Railroad News

Several U.S. passenger-rail agencies suspended service over the weekend, and some into this week, out of concern for rider and operator safety as protests over the death of George Floyd continue across the nation. 

In Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed, Metro Transit light-rail and commuter-rail service will remain suspended through today. Agency officials will provide an update on future service plans at 8 p.m. tonight.

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) last week put into operation the first nine of 18 new working tracks as part of the authority's Mason Mega Rail project.

The action marks a milestone in the project, which has been in the works for more than four years and is designed to expand service to the U.S. Southeast and Midwest, GPA officials said in a press release.

U.S. transit industry leaders sharply criticized a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation that encourages people to commute to work by driving or using ride-hailing services instead of riding on public transit systems.

The CDC suggested that employers consider encouraging employees to commute by car or as the sole passenger in a ride-hailing service car. The suggestion was included in guidelines issued by the agency as the nation's cities emerge from restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) crews yesterday began the next phase of the agency’s signal modernization project on the Culver F Line in Brooklyn, New York.

This phase of the project — which was delayed from its original March start date due to the COVID-19 outbreak — includes replacing 70-year-old signals between Church Avenue and Coney Island stations with a communications-based train control (CBTC) system. 

Brightline/Virgin Trains USA is discussions with Miami-Dade County in Florida about building five train platforms between Miami and Aventura and launching a $425 million commuter-rail system, The Miami Herald reported Wednesday.

The proposed deal was revealed Tuesday, the newspaper reported. Under the arrangement, Miami-Dade would pay the company $350 million to construct stations after Brightline spent $75 million building platforms that could be used to launch the commuter service.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Metra this week released plans to welcome back more riders as their coronavirus restrictions are lifted in their regions. 

BART in San Francisco will implement a 15-step plan, which calls for enhanced cleaning and disinfection routines; running longer trains to allow social distancing among riders; increased train frequencies and requiring face coverings on trains.

Metro Transit yesterday suspended light-rail and commuter-rail service through the weekend out of concern for rider and operator safety as protests over the death of George Floyd while in police custody escalated in Minneapolis. 

Metro Transit’s Blue Line airport shuttle service will continue to operate as the only exception to the service suspension. 

ProRail awarded Fugro a three-year framework contract for geotechnical investigations to support renewal work of existing rail lines across the Netherlands. Under the contract, Fugro will work with ProRail to identify and develop geotechnical solutions, such as faster cone penetration test techniques, that will increase efficiencies and reduce line closures, Fugro officials said in a press release.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit's (DART) board approved a contract with Alstom Signaling Operations LLC to upgrade the agency's Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. Alstom will replace software, servers, workstations, tunnel ventilation control systems, an overview display wall and a cyber security program, as well as provide data backup with remote-site archive sub-systems. Meanwhile, DART awarded Uber Technologies Inc. a three-year contract for rideshare services to supplement the agency’s GoLink on-demand shuttle service. 

The Orange County Transportation Authority's (OCTA) board last week awarded a $45 million to Herzog Transit Services Inc. to operate and maintain the planned OC Streetcar light-rail system in California. 

Herzog will provide operation and maintenance services over a 17-month pre-revenue service period, with an initial five-year revenue-operations term and two, two-year options.

Amtrak on June 1 will restore its Hiawatha service between Milwaukee and Chicago in response to anticipated increased demand, the national intercity passenger railroad announced yesterday.

Two Hiawatha trains and continued service by two Amtrak Empire Builder trains will together offer morning and afternoon departures daily on the route.

Paterson Grain announced earlier this month the shipment of Canadian Pacific's largest ever grain train moved from Paterson's terminal in Bowden, Alberta, to Vancouver, British Columbia.

The train, consisting of 167 new high-capacity hopper cars, was loaded at the company's Foothills Terminal and transported 16,313 metric tons of grain to the Alliance Grain Terminal in Vancouver, Paterson officials said in a press release.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) tomorrow will release the draft environmental impact report for its 14-mile high-speed rail project section between Burbank and Los Angeles for public review and comment.

The draft environmental impact report/environmental impact statement (EIR/EIS) evaluates the impacts and benefits of CHSRA’s plan to realign existing rail tracks in the corridor to allow for two additional tracks.

U.S. freight railroads logged 428,715 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending May 23, a 19.2 percent decrease compared with the same week last year, Association of American Railroads (AAR) data shows.

Total carloads for the week tumbled 27.5 percent to 190,649 units, while intermodal volume fell 11.2 percent to 238,076 containers and trailers.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) yesterday announced the recipients of more than $302 million in grant funds under the federal-state partnership for State of Good Repair Program to help repair railroad infrastructure. The grants will fund 12 projects in nine states.

The program funds capital projects to repair, replace or rehabilitate publicly or Amtrak-owned or controlled railroad assets to reduce the state-of-good-repair backlog and improve intercity passenger-rail performance. Eligible projects include upgrading track, switches, bridges, passenger stations and grade crossings; and equipment, including passenger cars, FRA officials said in a press release.