Railroad News

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (LACMTA) Transit Safety Programs (TSP) is partnering with the navigation app Waze to provide rail-crossing safety alerts for drivers beginning April 10.

Chicago's Metra and its railroad partners announced plans to begin $216 million worth of infrastructure investments in 2017.

Amtrak has completed repairs to tracks at New York Penn Station following two derailments in the past month and the railroad's CEO has pledged a review of its maintenance practices to ensure the situation is not repeated.

Track issues on Amtrak-owned infrastructure were the reason for the March 24 and April 3 derailments.

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has created the Short Line Education Fund to address industry training and certification needs.

ASLRRA says the fund will communicate and promote the value of shortline railroads to decision makers, customers and industry stakeholders and build a library of industry-specific research, education and training materials.

Harriet the tunnel boring machine completed its second mile-long tunnel on April 6. The machine arrived at the Leimert Park Station, marking another milestone for the Los Angeles County Transportation Authority (LACTMA) Crenshaw/LAX Line.

Vossloh has made six leadership changes that will affect its divisions serving the North American rail market.

TriMet's Morrison-Yamhill MAX Improvements project kicks off on Sunday, April 30. Crews will begin maintenance and rehab on some of Portland's oldest MAX alignment along SW Morrison and Yamhill streets at 11th and 1st avenues downtown.

This project will require a longer, three-week disruption to MAX service as well as a two-week disruption to Portland Streetcar. Crews will remove wood crossties, improve the track bed, upgrade switch machines and replace special trackwork. Further east, crews will replace curved rail at the corners of 1st and Morrison and 1st and Yamhill.

TransLink is replacing track pads and approximately 5,000 linear meters (16,404 linear feet) of running rail this year as a part of its annual Expo Line Running Rail Replacement Project.

TransLink will tackle the work at four major Vancouver-area locations this year, close to Metrotown, Main Street–Science World, Stadium–Chinatown and Waterfront stations. Work is expected to be complete in July 2017.

Michael Baker International hired Ted Coffey as vice president and deputy national market lead in the railroad and transit practice. In this role, Coffey will oversee Michael Baker's East Coast railroad and transit operations, leading business and strategic development.

Based in the Chicago office, Coffey will work directly with current and potential Class 1 railroads, transit authority clients and state Department of Transportation Multimodal Divisions serving as the main relationship manager. Michael Baker says Coffey's experience in rail and public transit will bring "proven capabilities in developing successful client strategies, fostering teaming opportunities and nurturing client relationships" to its company.

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) hosted provincial and local mayors to discuss its vision of a transit center to be developed at Toronto Pearson airport.

The discussion included Ontario Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca and local mayors, including Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, Toronto Mayor John Tory, Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey and Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic at the April 4 meeting.

SNC-Lavalin has offered to acquire WS Atkins for CA$3.5 billion (US$2.6 billion). The two firms are still in discussions.

SNC-Lavalin issued a statement regarding the potential transaction saying it offered 2,080 pence per WS Atkins share in cash. The offer is subject to many preconditions including the recommendation of the WS Atkins Board.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) board on Monday voted on measures to improve service for millions of New Yorkers who use subways.

Union Pacific's safety improved 11 percent with a 0.78 reportable injury rate in 2016, compared to 0.88 in 2015. Reportable injury rates represent the number of reportable injuries submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration per 200,000 employee hours worked.

"This accomplishment reflects our employees' unwavering commitment to make safety a part of everything they do and a step toward our goal of zero accidents and injuries," said Rod Doerr, Union Pacific vice president - safety and chief safety officer. "We are proud of our team and continue working to eliminate risks and create safer work environments every day."

The province of Ontario is moving forward with plans to redevelop the Kipling Station into a transit hub that will integrate subway, regional rail and inter-regional bus services.

The redevelopment includes the area around the Kipling GO Station and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Kipling subway station. The station will integrate the subway, GO train and local and regional bus services, including GO, TTC and MiWay services, into a single mobility hub through a new inter-regional bus terminal.

Greenville & Western Railway Company (GRLW) has promoted two of its employees. Brandon L. Julian has been promoted to general manager and Dennis J. Martin has been promoted to manager – mechanical and transloading.

Julian will oversee all other managers, rail operations and federal and state regulatory compliance. He is also responsible for the development and implementation of employee training programs for GRLW and sister company Aiken Railway Company, LLC.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will discuss major improvements and renovations at stations and garages on the South Shore at four public meetings that begin next week.

British Columbia will match the Canadian governments CA$2.2 billion (US$1.6 billion) in transit funding for projects in the Metro Vancouver area.

Four new one-track tunnels should be bored to replace the existing Baltimore and Potomac (B&P) Tunnel according to a Record of Decision (ROD) issued by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on March 31.

Issuance of the ROD by FRA concludes the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Impact Statement process on the initiative.

The government of Canada will provide CA$1.8 billion (US$1.35 billion) to the GO Transit Regional Express rail (GO RER) project in the Greater Golden Horseshoe Area.

Diana Mendes, HNTB Corporation transit/rail practice leader and senior vice president, was named 2017 Training Professional of the Year Award by the National Transit Institute (NTI). HNTB also welcomed Robert James to the firm's Parsippany, N.J. office as a senior project manager for electrical engineering.