - CN
CN last week recognized 40 customers and supply-chain partners for their sustainability practices. The CN EcoConnexions Partnership Program recognizes companies that pledge to work to reduce their carbon emissions, increase energy efficiency and drive sustainable business practices throughout the supply chain, CN officials said in a press release.On behalf of the companies and their sustainability efforts, CN will collaborate with the nonprofit Tree Canada organization to plant 100,000 trees this year in Canada and the United States, said Mark Lerner, CN's vice president of marketing and business development.Click here to see the list of companies recognized in CN's EcoConnexions program.

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Aug
29

CN honors 40 businesses for sustainability efforts

Rail News Home Canadian National Railway - CN 8/29/2018 Rail News: Canadian National Railway - CN
CN last week recognized 40 customers and supply-chain partners for their sustainability practices. The CN EcoConnexions Partnership Program recognizes companies that pledge to work to reduce their carbon emissions, increase energy efficiency and drive sustainable business practices throughout the supply chain, CN officials said in a press release.On behalf of the companies and their sustainability efforts, CN will collaborate with the nonprofit Tree Canada organization to plant 100,000 trees this year in Canada and the United States, said Mark Lerner, CN's vice president of marketing and business development.Click here to see the list of companies recognized in CN's EcoConnexions program.

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Aug
29

FRA allows small railroads to automate hours-of-service records

Rail News Home Federal Legislation & Regulation 8/29/2018 Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation
Ronald Batory is the federal railroad administrator.Photo – fra.dot.gov

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued a final rule to allow eligible smaller railroads and their contractors to use automated systems instead of paper records to comply with federal employee hours-of-service recordkeeping requirements.

The rule, which takes effect today, is part of the FRA's broader effort to reduce the paperwork burden of its regulations, according to a notice published in the Federal Register.

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Aug
29

DHS allocates $88 million in transit security grants

Rail News Home Security 8/29/2018 Rail News: Security
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority received a DHS grant for track and tunnel intrusion technology.Photo – LA Metro

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week issued $88 million in transit security grants aimed at protecting transit agencies from acts of terrorism and boosting the resilience of transit infrastructure.

The grants include a $6.2 million award to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) for track and tunnel intrusion technology to be installed throughout its underground rail stations.

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Aug
28

Rail supplier news from Rockwell Collins, Infinity Transportation, Americold, Greenbrier, The Andersons and Stress (Aug. 28)

New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway has chosen Rockwell Collins' ARINC RailwayNet platform for positive train control (PTC) implementation. The platform creates a common communication infrastructure for PTC solutions and allows for interoperability between short lines, commuter railroads and Class Is, according to a Rockwell Collins press release.

Infinity Transportation Logistics LLC (ITL) this fall will add new next-generation domestic refrigerated intermodal containers to its fleet in various lanes to and from Washington state and Oregon. The new units will more than double the company's existing fleet, ITL officials said in a press release. The fleet will be able to haul up to 44,000 pounds. Meanwhile, the company is adding staff to its Kansas City, Missouri, office due to increasing demand for temperature-controlled intermodal service, ITL officials said.

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Aug
28

Quebec port appoints Krusel managing director of container terminal project

Rail News Home Railroading People 8/28/2018 Rail News: Railroading People
Don KruselPhoto – Quebec Port Authority

Don Krusel has been named managing director of the Port of Quebec's project to build a container terminal.

Krusel was president and chief executive officer of the Prince Rupert Port Authority when the port created a new container port gateway for North American trade. As a result of the project, the Port of Prince Rupert has transformed from a regional forest and agricultural products facility to the fastest growing container port in North America, Quebec Port Authority (QPA) officials said in a press release.

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Aug
28

San Diego transit agency earns perfect score in FTA review

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 8/28/2018 Rail News: Passenger Rail
San Diego MTS CEO Paul Jablonski (center) holds a guide for the FTA's review.Photo – San Diego Metropolitan Transit System

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (SDMTS) received a perfect score in the Federal Transit Administration's triennial review of operations.

This marks the fourth consecutive time the agency has achieved a perfect score, SDMTS officials said in a press release. That means that for the past 12 years the FTA has found no deficiencies in SDMTS' management of FTA funds and program implementation.

