Railroad News

After five years of service for the California High-Speed Rail Authority Chief Executive Officer Jeff Morales announced that he will step down from his position early this summer after the Board of Directors is expected to select a replacement.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. announced the beginning of a major project to renovate the historic Quincy Loop station.

CTA says the project will make the 120-year-old station fully wheelchair accessible, while preserving its renowned historic appearance. The $18.2-million project is the largest renovation in nearly 30 years for Quincy, which was built in 1897 and is one of CTA's oldest rail stations.

Now that Harriet the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) completed her second tunnel at the Leimert Park Station for the Crenshaw/LAX Line, the Los Angeles County Transportation Authority (LACTMA) has announced her retirement.

Since she began digging the twin tunnels last year, Harriett, a 950-ton, 400-foot-long TBM advanced an average of 60 feet a day through soil and rock under Crenshaw Boulevard. Installation of rail tracks has begun in the southbound tunnel. The 8.5-mile light rail line is scheduled to open in fall 2019.

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-6), joined representatives from Cembre, Inc., and a local railroad for a tour, public policy discussion and a rail cutting demonstration at Cembre's Edison facility.

The event was coordinated by the Railway Engineering-Maintenance and Suppliers Association (REMSA). REMSA said the group discussed the private, independent nature of America's freight railroad network. The group focused in on recent regulatory initiatives issued by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) on reciprocal switching and commodity regulation. REMSA said the group was "concerned that these efforts would lead to reduced capital investment in freight rail which is critical to supporting high-paying rail supply jobs in New Jersey and throughout the United States."

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) received delivery of 20 new remote-control steel ballast cars in mid April.

The MassDOT Rail & Transit Division purchased the cars and noted the innovative nature of the remote-control gates that MassDOT says will make the process of dumping ballast faster, more efficient and safer.

Janno Lieber has joined the senior executive ranks of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) as chief development officer. In this newly created position, Lieber will take over leadership and oversight of key strategic capital initiatives focused on increasing the capacity of the system.

As part of his new responsibilities, Lieber will head up the MTA Capital Construction Company and will manage the MTA's major capital projects that expand capacity including:
•Second Avenue Subway Phase II – extending the line to 125th Street;
•East Side Access – connecting Long Island Railroad to Grand Central Terminal;
•Penn Station Access – bringing Metro-North Railroad into Penn Station;
•Enhanced Stations;
•Improved Rail Mass Transit Access to JFK Airport with a focus on developing a one-seat ride;
•LIRR Third Track – expanding capacity on the Railroad's main line; and
•LIRR Double Track – improving service and reliability on the LIRR's Ronkonkoma Branch.

Four democratic senators from New York and New Jersey are urging U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao to visit the rail infrastructure linking to two states to highlight the need for investment in the region's rail and transit infrastructure.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is planning a workshop this summer to tackle a critical rail safety element: grade crossings.

The FRA's Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety workshop will be held Aug. 15-17 at the Westin Hotel in St. Louis, Mo. FRA says the workshop "will bring together national and international subject matter experts to identify and prioritize specific research needs related to highway-rail grade crossing safety."

TranSystems Corp. welcomes public-private partnership (P3/PPP) and project finance expert Alistair Sawers as leader of its P3 Advisory Services.

Sawers has 23 years of experience in delivering public-private partnership projects and acquisitions. In his previous leadership roles at financial institutions and consulting firms, like Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and EY, Sawers worked on more than 55 projects in 12 different countries. His 23 years of experience in advising public- and private-sector clients, as well acting as investor/lender, will help TranSystems grow its P3 and owner's representative business, initially supporting Los Angeles World Airports with their P3 procurements.

Construction and renovation began yesterday at the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Concord Station plaza.

BART says the renovations will revitalize the station with a major makeover, including improved pedestrian access, an added bike lane, energy-efficient lighting and an improved "kiss 'n ride" for passenger drop offs.

Caltrain says it will begin a two-week rail-grinding project in San Francisco on April 26. The project will result in reduced noise impacts for residents living near the right of way and smoother rides for passengers.

The commuter rail service says it will use a rail-mounted, locomotive-sized grinder to restore the shape of the rail to its original configuration. Grinding the rail will allow a better fit between the train wheel and the top of the rails' head.

Union Pacific (UP) plans to invest approximately $26.8 million in Nevada infrastructure in 2017. The investment is part of UP's $3.1-billion capital plan.

The Class 1 says the investment will fund $22.7 million to maintain railroad track and $1.8 million to maintain the state's bridges. Key projects planned include:

U.S. Congressman Mike Bost (R-IL-12) joined representatives from R. J. Corman Railroad Services, LLC, to tour their Caseyville Emergency Services facility, and discuss pressing rail and manufacturing issues with various rail stakeholders.

The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) and the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA) jointly coordinated the event. The tour was led by R. J. Corman President Nathan Henderson. The Caseyville, Ill. division has over 40 employees and 50 pieces of heavy machinery. The division provides an array of services to one of the most dense rail network regions in the United States, including emergency response re-rail services, maintenance of way services and small scale rail construction jobs.

Investigator Joseph O'Keefe is the 2016 Amtrak Police Department Officer of the Year.

Amtrak Chief of Police Neil Trugman presented the award to O'Keefe for his significant contributions to the Amtrak community, including the discovery of a large-scale auto theft ring in Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Preparation for a long-anticipated second bridge across Lake Pend Oreille at Sandpoint, Idaho, has been given the go-ahead by BNSF Railway.

Stretching roughly 3/4-mile in length, the new bridge will stand parallel to an existing single-track bridge built in 1904. By double-tracking its crossing of the lake, BNSF will alleviate a chokepoint where BNSF and Montana Rail Link main lines converge at the east end of what's often referred to as the Spokane-Sandpoint "Funnel." It's a vital component in BNSF's Northern Corridor connecting Chicago, Texas, and the Midwest with cities and seaports in the Pacific Northwest.

National Safety Council recognized TKDA for completing more than 3 million work hours without an occupational injury or illness resulting in days away from work.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates that nationwide, on-the-job accidents and injuries cost U.S. companies $170 billion annually.

Contractor Parsons announced that the McKinley Village Way Underpass in Sacramento, Calif. has been honored by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Sacramento Section, with the 2016 Outstanding Urban Land Development Project Award.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is taking the fight to Capitol Hill to oppose President Trump's budget proposal to cut major public transit appropriations for the remainder of fiscal 2017 and 2018.