Railroad News

McMillen Jacobs Associates appointed Victor Romero as executive vice president of its underground division. Romero has been with McMillen Jacobs for 28 years, providing underground engineering in the rail-transit, highway, water and wastewater sectors, company officials said in a press release. Isabelle Lamb will succeed Romero as managing director of the Australia and New Zealand region. Lamb has over 25 years of experience in the design and management of teams for the construction of tunnels, underground structures and associated surface facilities for transit, water and roadway projects.

ABB signed a five-year contract to provide the Swiss Federal Railway (SBB) with its RER670 intelligent electronic device for transformer and line distance protection, ABB officials said in a press release. ABB has also supplied SBB with its REB500 busbar protection.

MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) crews will begin switch replacement work at the 96th Street interlocking in Manhattan starting later this week and stretching into August.

The project will take place in phases, ultimately leading to the installation of entirely new switches between the northbound express and local tracks at the 96 Street interlocking on the Seventh Avenue Line, NYCT officials said in a press release.

TNW Corp. this week announced two appointments: Andy Scheriger to director of sales and business development for TNW, and Eric Chavez to general manager at the Texas Rock Crusher Railway (TXR).

Prior to his appointment, Scheriger served as GM at TXR. In his new role, he will contribute to TNW's strategic planing and managing sales initiatives and programs. He will oversee customer account coordination; interaction with customers, prospects and customers; and new prospect initiatives.

Metrolink yesterday announced it appointed Todd McIntyre chief strategy officer to lead the California commuter railroad’s planning, government affairs, community relations, procurement and railroad services.

McIntyre joins Metrolink after three years as chief of staff at the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) in Washington, D.C., Metrolink officials said in a press release.

American Public Transportation Association (APTA) President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Skoutelas yesterday urged Congress to improve and strengthen the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program.

In prepared testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, Skoutelas suggested Congress conduct a review of the CIG program to assess the statutory, regulatory and administrative requirements to be eligible for a CIG grant.

Harbor Rail Services of California has selected Coast Autonomous to deploy self-driving vehicles at Union Pacific Railroad's Kinney County Railport (KCRP) in Texas.

The collaboration between Coast and Harbor Rail, which operates the railport, marks the first deployment of self-driving vehicles at a U.S. rail yard, Coast and Harbor Rail officials said in a press release.

CN will rebuild the rail bridge over the Steen River in Alberta, with Imperial Oil and Suncor contributing funds to the reconstruction, the Class I announced yesterday.

The approaches on both ends of the 360-foot bridge will be rebuilt with concrete and steel and the bridge deck of the steel span across the river will be replaced. Construction should be completed by mid-August, CN officials said in a press release.

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From Jack Hellmann to Genesee & Wyoming Inc. employees July 1: "This morning we are excited to announce that G&W has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Brookfield Infrastructure and GIC, pending regulatory and shareholder approval. If approved, the sale is expected to close at the end of 2019 or early 2020. Brookfield and GIC are two of the most respected infrastructure investors in the world who have a long-term view of investing that is perfectly suited to long-lived rail assets. Not only will Brookfield/GIC support the continued execution of G&W’s growth strategy by our current management team, but they also will bring expertise from their ownership of other rail assets around the world ...”

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is expanding its use of new maps and communication tools to make it easier for riders to use transit.

In February, SEPTA released a transit map that depicts SEPTA’s bus and rail routes together as a single network. Now, SEPTA is adding frequency-based transit maps that will be installed at stations throughout the system, SEPTA officials said in a press release.

Amtrak will launch customer service improvements to its Auto Train service starting in January 2020, the railroad announced yesterday.

The train — on which riders can travel with their cars, vans, SUVs, motorcycles and other motorized vehicles — offers daily, nonstop rail service between Lorton, Virginia, and Sanford, Florida.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) promoted Chris Koloc to vice president of internal audit.

In his new role, Koloc will manage and review all audit functions, including operational audits, IT outsourced audits, incurred cost audits of contractors and proactive work, DART officials said in a press release.

Canadian Pacific today announced a record-setting second quarter, during which revenue climbed 13 percent to CA$1.98 billion compared with the same quarter a year ago.

The Class I posted adjusted income of CA$602 million, or CA$4.30 per share, from CA$453 million, or CA$3.16 per share, a year earlier.

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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) last week began track and signal work on the Green Line between the Newton Highlands Station in Newton, Massachusetts, and Kenmore Station in Boston. 

During construction, which is expected to be completed by Dec. 20, crews will replace track, ties and ballast; build new signal equipment; replace cables; and repair catenary poles, MBTA officials said in a press release. 

Tomorrow morning, the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit will hold a hearing on the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) implementation of the Capital Investments Grant Program (CIG).

The hearing's purpose is to examine how the agency is implementing the CIG program. Scheduled to speak are FTA officials and representatives of the American Public Transportation Association, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, and the Kansas City Streetcar Authority, according to a press release issued by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.