Railroad News

American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) President Linda Bauer Darr will step down next month to become the chief executive officer of another trade association, ASLRRA Chair Judy Petry announced yesterday in a memo to members.

Darr joined ASLRRA in 2014. She leaves the association on July 27 to start her new position in August, according to Petry.

The Illinois Department of Transportation will receive a $132 million grant to help fund the completion of three components of the Chicago Region Environment and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) program's 75th Street corridor improvement project, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced yesterday.

The CREATE program was designed to address one of the most congested points in the U.S. rail network. The three rail projects that will receive grant funds are:
• the Forest Hill flyover, which consists of a new north-south flyover structure that will eliminate conflicts between north-south and east-west train movements at the Forest Hill Junction;
• the 71st Street grade separation that will separate the Western Avenue rail corridor from 71st street; and
• the Argo and Canal junction improvements, which will address the 87th Street chokepoint and increase capacity at Argo yard.

The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners has appointed Esteban Bovo to serve as its representative on the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority's (SFRTA) governing board.

He currently serves as the Miami-Dade board's chairman, as well as chairman of its transportation and mobility committee. Bovo began his public service career in 1998, when he was appointed to fill a midterm vacancy on the Hialeah City Council.

TransLink will increase transit fares by 5 to 10 cents starting July 1.

The price of single-use adult fares will go up 10 cents, while the cost of monthly passes will increase between CA$1 and CA$2, depending on zone type, TransLink officials said in a press release.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has released a report that charts the agency's sustainability efforts in 2017.

Last year, the agency used 4 percent less traction power energy for its light-rail system, registered a 2 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and a 13 percent reduction in waste, the report states.

BNSF Logistics LLC has named Nancee Ronning to the newly created position of chief commercial officer.

Ronning has more than 20 years of experience in sales, marketing and account and relationship management. Most recently, she served as president for Print Craft, a commercial printing and packaging company in Minnesota. She also served stints in sales, marketing and account management positions at C.H. Robinson, Merrill Corp. and GE Capital.

MTA Staten Island Railway (SIR) yesterday began a comprehensive repair and rehabilitation project at its Richmond Valley Station.

Crews will repair the station's concrete structure, structural steel beams and columns, platforms, staircases and platform canopies, according to an SIR press release.

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is soliciting stakeholders' opinions on rail regulations and guidance materials related to implementation of the new Transportation Modernization Act.

The legislation, which amends the Canada Transportation Act, introduces new measures related to freight rail. The agency issued a discussion paper that explains the regulations and guidance under review.

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers have expressed concerns to Amtrak leadership about the railroad's interest in maintaining its Southwest Chief route and long-distance passenger service.

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) led the group in writing to Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson about the lawmakers' concerns that Amtrak is considering withholding funding for the Southwest Chief route until additional financial investments in the route's infrastructure are made.

R. J. Corman Railroad Switching Co. LLC has opened a new rail-car switching and track maintenance location in Montgomery, Alabama, for SABIC, a global chemical and plastic company. The new site will provide opportunities for future construction and car repairs, R. J. Corman officials said in a press release. The company will deploy 12 employees to switch about 1,000 rail cars each month at the plant. R. J. Corman's switching services include the movement of cars at the facility, and to and from the interchange point with CSX.

Thales has acquired Danish company Cubris, which provides driver advisory systems (DAS). The systems enable secure real-time information exchanges between railroads and locomotive engineers to help optimize train driving and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, according to a Thales press release. DAS also will help pave the way for autonomous trains, company officials said. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) last week staged and videotaped a train hitting a remote-controlled car at a grade crossing as part of a campaign to educate the public about railroad safety.

The car, fitted with crash dummies, did not get over the crossing before the train smashed into it, NCDOT officials said in a press release.

In the first quarter, VIA Rail Canada Inc. served 1,089,500 passengers, marking a 12.4 percent increase over the same period in 2017.

The railroad posted an 11 percent increase in passenger revenue, which grew to $73.5 million for the quarter.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), the Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Highway Administration are preparing environmental documents and engineering concepts for the Assembly Street railroad separation project in south-central Columbia.

The project area consists of 1.2 square miles and is bound by Blossom Street to the north, Pickens Street and Norfolk Southern Railway's line to the east; the NS line 3 miles southeast of Rosewood Drive toward Andrews Yard and South Beltline Boulevard; and Catawba Circle/Heyward Street/Dreyfuss Road/Assembly Street to the west, SCDOT officials said in a press release.

The Port Authority of Allegheny County in fall will begin a two-year project to rehabilitate 55 Siemens-built light-rail vehicles.

The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners late last week approved an additional $204 million to cover the increasing costs of Metro Transit's Southwest light-rail project.

Last month, Metropolitan Council Chair Alene Tchourumoff told project leaders that the line's cost had grown $145 million to just over $2 billion due to freight-rail negotiations, additional environmental analysis and higher steel and labor costs.

Amtrak has issued a request for proposals seeking to rebuild its current diesel fleet or purchase a minimum of 50 to 75 next-generation locomotives.

The effort is aimed at replacing Amtrak's aging national network diesel locomotive fleet used on long distance and some state-supported routes, Amtrak officials said in a press release.