Railroad News

Alstom has delivered the first Coradia Stream trains to Trenitalia in the Italian regions of Veneto and Liguria. Veneto will receive a total of 31 trains and Liguria will obtain 15 trains. Deliveries will continue into 2020, Alstom officials said in a press release. The Coradia Stream is a single-deck electric multiple unit designed for regional lines. The Coradia Stream consumes 30 percent less energy than the previous train generation, officials said.

Tideworks Technology Inc. announced it will create an intermodal division located in Jacksonville, Florida. The intermodal division will enable the company to dedicate resources and continue investing in the research and development of new products and services for the global rail industry, Tideworks officials said in a press release. Mark Bromley was appointed vice president of intermodal to lead the division and oversee the testing, deployment and support of intermodal products and services. As part of the expansion, the company plans to relocate its existing Jacksonville office to a new location by Dec. 31 and hire additional staff focused on intermodal customers, technology and sales.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) yesterday announced that design-build contractor Archer Western Herzog will begin field construction Nov. 18 on the Silver Line, a future 26-mile regional rail line between Plano, Texas, and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. 

Initial work will consist of removal of abandoned rail along the right-of-way from the Dallas North Tollway in Addison to west of Synergy Park Road in Richardson, as well as relocation of AT&T utilities along Hillcrest Road from north of McCallum Boulevard to south of Wester Way.

Trinity Metro and the city of Fort Worth, Texas, have partnered to improve transit in the region by developing three possible scenarios that will inform a future 20-year transit master plan.

The scenarios in the "Transit Moves Fort Worth" plan summarize ways in which transit can be made more convenient to use by developing high capacity transit services, improving and expanding existing services and improving accessibility. 

BNSF Railway Co. yesterday designated Arizona & California Railroad (ARZC) as the Class I’s 2019 Short Line of the Year for a commitment to “safety, service, growth, investment and velocity.”

 A Genesee & Wyoming Inc. subsidiary, ARZC operates a 205-mile line running between Matthie, Arizona, and Cadiz, California. The railroad works with BNSF operating teams in Barstow, California, and Phoenix to handle 20,000 units of overhead traffic annually, BNSF officials said in a press release.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced $900 million in federal grants will be awarded to 55 surface transportation infrastructure projects in 35 states under the fiscal-year 2019 Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Discretionary Grants program.

The grants were awarded on a competitive basis to projects with a significant impact on their local or regional communities, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) officials said in a press release.

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) yesterday called on the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to withdraw its "fatally flawed" proposed rate review rule.

In comments filed with the board, AAR officials said the proposed rule is unlawful.

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Editor

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) General Manager Bob Powers yesterday issued an apology to a rider who was handcuffed by BART police for eating a sandwich on a train platform.

BART policy asks riders not to eat or drink on the BART system. On Nov. 9, a BART police officer stopped a rider who was eating on the platform of BART's Pleasant Hill Station in San Francisco. After declining to show identification when asked for it, the rider cursed and made homophobic slurs at the officer, then was handcuffed and led away.

The Regional Transportation District of Denver (RTD) yesterday announced that a new class of 50 light-rail and bus operations and technicians will begin orientation and training.

News of the new hires comes weeks after RTD announced it's exploring temporary service reductions to address an ongoing labor shortage and challenges in operator recruitment and retention.

Trade tariffs took a toll on cargo volumes last month at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, port officials announced late last week.

The Port of Los Angeles logged 770,189 20-foot equivalent Units (TEUs) in October, a 19.1 percent decrease compared to 2018’s record-breaking October, port officials said in a press release.

The San Francisco Business Times last week named San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Jim Hartnett as one of San Francisco's most admired CEOs. 

Hartnett was among 11 CEOs recognized for their demonstrated track record of exceptional leadership, business performance and philanthropic contributions. The honors were bestowed as part of the newspaper's 12th annual CEO recognition program, SamTrans officials said in a press release.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) earlier this month celebrated its 40th anniversary of providing rail and bus service. 

Nearly 2,000 Atlanta residents attended a public festival and concert to celebrate the anniversary, and MARTA General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Parker addressed more than 130 guests at a stakeholder reception for elected officials, board members and community partners.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) earlier this month installed a railing in the space between the sidewalk and light-rail track along Second Street between San Carlos and San Fernando streets in downtown San Jose, California. 

The installation is part of a six-month pilot program to reduce incidents of people walking in front of on-coming trains and to allow trains to move more seamlessly along the line.

MTA Metro-North Railroad has met key benchmarks in the first year of a plan designed to improve safety, service, infrastructure and communication with passengers.

Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi today announced the accomplishments since implementing the New York City commuter railroad's "Way Ahead" plan a year ago as a response to increasing ridership, changing demographics and the evolving needs of riders, agency officials said in a press release.

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Managing Editor

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On Oct. 29, Regional Rail LLC announced it had agreed to acquire Pinsly Railroad Co.’s Florida operations totaling 208 miles of track.

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Editor

On Oct. 29, Regional Rail LLC announced it had agreed to acquire Pinsly Railroad Co.’s Florida operations totaling 208 miles of track.