Railroad News

Texas Central Partners announced today that Fluor Enterprises and Lane Construction Corp. will be the preferred designer and builder of the private company's proposed bullet train between Dallas and Houston.

Under the agreement, Fluor and Lane will refine and update the project's construction planning and sequencing, scheduling and cost estimates, procurement, and other design and engineering activity related to civil infrastructure, Texas Central officials said in a press release.

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Sarah Touey, 37

Job description: Touey oversees a construction management/general contracting agreement for state-of-good-repair projects. The work includes replacing special trackwork, switches and crossings for TriMet's MAX light-rail system. She serves as the project manager/resident engineer for the scoping, design, construction and closeout of each project.

Education: Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, Oregon Institute of Technology

U.S. Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) on Wednesday toured the Temple & Texas Central (TC) Railway, one of 12 short lines managed by Patriot Rail Co. LLC.

TC Operations Manager David Lutz led the tour, which also included a discussion of current rail issues, according to a press release issued by the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA).

ECN Capital Corp. has agreed to sell $1.487 million worth of rail-car assets to affiliates of ITE Management LP and Napier Park Global Capital. The ITE transaction closed Aug. 4, and ECN expects the Napier Park deal to close in third-quarter 2017. The assets sold represent 65 percent of ECN's rail portfolio. The sale will further position ECN to capitalize on strategic growth opportunities and free up $400 million of capital, said ECN Chief Executive Officer Jim Nikopoulos in a press release.

Wi-Tronix LLC yesterday announced that it will provide its advanced video analytics solution Violet™ to Ferrocarril Mexicano S.A. de C.V. (Ferromex). The technology provides streaming video and associated data to railroads through a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service solution. Violet is aimed at helping railroads improve their operational efficiency and safety. For Ferromex, the technology's camera system will help further ensure the safety of the railroad's crew and security of its assets and cargo, Wi-Tronix officials said in a press release.

The Port of Manatee has already set an annual record in container volume, with two months remaining in the current fiscal year, the Florida port announced earlier this week.

During the 10-month period between Oct. 1, 2016, and July 31, 2017, the port logged 32,901 20-foot-equivalent units (TEUs), significantly more than the Florida Gulf port's full-year high mark of 30,432 TEUs set in fiscal-year 2010, port officials said in a press release.

RailTrends® 2017 has unveiled the agenda for its two-day conference, which will be held Nov. 30-Dec. 1 at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City.

Presented by Progressive Railroading, the conference presenters will include John "Jack" Hellmann, president and chief executive officer of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. Hellmann will receive the 2017 Railroad Innovator Award from Progressive Railroading and RailTrends.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit against the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for the agency's restrictions on advertising in train stations, subway cars and buses.

WMATA's guidelines ban ads that are "intended to influence public policy," according to an ACLU press release. WMATA also prohibits ads that are "intended to influence members of the public regarding an issue on which there are varying opinions."

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has awarded a $237 million contract for two MTA Metro-North Railroad track projects to a Cianbro-Middlesex joint venture.

The joint venture will serve as the construction manager/general contractor for the projects. The team was given a notice to proceed yesterday, with construction expected to begin in late September and continue for three years.

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Mike Stickel, 37

Job description: Stickel is responsible for commercial, transportation and mechanical functions at Lake State Railway Co. (LSRC) in Michigan.

Education: B.S. in finance, Indiana University Kelley School of Business

Eighty-two percent of Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) riders who participated in a recent survey said they'd recommend the agency's services to a family member or friend.

The Texas agency sent out the surveys in April. A total of 2,617 riders responded, or about 22 percent of DCTA's average daily ridership for that month, agency officials said in a press release.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) last week began preparations for its long-term modernization project at the El Cerrito del Norte Station in Contra Costa County, California.

The agency's contractor removed 42 parking spaces at the corner of the station's parking lot to provide storage and trailer space for the construction crew. The area was fenced off Aug. 2.

All but one of the major freight modes grew since the recession ended in June 2009, with rail intermodal growing the fastest, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported last week.

From June 2009 to December 2016, the rail-intermodal mode grew 50.6 percent based on seasonally adjusted data that comprises the freight Transportation Services Index (TSI), BTS officials said in a press release.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will finish installing positive train control (PTC) on the Newburyport/Rockport Line by Aug. 27, a month ahead of schedule.

As a result, weekend PTC installation on the Needham Line will begin several weeks earlier than planned, MBTA officials said in a press release.

U.S. railroads moved 554,822 carloads and intermodal units in the week that ended Aug. 5, a 4.3 percent increase compared with the same period a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

The railroads logged total carloads of 273,199 units, up 1.9 percent compared with the same week in 2016. U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 281,623 containers and trailers, up 6.8 percent compared to 2016.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has chosen Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Northeastern Illinois Chairman Kirk Dillard to receive the 2017 Local Distinguished Service Award.

The award is given to an individual who has made significant contributions at the local level to public transportation through policy, legislative initiative and leadership.

Former Norfolk Southern Corp. Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer Stephen Tobias died Monday, the company reported yesterday. He was 72.

A 40-year veteran of NS, Tobias retired from the company in 2009. During his tenure, he "achieved an unparalleled legacy for employee safety and operational efficiency," NS officials said in a prepared statement.