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3/16/2017    

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Rail News Home MOW March 2017 Rail News: MOW

Drones can be used to inspect portions of rail bridges that otherwise would be inaccessible.Photo – Unmanned Experts Inc. — By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Associate EditorFor years, railroads have been exploring automation to help improve overall operations. To that end, they've invested in a host of new technologies, such as Machine Vision, predictive analytics and driverless train systems — to name just a few examples.The next chapter in the rail automation story may involve unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more commonly known as drones.These versatile, often camera-equipped devices could help railroads tackle everything from track inspection to yard security to vegetation management, UAV industry experts say. Although the technology holds promise for the rail industry, a few challenges remain, including regulatory and data management issues."We like to say that using a drone is better, faster, cheaper and safer," says Dennis Wierzbicki, rail industry adviser for Unmanned Experts Inc., which conducts rail-bridge inspections with UAVs and offers general drone consulting and training.Because drones are small and nimble, they can more easily access places that otherwise would be precarious to reach. That means less risk of injury for railroad workers, Wierzbicki says.Plus, drones can withstand a range of weather conditions, including wind, low temperatures and moderate rain or snow.“You don't need to be on the track or suspended hundreds of feet over the ground. You don't need to be out in the elements," Wierzbicki says.Drones also produce a dizzying array of data about the assets they're monitoring. Finding a way to sort, understand and leverage that data remains a challenge, says BNSF Railway Co. Telecom Director Todd Graetz, who oversees the railroad's drone program and operations.Data overloadSo, the Class I has co-developed a suite of software to help manage, analyze and distribute all the information its drones collect."We are constantly exploring new ways to further leverage the massive amounts of data our UAVs gather daily," Graetz adds.In May 2015, BNSF was chosen as one of three companies to participate in the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Pathfinder program, which is aimed at exploring the commercial use of UAVs. The other two companies: national news channel CNN and drone maker PrecisionHawk.And in October that same year, the Class I partnered with drone manufacturer Insitu Inc. for the railroad's first long-range drone flight.At the moment, Insitu doesn't have any active programs with BNSF, but the company remains open to working with the railroad in the future, says Paul McDuffee, Insitu's associate vice president of government relations and strategy.Other rail clients also reached out to Insitu following the company's work with BNSF, says McDuffee, though he declined to name them.For BNSF, drones have provided another layer of safety to operations, Graetz says. For example, the railroad can use a small rotorcraft to inspect bridges and gain perspective from vantage points that previously were inaccessible.A better viewThe Class I uses two kinds of UAVs: a multirotor aircraft and a hybrid fixed wing model. Both are equipped with sensors that can deliver infrared data, along with high-definition video and photos.The multirotor aircraft is operated at lower altitudes to examine areas around and underneath bridges."These aircrafts are excellent tools to supplement our bridge inspection processes," Graetz says. "Particularly for large bridges, or bridges over waterways and canyons, our inspectors and engineers are able to see what can be the most difficult places to reach on a more frequent basis."BNSF workers deploy a multirotor drone to 
inspect a rail bridge. Photo – BNSF Railway Co.

3/15/2017    

Rail News: Supplier Spotlight

3/15/2017    

Rail News: Amtrak

3/15/2017    

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3/15/2017    

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3/15/2017    

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3/15/2017    

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Rail News Home Passenger Rail March 2017 Rail News: Passenger Rail

