Railroad News

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) yesterday announced it will shut down all Muni Metro light-rail lines and replace them with bus service for several weeks due to overhead electrical line failures and because an employee tested positive for COVID-19. 

The shutdown occurred just days after the agency reopened rail service following five months of being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Regional Transportation District of Denver’s (RTD) board last night selected Debra Johnson as the agency’s next general manager and chief executive officer.

Johnson — now deputy CEO of the Long Beach Transit bus service in California — will be the first female CEO in RTD's history, agency officials said in a press release. 

Bradley Walker, 38
Director of safety
Watco Cos. LLC

Nominator’s quote: “Brad often teaches in the field and classroom for four of Watco’s railroads that comprise about 1,500 of the company’s 5,400 short line freight miles and represent between 350 and 400 employees. He is the point man for Watco’s implementation of federally regulated programs, including making sure all operations on new properties are compliant on Day 1.” — Tracie VanBecelaere, Watco Cos. LLC

Six San Francisco Bay Area transit operators, including rail agencies, last week issued standards for keeping transit safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The “Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan” outlines actions such as frequent cleaning, personal protective equipment, face coverings, social distancing, ventilation and touchless fares.

Metro Transit in Minneapolis on Sept. 12 will expand its light-rail schedule by offering service every 10 minutes on the Blue and Green lines. 

In July, light-rail ridership was down about 75 percent compared to the same month last year, Metro Transit officials said in a press release.

Metra crews tomorrow will begin a $2.3 million project to replace a railroad crossing at 87th Street and Pulaski Road on the SouthWest Service Line in Worth Township, Illinois. 

Crews will reposition the crossing gates at the intersection closer to the tracks, add pedestrian gates and replace the signal bungalow. Work also will include the replacement of rail, ties and ballast.

The boards of Metrolink and the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) recently approved memorandums of understanding (MOU) with Brightline/XpressWest to study a possible expansion of Xpress West's proposed high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.

Metrolink's board approved an MOU last week, according to a Forbes report. The study would examine linking the XpressWest project to Metrolink stations in the Los Angeles suburbs of Rancho Cucamonga and Palmdale, California. Each extension would add about about 50 miles from XpressWest's current terminus in Victorville, California, the news organization reported.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Surface Transportation Board (STB) yesterday wrote to each Class I to address certain service issues related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In letters to the Class Is' chief executive officers, FRA Administrator Ronald Batory and STB members said they've been made aware of concerns such as "missed industrial switches and excessively late or annulled trains due to crew availability issues."

Harrison Wadsworth, 33
Director, government affairs
Siemens Corp.

Nominator’s quote: “Harrison is a strong representative of every aspect of the Siemens Mobility business. We see a very strong future for Harrison as a rising leader in our industry. Given his work in both passenger and freight rail, combined with a focus on digitalization and cybersecurity, he is well-positioned to continue to grow as a young leader.” — Elizabeth Cho, Siemens Mobility

VIA Rail Canada Inc. on Sept. 1 will increase service between Quebec and Ontario due to an increase in demand for intercity travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency announced last week.

Service in the Quebec-Windsor Corridor will be restored to 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels, VIA Rail officials said in a press release.

Portland State University’s Center for Public Interest Design tomorrow will select the winners of a design competition to re-envision the use of Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon’s (TriMet) oldest MAX light-rail vehicles, which will begin to be retired in a few years. 

Contestants of the competition were encouraged to find new uses for legacy trains that could help address homelessness, climate change, racial inequality or other social, environmental or public health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, TriMet officials said in a press release.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on Aug. 30 will end the overnight for-hire vehicle program it put in place in May to offer alternative service during overnight subway closures that are necessary to facilitate enhanced cleaning during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The program served about 1,500 riders per night who faced excessively lengthy trips as a result of the subway closures, MTA officials said in a press release. 

The North Carolina Railroad Co. (NCRR) has hired Edward Wu as director of engineering.

Wu has more than 15 years of experience in transportation engineering and commuter- and freight-rail construction. He is joining NCRR after nearly six years at CN, where he managed multiple infrastructure projects involving freight- and passenger-rail service, NCRR officials said in a press release.

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra and bus service Pace issued a joint statement calling on Congress to provide $32 billion for transit nationwide in a new COVID-19 relief package, as recommended by the American Public Transportation Association.

The joint statement was signed by Metra Chief Executive Office and Executive Director Jim Derwinski, CTA President Dorval Carter, RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden and Pace Executive Director Rocky Donahue.

Kyle Van Koughnett, 39
Director of transload strategy
Canadian Pacific

Nominator’s quote: “Kyle has a unique ability to connect internal teams, create efficiencies, be more competitive and thereby help customers transition freight onto rail. He is a passionate guy who converges details and data with commercial teams to tackle complex logistics and create solutions.” — Gurpreet Khaira, Canadian Pacific

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) earlier this week launched a yearlong pilot program with HOPE Atlanta to find solutions for people that are homeless and taking refuge in rail stations.

HOPE Atlanta is a non-profit organization that offers housing, social services, substance abuse counseling and employment services.