4/11/2017
Rail News: Union Pacific Railroad
Rail News Home MOW April 2017 Part 1 : 2017 MOW Spending Report Part 2 : 2017 MOW Spending Report - Class Is Part 3 : 2017 MOW Spending Report - Regionals/Short Lines Part 4 : 2017 MOW Spending Report - Passenger Railroads Rail News: MOW
More subway infrastructure work is on tap for MTA New York City Transit this year, including the reconstruction of 1.3 track miles on the agency’s Concourse Line.Photo – MTA New York City Transit
Chicago Transit Authority2017 MOW capital budget: $1.13 billion
2016 MOW capital budget: $366.37 million
Reasons for increase: The higher capital budget reflects a variety of projects, including ongoing work associated with the $492 million Your New Blue O’Hare branch modernization project and, most notably, the receipt of matching federal funds for phase 1 of the Red Purple Modernization (RPM) project that’s estimated at $2.1 billion. Funding of $113.7 million previously was allocated for RPM phase 1 and an additional $1.7 billion is programmed in the current 5-year (2017-2021) capital improvement plan.
Significant rail/track projects: RPM — the largest capital improvement project in CTA’s history — calls for completely rebuilding the nearly century-old North Red Line from Belmont to Howard, and the Purple Line from Belmont to Linden in Wilmette, Ill. First phase improvements include the construction of a Red-Purple bypass in Belmont to address capacity constraints; the rebuilding of 1.3 miles of track, support structures, bridges and viaducts from Leland Ave. to near Ardmore Ave.; and the reconstruction of 4 Red Line stations. Work might begin in late 2017.
Ties: Install a number of creosote-soaked wood ties and concrete half-ties.
Stations/facilities: Ongoing work on 95th Street Terminal, $240 million, involves new terminal buildings, additional escalators and elevators, and expanded platforms, began in fall 2014 and is slated to conclude in late 2018; ongoing work to replace Wilson Station on the Red Line that was built in 1923, $203 million, involves reconstructing 2,200 feet of century-old elevated tracks, began in late 2014 and is expected to conclude in fall 2017; ongoing construction of the new Washington/Wabash Station to combine 2 century-old elevated stations on the Loop, $75 million, began in March 2015 and slated to finish in June 2017; ongoing rehab of Illinois Medical District Station, $23 million, includes upgrades to all 3 station entrances, began in September 2016 and slated for completion in late 2017; and Quincy Station accessibility improvements, $15.7 million, involves the addition of 2 new elevators, to begin in spring 2017.
Electrical/mechanical work: Upgrades to East Lake, Milwaukee and Illinois substations, which date back to 1910, $42.9 million, begin in spring 2017 and complete in spring 2020; and upgrade Ravenswood Connector signal, $32.6 million, involves replacement of 40-year-old signal system, began in late 2016 and slated for completion in late 2018.Amtrak2017 MOW capital budget: $1 billion
2016 MOW capital budget: $980 million
Reasons for increase: Allows for the implementation of full-year major track programs that include mechanized Track Laying Machine (TLM) replacement of concrete ties and the undercutter full ballast replacement on the Northeast Corridor (NEC); continues a high-speed rail project between Trenton and New Brunswick, N.J.; provides funding to continue the Springfield double-track project in Connecticut; helps advance the design of major structures and facilities; and provides for finalization of construction activities for Hudson Yard concrete encasement project in New York and advancement of preliminary design for the Hudson Tunnel from Secaucus, N.J., to Manhattan, N.Y.
Rail: Install 62 rail miles of new continuous-welded rail (CWR) and 13 miles of new track.
Significant rail/track projects: Install 22 miles of new CWR on Michigan Line; 30 rail miles of new CWR via TLM at various locations in the Mid-Atlantic and New York divisions; 6 miles of new CWR between the Dock and Erie interlockings in New Jersey; 3 miles of new track on Albany Line in New York; and 10 miles of new track on Springfield Line in Connecticut. Also, 19 miles of undercutting on Mid-Atlantic Division in Maryland.
Ties: Install 97,000 wood and 47,000 concrete ties.
Switches/turnouts/interlockings: Install
33 turnouts in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey; also additional turnouts to be installed by divisions in the NEC and at various yards systemwide.
