Railroad News

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Pollack, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) General Manager Steve Poftak and other dignitaries attended a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday for the South Coast Rail project's first phase.

The more than $3 billion project calls for restoring commuter-rail service between Boston and Massachusetts' South Coast, with stops in New Bedford, Fall River and Taunton. The $1 billion first phase includes extending Middleborough Line service to New Bedford and Fall River; reconstructing 17.3 miles of the New Bedford mainline and 11.7 miles of the Fall River secondary; upgrading the Middleborough secondary track from Pilgrim Junction to Cotley Junction covering 7.1 miles; building two new layover facilities; and constructing six new stations.

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) has requested entry into the engineering phase of the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Capital Investment Grant (CIG) program for its double-track project along the South Shore Line in northwest Indiana. 

NICTD has already completed the development phase of CIG, which includes an environmental review and an analysis of project alternatives for installing a second mainline track from Gary to Michigan City, Indiana.

The Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission has contracted CIBC Capital Markets to help oversee the divestment of the province's crude-by-rail program and the transition of that business to the private sector.

Although the future of crude by rail in Alberta is "very bright," that business will continue to grow without government interference, said Alberta Minister of Energy Sonya Savage in a statement issued late last week.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) yesterday released staff recommendations of the preferred alternatives for the planned high-speed rail (HSR) routes in Northern California. 

The authority recommends that the San Jose-to-Merced section of the route include a blended configuration between San Jose and Gilroy in the existing Union Pacific Railroad corridor before continuing to a dedicated HSR alignment through Pacheco Pass in Santa Clara County.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) will suspend weekend service on the Green Line between Crenshaw and Redondo Beach stations to begin testing rail system software on the connection between the Green and Crenshaw/LAX lines.  

Beginning July 12, the service will be suspended every Friday night, then resume every Monday morning until work is completed sometime in the fall. The whole process may take more than 10 weekends, LA Metro officials said in a press release.

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor recently handled two large rubber-tire gantry (RTG) cranes that were destined for CSX's Chicago-area intermodal terminal in Bedford Park, Illinois.
 
It was the first time in its nearly 50-year history that the port processed such large cranes, Ports of Indiana officials said in a press release. Designed to hoist loads up to eight containers wide, the RTG cranes will replace two older units at the CSX terminal, which handles domestic and international freight.

"Our proximity to Burns Harbor allowed us to receive our cargo quickly and efficiently," said Tom Tisa, head of marketing and strategic development for CSX. "The new cranes are uniquely suited to support our evolving intermodal operations."

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of Harris County’s (METRO) board last week approved funding for security-related initiatives, including the addition of 20 part-time metro police officers. 

The new positions will report in various police units, including rail, patrol, criminal investigation and K-9. 

The Southern Environmental Law Center has filed a lawsuit against the North Carolina Railroad Co. (NCRR) claiming it refused to produce public documents for review under the North Carolina Public Records Act.

The law center had requested records from NCRR relating to the proposed Durham-Orange light-rail project, which Go Triangle cancelled earlier this year.

The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) and Portland Oregon Metro have opened a public comment period to gather feedback on a proposed MAX light-rail tunnel under downtown Portland.

As a first step, the agencies need to determine the necessary studies and resources to create a tunnel from Lloyd Center to Goose Hollow in Southwest Portland. To do so, public comments will aid the agency in identifying opportunities, challenges and viable alternatives for additional study, TriMet officials said on the project website. 

The Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority’s board last week released a feasibility study for Valley Link, a proposed commuter-rail service that would connect the San Joaquin Valley communities in California with Bay Area Rapid Transit’s (BART) and Altamont Corridor Express’ (ACE) systems.

The report includes alignment options; an overview of stations and facilities; system integration options with BART and ACE; proposed vehicle technology; projected capital and operating costs; a funding and financing plan; and a recommendation for project management and delivery.

CN today announced its western Canadian grain movements in June exceeded 2.3 million metric tons (MMT) compared with 1.99 MMT in June 2018.

The cumulative tonnage moved by the railroad through 11 months of the 2018-19 crop year was on record pace at 25.5 MMT — 1 million tons ahead of the previous record-setting pace — despite the restrictions on Canadian exports to China, CN officials said in a press release. The three-year average of grain movements per month is 1.80 MMT.

The North County Transit District (NCTD) this year will receive $6.13 million in California funding for its Del Mar Bluff stabilization projects. 

NCTD, Amtrak, Metrolink, BNSF Railway Co. and PacSun operate on the LOSSAN coastal rail corridor and through the Del Mar Bluffs area, which experiences natural erosion that has led to six bluff failures since last summer, NCTD officials said in a press release. The state funding is critical for NCTD and the San Diego Association of Governments to complete two projects to stabilize the bluffs, they said. 

TransLink last week released the results of a year-long independent study exploring the feasibility of operating an extended late-night SkyTrain service on Fridays and Saturdays.

The study found that in order to operate later at night, significant operational changes would be required, including a reduction of SkyTrain operating hours during weekdays and full closures of the system on some holidays, TransLink officials said in a press release. 

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker late last week signed into law Rebuild Illinois, a $45 billion capital spending plan described by Chicago transit officials as the "largest infrastructure program" in state history.

The new law ends a decade without a capital spending bill in Illinois, according to a joint statement issued by Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra, Pace and Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) executives.

Virginia's Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) last month approved fiscal-year 2020 budgets for the Virginia Department of Transportation and Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), and blessed a six-year improvement program that allocates a record $22.9 billion to rail, highway and public transportation programs.

The budgets and six-year program — which take effect today — will advance the commonwealth's commitment to improving and maintaining infrastructure, and building a multimodal platform for the state’s economy, said Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine in a press release. The program includes $803 million for rail initiatives and $3.8 billion for public transportation.

Metrolink's board late last week approved a fiscal-year 2020 budget of $329.7 million, which includes funding to improve service on several lines and invest in safety technologies, but stipulates no fare increases. 

The budget was passed by directors who represent the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Orange County Transportation Authority, Riverside County Transportation Commission, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority and Ventura County Transportation Commission, which comprise the Southern California Regional Rail Authority.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) have asked the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to extend the public comment period on a special permit the administration is considering to allow liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be transported by rail in Florida.

In a June 28 letter to PHMSA Administrator Howard Elliott, DeFazio and Malinowski note that the comment period — set to close July 8 — does not allow the public or Congress enough time to learn where and how Energy Transport Solutions intends to move LNG via Florida East Coast Railway, and how first responders along the route could respond to a leak or explosion.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's (PANYNJ) board last week initiated public comment measures for the authority's proposed toll and fare increases, and a reassessment of its 2017-2026 capital plan to include $4.8 billion in additional spending.

The board has scheduled six public hearings in July — including three in New York and three in New Jersey — and established a public comment period through Sept. 13.

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) has reached an agreement with Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP and its institutional partners to be acquired through a transaction valued at about $8.4 billion, including outstanding debt.

When the transaction closes by year end or in early 2020, G&W would become a privately held company. The deal requires approval by G&W stockholders holding 66.66 percent of outstanding common stock, regulatory blessings from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and Surface Transportation Board, and certain competition and antitrust approvals.