Railroad News

In 2017, 1,090 railway accidents were reported to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), a 21 percent increase over 2016 but close to the five-year average of 1,028, the board reported yesterday.

There were 77 rail-related fatalities in 2017 — 11 more than the previous year and two more than the five-year average, according to the TSB's preliminary statistics report on transportation occurrences.

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The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) late last week marked its 25th anniversary.

Board members, elected officials and community stakeholders joined Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti for a Feb. 15 ceremony to mark the occasion. The event took place at Los Angeles Union Station.

North Florida Warehouse FTZ, a division of JZ Expedited Cos., last week marked the opening of Freight Trade Zone No. 64's first outdoor storage facility near the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT).

Located minutes from JAXPORT's North Jacksonville terminals, the 3.7-acre facility provides flexible short- and long-term outdoor storage options for vehicles, high and heavy, tracked units, project and over-dimensional cargo, containers, breakbulk and other cargo varieties, company officials said in a press release.

Caltrain last week began construction to improve three grade crossings in Redwood City, California.

Crews are installing new pedestrian gate arms, as well as new guard rails and signage to channel pedestrians toward crosswalks. Workers also will install roadway markers and bumps along the crosswalk so vehicles don't accidentally turn onto the tracks, Caltrain officials said in a press release.

The North Dakota Public Service Commission (PSC) earlier this month released 2017 inspection data from the agency's Railroad Safety Program, which identifies defects and violations that may result in accidents.

The program's two inspectors focus on two disciplines: track and motor power and equipment (mechanical). Statistics show those areas contribute to the largest number and most severe accidents in the state, PSC officials said in a press release.

Ontario and electricity provider Toronto Hydro have awarded a contract to Renewable Energy Systems Canada Inc. to design and build a battery energy storage facility for the future Eglinton Crosstown light-rail line.

The facility will store energy generated at night during off-peak hours and supply energy the following day to reduce peak energy usage. The facility also will provide emergency power to Crosstown line in the event of a power interruption, according to a press release issued by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

The North Carolina Railroad Co. and city of High Point have agreed to work together on $5.1 million worth of improvements to the railroad's corridor and drainage in the city's downtown.

The rail line through downtown High Point is located within a cut below street level and includes bridges crossing above the track. The company will partner with the city and Norfolk Southern Railway on improvements to the railroad slopes and the stormwater drainage on the streets adjacent to the railroad.

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Senior Associate Editor

Unexpected rail wear led to last week's systemwide closure of the Maryland Transit Administration's (MTA) subway network in Baltimore.

Inspectors found that the gauge face angle (GFA) — a factor used to calculate rail wear —exceeded internal standards on 11 sections of elevated track. GFA is the measurement of wear that occurs on the part of the rail that comes in contact with trains' wheels.

Canadian Pacific has launched CP TempPro™ for shipping perishable products, the Class I announced yesterday.

The new service will enable CP to grow its business with perishable protective service (PPS) customers. CP has a growing fleet of PPS to transport products that require strict temperature settings.

The opportunities to use Big Data to drive efficiency and improve safety are plentiful, but railroaders may face a steep learning curve when it comes to sorting through the sheer volume of information produced by new technologies.

For instance, data generated by automated track geometry units can be “overwhelming to a lot of people,” said Amtrak Principal Engineer-Track Geometry Michael Craft during his presentation at the University of Delaware’s Big Data in Railroad Maintenance Planning conference, which ran Dec. 14-15.

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Associate Editor

Brookville Equipment Corp. this week delivered the first of seven Liberty streetcars to Oklahoma City. The off-wire capable units were delivered as part of a $33.7 million contract, which covers the design, engineering and manufacturing of the vehicles, along with spare parts, training, and service and warranty support. The city's streetcar system is slated to begin revenue service later this year. The Liberty streetcars will operate in downtown Oklahoma City on two routes: a 2-mile east-west loop and a 4.9-mile north-south loop. The city is the third American city to receive Brookville's modern streetcar since 2015. The company also has delivered streetcars to Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Detroit's QLINE system.

Stantec was selected as lead engineer on a $1.9 billion design-build expansion project for MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) in Nassau County, New York. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's board in December approved a contract with the 3rd Track Constructors consortium, which includes Dragados USA Inc., John P. Picone Inc., CCA Civil Inc., and Halmar International LLC. As the consortium's lead engineer, Stantec will lead all rail, building and infrastructure improvements for the project, which involves adding a third track along a 9.8-mile stretch of LIRR's track between Floral Park and Hicksville. The project is among Stantec's largest transportation programs, according to a company press release.