Bridge work: Continue preliminary design, which is nearing completion for new B&P Tunnel and replacement of Susquehanna River Bridge in Maryland, $22 million; and initiate preliminary engineering for replacement of Pelham Bay Bridge in New York, along with preliminary design for Connecticut River Bridge, $750,000.
Stations/facilities: Continue renovating facade ($30 million) and replacing fire alarm ($9 million) at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia; conduct preliminary design for Hudson Tunnel from Secaucus to Manhattan under Gateway program, $24.5 million; advance engineering for design and construction of maintenance of equipment facility at Sunnyside Yard in New York, $10 million; and advance engineering for new generation high-speed rail facility in Washington, D.C., $3.5 million.
Electrical/mechanical work: Continue constructing a Metuchen frequency converter facility in New Jersey, $19.3 million; and continue a joint program to upgrade the Safe Harbor frequency
converter in Pennsylvania, $13.3 million.Regional Transportation District of Denver2017 MOW capital budget: $514.2 million (per FTA standard cost categories, including guideway and track elements; stations, terminals and stops; support facilities; sitework; systems; vehicles; and rights of way, land and existing improvements)
2016 MOW capital budget: $439.2 million (per FTA standard cost categories, including guideway and track elements; stations, terminals and stops; support facilities; sitework; systems; vehicles; and rights of way, land and existing improvements)
Reasons for increase: Although the FasTracks Program is ramping down through completion in 2019, two projects with substantial construction remaining are ramping up in 2017.
Rail: Install 12.5 miles of track on the North Metro Red Line and 2.3 miles on the Southeast Rail Extension.
Significant rail/track projects: Installed 10.8 miles of track on the I-225 Line in Aurora, Colo., $687 million, opened in February; install 11.2 miles of track on the Gold-G Line in Denver area, $562 million, open in 2017; install 12.5 miles of track on North Metro (N) Line in Denver area, $764 million, open in 2018; and install 2.3 miles of track for Southeast Rail Extension in Lone Tree, Colo., $207 million, open in 2019.
Ties: Install 29,130 concrete ties on North Metro Line (27,000) and for Southeast Rail Extension (2,130).
Switches/turnouts/interlockings: Install 8 turnouts on North Metro Line and 1 crossover switch on Central Line, and replace 2 switches on Central Line.
Bridge work: Continue to build 9,528-foot Skyway bridge in Commerce City and Denver, started in June 2015, $24.8 million; continue to build 3 bridges in Lone Tree that began in 2016, $12.2 million; continue to construct 4 bridges in Denver that started in 2016, $8.97 million; continue to construct 3 bridges in Thornton and Northglenn/Thornton that started in 2015 and 2016, $4.8 million; and continue to rehab a bridge in Commerce City, work began in March 2016, $561,300.
Stations/facilities: Continue to build 6 commuter-rail at-grade stations in Commerce City, Denver, Northglenn and Thornton, work began in late 2015, 2016 or early 2017, $8.8 million; continue to construct 3 light-rail at-grade stations in Lone Tree, work began in February and March 2017, $16.5 million; and build a parking garage in Lone Tree, $20.6 million.
Electrical/mechanical work: Perform duct bank, occupancy control system (OCS), RH and signal work on North Metro Red Line; and perform parking garage, duct bank, OCS, traction power substation, RH and signal work for Southeast Rail Extension.MTA New York City Transit2017 MOW capital budget: $293.87 million
2016 MOW capital budget: $360.48 million
Reason for decrease: Focused on installing
CWR in critical areas in 2015 and 2016 — a total of 14.2 track miles of worn jointed rails and obsolete plates were replaced with new CWR and plates.
Rail: Rehab, replace or install 9.86 track miles of mainline and 0.3 track miles of yard track.
Significant rail/track projects: Install 0.79 track miles of type III panels and 0.34 miles of track reconstruction work on the Jerome line, $23.82 million; and reconstruct 1.28 track miles of subway on the Concourse line, $27.25 million.
Ties: Replace or install 16,450 wood (oak) ties; also install 20,180 oak and 1,760 concrete ties, and Ekki tie blocks for a total of 38,390 ties and tie blocks.
Switches/turnouts/interlockings: Install 27 mainline switches and 4 yard switches, with 20 switches to be installed on elevated structure and 7 in subway.
