Railroad News

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Managing Editor

Starting Sept. 23, Amtrak will provide exclusive amenities on the inaugural trip of its nonstop Acela service between New York City and Washington D.C.

The two-hour and 35-minute service will include complimentary coffee, tea, water and a light snack, as well as an at-seat cashless cart service offering a limited menu of snacks and beverages. Phone-charging kits will be offered for sale.

Northern Lines Railway (NLR) has put into service two recently renovated GP15 locomotives to provide customers with more reliable service.

The locomotives have 12-cylinder engines that consume less fuel than the 16-cylinder engines in the GP9 units they replace, NLR said in blog posted yesterday.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) last week began construction on a $37.7 million project to relocate the commuter-rail station in Chelsea, Massachusetts. 

The Chelsea station will be demolished and rebuilt about 1,800 feet west of its current Arlington Street location in order to be next to the Sliver Line 3 (SL3) bus stop. The new location and updated station design will improve multimodal options and increase accessibility for person with disabilities, MBTA officials said in a press release.

The Railway Association of Canada (RAC) yesterday announced CN, Metrolinx and Genesee & Wyoming Canada Inc. are the winners of the association's 2019 Safety Awards.

Issued annually, the awards recognize members for "outstanding contributions to rail safety," RAC officials said in a press release.

New Jersey Transit last week submitted to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) a revised financial plan for the Portal North Bridge project that identifies additional funding sources to address the federal government's concerns that the project may exceed project costs.

To demonstrate to the FTA that the appropriate funds would be in place for the project, NJ Transit and Amtrak have worked together to identify and commit specific funding sources.

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Managing Editor

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) last week announced it has expanded its partnership with Uber in northern Texas.

DART light-rail riders can now use the agency’s GoPass mobile application to book a shared ride through Uber’s UberPool function at designated zones, agency officials said in a press release. 

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and Silverstein Properties last week announced that the 3 World Trade Center (WTC) transit lobby has been opened.

The lobby will provide employees in the 3 WTC with access to and from the Port Authority-Trans Hudson (PATH) railroad or New York City subways. The lobby is located at the southwest corner of the mezzanine level of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, near the current transit lobby entrance for 4 WTC, PANYNJ officials said in a press release.

Metrolink last week welcomed safety and security leaders to its Rail Safety Summit to address topics such as crossing safety, quiet zone implementation and positive train control.

The summit — held in September to coincide with Rail Safety Month — also addressed how mental health and homelessness effect rail safety.

The Kansas City Streetcar Authority (KCSA) has made a formal request to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to move the city's proposed Main Street streetcar extension project to the engineering phase, per the Federal Capital Improvements Grant (CIG) New Starts Program. 

KCSA, in partnership with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority and the city of Kansas City, Missouri, recently completed 30 percent of the project’s overall design, including track alignment, system and facility design, KCSA officials said in a press release.

Bay Area Rapid Transit's (BART) board last week approved the $142 million purchase of a building in Oakland, California, to house its headquarters starting in spring 2021.

The agency’s existing Oakland headquarters has been located in leased space since 2003. A 60-percent rate hike set to take effect after the lease expires in July 2021 prompted the board to move to its own site, BART officials said in a press release.

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Senior Associate Editor

Texas Central late last week announced it signed a contract with the Salini-Impreglio joint venture and its U.S. subsidiary Lane Construction Co. for the design and construction of a proposed high-speed rail service between Dallas and Houston.

As part of the design-build scope, Salini-Lane will supply the civil infrastructure work, including design and construction of the viaduct and embankment sections along the entire route, the installation of the track system and construction of related buildings and services along the route that will house maintenance and other rail system equipment, Texas Central officials said in a press release.

New York Air Brake LLC (NYAB) in late August demonstrated automatic control for throttle, dynamic brake, independent brake and air brakes with a positive train control-compliant consist including three locomotives and 30 loaded cars on 48 miles of test track at the Transportation Technology Center Inc. in Pueblo, Colorado. NYAB’s LEADER® onboard train control and energy management system is designed to automatically control a train over a variety of terrain, such as starting and stopping on uphill, downhill and flat grades, company officials said in a press release.

RailPros hired Basem Muallem as vice president and manager of the Inland Empire area in California, as well as the statewide transportation lead for California. Before joining RailPros, Muallem worked for the California Department of Transportation for 32 years in various posts, including deputy district director for maintenance, program management and right of way. He also served as the division chief for maintenance and right of way in Sacramento, as well as the District 8 director.

Valley Metro yesterday announced it has hired Alexis Tameron Kinsey as chief of staff and senior advisor, and Abigail Cooksey-Williams as manager of transportation demand management.

Tameron Kinsey will manage government relations and provide strategic counsel to Valley Metro Chief Executive Officer Scott Smith.