Railroad News

The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC) last week announced that starting Sept. 7 it will add Saturday service to the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) commuter rail. 

Currently, ACE serves riders Monday to Friday from Stockton to San Jose, California, with 10 stops along the way. 

Chicago commuter railroad Metra and Union Pacific Railroad have agreed to cancel a previously announced schedule change on the UP West line, which would have adjusted departure times of some trains on the line by Sept. 3. 

UP determined that the proposed changes on UP West could result in conflicts between commuter and freight trains along the busy rail corridor, Metra officials said in a press release.

Canadian, Ontario and Toronto government officials yesterday announced a nearly CA$1.1 billion total investment in two rail projects in Toronto. 

One project calls for improving capacity at Bloor-Yonge Station, the Toronto Transit Commission’s busiest subway station. The CA$500 million project includes construction of an additional platform at the station and an electrical substation, as well as modifications to an existing platform, federal government officials said in a press release.

CSX Corp. today announced that Adam Longson will join the sales and marketing team as vice president of energy, effective Sept. 9. 

Longson will be responsible for CSX’s newly consolidated energy portfolio, including export and domestic utility coal, as well as the company’s liquefied petroleum gas and crude oil businesses, CSX officials said in a press release. 

Global infrastructure investor First State Investments (FSI) announced yesterday it reached an agreement with investment manager Steel River Infrastructure Partners to acquire 100 percent of equity of Patriot Rail and Ports, which operates 12 short lines across 14 states.

Terms were not disclosed, according to an FSI press release.

Bay Area Rapid Transit's (BART) board last week approved an updated plan for the proposed Irvington Station to be located between the Fremont and Warm Springs stations in Fremont, California. 

The original proposal raised community concerns over traffic safety, congestion and parking near residential streets. As a result, BART updated the plan, which calls for a smaller, more cost-effective station, BART officials said in a press release. 

The Port Authority of Allegheny County today reopened Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington Transit Tunnel, which has been closed for a month to accommodate light-rail track replacement. 

Michael Facchiano Contracting crews replaced 480 feet of track and concrete in the tunnel, authority officials said in a press release. 

The National Retail Federation (NRF) late last week expressed alarm about the Trump administration's escalating trade dispute with China, and the impact the tariffs could have on retail sales and the U.S. economy.

NRF issued its response soon after the administration announced Aug. 23 that current tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods will increase from 25 percent to 30 percent on Oct. 1. New tariffs set to take effect Sept. 1 and Dec. 15 on $300 billion in Chinese goods will rise from 10 percent to 15 percent.

Starting in October, Sound Transit crews will begin construction on a temporary platform at Pioneer Square Station in Seattle in preparation for the Connect 2020 light-rail expansion project, Sound Transit announced late last week.

Link light-rail riders traveling through downtown Seattle will use the temporary center platform during Connect 2020 construction beginning in January 2020, Sound Transit officials said in a press release. 

Canadian Pacific announced yesterday that nearly CA$2.5 million was raised at the CP Women's Open golf championship, a new record.

A CA$2.2 million check was presented to the SickKids Foundation, which will go toward upgrading a cardiac operating suite for pediatrics. SickKids is the result of several fundraising efforts under the "CP Has Heart" program, CP officials said in a press release.

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) today reopened service on the Red Line between the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Station and Tower City Rapid Station in Cleveland, following retaining wall repairs. 

A portion of the Red Line between the airport and West Boulevard-Cudell Station has been closed for nearly three months as crews repaired and stabilized an s-curve retaining wall on the Red Line’s west side, GCRTA officials said in a press release. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is seeking public opinion on two "interim" policies: One calls for limit the number of pages in environmental impact statements (EIS) and the other would coordinate federal reviews for infrastructure projects under the "One Federal Decision" executive order with the goal of completing environmental review within two years.
 
According to notice published Aug. 23 in the Federal Register, the USDOT is proposing to limit the text of draft and final EIS to 150 pages, but recommends that such statements not exceed 75 pages.

The department is proposing the rule because lengthy EIS documents, "containing extraneous detail and needless data," have added to the costs and time necessary to complete the environmental review process, according to the notice.

The Canadian government has appointed a special negotiator to work with CN on a plan to restore the over century-old Quebec Bridge in Quebec City.

The negotiator is Yvon Charest, former president and chief executive officer of iA Financial Group in Quebec City, federal officials said in a press release issued by Infrastructure Canada.

Cubic Transportation Systems launched an open payment technology for the Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works’ Metrorail EASY card transit fare system. The technology allows riders to pay for their transit fare using a contactless-enable Visa or Mastercard, American Express credit card or through a digital wallet on a smartphone or wearable device, Cubic officials said in a press release.

Duos Technologies Inc. and truevue360 have been awarded an expanded five-year, $1 million contract from a Class I to develop a library of artificial intelligence algorithms to better analyze images from the railroad’s rail inspection portal. The algorithms will assist the unidentified railroad with rail-car maintenance inspections, Duos Technologies officials said in a press release. 

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) earlier this week recognized SunRail as a Southeastern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO) regional award winner for its southern expansion project that connects Orange County to Osceola County in Orlando. 

The $200 million extension, which opened in July 2018, extended SunRail’s existing 32-mile service by 17 miles and added four new stations to its network, SunRail officials said in a press release. 

Following record Arkansas River flooding in the region, operations are returning to normal at the Port of Little Rock in Arkansas, the Little Rock Port Authority reported this week.

The port's railroad experienced an increase in activity to start the third quarter, and more than 100 rail cars have been removed from storage tracks and delivered to customers, authority officials said in a press release.