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Aug
28

RTA: Tie production, purchases fell in July

Rail News Home Rail Industry Trends 8/28/2018 Rail News: Rail Industry Trends
In July, tie production fell 8.7 percent to 1.4 million units and purchases dropped 13.7 percent to 1.9 million units compared with June levels, according to the Railway Tie Association's (RTA) latest market report.On a year-over-year basis, production plunged 14.1 percent and purchases plunged 14.3 percent.Year to date, production totaled 9.98 million ties, down 21.1 percent compared with the same period last year. Tie purchases through the first seven months of 2018 fell 5.3 percent to 12.99 million units compared with the first seven months of 2017.Meanwhile, 12-month rolling totals through July showed purchases declined at a 0.1 percent annual rate. Production is trending lower and is down by a 24.4 percent annual rate. The inventory-to-sales ratio was 0.67, down by 0.22 compared with a year ago, RTA reported.

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Aug
28

Durham County OKs funds for North Carolina light-rail project

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 8/28/2018 Rail News: Passenger Rail
The county's board is filling a funding gap created when North Carolina lawmakers capped state contribution to the project.Photo – GoTriangle's YouTube account

The Durham County Board of Commissioners in North Carolina yesterday agreed to provide $57.6 million to fill a funding gap for the $2.5 billion Durham-Orange light-rail project.

The added cash was needed after the the state's General Assembly changed the funding makeup for the project earlier this summer, The Herald-Sun reported.

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Aug
28

Canada announces funding to improve rail safety in Alberta

Rail News Home Safety 8/28/2018 Rail News: Safety
"We are working closely with railway companies and road authorities to identify grade crossings that require safety improvements," said Minister of Transport Marc Garneau.Photo –

Canadian government officials announced CA$3.3 million in funding will be used for 18 rail safety improvements in Alberta.

The money will be used to pay for construction of fencing and other barriers along rail properties; installation of flashing lights, bells and gates at crossings; and installation of advanced train detection and crossing control systems.

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Aug
28

BART nets $6.8 million in federal funds for security improvements

Rail News Home Security 8/28/2018 Rail News: Security
The funds will enable BART to continue deploying its Critical Asset Patrol team and modernize its security cameras.Photo – Bay Area Rapid Transit

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $6.8 million to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to fund safety and security efforts.

The money will enable BART to continue to deploy its Critical Asset Patrol (CAP) team, which consists of seven officers and one sergeant who ride trains during peak passenger travel times and special events.

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Aug
28

Cascades route will have PTC by Dec. 31, Amtrak and WSDOT say

Rail News Home Positive Train Control 8/28/2018 Rail News: Positive Train Control
An Amtrak Cascades train derailed in DuPont, Washington, last December.Photo – Washington State Patrol

Amtrak and Washington state transportation officials anticipate a positive train control (PTC) system will be installed on the Amtrak Cascades corridor — including the Point Defiance Bypass — prior to the federal Dec. 31 deadline.

PTC likely would have prevented the fatal accident that occurred last Dec. 18 on the bypass track in DuPont, Washington, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials have said. Amtrak expects to return rail service to the bypass between Tacoma, Lakewood, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) and DuPont in spring 2019, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) officials reported on the department's website.

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Aug
27

Springfield Terminal Railway, BLET reach tentative agreement

Rail News Home Short Lines & Regionals 8/27/2018 Rail News: Short Lines & Regionals
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) has reached a tentative contract agreement with the Springfield Terminal Railway.The tentative pact governs rates of pay, work rules and health and welfare for the 80 BLET members who work in the railroad's locomotive engineer craft, according to a union press release.Ratification ballots were mailed last week and are due Sept. 17, BLET officials said.Springfield Terminal is part of Pan Am Railways, which owns and operates regional railroads covering northern New England.

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Aug
27

SFMTA restores service in Twin Peaks Tunnel

Rail News Home Maintenance Of Way 8/27/2018 Rail News: Maintenance Of Way
During a two-month closure, crews updated tracks, walls and drainage systems.Photo – San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) on Aug. 25 restored Muni light-rail service in its century-old Twin Peaks Tunnel following two months of rehab work.

During the tunnel closure, the agency updated tracks, walls and drainage systems to "keep up with the demands of the Muni system," SFMTA officials said in a press release. The new tracks will enable the agency to lift a speed restriction in the tunnel.

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Aug
27

LIRR to wrap up double-track project soon

MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) expects to complete a double-track project along the Ronkonkoma Branch by summer's end, the railroad announced late last week.

The $431 million project calls for building 13 miles of second track between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma, New York.

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