Railroad News

Texas Central Partners and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner yesterday signed an agreement to work together on a jobs and economic development plan for the area around a future Houston rail station and the private company's bullet train.

Under the agreement, Texas Central will consult with the city on finalizing the passenger station area in Houston. The site is expected to be located in the general area south of U.S. 290, west of Loop 610 and north of Interstate 10, which is near major employment centers, city and Texas Central officials said in a press release.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) earlier this week began testing a new passenger screening system at the Red Line's west entrance to Union Station.

Developed by Evolv Technology, the portable system is designed to screen riders for weapons and explosives. The system can scan 600 people per hour and automatically detect mass casualty threats, Metro officials said in a media advisory.

The Bay Area Transportation Authority (BART) is utilizing interns this summer to create useful technology.

Two BART engineering interns created an internal web application that is being used to quickly diagnose and resolve transportation issues for the transportation authority.

The Bay Area Transportation Authority (BART) is utilizing interns this summer to create useful technology.

Two BART engineering interns created an internal web application that is being used to quickly diagnose and resolve transportation issues for the transportation authority.

The Bay Area Transportation Authority (BART) is utilizing interns this summer to create useful technology.

Two BART engineering interns created an internal web application that is being used to quickly diagnose and resolve transportation issues for the transportation authority.

Sound Transit has picked STV and Mott MacDonald to oversee the construction of two major light-rail extensions.

The two firms will work as part of the Northwest Transit Systems Partners (NTSP) joint venture, which Sound Transit's board approved in May, STV officials said in a press release.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Wednesday named Kevin Quinn administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA).

Quinn has been serving as acting administrator since June 6. He previously served as director of planning and programming to ensure MTA delivered on its service goals.

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority will receive CA$250,000 in federal funds toward a project that will assess real-time information on the supply-chain performance of rail cargo moving to and from the Port of Vancouver, the Canadian government announced earlier this week.

The port authority launched the Supply Chain Visibility Project in 2015. The federal contribution will fund a part of the project that will measure performance of the grain and fertilizer sectors, as well as address data quality.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has granted the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District permission to begin commuter-rail service on Aug. 25.

SMART's initial 43-mile route includes 10 stations between the Sonoma County Airport and downtown San Rafael, California. Service will be free on opening day.

HDR was chosen to lead the final design for GoTriangle's Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project.

The project, which is named for the counties it will serve in the Triangle Region of North Carolina, will be North Carolina's first urban rail-transit system outside of the Charlotte metro. The 17.7-mile system will offer an alternative to already congested roadways as burgeoning medical and educational research continues to attract new residents. The region forecasts a double-digit population surge during the next two decades and the new system is expected to accommodate 26,000 trips per day.

HDR was chosen to lead the final design for GoTriangle's Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project.

The project, which is named for the counties it will serve in the Triangle Region of North Carolina, will be North Carolina's first urban rail-transit system outside of the Charlotte metro. The 17.7-mile system will offer an alternative to already congested roadways as burgeoning medical and educational research continues to attract new residents. The region forecasts a double-digit population surge during the next two decades and the new system is expected to accommodate 26,000 trips per day.

HDR was chosen to lead the final design for GoTriangle's Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project.

The project, which is named for the counties it will serve in the Triangle Region of North Carolina, will be North Carolina's first urban rail-transit system outside of the Charlotte metro. The 17.7-mile system will offer an alternative to already congested roadways as burgeoning medical and educational research continues to attract new residents. The region forecasts a double-digit population surge during the next two decades and the new system is expected to accommodate 26,000 trips per day.

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is conducting high-tech rail inspections, switch replacement and other track work between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma in the early morning hours of Saturday, Aug. 19.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) says the double track project will increase track capacity, service frequency and reliability on the Ronkonkoma Branch, as well as spur economic activity, provide hundreds of construction jobs and improve LIRR service to Long Island MacArthur Airport. The double track project will dramatically reduce delays on the LIRR and enable more off-peak service in both directions.

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is conducting high-tech rail inspections, switch replacement and other track work between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma in the early morning hours of Saturday, Aug. 19.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) says the double track project will increase track capacity, service frequency and reliability on the Ronkonkoma Branch, as well as spur economic activity, provide hundreds of construction jobs and improve LIRR service to Long Island MacArthur Airport. The double track project will dramatically reduce delays on the LIRR and enable more off-peak service in both directions.

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is conducting high-tech rail inspections, switch replacement and other track work between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma in the early morning hours of Saturday, Aug. 19.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) says the double track project will increase track capacity, service frequency and reliability on the Ronkonkoma Branch, as well as spur economic activity, provide hundreds of construction jobs and improve LIRR service to Long Island MacArthur Airport. The double track project will dramatically reduce delays on the LIRR and enable more off-peak service in both directions.

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District received approval from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to begin full passenger train service on Aug. 25.

"We are proud to say that we are ready to roll," said SMART Board of Directors Chairwoman Debora Fudge. "This is the result of years of hard work from SMART's staff, its team of contractors and consultants and Federal Railroad Administration Regional Administrator James Jordan and his team. Successfully opening a new transit system is a major accomplishment—and we will remember this day for generations to come."

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District received approval from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to begin full passenger train service on Aug. 25.

"We are proud to say that we are ready to roll," said SMART Board of Directors Chairwoman Debora Fudge. "This is the result of years of hard work from SMART's staff, its team of contractors and consultants and Federal Railroad Administration Regional Administrator James Jordan and his team. Successfully opening a new transit system is a major accomplishment—and we will remember this day for generations to come."

Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx are moving forward with the procurement process for the Hurontario Light Rail Transit project and Davenport Diamond Rail Grade Separation project.

Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx are moving forward with the procurement process for the Hurontario Light Rail Transit project and Davenport Diamond Rail Grade Separation project.

CSX President and Chief Executive Officer E. Hunter Harrison has fired back at a coalition of rail-shipper trade associations that complained to Congress about rail-service disruptions as the Class I implements a restructuring aimed at improving efficiency.

In a letter sent Wednesday to the Rail Customer Coalition (RCC), Harrison said CSX was disappointed at the "many unfounded and grossly exaggerated statements" the group has made about CSX's service performance as the Class I implements precision scheduled railroading.