— By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Senior Associate EditorWhen it's finished in nearly eight years, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (Metro) Purple Line subway extension will be a heavy-rail line between the Wilshire Boulevard Western Station and the VA Hospital Station in West Los Angeles. Ultimately, the project — also known as the Westside Purple Line Extension — involves the construction of 9 miles of track and seven stations.The long-awaited project will connect West Los Angeles to Metro's expanding rail network, which agency officials believe will improve transportation for residents and visitors in a city that is known as one of the most traffic-congested communities in the United States.The project is being built in three phases. Phase I — which is under construction — will extend the subway from the terminus at Wilshire/Western 3 miles to Wilshire/La Cienega and will feature three underground stations: Wilshire/La Brea Avenue, Wilshire/Fairfax Avenue and Wilshire/La Cienega Boulevard.One of the agency's priority projects, the extension’s first phase is funded by Measure R funds, federal "New Starts" matching funds and a low-interest Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation.The first phase's engineering and construction work is managed by Skanska, Traylor Brothers Inc. and J.F. Shea Construction Joint Venture (STS), which was awarded the $1.6 billion design-build contract in 2014. Contract procurements were completed in September 2015.Phase I construction is expected to conclude in June 2023, with testing, pre-revenue and revenue service slated for early November 2023.Project to hit milestones this yearSTS expects to complete right-of-way work in late March and final design work in early April, according to Metro spokesman Dave Sotero.Three advance utility relocation contracts have been completed and construction on two of the three underground stations is underway, said Gary Yeo, Metro’s project controls supervisor-program control, in an email.At the Wilshire/La Brea Station site, crews are constructing supports for the excavation under the deck. At the Fairfax station, temporary street decking has begun. Also, ground treatment for the tunnel cross passages are ongoing, said Yeo.In terms of Phase I’s engineering, design and construction work, the design-build team is employing an integrated project team model, said Sotero in an email. The model allows the team to use the best resources from Metro and the engineering and construction management consultants, he said.A few unique circumstancesThe project also involves the use of "Revit modeling," in which all engineering disciplines are designed in one model during the advanced preliminary engineering phase, said Sotero. STS is completing final design using this same model, he added."This approach is unique in the rail-transit industry and has resulted in producing a high-quality final design in a very short time frame," said Sotero. “The use of the model in planning construction is also anticipated."From an engineering and design perspective, the extension project has involved unusual ground conditions because it's being built in the La Brea Tar Pits area.For example, excavation work in November 2016 near the location of the future Wilshire/La Brea station turned up parts of ancient mammoth fossils, including a partial skull and tusks."Because of the asphaltic conditions, a paleontological monitoring zone has been identified, where the contractor will need to excavate in thin layers — six inches each layer — and more carefully so that fossil resources can be identified and recovered," said Sotero.Due to those conditions, Metro built an exploratory shaft to further study ground conditions and fossil recovery methods, and allow prospective contractors to review materials first hand, he added."Thanks to all that preparation work, a meticulous preliminary study of ground conditions and some additional geotechnical investigation work performed at the very beginning of the project, our team did not face any completely unexpected challenges," Sotero said.Phase II contractor lined upMeanwhile, the $1.37 billion design/build contract for the extension's second phase was awarded Jan. 26 to Tutor Perini/O&G.Phase II work calls for extending the line another 2.6 miles and adding stations at Wilshire/Rodeo in downtown Beverly Hills and in Century City. The budget for the second phase has been set at $2.4 billion.Phase III involves extending the line to the Westwood/VA Hospital. Construction is expected to begin as early as 2019, according to Metro’s “The Source” blog.Metro has committed to completing the entire subway extension by 2024, a summer Olympics year. Los Angeles leaders hope the International Olympics Committee will choose the city to host the games — and if that happens, the new subway would be helpful in transporting visitors between venues, Metro officials say.Earlier this month, Budapest withdrew its bid from consideration, leaving only Los Angeles and Paris as host-city candidates.Email comments or questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Keywords Browse articles on Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Purple Line Extension Skanska Traylor Brothers Inc. and J.F. Shea Construction Joint Venture STS Tutor Perini/O&G TIFIA Parsons Transportation Group L.K. Comstock Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff.

