Railroad News

A New Hampshire city is looking to revive its passenger rail service, and has hired an engineering consultant to help.

A bridge project that will support work performed as part of the Walk Bridge Program in Connecticut will begin in mid-June.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) will start the first half of the Ann Street Railroad Bridge superstructure replacement during the weekends of June 8-10 and June 15-17. The bridge hosts Metro-North New Haven Line trains.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) notified the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) on June 4 that a Record of Decision (ROD) has been issued for the next six miles of the transportation authority's Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Silicon Valley Extension.

Suzanne Silverman has joined the New York City office of Denver-based Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell LLP as a partner.

Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC-1), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, joined representatives June 4 from Geismar-Modern Track Machinery (Geismar-MTM) and industry stakeholders for a tour of Geismar's new Beaufort manufacturing facility.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Rail Division's BeRailSafe program, in partnership with N.C. Operation Lifesaver, conducted a staged train crash May 30 in Star, N.C.

R. J. Corman Railroad Switching Company, LLC, has announced the launch of a new location in Montgomery, Ala. for global chemical and plastic company SABIC.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report recommending the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) address a trio of statutory provisions concerning the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program.

Representatives of Knife River Corporation and industry stakeholders hosted Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR-4) for a tour May 31 of Knife River's Harrisburg precast facility in an event coordinated by the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) and the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA).

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) allocated $277.5 million in Emergency Relief funds for public transportation systems damaged by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

The funding is divided into two categories with approximately $232.3 million dedicated to response, recovery and rebuilding projects and $44.2 million going toward resiliency projects.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) and workers representing multiple union halls announced May 31 that more than 2,000 construction jobs have been created since its high-speed rail project started work.

An agreement in principle has been reached between Missinippi Rail Partners and Fairfax Financial Holdings and OmniTRAX Inc. to restore rail service to northern Manitoba and transfer ownership of the Port of Churchill.

The government of Canada released news of the agreement late Wednesday and said the "historic arrangement.... provides the people of northern Manitoba with the opportunity to control their future." The government also noted that 30 First Nations and 11 non-First Nations communities in northern Manitoba, as well as seven Kivalliq communities in western Nunavut were active participants in the agreement.

The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) and Kiewit Infrastructure Co. hosted Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI-4) for a tour May 30 of the Milwaukee Streetcar.

James Schwichtenberg has joined CSX as vice president and chief safety officer, effective immediately.

The railroad said Schwichtenberg is a recognized leader in rail safety and will lead the company's "intensified focus on safety to re-establish CSX as the safety leader among North American railroads."

An analysis released by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has concluded that the nation's commuter rail industry continued to make progress in its positive train control (PTC) implementation efforts during the first quarter of 2018.

A state study is planned on the potential cost of extending passenger rail service into Southwest Virginia.

Union Pacific (UP) has released its 2017 Building America Report, the railroad's ninth installment of its yearly sustainability report.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued a final rule aimed at promoting private participation and investment in projects.

CSX Corporation (CSX) has tapped DEKRA, Inc., to complete a safety assessment as part of the Class 1's efforts to boost safety for employees, customers and the communities in which it operates.

IRIS USA, a manufacturer and distributor of injection-molded plastic products, is building a new manufacturing plant at the Humboldt Industrial Park, Hazleton, Pa., on the Reading & Northern Railroad (RBMN).