Railroad News

The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association's (NRC) 15th Annual Railroad Construction and Maintenance Equipment Auction this year sold a total of 367 items and brought in $1.15 million from on-site and online bidders.

A draft agreement for a new rail service operator along the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line in California is now available for public view, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC) announced late last week.

The commission will consider the draft agreement at a June 14 meeting in Watsonville, California.

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) staff will recommend three options to be studied further for the northern alignment of the West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor.

The 20-mile light-rail project will connect Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) and Artesia. LACMTA has identified a route for the light-rail project south DTLA, but has run into challenges identifying the northern alignment.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit (NYCT) will make structural repairs and station improvements at the 34 St-Penn Station subway complex starting May 20.

As TriMet's Providence Park MAX Improvements project moves into its final phase, the agency has announced that its MAX Blue and Red lines resumed regular service May 12.

New Jersey Transit's board has appointed William Viqueira chief financial officer and treasurer.

Viqueira has more than 20 years of experience in corporate finance, including a decade as an investment banker with Merrill Lynch. He also worked at Lucent Technologies, where he served as treasurer and head of mergers and acquisitions.

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

Union Pacific Railroad has named Clark Ponthier senior vice president-supply chain and continuous improvement. He begins his new job May 29.

Ponthier has more than 30 years of experience in broad supply chain, manufacturing and engineering at Fortune 500 companies. Most recently, he served as Ingersoll Rand's VP of operations and integrated supply chain-residential HVAC and supply.

Brightline will launch passenger-rail service to Miami from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on May 19.

Trains will travel from an existing station in Fort Lauderdale into MiamiCentral, a new 11-acre intermodal development in downtown Miami. The railroad will provide eight northbound and eight southbound trips each day between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Florida.

The governments of Canada and Quebec have agreed in principle to jointly fund the Lac-Megantic rail bypass project, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced late last week.

The government of Canada will fund 60 percent and Quebec the remaining 40 percent of the CA$133 million cost to build the nearly 8-mile bypass.

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

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

The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) auctioned off 367 pieces of equipment for a total $1.15 million at NRC's annual equipment auction held last month in Lonoke, Arkansas. The association raised a record $72,027 for its safety and education program, which receives a percentage of the value of all consignments from contractors, suppliers and railroads. The program also nets all proceeds from items donated to the auction. Equipment sold this year ranged from tampers and grapple trucks to tie inserters, spikers and ballast regulators.

The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority has chosen Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. to manage construction of a new storage and maintenance facility for the Redlands passenger-rail project. The 15,000-square-foot facility and storage tracks will accommodate six diesel multiple units at a time, and will be equipped with an inspection pit, pedestal and maintenance tracks with portable jacking pads. As construction management consultant, LAN will provide schedule evaluation, construction project advertising, bid analysis and award, construction inspection, materials testing and inspection, contractor interface, and contract administration services, according to a company press release. The financial value of LAN's contract wasn't disclosed. The 9-mile project crosses through the cities of San Bernardino and Redlands, California.

The City Council of Bakersfield, California, earlier this week approved a downtown high-speed rail station plan and environmental impact report.

The documents will serve as a guide to revitalization of and future development in downtown Bakersfield, according to a press release issued by the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA).

Pacific Harbor Line Inc. President Otis Cliatt II chaired World Trade Week 2018, which began earlier this month in Los Angeles.

The month-long program features events, seminars and workshops focused on the role of global trade in the greater Los Angeles economy. The week is sponsored by the the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has rejoined the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) after dropping out two years ago.

APTA Chairman Nathaniel Ford Sr. announced in a newsletter this week that MTA Managing Director Veronique "Ronnie" Hakim was elected May 5 to APTA's board, marking the return of MTA to the association's membership.

Five labor unions this week urged the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to prioritize safety as it weighs the benefits and costs of automation technology in the rail industry.

The message came in response to the FRA's call for public comments on the future of rail automation.

The Bakersfield, Calif., City Council voted May 9 to approve the "Making Downtown Bakersfield" Station Area Vision Plan and Environmental Impact Report to continue revitalization efforts in the city.

Former Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman is raising concerns about the national intercity passenger railroad's direction under its current management.

In an open letter to elected officials, which has been posted on the Rail Passengers Association (RPA) website, Boardman writes that current Amtrak management is endangering the national network's sustainability.

A 12.8-km (7.9-mile) route will allow trains to bypass the town of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, were a fiery train derailment left 47 people dead in July 2013.

Canada will fund 60 percent of the estimated CA$133-million (US$104-million) project, which would be US$62.4 million with the province of Quebec agreeing to fund the remaining 40 percent. The federal government has also reached an agreement with the Central Maine & Quebec Railway (CMQ), the project proponent, which will also own and operate the new rail infrastructure.