Railroad News

VIA Rail Canada Inc.'s second-quarter ridership grew 9.5 percent compared with ridership during the same period in 2016, railroad officials announced last week.

VIA served 1 million passengers during Q2 2017 versus 939,000 riders during Q2 2016. The railroad's passenger revenue rose 15 percent to CA$80.9 million in the quarter from CA$70.1 million a year ago.

Patriot Rail Co. LLC and sister company Diversified Port Holdings LLC (DPH) have combined to create an expanded business portfolio, the companies announced late last week.

Through its principal subsidiaries Seaonus and Portus, DPH operates a maritime port logistics business in the U.S. Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Both Patriot Rail and DPH are based in Jacksonville, Florida.

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The province of Nova Scotia and the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway Ltd. have signed a one-year agreement to preserve rail infrastructure between St. Peter's Junction and Sydney.

The company will not apply to abandon a portion of the rail line and the province will reimburse valid expenses up to CA$60,000 (US$48,550) a month. Repairs or improvements of the rail line will not be reimbursed, but expenses directly attributed to the line such as salaries, insurance, security and building maintenance will be covered under the agreement.

The province of Nova Scotia and the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway Ltd. have signed a one-year agreement to preserve rail infrastructure between St. Peter's Junction and Sydney.

The company will not apply to abandon a portion of the rail line and the province will reimburse valid expenses up to CA$60,000 (US$48,550) a month. Repairs or improvements of the rail line will not be reimbursed, but expenses directly attributed to the line such as salaries, insurance, security and building maintenance will be covered under the agreement.

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) and SEACOR Holdings Inc. have formed a joint venture to own and operate CG Railway LLC (CGR), a freight railroad that operates rail ferry service between the ports of Mobile, Alabama, and Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz.

CG Railway is a subsidiary that SEACOR recently acquired through its acquisition of International Shipholding Corp. Terms of the 50-50 joint venture were not disclosed.

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) has released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the proposed East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor (ESFV project).

The project will be a 9.2-mile high-capacity transit route connecting the Metro Orange Line in Van Nuys to the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station through one of the busiest thoroughfares in the San Fernando Valley. Two bus rapid transit alternatives and two rail alternatives are being studied. All alternatives will run north from the Orange Line to the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station, primarily on Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road. The project is expected to begin construction in 2021, with an opening date between 2027-29.

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) has released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the proposed East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor (ESFV project).

The project will be a 9.2-mile high-capacity transit route connecting the Metro Orange Line in Van Nuys to the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station through one of the busiest thoroughfares in the San Fernando Valley. Two bus rapid transit alternatives and two rail alternatives are being studied. All alternatives will run north from the Orange Line to the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station, primarily on Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road. The project is expected to begin construction in 2021, with an opening date between 2027-29.

Genessee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) and SEACOR Holdings Inc. will own and operate CG Railway (CGR), LCC, through a 50/50 joint venture.

Genessee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) and SEACOR Holdings Inc. will own and operate CG Railway (CGR), LCC, through a 50/50 joint venture.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has released the draft environmental impact statement and environmental impact report for the proposed East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor.

The documents examine two bus rapid transit routes and two rail routes for the 9.2-mile corridor. Each alternative runs north from the Orange Line bus rapid transit route in Los Angeles' Van Nuys neighborhood to Metrolink's Sylmar/San Fernando Station.

Working with Rockwell Collins, Amtrak plans to equip approximately 310 diesel-electric locomotives with Positive Train Control (PTC) technology by the Dec. 31, 2018 federal deadline mandate.

Amtrak has signed an agreement with Rockwell Collins to implement the company's ARINC RailwayNet℠ service, a hosted network, messaging and application platform designed to meet PTC requirements. RailwayNet℠ will allow Amtrak's national diesel-electric locomotive fleet to interface with the PTC systems of host railroads. Under the agreement, Rockwell Collins will initialize the fleet to operate on 19 railroads, including commuter and freight lines that host Amtrak services, among them state-sponsored routes in the East and Midwest.

Working with Rockwell Collins, Amtrak plans to equip approximately 310 diesel-electric locomotives with Positive Train Control (PTC) technology by the Dec. 31, 2018 federal deadline mandate.

Amtrak has signed an agreement with Rockwell Collins to implement the company's ARINC RailwayNet℠ service, a hosted network, messaging and application platform designed to meet PTC requirements. RailwayNet℠ will allow Amtrak's national diesel-electric locomotive fleet to interface with the PTC systems of host railroads. Under the agreement, Rockwell Collins will initialize the fleet to operate on 19 railroads, including commuter and freight lines that host Amtrak services, among them state-sponsored routes in the East and Midwest.

U.S. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) yesterday visited Press-Seal Corp. in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to discuss public policy priorities for the rail and business communities.

During his visit, Banks toured Press-Seal's plant to learn about the company's freight-rail and transit products. The Railway Engineering-Maintenance and Suppliers Association (REMSA) — of which Press-Seal is a member — coordinated the event.

MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) has installed countdown clocks at all stations on the E and G rail lines to provide real-time arrival information.

The agency is using so-called "beacon technology" to power the clocks. The technology involves putting four low-energy Bluetooth beacons on each trainset and two receivers on each platform. LCD display screens at the stations then use that technology to provide real-time arrival information, NYCT officials said in a press release.

Sound Transit on Sept. 25 will add two new round-trip trains on the Sounder South Line service between Seattle and Lakewood, Washington.

The extra trains will bring the total number of daily round trips on the South Line to 13. The added service will help boost capacity and frequency during peak times, agency officials said in a press release.

Amtrak has completed its summer infrastructure renewal project at Penn Station, which will allow for normal schedules to return to the New York City station on Sept. 5, the railroad announced yesterday.

Amtrak engineering forces completed the two-month project a day early.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) yesterday issued safety recommendations that call for crash-resistant inward- and outward-facing cameras to be installed in all transit agency trains.

Issued to the Federal Transit Administration and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), the recommendations call for recorders with a minimum 12-hour continuous recording capability that can verify crew actions and train operating conditions, NTSB officials said in a press release.