Railroad News

[Editor's note: This story was updated at 1:35 p.m. CDT.]

Effective Oct. 8, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in California (VTA) will end its express light-rail service to reduce the agency's operating costs.

The Duluth Seaway Port Authority (DPSA) has named Deb DeLuca executive director.

The first woman to helm the authority, DeLuca has served as DPSA's government and environmental affairs director since 2014.

Bay Area Rapid Transit's (BART) board has voted to move forward immediately on portions of General Manager Grace Crunican's proposed safety and security action plan.

Crunican introduced the plan following last month's fatal stabbing at the MacArthur Station in Oakland, California.

CSX President and Chief Executive Officer James Foote has been added to the speakers lineup for the RailTrends 2018 conference in New York City.

Foote was named CEO of CSX in December 2017. He has over 40 years of diverse railroad industry experience in operations, marketing and finance.

InterChange Cold Storage LLC has plans to build a new cold storage and blast freezing facility in Virginia that will include new rail service, which will be provided by the Shenandoah Valley Railroad LLC.

The 250,000-square-foot facility, which will be built in Rockingham County, will provide cold-chain warehousing and value-added services to the region's food and beverage manufacturers, company and state officials said in a press release issued by Gov. Ralph Northam's office.

America's Central Port in Granite City, Illinois, will receive a $2.27 million U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant for construction of a new rail line.

The rail project is being designed to improve the link between local manufacturers and the nation's freight transportation network, according to a press release issued by U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-Illinois), who announced the grant last month.

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Associate Editor

Compiled By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Senior Associate Editor

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine's (D-Va.) staff earlier this month toured wood-tie manufacturer Stella-Jones' plant in Goshen, Virginia.

The plant supplies crossties and bridge timbers to freight railroads, Amtrak, state departments of transportation and transit agencies. Each year, the facility treats more than 1 million ties from sawmills throughout Virginia.

Two Canadian transit agencies have tapped actor Seth Rogen to record train and bus announcements.

In late July, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and TransLink announced that Rogen was chosen to provide a series of etiquette and public service announcements on their systems. The messages cover a range of courtesy-related topics, such as reminders to not put bags on seats or eat on board.

Three members of Congress representing districts in New York have asked Amtrak to reconsider a plan to cancel a Marine Corps Toys for Tots train, which distributes donated toys to families in need during the Christmas season.

U.S. Reps. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), John Faso (R-N.Y.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) last week wrote to Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson to request that the national passenger railroad reconsider new guidelines that would prevent the Toys for Tots train from making its annual trip.

The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration's (MDOT MTA) light-rail service to Baltimore-Washington International Airport is expected to resume Aug. 20 following severe storms that eroded track.

The agency plans to wrap up repairs and restore service from its Patapsco and Cromwell stations to the airport.

City of Rochelle Railroad broke ground last week on a $7 million expansion in the Illinois city.

The project is being funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA), which is contributing $3.42 million; the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), $2.58 million; and the city of Rochelle, $1 million.

MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) on Wednesday will host a meeting to update the public on the upcoming Canarsie tunnel reconstruction project and alternate service plans.

Starting in April 2019, the L line subway tunnel will close for 15 months to repair damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The tunnel carries L trains under the East River between Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Kansas City Southern and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) officials last week hosted a ceremony to mark the completion of the Secondary Examination Station at the KCS Laredo rail yard in Texas.

The new building, located along KCS rail operations, provides Customs and Border Patrol employees with a safe and secure area to conduct secondary rail examinations, KCS officials said in a press release.

Kansas City Southern and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) officials last week hosted a ceremony to mark the completion of the Secondary Examination Station at the KCS Laredo rail yard in Texas.

The new building, located along KCS rail operations, provides Customs and Border Patrol employees with a safe and secure area to conduct secondary rail examinations, KCS officials said in a press release.

Joan Smemoe, 38

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Education: B.S., M.S. in computer science, University of Missouri-Columbia