3/14/2017    

Rail News: People

3/14/2017    

Rail News: Passenger Rail

3/14/2017    

Rail News: People

3/14/2017    

Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation

3/14/2017    

Rail News: Passenger Rail

3/14/2017    

Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation

Rail News Home CSX Transportation March 2017 Rail News: CSX Transportation

The two new Virginia Avenue tunnels will converge at the new structure’s west end. A 300-foot portion of the old tunnel was demolished to accommodate work on the first new tunnel.Photo – CSX By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Managing EditorCSX’s multiyear effort to eliminate a major rail chokepoint and modernize aging infrastructure in Washington, D.C., has just passed the halfway point. That milestone moves the Virginia Avenue Tunnel reconstruction project a bit closer to an anticipated mid-2018 completion.The $250 million, 42-month project calls for replacing a 3,800-foot, single-track tunnel built beneath Virginia Avenue in southeast Washington more than a century ago with two larger one-track tunnels to accommodate double-stack trains. Work began in May 2015 and the first of two planned phases was completed in late 2016.Originally constructed in 1872 by the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad, the tunnel was rebuilt in 1906. The 18.7-foot-tall tunnel needs to be replaced because it’s near the end of its useful life, has cracked masonry and a deteriorating drainage system, and regularly floods during heavy rains. Plus, its single track causes extensive congestion for both freight and commuter trains.The new 4,100-foot-long, 21-foot-tall tunnels will improve the fluidity of freight and passenger trains on one of the region’s busiest rail lines; lessen the impact of freight trains on passenger-rail service by providing two-way traffic; ease highway congestion; and reduce the risk of rail service disruptions caused by flooding and other severe weather, according to CSX.The commonwealth of Virginia provided $24 million for the project, with remaining costs to be covered by the Class I. Virginia officials opted to contribute funds because state ports could gain improved freight-rail access to interior markets and truck traffic could be reduced on interstates 81 and 95, says CSX spokesman Rob Doolittle.In addition, eliminating the single-track bottleneck will help both Virginia Railway Express and Amtrak, which approach the District’s Union Station from the south on the same mainlines that extend through the tunnel, he says. The project’s first phase — a newly built southern tunnel with track — was completed in December 2016, a month ahead of schedule. CSX moved the first double-stack train through the structure two days before Christmas.A critical ‘Gateway’ componentThe entire tunnel will cap off 61 clearance projects that needed to be completed for CSX’s National Gateway, a double-stack corridor the Class I has been developing the past several years between Mid-Atlantic ports and the Midwest via an $850 million public-private partnership. The gateway provides the railroad a more efficient and environmentally friendly route for moving double-stack trains, says Chuck Gullakson, CSX’s assistant vice president-National Gateway and chief project engineer for the Virginia Avenue Tunnel reconstruction.For example, the first train that moved through the new higher southern tunnel was able to carry more containers between Portsmouth, Va., and CSX’s large intermodal terminal in North Baltimore, Ohio.“This tunnel was critical for us,” says Gullakson.Now, finishing the second phase is crucial to fully garnering the reconstructed tunnel’s benefits. Construction and engineering work for the entire project is being managed by joint venture (JV) partners Clark Construction Group LLC and Parsons Transportation Group through a design-build contract.The second phase involves demolishing the remaining sections of the existing tunnel’s roof and south wall and constructing a new 4,100-foot, cut-and-cover north tunnel; building an additional track; backfilling the trench; removing temporary bridges; and permanently relocating numerous water, sewer, electric, communications and gas utilities. Cut and cover is a construction method for shallow tunnels in which a trench is excavated and roofed over with a sturdy overhead support system.During the project’s first phase, the JV team demolished about 300 feet of the tunnel’s south wall and roof to accommodate the new south track; built the 4,100-foot, cut-and-cover south tunnel in a trench up to 50 feet deep adjacent to the existing tunnel; and completed six temporary roadway bridges to maintain ongoing north-south vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
The Virginia Avenue Tunnel covers a 10-block, heavily populated area in southeastern Washington, D.C.
