Railroad News

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) Board of Commissioners authorized $57 million in planning funds for the first phase of the PATH system extension to Newark Liberty International Airport.

The board says the project, estimated total cost to be $1.7 billion, is a key component of its 2017-2026 capital plan and essential to improved regional rail service for the commuting public. The authorization provides funding to move the project through preliminary design and the required environmental review process. It includes funds for environmental and transportation services, including preliminary engineering work as well as program and project management services.

Sound Transit unveiled plans to kick off what the company calls "one of the most ambitious public transit capital investment programs in the nation's history."

By the end of 2017, Sound Transit will be planning, designing or building 24 train and bus projects in Snohomish, King and Pierce counties.

Norfolk Southern Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Marta R. Stewart intends to retire effective Aug. 1, 2017, after a 34-year career.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) have published a Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) for the South Station Expansion (SSX) project.

MassDOT says the purpose of the SSX project is to expand South Station terminal capacity to meet current and anticipated future commuter rail and intercity rail service needs. The project would also promote city-building in a key area of Boston, and allow Dorchester Avenue to be reopened for public use and enjoyment for the first time in decades. The expansion of South Station would enable growth in passenger rail transportation within the commonwealth of Massachusetts and along the Northeast Corridor (NEC). Expanding the terminal would improve the passenger experience of using South Station and updating the infrastructure (track and signals) and related layover capacity would improve service reliability.

WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff announced that Rameshwar Godara will be a senior supervising engineer at the company's Orange, Calif. office.

In his new position, Godara will use his 26 years of professional experience as senior manager for rail and transit construction, operations and maintenance to develop design for traction power, overhead catenary system and supervisory control and data acquisition systems for rail and transit projects. Prior to joining WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, he served as chief resident engineer, power supply and traction, for a rapid transit project in Hyderabad, India.

Amtrak President and CEO Wick Moorman detailed several initiatives aimed at strengthening the infrastructure and operations at New York Penn Station.

The initiatives include four bullet points that include an infrastructure renewal program; a passenger concourse coordination review; development of a joint station concourse operations center and safety and security improvements.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board voted to accept the findings of the year-long environmental study for the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) expansion project, one of New York's most significant efforts to increase capacity of the commuter railroad since it was first built in the mid-19th century.

In November 2016, the MTA Board voted to use a two-step public process to identify the private construction firms that are best qualified to work on the project and then, in the future, select one based on the best proposal to meet the project's objectives. MTA says the Requests for Proposals and environmental study were done in tandem so the agency's decision making would be properly informed by ideas that might emerge during the procurement process.

Nashville, Tenn., Mayor Megan Barry said the city would pursue its first light-rail project along the Gallatin Pike corridor during her "State of Metro" address on April 26.

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to study the feasibility of various transit modes and alignments through L.A.'s notoriously congested Sepulveda Pass.

With the RFP, LACMTA is seeking a consultant to identify and evaluate a range of high-capacity transit concepts that could serve the 11-mile north/south travel corridor connecting the LACMTA Orange Line in the San Fernando Valley with the future extension of the LACMTA Purple Line at Westwood or VA Hospital station and LACMTA Expo Line on the Westside. Transit modes that will be evaluated include bus rapid transit, light rail, subway and other transit technologies not currently operated by Metro. The study is expected to take approximately 14 months to complete.

The Phoenix City Council approved a $50-million agreement with Valley Metro to fund final design and pre-construction activities on an extension to South Central Phoenix.

The five-mile extension will be on Central Avenue between Jefferson Street and Baseline Road. Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said the city council's approval is another "step toward delivering light rail to South Central Phoenix. That means we are closer to more transient-oriented development projects coming to those neighborhoods, more jobs and more educational opportunities for residents."

Canadian Pacific (CP) joined senior officials from the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the Montreal Port Authority, Global Container Terminals Canada, Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership, DP World Canada, Logistec Corp. and Fraser Surrey Docks at CP's head office in Calgary to discuss their commitment to working together in promoting Canada's largest and two most important gateways to the international supply chain.

Canadian National has named its national employee training center in Winnipeg after former President and Chief Executive Officer Claude Mongeau.

The newly named CN Claude Mongeau National Training Centre, originally opened in 2014 and the railroad says it provides consistent, quality training with a modern curriculum, coupled with skilled instructors, for jobs ranging from conductor to track maintainer, and car mechanic to supervisor. Employees receive hands-on training in learning laboratories with equipment such as locomotive, crane and signals and communication simulators. The facility also has outdoor labs with dedicated rolling stock and other equipment for field training.

The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) has a new master plan that aims to accelerate its timeframe to bring its equipment, infrastructure and operations into a State of Good Repair from 15 years from the previously projected 25 years.

The agency's Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) this week approved a comprehensive MBTA Strategic Plan to serve as a blueprint for the objectives and strategies needed to ensure continuous improvement across all areas of the transit operator.

Commissioners in Durham County, N.C., approved an updated transit plan and cost sharing agreement for the Durham-Orange LRT line on April 24, taking the project a step closer to a federal funding application.

The 28.5km (17.7 mile) line will connect North Carolina Central University in Durham with UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, serving 18 stations - nine with park-and-ride facilities - and running on a dedicated alignment. Services will operate at 10-minute headways in the peak and every 20 minutes at other times.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced conceptual plans to revitalize and renovate the CTA's Cottage Grove Green Line station and the surrounding area.

The mayor was joined by U.S. Congressman Bobby Rush, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. and Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner (CDOT) Rebekah Scheinfeld. The project is the latest investment on the Green Line by Mayor Emanuel and CTA, and complements the ongoing commercial and residential developments near the station, including the recently announced new 70-unit Woodlawn Station mixed use residential and commercial project next to the station.

Union Pacific (UP) plans to invest approximately $57 million in Nebraska infrastructure in 2017. The investment is part of UP's $3.1-billion capital plan.

The Class 1 says the plan will fund a range of initiatives including $53 million to maintain railroad track and $721,000 to maintain bridges in the state.

WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff has named Thomas Gibson Vice President and Western Regional Manager of its Transit and Rail practice, based in Sacramento. Gibson is responsible for technical and operational management, project delivery, staff acquisition and business growth.

Gibson has 37 years of experience in rail systems projects throughout the U.S. and internationally, including implementation of systems and track work for a major light rail transit extension in St. Louis, procurement and manufacturing of light rail vehicles under a contract for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), and implementation of systems for the Seoul, Korea subway lines 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8. In addition, he was responsible for management and oversight of general engineering consultant services for a Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Administration (MARTA) five-year track and systems project.

Carlos Rojas has been named chief of police for Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART).

Rojas brings 27 years of extensive experience and leadership in community policing. Rojas comes to BART from the Santa Ana Police Department, where he served his last five years as chief. He is an advocate and educator in community oriented policing practices, having taught the practices to national police forces in Central America and mentored college students.

Pennsylvania's State Transportation Commission approved more than $40 million through two state programs to help fund freight rail projects across the state.

Metra and Union Pacific Railroad (UP) joined state, county and local officials and members of the community in Maywood, Ill. to break ground on a $100-million project to remove two critical bottlenecks along the UP West Line.

Metra says the bottlenecks can be the source of delays for both freight and commuter trains.