Railroad News

CN moved a record 21.8 million metric tons of Western Canadian grain during the 2016-17 crop year, the Class I announced today.

Among the crop year's highlights, CN reported that it shipped 7 percent more tonnage on its network than the prior three-year average.

New York Air Brake LLC has announced plans to move its peripheral product assembly in Watertown, New York, to Salisbury, North Carolina. The shift consolidates less complex assemblies into the North Carolina manufacturing hub, company officials said in a press release. The Watertown facility will remain the sole location for the design, testing and manufacture of freight-car brakes. Retaining the more complex assemblies enables New York Air Brake to create a "high-tech manufacturing hub," company officials said. The transition is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter and conclude in first-quarter 2018. The shift will affect 40 of the 425 workers at the Watertown plant.

The Watermill Group has acquired Andaray Holdings Ltd. and its Cooper & Turner subsidiary, which is a United Kingdom-based global manufacturer and distributor of large-diameter industrial fastener systems. Cooper & Turner will continue offering its existing product lines from its manufacturing sites and distribution centers. The company also will pursue new product, service and market opportunities around the world, Watermill Group officials said in a press release. Financial details of the transaction weren't disclosed.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on Sept. 1 will wrap up reconstruction of the M Line's Fresh Pond Bridge.

The work is part of a $163 million project to replace two deteriorating M line overpasses. The first phase involves rebuilding the century-old Fresh Bond Bridge. Crews began reconstructing the bridge project in July.

Class Is employed 147,540 workers in the United States as of mid-July, down 0.7 percent from mid-June's level and 3.4 percent from mid-July 2016's mark, according to Surface Transportation Board data.

All six employment categories reflected workforce decreases on a month-over-month basis. The number of executives, officials and staff assistants declined 0.24 percent to 8,678; professional and administrative staff, 0.3 percent to 12,643; maintenance of way and structures workers, 0.57 percent to 33,849; maintenance of equipment and stores employees, 0.97 percent to 27,036; transportation (other than train and engine) ranks, 0.26 percent to 5,790; and transportation (train and engine) workers, 0.92 percent to 59,544.

Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx late last week issued a request for proposals (RFP) to three teams to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Hurontario light-rail project.

The agencies in October 2016 released a request for qualifications to identify firms interested in leading the project. IO and Metrolinx picked the top three teams based on their construction, design, operation and maintenance capabilities, as well as their financial capacity.

Canadian Pacific has readied its Dedicated Train Program (DTP) in preparation for grain service during the 2017-18 crop year, the Class I announced today.

More than 75 percent of CP's grain service will employ the DTP this season. The program offers customers greater control of rail-car supply to manage their supply chain, CP officials said in a press release. Grain is the Class I’s largest line of business.

HDR Inc. has been tapped to lead final design for GoTriangle's $2.48 billion Durham-Orange light-rail project in North Carolina.

HDR's team will design all 16 bridge structures on the project, and lead engineering and architecture for infrastructure along the entire 17.7-mile alignment. In addition, the company will lead track design, traffic management, utility relocation, site planning and roadway design, HDR officials said in a press release.

Kansas City Southern, U.S. Customers and Border Protection and Mexican Customs officials last week dedicated a new, joint unified cargo processing facility at the rail border crossing in Laredo, Texas.

The facility will be used to share nonintrusive inspection security scanning images; conduct Mexico export processing at the U.S. railhead; streamline documentation review of northbound trains; and conduct joint inspections when needed on inbound shipments.

U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) joined Skanska and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) officials last week on a tour of the completed second phase of the Exposition light-rail project, which extended service from Culver City to Santa Monica, California.

A Skanska-Rados Joint Venture obtained the design-build construct for the project in March 2011. The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) presented the joint venture with the "Large Project of the Year" award in 2016.

Texas Central Partners and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner yesterday signed an agreement to work together on a jobs and economic development plan for the area around a future Houston rail station and the private company's bullet train.

Under the agreement, Texas Central will consult with the city on finalizing the passenger station area in Houston. The site is expected to be located in the general area south of U.S. 290, west of Loop 610 and north of Interstate 10, which is near major employment centers, city and Texas Central officials said in a press release.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) earlier this week began testing a new passenger screening system at the Red Line's west entrance to Union Station.

Developed by Evolv Technology, the portable system is designed to screen riders for weapons and explosives. The system can scan 600 people per hour and automatically detect mass casualty threats, Metro officials said in a media advisory.

Sound Transit has picked STV and Mott MacDonald to oversee the construction of two major light-rail extensions.

The two firms will work as part of the Northwest Transit Systems Partners (NTSP) joint venture, which Sound Transit's board approved in May, STV officials said in a press release.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Wednesday named Kevin Quinn administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA).

Quinn has been serving as acting administrator since June 6. He previously served as director of planning and programming to ensure MTA delivered on its service goals.

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority will receive CA$250,000 in federal funds toward a project that will assess real-time information on the supply-chain performance of rail cargo moving to and from the Port of Vancouver, the Canadian government announced earlier this week.

The port authority launched the Supply Chain Visibility Project in 2015. The federal contribution will fund a part of the project that will measure performance of the grain and fertilizer sectors, as well as address data quality.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has granted the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District permission to begin commuter-rail service on Aug. 25.

SMART's initial 43-mile route includes 10 stations between the Sonoma County Airport and downtown San Rafael, California. Service will be free on opening day.

CSX President and Chief Executive Officer E. Hunter Harrison has fired back at a coalition of rail-shipper trade associations that complained to Congress about rail-service disruptions as the Class I implements a restructuring aimed at improving efficiency.

In a letter sent Wednesday to the Rail Customer Coalition (RCC), Harrison said CSX was disappointed at the "many unfounded and grossly exaggerated statements" the group has made about CSX's service performance as the Class I implements precision scheduled railroading.

Four Florida counties have established the Gulf to Gadsden Freight Logistics Zone (FLZ) to enable freight transportation and infrastructure services to become a platform for broader economic development.

The establishment of the FLZ can provide the counties of Gulf, Gadsden, Liberty and Franklin with priority for state funding and incentives when pursuing certain projects within the zone.

The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) later this month will provide free rides on a portion of its A-train commuter-rail line in North Texas.

Beginning Aug. 28, rides between the Downtown Denton Transit Center and the MedPark Station will not require fares. Trips between the Hebron Station and Trinity Mills Station also will be free.