Railroad News

Following completion of recent track improvement projects, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Metro-North Railroad will begin schedule changes to certain Harlem Line and Hudson Line trains on October 8. All new fall schedule adjustments are three minutes or less in effort to improve on-time performance.

Metro-North crews undertook an 18-week comprehensive track improvement project that took one of three tracks between Mount Vernon West and Crestwood out of service, reducing operating capacity. To address the reduced track capacity, schedules of a small number of peak-period trains were temporarily adjusted, mostly between one and six minutes.

Following completion of recent track improvement projects, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Metro-North Railroad will begin schedule changes to certain Harlem Line and Hudson Line trains on October 8. All new fall schedule adjustments are three minutes or less in effort to improve on-time performance.

Metro-North crews undertook an 18-week comprehensive track improvement project that took one of three tracks between Mount Vernon West and Crestwood out of service, reducing operating capacity. To address the reduced track capacity, schedules of a small number of peak-period trains were temporarily adjusted, mostly between one and six minutes.

Trimble introduced a new addition to its track survey and scanning rail portfolio—the Trimble GEDO IMS System.

"The latest trolley system is lightweight, flexible and fast," the company says.

Trimble introduced a new addition to its track survey and scanning rail portfolio—the Trimble GEDO IMS System.

"The latest trolley system is lightweight, flexible and fast," the company says.

German industrial group Siemens and French competitor Alstom announced yesterday they've agreed to merge their rail operations.

Under the memorandum of understanding, Siemens would receive newly issued shares in the combined company representing 50 percent of Alstom's share capital on a fully diluted basis, according to a jointly issue press release.

For Immediate Release

AAR Calls for Policymakers to Seize Opportunity with Tax Reform

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 27, 2017 – Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads (AAR), issued the following statement applauding the latest details on tax reform, released by the U.S. Congress and Trump administration:

Amtrak's $22-million project to restore and improve historic Chicago Union Station's Great Hall is under way. The year-long project will result in a public space painted in its original colors, and made brighter by a restored and protected skylight with improved lighting.

Architect Goettsch Partners (GP) and contractor Berglund Construction designed the project, which Amtrak has self-funded. Amtrak says it has been structured to minimize disruption to the flow of people through the station, the fourth-busiest in Amtrak's national network (after Penn Station New York, Union Station Washington D.C. and 30th Street Station Philadelphia). The construction team "devised a creative solution to maintain access to the Great Hall by using a suspended working deck and swing stages, in lieu of much scaffolding, to allow customers to move freely below," Amtrak notes.

Amtrak's $22-million project to restore and improve historic Chicago Union Station's Great Hall is under way. The year-long project will result in a public space painted in its original colors, and made brighter by a restored and protected skylight with improved lighting.

Architect Goettsch Partners (GP) and contractor Berglund Construction designed the project, which Amtrak has self-funded. Amtrak says it has been structured to minimize disruption to the flow of people through the station, the fourth-busiest in Amtrak's national network (after Penn Station New York, Union Station Washington D.C. and 30th Street Station Philadelphia). The construction team "devised a creative solution to maintain access to the Great Hall by using a suspended working deck and swing stages, in lieu of much scaffolding, to allow customers to move freely below," Amtrak notes.

Track projects this summer in northern Idaho are expanding capacity on a busy segment of BNSF's Northern Corridor, and upgrading conditions on Union Pacific's (UP) route to the Canadian border.

UP announced in June that it was "boosting safety and efficiency with an approximately $34.1 million infrastructure investment in Idaho this year." In northern Idaho, that investment has involved $13.3 million to replace 29 miles of rail (particularly in curves) from Athol northward to Eastport (where UP interchanges with Canadian Pacific), $9.9 million to clean and replace ballast between Athol and Naples, and $1.8 million to replace 8,265 ties between Athol and Eastport.

Track projects this summer in northern Idaho are expanding capacity on a busy segment of BNSF's Northern Corridor, and upgrading conditions on Union Pacific's (UP) route to the Canadian border.

UP announced in June that it was "boosting safety and efficiency with an approximately $34.1 million infrastructure investment in Idaho this year." In northern Idaho, that investment has involved $13.3 million to replace 29 miles of rail (particularly in curves) from Athol northward to Eastport (where UP interchanges with Canadian Pacific), $9.9 million to clean and replace ballast between Athol and Naples, and $1.8 million to replace 8,265 ties between Athol and Eastport.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) police department will hold a terror attack simulation at the agency's Midtown rail station on Saturday.

The event will include explosions, smoke and actors to help create a realistic setting for first responders, MARTA officials said in a press release.

The Jacksonville Port Authority's (JAXPORT) board yesterday chose Eric Green as chief executive officer.

A longtime JAXPORT executive, Green was appointed interim CEO in March. He joined the port in 2005 and previously served as senior director of government and external affairs.

Amtrak has begun a $22 million project to restore and repair the Great Hall at Chicago's Union Station, the railroad announced yesterday.

The project will include repainting the hall in its original colors, which will be made brighter by a restored and protected skylight with improved lighting.

The Metropolitan Council last week rejected all four civil construction bids for the Southwest light-rail transit project due to concerns over price and responsiveness.

The bids were opened in August and represent the bulk of construction work involved in building tracks, bridges, tunnels, stations and other facilities for the project.

America's Central Port District of Granite City, Illinois, has received a $700,000 federal grant to help cover the cost of rail and roadway improvements to the port's intermodal industrial park.

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded the grant earlier this month. The project is needed to spur business growth at the park, EDA officials said in press release.

Surface Transportation Board (STB) Vice Chairman Daniel Elliott III announced yesterday he will leave the board on Saturday.

Elliott, who was appointed chairman by former President Barack Obama and joined the board in August 2009, informed President Donald Trump of his plans in a letter yesterday, according to an STB press release.

Amtrak and Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) kicked off Rail Safety Week this morning with the assembly of its Operation Clear the Track.

In observation of U.S. Rail Safety Week, Amtrak Police and OLI mobilized Operation Clear Track this morning, the largest simultaneous railroad safety law enforcement operation ever attempted in the United States, involving more than 200 police or sheriff's departments across the lower 48 states.

Amtrak and Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) kicked off Rail Safety Week this morning with the assembly of its Operation Clear the Track.

In observation of U.S. Rail Safety Week, Amtrak Police and OLI mobilized Operation Clear Track this morning, the largest simultaneous railroad safety law enforcement operation ever attempted in the United States, involving more than 200 police or sheriff's departments across the lower 48 states.

Although the number of people injured or killed in vehicle-train collisions is on the decline, the number of pedestrian deaths and injuries in rail-trespass incidents is on the rise, Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) announced yesterday.

In 2016, 1,104 people were hurt or killed in vehicle-train collisions, marking a 13.7 percent decrease compared with 2015 statistics, according to preliminary Federal Railroad Administration data released by OLI.