Railroad News

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Metrolinx last week announced it has signed an agreement with Icomera Canada Inc. to connect the agency's GO Transit train network serving the greater Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, areas with free wireless internet connection beginning in spring 2020.

Icomera later this year will begin installation of the necessary infrastructure and equipment to provide a complete end-to-end Wi-Fi solution for GO passengers, Icomera officials said in a press release.

New Jersey Transit yesterday expanded commuter-rail service at Avenel Station in Woodbridge, New Jersey, to accommodate growing ridership and community requests.

NJ Transit expanded weekday service at the station by more than 40 percent by adding 11 train stops, and adding a full weekend schedule for the first time since 1985, agency officials said in a press release. 

Sound Transit will solicit the public's input tomorrow through Sept. 24 on possible expansion and improvements for the Sounder South commuter train service in Seattle. 

In 2016, Seattle voters approved the Sound Transit 3 measure to provide funding for capital improvements on Sounder South, such as longer trains and the potential for additional trips, as well as expansion to Tillicum and DuPont by 2036, Sound Transit officials said in a press release. 

MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) last week announced that its L Subway Project tunnel rehabilitation is ahead of schedule and crews are now working to schedule station and accessibility improvements. 

The L Project consists of multiple projects, including tunnel rehabilitation, capacity and accessibility improvements, and additional capital projects.

Canada's Transport Minister Marc Garneau has ordered Central Maine & Quebec Railway (CMQR) to repair rail deficiencies, undergo federal inspections and maintain a low speed line between Farnham and Lac-Megantic in Quebec until all defects are corrected.

The announcement followed the findings of Transport Canada inspectors who identified a number of deficiencies on a 125-mile section of the rail line, including defective rail and ties, mud spots and ballast conditions that needed to be corrected.

The proposed project to build a bullet train between Dallas and Houston took a major step forward last week when the Federal Railroad Administration granted the Texas Central's petition for a rule of particular applicability (RPA), company officials announced.

The RPA is a comprehensive set of custom rules that will be applicable specifically to Texas Central and used to govern the railroad's system and operations. Texas Central, the private company that wants to build the high-speed rail system, filed its petition for an RPA in April 2016.

On Aug. 26, global infrastructure investor First State Investments (FSI) announced it reached an agreement with investment manager Steel River Infrastructure Partners to acquire Patriot Rail and Ports, which owns 12 short lines operating across 14 states. Terms were not disclosed.

“The short-line sector, providing essential transportation services to industrial regions in the United States, is a strong fit with First State’s long-term infrastructure investment strategy and mandate,” said John Ma, director of the Sydney, Australia-based FSI infrastructure team, in a prepared statement.

Trinity Industries Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Timothy Wallace will retire after the company's board identifies a successor, Trinity officials announced in a press release. The board will consider internal and external candidates. Wallace has worked for Trinity for 44 years and became CEO and president in 1999. 

PowerRail Inc. was awarded a multiyear $1.9 million contract from New Jersey Transit to manufacture passenger rail car journal adapter boxes. PowerRail division Cooper Bearings specializes in new and remanufactured bearings and journal boxes for locomotives, passenger rail cars and light-rail vehicles, PowerRail officials said in a press release. 

The Canadian government will invest CA$153.7 million in three projects aimed at increasing capacity at the Port of Prince Rupert in British Columbia, Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced yesterday.

The first project, which involves building a double-track bridge across the Zanardi Rapids, is designed to increase rail capacity on key rail routes and accommodate growth in imports and exports at the port. Trains will be able to arrive and depart simultaneously across the expanded bridge, Transport Canada officials said in a press release.

The North County Transit District's (NCTD) board has requested funding from the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to support the purchase of two trainsets for the Coaster commuter-rail line in San Diego.

NCTD needs the additional trainsets in order to increase from 22 to 42 Coaster trips during weekdays. An increase would mean trains would arrive every 30 minutes during peak periods and every 60 minutes during non-peak periods, NCTD officials said in a press release. 

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan yesterday announced crews have completed installation of the first segment of light-rail track for the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration’s (MTA) Purple Line, which will run from Bethesda to New Carrollton, Maryland.

Purple Line Transit Partners, the private-sector organization that's designing and building the $5.6 billion project, broke ground on the line in 2017. 

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has approved a recovery plan for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit's (HART) passenger-rail project, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) announced yesterday.

Approval of HART's plan was key to receiving $744 million in federal funding that the FTA was withholding until it was confident in HART's plan for containing costs and minimizing further delays in the city's construction of a 20-mile elevated passenger-rail system.

R. J. Corman Railroad Co. announced today it has finalized a long-term agreement to lease and operate a short line from the City of Childersburg Local Redevelopment Authority, CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway.

The newly formed R. J. Corman Railroad Co./Childersburg Line is a 13.32-mile line in Coosa Pines, Alabama, southeast of Birmingham, company officials said in a press release.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) are soliciting public comment on the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) and other draft documents related to the proposed Long Bridge project.

A public hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 22 and public comments on the documents will be accepted until Oct. 28, according to an FRA announcement.

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Progressive Railroading recently asked the honorees of the 2019 Rising Star Awards what they think will be the most important trend or trends to affect railroading over the next 10 years. Because they are considered by their peers to represent the industry's leaders of tomorrow, their answers to this question may be instructive for today's leaders and decision-makers.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority's (VTA) board today will consider a tentative labor contract with members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 265.

VTA staff will recommend the board approve a three-year ATU labor agreement, which was ratified on Aug. 29. Alternatively, the board may instruct staff to continue negotiations, according to the labor contract agreement.