Railroad News

RailPros Field Services, Inc., a provider of railroad field and design support services, has hired David Fitzwater, PE, as its new senior project manager. 

Norfolk Southern on Jan. 24 named six people to new Vice President positions and duties, and announced the retirement of two long-time executives.

The Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA) shared Jan. 24 its three advocacy priorities for 2017.

CSX revealed a preliminary 2017 capital investment of $2.2 billion during its Fourth Quarter earnings call on Jan. 18.

Kansas City Southern will spend between $550-$560 million on it's capital program in 2017, which is a four to five percent reduction from its 2016 capital program of $584 million.

Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx have issued a Request for Proposals to two prequalified teams to design, build and finance GO Transit Cooksville Station project.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York is proposing expanded sleep apnea screening and treatment opportunities to rail engineers and conductors across multiple area networks to bolster safety for operators and passengers.

Union Pacific aims to spend approximately $3.1 billion on its 2017 capital program, pending approval by the Class 1's Board of Directors.

Stacy and Witbeck, Inc., has been awarded a contract from the Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority for Construction Manager At-Risk (CMAR) for the Tempe Streetcar project.

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) opened its new Staten Island Railway (SIR) Arthur Kill station Jan. 21, marking its first addition to the line in two decades.

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has allocated more than $127 million to 49 projects to maintain the state's infrastructure systems.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is testing two prototypes of portable track vacuum systems to bolster the network’s efforts to keep tracks clean.

The Metropolitan Council (Met Council), which serves the Twin Cities, received approval from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to begin engineering on the Blue Line extension.

The Blue Line Extension (Bottineau) light-rail extension is scheduled for construction in 2018 and will operate about 13 miles northwest from downtown Minneapolis, Minn., through north Minneapolis, Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal and Brooklyn Park, drawing riders northwest of Brooklyn Park.

BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) has announced a $3.4 billion capital expenditure plan for 2017.

R. J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC, named Nathan Henderson as president of R. J. Corman Railroad Services, LLC, and of Noel Rush to serve as senior vice president Commercial Development, R.J. Corman Railroad Group effective immediately. Both will continue to report to R.J. Corman Railroad Group President and CEO Ed Quinn.

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) met with U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary-designate Elaine Chao on Jan. 18 to discuss infrastructure priorities, specifically, the Gateway Program.

Sen. Menendez, the ranking member of the Senate's mass transit subcommittee, said the meeting impressed upon Secretary Chao, who led the U.S. Labor Department under President George W. Bush, that advancing the Gateway project to replace the aging Hudson River rail tunnels must be the nation's top transportation infrastructure priority in the Trump Administration.

TransLink has announced the start of Phase One of its expanded transit services that will be available in 2017 in conjunction with the 10-Year Vision for Metro Vancouver Transportation.

Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (CP) has announced the appointment of Keith Creel as the company’s president and CEO effective Jan. 31. The change follows E. Hunter Harrison's decision to retire from the railroad.

Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH) updated its progress toward the installation of Positive Train Control (PTC), as well as its efforts monitor sleep apnea in employees in an effort to ensure safety of riders and the general public.

PATH said it remains on pace to complete PTC installation by the end of 2018. About 91 percent of PATH employees have been trained in PTC. As part of PATH's overall Communications-based Train Control (CBTC) program, CBTC equipment has been installed on 216 of 230 passenger cars through the end of December. The signal work being undertaken not only helps to meet the federal PTC mandate, but will allow PATH trains to safely run closer together, increasing capacity.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) published a proposed General Directive aimed at reducing the frequency of stop signal overruns in the rail transit industry.

FTA issued the public notice on Jan. 17 and comments can be submitted through March 20, 2017.