Railroad News

RailWorks Corporation named John Brohm as executive vice president with responsibility for the Ontario operations of PNR RailWorks Inc., its Canadian subsidiary.

Brohm will lead PNR RailWorks' track, signals and communications and major projects operations throughout the province of Ontario in eastern Canada. RailWorks says his appointment comes at a time of record-setting investment in rail transit infrastructure across Ontario.

Wabtec Corporation has signed a $97 million contract to provide signaling and communication services for TEX Rail, a new commuter rail line being developed by the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. The authority expects to open the 27-mile, double-track line in 2018.

Under the contract, Wabtec will provide wayside signaling and communication services, including a control and command center, for the line.

Thomas Prendergast, former chairman and and CEO of Metropolitan Transportation Authority, has joined STV Incorporated as executive vice president and chief strategic officer.

STV says he will work on strategic projects throughout the firm. He will also be responsible for forging and maintaining relationships with transit agencies across the country and in Canada and serve as principal on major transportation projects undertaken by the firm. He will report directly to Milo Riverso, president and CEO of STV.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Feb. 28 for the Paoli Station Accessibility Improvements Project, a $36 million initiative to improve accessibility, safety and provide operational flexibility at the Paoli Train Station.

In fiscal year 2016, 201,572 Amtrak passengers and approximately 740,000 Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) passengers passed through the station. The current station facilities built in 1953 by the Pennsylvania Railroad, including the one-story brick station building, are not fully accessible and are in need of improvement. SEPTA and Amtrak have partnered to make modifications to the station and infrastructure at the station to bring into compliance with 2006 U.S. Department of Transportation Accessibility Standards.

A rail worker notification system that notifies maintenance workers, as well as train operators has been awarded a U.S. patent.

STC, Inc., says its now patented EMTRAC Rail Worker Notification is comprised of two main components, the onboard Vehicle Computer Units and the Personal Notification Units carried by rail workers. Optional detection units may also be installed in wayside cabinets along the railway to extend communications or to enable real-time monitoring of vehicle and worker activity. The EMTRAC system also includes setup software so administrative personnel can configure the system according to specific agency requirements.

The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) LYNX Blue Line Extension (BLE) will open in March 2018, seven months later than the previously scheduled opening of August 2017.

Caltrain has terminated a contract with Parsons Transportation Group (PTG), the firm responsible for designing and implementing a Positive Control System or CBOSS, after the agency said lack of the contractor's progress threated to delay implementation of the technology.

The federally-mandated system must be installed by the end of 2018 and Caltrain took steps to end the contract after "continued delays in delivering the project and an utter lack of progress in moving the project forward consistent with PTG's contractual obligations."

Washington's Metropolitan Area Transit Authority on Monday threatened to bring in contractors and pursue further legal action if unionized employees refuse to work overtime.

The authority said in a release that union leadership was encouraging members to turn down extra shifts.

Don Orseno, who began his career in 1974 as a ticket collector on the Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, will retire as Metra executive director and CEO in December 2017.

The agency responsible for rail service between Chicago and its suburbs has launched a nationwide search with the aim of having a new executive director and CEO hired by the fall to ensure a smooth transition.

On February 22, staff of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) joined National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) member – Atlantic Track & Turnout Co. (Atlantic Track) – for a tour of its facility in Richmond, Ill.

A 2,000-linear-foot tunnel that will host light-rail service in Bellevue, Wash., as part of Sound Transit's East Link, is now under construction.

The tunnel will be approximately one-third of a mile long when completed and run between the future East Main and Downtown Bellevue stations under 100th Ave. Sound Transit says it is utilizing the Sequential Excavation Method (SEM) to excavate the tunnel rather than using the cut and cover method or a tunnel boring machine due to the tunnel's short length and to mitigate community impact. Sound Transit says SEM's advantages include minimized traffic disruption, reduced noise and dust impacts and the elimination of utility service disruptions.

A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the Union Station Enhancement project in Toronto, ON, Canada has been issued by Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx.

The RFQ is for interested parties to design, build and finance the project, which is required to accommodate the planned expansion of GO Transit rail service, which links into Union Station.

The funds, approved at the Feb. 1, 2017 meeting, will support the design and environmental permitting for new CTrail Hartford Line stations in North Haven, Newington, West Hartford, Windsor, Windsor Locks and Enfield as well as 7.5 miles of double track from Windsor to Enfield. Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) also says the funding will support the construction of approximately four miles of double track between Hartford and Windsor, which is currently underway.

CTDOT Commissioner James P. Redeker said, "The funding approved by the State Bond Commission reinforces our State's continued commitment to providing new regional passenger rail service on the Hartford Line, which will become the newest component of a robust and vibrant multi-modal regional transportation system."

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded a $1.2 million grant to the city of Newton, Mississippi, to help expand rail access to the Newton Industrial Park.

According to grantee estimates, the project will create 125 new jobs and spur $85 million in private investment.

Reading & Northern Railroad has named William Clark as senior vice president – Coal where he will be responsible for managing the anthracite coal business, as well as the railroad's freight car fleet of more than 1,200 cars.

Clark joins Reading & Northern from Talen Energy (formerly PPL) where he managed logistics, coal purchasing and the oversight of a fleet of more than 2,000 rail cars serving four power plants. Prior to joining Talen/PPL, Clark spent 14 years at Norfolk Southern and has also worked at the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad and Iowa Interstate Railroad.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) says its members are making "significant progress" toward implementing positive train control (PTC) and are on schedule to meet the December 2018 deadline.

The analyses were based on surveying APTA members and assessing the quarterly reports submitted to the FRA for the last quarter of 2016. It also showed that given the priority of PTC, there remains significant investment backlog for State of Good Repair (SOGR) and expansion projects, including upgrades and replacement to track, bridges, rolling stock and facilities. Since APTA's last quarterly report, the Federal Transit Administration has updated the SOGR for the public transit industry, which has increased to $90 billion.

Three teams have been selected by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to compete for the design-build contract to build the Green Line Extension Project.

The teams were shortlisted following an evaluation of their Statements of Qualifications. MBTA said under the design-build contract, the project will be delivered by a single firm, which will work under a single contract for the design and construction of the Green Line Extension Project.

Legislation had been introduced into the U.S. Senate that would make permanent a tax credit used to repair and upgrade shortline and regional railroads.

Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) introduced the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act, S.407, on Feb. 16. The bill's cosponsors include Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bob Casey (D-PA), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Canadian Pacific is updating its logo to a design that the railroad says expresses strength and confidence while recognizing its past.

"I am excited to say that 'the beaver is back,'" said Keith Creel, president and CEO. "Thanks to a lot of hard work in the [p]ast few years, we have taken our rightful place as an industry leader and the time is right to re-connect with our past by bringing back this iconic symbol for Canada and for CP."

Ottawa's planned Stage 2 Light Rail Transit Project is expanding its scope with a proposal that would extend the project to the west, south and east. Stakeholders also explained a recommended procurement model for the project.

The Stage 2 Implementation report, as presented by city staff, provides recommendations that meet the directions given by Council in the "Stage 2 Light Rail Transit (LRT) Environmental and Functional Design Report," approved by City Council on July 8, 2015. The report updates changes in project scope, provides information on the final alignment adjustments, includes the recommended procurement model and the specific activities the city will undertake to prepare to implement Stage 2. The city said if the report is approved, it will allow for a competitive procurement process for all three Stage 2 extensions and the related supporting projects and permit the projects to be built within the city's affordability envelope.