Railroad News

California state and high-speed rail officials yesterday unveiled a plan to assume federal environmental responsibilities for the state's high-speed rail project.

The move is aimed at streamlining reviews and approvals of the environmental documents needed to advanced the high-speed rail program and related rail projects, California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHRSA) officials said in a press release.

Ceres Solutions Cooperative Inc. has been awarded a $350,000 state loan for a rail project that's part of a feed-mill expansion in White Cloud, Michigan.

The company obtained the loan from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Office of Rail's Freight Economic Development Program (FEDP), which provides low interest loans to rail-served businesses in the state.

Western Forest Products Inc., a Canadian forest products company, announced this week that it would close its Englewood logging train on Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

The company will shut down its train operation and ship logs by truck to save money and increase competitiveness, according to a Western press release.

The state of California is looking to assume federal environmental responsibilities for the California high-speed rail project.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), in partnership with the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), has opened its draft application to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to assume the federal environmental responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other federal environmental laws for public review and comment.

The state of California is looking to assume federal environmental responsibilities for the California high-speed rail project.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), in partnership with the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), has opened its draft application to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to assume the federal environmental responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other federal environmental laws for public review and comment.

The state of California is looking to assume federal environmental responsibilities for the California high-speed rail project.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), in partnership with the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), has opened its draft application to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to assume the federal environmental responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other federal environmental laws for public review and comment.

Sunrise Coal, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hallador Energy, and Norfolk Southern have signed a Side Track Agreement to construct a truck to rail coal loading facility.

The facility known as the Princeton Loop will be located six miles west of Princeton, Ind., on Highway 64 and includes the ability to unload trucks, blend coals, load 135 car unit trains in four hours and store more than 4 million tons of coal. The new facility will primarily serve utility coal plants served by NS once the rail facility is completed in the spring of 2018.

Sunrise Coal, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hallador Energy, and Norfolk Southern have signed a Side Track Agreement to construct a truck to rail coal loading facility.

The facility known as the Princeton Loop will be located six miles west of Princeton, Ind., on Highway 64 and includes the ability to unload trucks, blend coals, load 135 car unit trains in four hours and store more than 4 million tons of coal. The new facility will primarily serve utility coal plants served by NS once the rail facility is completed in the spring of 2018.

Sunrise Coal, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hallador Energy, and Norfolk Southern have signed a Side Track Agreement to construct a truck to rail coal loading facility.

The facility known as the Princeton Loop will be located six miles west of Princeton, Ind., on Highway 64 and includes the ability to unload trucks, blend coals, load 135 car unit trains in four hours and store more than 4 million tons of coal. The new facility will primarily serve utility coal plants served by NS once the rail facility is completed in the spring of 2018.

The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority earlier this week issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) seeking a design-build team for the alignment of its light-rail project between Glendora and Montclair, California.

The $1.5 billion project involves extending the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (Metro) Gold Line through communities in the San Gabriel Valley and into San Bernardino County.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) on Wednesday released its proposed $3.4 billion capital budget for 2018, which includes funds to advance LaGuardia Airport's "AirTrain" project.

The proposal also allocates money for planning activities for an extension of the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) system to the Newark Liberty International Airport Station, PANYNJ officials said in a press release.

Hallador Energy subsidiary Sunrise Coal LLC has signed a side-track agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway to construct a truck-to-rail coal loading facility.

Known as the Princeton Loop, the facility will be located 6 miles west of Princeton, Indiana, on Highway 64. When completed in spring 2018, the facility will primarily serve utility coal plants that NS serves, according to a Hallador press release.

Hallador Energy subsidiary Sunrise Coal LLC has signed a side-track agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway to construct a truck-to-rail coal loading facility.

Known as the Princeton Loop, the facility will be located 6 miles west of Princeton, Indiana, on Highway 64. When completed in spring 2018, the facility will primarily serve utility coal plants that NS serves, according to a Hallador press release.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced this week that Sumitomo Corp. of Americas will work with Siemens to fulfill a $371 million multi-state contract to supply 137 single-level passenger rail cars.

Caltrans' contract amendment replaces Nippon Sharyo with Siemens to fulfill the delayed order. Under the contract's original terms, Sumitomo subcontracted with Nippon Sharyo of Japan to build the cars in Rochelle, Illinois.

By Simon Hughes

The construction industry is one of the oldest in the United States and can chart its history to the creation of the earliest skyscrapers and railroads. Despite this longevity, it’s constantly evolving. Every year there are new developments and technologies in the industry that spawn new acronyms; in recent years, CAD, BIM and P3, to name a few, have surfaced.

Transport Canada officials will address fatigue management in the rail industry, Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced this week.

A notice of intent will be published in the Canada Gazette for the first part of a proposed approach to incorporate up-to-date fatigue science in current requirements, Transport Canada officials said in a press release.

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) officials are considering potential changes to three rail stations to improve access to the Maryland Transit Administration's future Purple Line light-rail route.

WMATA is mulling the changes at the request of Maryland state officials, agency officials said in a press release. At WMATA's station in Bethesda, Maryland, the agency would build a new south entrance that will connect with street level and the Bethesda Purple Line station.

Amazon will open a new distribution facility at the Tradepoint Atlantic multimodal industrial park near Baltimore.

The new fulfillment facility — Amazon's fourth in Maryland — will be located in Sparrows Point at Tradepoint Atlantic, the site of a former steel mill that closed in 2012.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has proposed a $3.2 billion operating budget and a $3.4 billion capital budget for 2018.

PANYNJ says the proposed operating budget represents an increase of $61 million or 1.9 percent versus the 2017 budget, which is in line with the rate of inflation, while the capital budget aligns with the authority's 10-year plan adopted in February 2017.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has proposed a $3.2 billion operating budget and a $3.4 billion capital budget for 2018.

PANYNJ says the proposed operating budget represents an increase of $61 million or 1.9 percent versus the 2017 budget, which is in line with the rate of inflation, while the capital budget aligns with the authority's 10-year plan adopted in February 2017.