(Click to view larger.) Source – CSXWhen the project’s completed in summer 2018, there will be a single two-track portal at the west end — the two tunnels will merge into one for about 300 feet due to the existing configuration of highway-bridge piers and other existing infrastructure. At the east end, the two tunnels will follow different paths to accommodate the 11th Street bridge highway piers.The tunnels will split into two structures about 1,000 feet west of the portals. Over the remaining 2,800 feet, the two separate tunnels will share a common center wall, which will be built with steel-and-concrete pilings drilled 40 to 50 feet into the ground.Underground movementThe biggest construction challenge thus far: coordinating and clearing the relocation of many utilities in a 200-year-old, densely urban environment that includes seven busy streets and hundreds of residents in a 10 city-block area, says Gullakson.Utility relocations during the first phase involved two complex interfaces with sanitary sewers and the lowering of a combined sewer by 11 feet, says Phil Sheridan, a senior vice president for Clark Construction subsidiary Clark Civil LLC. Excavation work uncovered a surprise, as well — portions of the original tunnel that were abated, but never removed from the site, when a realignment was completed in the early 1900s, he says.Utility work in the second phase will be less onerous, involving six instead of 23 relocations, says Sheridan. “But we will need to build larger temporary road bridges,” he says.The JV team also will need to continue performing work without interrupting CSX’s operations. About 20 freight trains travel through the tunnel daily, plus there are train operations adjacent to it. So, crews must perform tasks in between trains, says Sheridan. The first tunnel was built parallel to the old tunnel so trains weren’t disrupted.Phase two likely will conclude two-and-a-half months ahead of schedule, says Sheridan. As of last month — the 21st month in the 42-month schedule — major tunnel demolition work was slated to start at February’s end and concrete work in the second tunnel was pegged to begin in April.A lot of material already has been moved and many tasks have been accomplished during the project’s first half. As of Jan. 1, 20,900 truckloads of dirt had been excavated, 50,000 cubic yards of concrete had been poured and 1,913 of a required 2,250 pilings had been drilled.After the tunnels are finished, the JV team will need to complete restoration and other related work. CSX agreed to provide the following post-project neighborhood enhancements: improvements to Garfield Park; enhancements to Virginia Avenue Park, including a new dog park; a straightened alignment of Virginia Avenue SE; improved street lighting; and new green space and landscaping, with additional trees, brick sidewalks and granite curbs.Need to be a good neighborThe Class I has tried to mind residents’ concerns during construction, says Gullakson. The railroad has monitored air, noise and vibrations, logging a total of 11,312 hours for those activities as of Jan. 1. In addition, the JV team has employed a closed-trench method during tunnel construction to improve safety, implemented measures to control dust and tried to limit work hours. Pilings are being drilled instead of driven to reduce vibration, says Gullakson.In addition, since the project’s initial stages, a community office has been open to deal with local issues and the railroad has been in constant contact with residents via emails, text messages, phone calls and alerts hung on front doors, he says. As of Jan. 1, CSX had logged nearly 79,000 such contacts with locals.“We want to be the best neighbor for the community,” says Gullakson. “We try to be proactive.”CSX also has tried to employ a take-charge approach to ensuring there’s enough capacity to meet its traffic-growth goals. The new double-stack-height Virginia Avenue Tunnel should play a key role in accommodating higher intermodal flows along the National Gateway come mid-2018 and beyond, Gullakson believes.“The tunnel will be built according to our traffic needs,” he says.Email questions or comments to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Work Performed by Major Subcontractors for Virginia Avenue Tunnel Project:•Cast-in-place tunnel and retaining walls/Tiber Creek bridge/precast erection — Clark Civil LLC, a Clark Construction Group LLC subsidiary, Bethesda, Md.•Tunnel concrete — Clark Concrete, a Clark Construction Group subsidiary, Bethesda, Md.•Excavation support — Clark Foundations, a Clark Construction Group subsidiary, Bethesda, Md.•Excavation/backfill — Metro Earthworks LLC, a division of Shirley Contracting Co. LLC, Lorton, Va.•Tunnel electricity and security — C3M Power Systems, a Clark Construction Group subsidiary, Bethesda, Md.•Roadway reconstruction — Metro Paving Corp., Hyattsville, Md.•Reinforcing installation — Wings Enterprises Inc., Washington, D.C.•Trackwork and track drainage — Delta Railroad Construction Inc., Ashtabula, Ohio•Waterproofing — AndieMac Waterproofing & Restoration, Fulton, Md.Source: CSX and JV Partners

3/13/2017    

Rail News: Passenger Rail