Stations/facilities: Began work in March on first 3 stations of modernization project involving more than 30 stations, involves renovations to Prospect Avenue, Bay Ridge Avenue and 53rd Street stations on R line in Brooklyn, $72.1 million, design-build contractor is Citnalta-Forte Joint Venture, to be completed by year’s end.
Electrical/mechanical work: Projects in both 2016 and 2017 include or included key-by timers (phase 4), $12.1 million; AC to DC (phase 2B), $8.4 million; control line extension (phase 6), $9.6 million; CBTC (rolled out in 2016), $10.7 million; and pre-construction on 8th Avenue Line (59th to High Street) in 2017, $1.2 million.Metra2017 MOW capital budget: $158 million
2016 MOW capital budget: $127 million
Reasons for increase: Additional funds were budgeted for yard improvements and for the installation of a PTC system.
Rail: 4.5 miles of in-track welding.
Ties: Replace or install 40,000 wood ties.
Switches/turnouts/interlockings: Work on Lake Street interlocker near the Ogilvie Terminal Station, where 3 Metra lines operated by UP converge.
Bridge work: Replace single-track Bridge Z-100 built in 1881 over the Fox River in Elgin on the Milwaukee West Line with a double-track bridge, start in fourth quarter, $34 million ($14 million to be funded by Metra); replace 11 more than century-old bridges along UP-North Line between Grace and Balmoral streets in Chicago and complete inbound portion of Ravenswood Station, start 30-month project in second quarter, about $45 million; and rehab 4 bridges on Rock Island Line, with the work typically including the reconstruction of steel sheet piling, concrete panels or the bin wall to prevent deterioration of the above roadbed.*
Stations/facilities: Complete yard improvements in all districts, $28.5 million; replace Healy Station and upgrade station facilities on the Milwaukee North Line, $7.3 million; replace Calumet Station and upgrade station facilities on the Metra Electric Line, began in first quarter, $5 million; and build new Romeoville Station on the Heritage Corridor, $5 million.
Electrical/mechanical work: Augment traction power system on the Metra Electric Line through the conversion of the 51st Street tie station to a substation by adding 12 kv switchgear, transformers and rectifiers.
* Some information from Metra press releases issued in February and MarchMTA Long Island Rail Road2017 MOW capital budget: $75 million
2016 MOW capital budget: $65 million
Reasons for increase: Executing 2 concrete tie programs and doubling the quantity of wood ties to be installed during the mechanized tie program compared with the 2016 program.
Rail: Replace, rehab or install 5 miles of rail.
Significant rail/track projects: Rail and concrete tie replacement on the Montauk Branch (Rocky to Port), install concrete ties along 10 miles of track, $28.5 million; wood tie replacement along 11 miles of the Montauk Branch (Merrick to Babylon and Speonk to East Hampton), $13.3 million; and CWR replacement at various locations throughout the Babylon Branch, $4.6 million.
Double-track project: Build an additional track from Farmingdale to Ronkonkoma to support ridership growth, first phase involved adding 4.7 miles of track between Central Islip and Ronkonkoma using a new track construction machine, second phase is underway and involves the remaining 7.9 miles of new second track from Central Islip to Farmingdale and signal installation between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma.
Ties: Install 31,380 wood and 25,000 concrete ties.
Switches/turnouts/interlockings: Install 5 No. 10 and 3 No. 15 switches on the Main Line, $4.4 million.
Bridge work: The 2017 program includes structural renewal, waterproofing and painting work, and complete replacement of several rail bridges in locations that include Glendale, Long Beach, Queens, Queens Village and Westbury, N.Y., $40.6 million, to start in third and fourth quarters, in addition to other work that continued from 2016 into 2017’s first and second quarters.
Stations/facilities: The 2017 program includes station rehabs, platform and platform railing replacements, signage and elevator installations at various stations; also work has started to build an additional platform at Jamaica Station and rehab Hicksville Station, $240 million.
Note: All MOW data pertains to the 2017 annual track program only.The 2017 MOW program for Santa Clara VTA includes the installation of 12 switches, 6 turnouts, 3 interlockings and 2 crossovers in San Jose and Santa Clara, Calif.
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority