Railroad News

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) yesterday began a series of public hearings on a draft environmental report for a proposed higher-speed rail line between Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia.

Released last month, the draft report recommends infrastructure improvements that would allow for nine additional daily passenger-rail trips between the two cities.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) on Tuesday announced more than $3 million in grants will be awarded as part of the 2017 Industrial Rail Access Program.

The eight awards will be issued to projects that expand or improve rail or freight access, economic opportunity and job growth. The grants require a private-sector match of at least 40 percent, according to a MassDOT press release.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has awarded a $50 million contract to Spanish manufacturer CAF to supply 10 streetcars.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit's (DART) board has elected Sue Bauman chair.

Bauman joined the board in 2016 after retiring as DART's vice president of marketing and communication in 2011. Bauman currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at Richland College.

The Panama Canal last week welcomed the COSCO Yantian, the 2000th "Neopanamax" vessel to pass through the expanded waterway.

The ship, which can carry up to 9,504 20-foot equivalent units (TEU), moved through the canal on its journey from Asia to the Caribbean.

Twin Eagle Sand Logistics LLC announced last week it has acquired a frac sand terminal near Bridgeport, West Virginia, from Process Transloading Bridgeport.

The Bridgeport terminal is positioned to serve the southern Utica and Marcellus sand logistics markets with more than 130 rail-car spots and 20,000 tons of flat and silo storage, Twin Eagle officials said in a press release.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation is seeking design concepts for hydrogen-powered trains as an alternative to conventional overhead wires on GO Transit's rail network.

The province has issued a request for proposals for designs that demonstrate how a hydrogen fuel cell system could be integrated into a bi-level electric multiple unit train.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has appointed John Bilich chief security officer, the agency announced yesterday.

A former commissioner of operations for the New York City Police Department (NYPD), Bilich joined PANYNJ in March 2015 as first deputy chief security officer.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has written a preliminary report on the Aug. 22 collision between two Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) trains.

The incident occurred when a SEPTA electrically powered single-car train struck an unoccupied SEPTA single-car train that was stopped at a passenger platform at the 69th Street Transportation Center on the Norristown Line in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.

Broward County's board of commissioners in Florida has approved a $31.4 million contract to purchase five streetcars from Siemens Industry Inc.

The units will be used on a planned  2.8-mile mile system in Fort Lauderdale, the Sun Sentinel reported Sept. 16. The board authorized purchasing five Siemens S70 vehicles for the Wave Streetcar, which is slated to open in early 2021. Construction on the $195 million project is expected to start in 2018.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) on Sept. 26 will issue $574 million worth of bonds, most of which have been deemed "sustainable," the agency announced yesterday.

Proceeds from sustainability bonds are used exclusively on projects that have environmental or social benefits.

Pan Am Railways and DP World have agreed to form a new direct intermodal service connecting the Boston market to Port Saint John in New Brunswick, Canada.

The new agreement provides a "viable alternative" to customers in the New England area, said officials representing DP World, the port's terminal operator. Port Saint John provides connections to more than 500 international destinations.

The Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) board yesterday awarded a $30.8 million contract to Walsh Construction Co. II LLC to rehabilitate and upgrade two Blue Line terminals.

The company will perform a range of improvements at the Jefferson Park and Belmont stations. The enhancements include new signage, interior and exterior painting, new LED lighting, and replacement of the bus terminal concrete and rail station platform surfaces.

The Greenbrier Cos. Inc. has built its 50,000th covered hopper rail car, the company announced today. In February, Greenbrier completed production of its 100,00th intermodal double-stack rail car. Both milestones exemplify the company's "transformation from a limited builder of specialized rail cars to a broad-based manufacturer of virtually all rail-car types," Greenbrier officials said in a press release. The company built its first covered hopper rail car more than 11 years ago. Greenbreir now builds a full line of small, medium and large covered hopper rail cars with freight-carrying capacities from 3,250 cubic feet up to 6,580 cubic feet.

Thales has closed on its acquisition of Guavus, a Big Data analytics company. The transaction is expected to help Thales address the growing needs of an "increasingly connected global ecosystem," Thales officials said in a press release. Guavus has built an industrial Big Data platform designed to be implemented across multiple new markets. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Guavus employs 250 people. Its revenue is expected to exceed $30 million for the current fiscal year, according to Thales. Thales announced plans to acquire the company in spring.

MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) last week opened an upgraded platform at its Hicksville Station in Nassau County, New York.

The 12-car concrete platform was demolished to make way for a new one with a translucent canopy. Crews installed energy-efficient lighting and signage, along with a new audio-visual paging system, which includes train time signs and speakers.

Caltrain has released a report to summarize and highlight its sustainability achievements between fiscal years 2010 and 2016. It’s the first time the commuter railroad has issued a sustainability report.

Over the past several years, the railroad has experienced "unprecedented ridership growth," which helps keep vehicles off the road and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in the San Francisco Bay area, Caltrain officials said in a press release.

CN officials yesterday unveiled the renamed Claude Mongeau National Training Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The Class I announced earlier this year that it would name its national employee training center after former President and Chief Executive Officer Claude Mongeau, who stepped down from his post for health reasons in June 2016.

COFCO International Ltd. (CIL) and grain cooperative Growmark Inc. have formed a new partnership that includes joint ownership and operation of a rail, barge and truck terminal on the Mississippi River in Cahokia, Illinois.

The pact includes a grain origination agreement. Additionally, Growmark will staff a grain merchandiser in CIL's St. Louis office to originate grain and service patron accounts, company officials said in a joint press release.