Railroad News

The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board of Directors approved two 20-year renewable energy power purchase agreements Dec. 7 in an effort to improve the climate footprint of the Bay Area's transportation sector.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) Board of Commissioners approved the agency's 2018 Budget consisting of $3.2 billion for operating expenses and $3.4 billion for capital expenses on Dec. 7. Additionally, the board approved Superstorm Sandy-related enhancement projects.

PANYNJ says the budget allows the agency to enhance security at its facilities, improve customer service, invest in sustainability and environmental protection initiatives, undertake significant state-of-good-repair work and build new, best-in-class transportation facilities.

Rob Reich, a senior vice president at Schneider, has been elected chairman of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE). He succeeds Nicola Motor Co. Chief Operating Officer Scott Perry.

Reich began his career at Schneider in 1992 after serving as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. His current title at the transportation logistics provider is senior vice president of equipment, maintenance and driver development.

Norfolk Southern (NS) provided training to 3,241 first responders on the company's safety train in 2017.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) yesterday selected three contracting teams to develop proposals to design and build the first phase of the Red and Purple modernization program.

The three shortlisted teams are Walsh Fluor Design-Build Team, Chicago Rail Constructors and Kiewit Infrastructure Co. The CTA in June issued a request for qualifications for teams to work on the project.

The Texas North Western Railway (TXNW) and The Andersons Rail Group have established a rail-car repair and service center at the Panhandle Logistics Park near Sunray, Texas.

The new, 580-acre industrial park located in the Texas Panhandle is served by the TXNW Railway and BNSF Railway Co. A TNW Corp. subsidiary, TXNW owns and operates a private rail-car storage facility at the center that features nearly 11,000 storage spots.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's (PANYNJ) board yesterday approved a $3.2 billion operating budget and $3.4 billion capital budget for 2018.

The budgets — which contain no fare or toll increases — will fund agency efforts to enhance security, improve customer service, invest in sustainability and environmental protection, undertake state-of-good repair work and build new transportation facilities, according to a PANYNJ press release.

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Metra earlier this week offered a media tour of its GPS Center to demonstrate how the railroad communicates with riders.

Located at Metra's headquarters in downtown Chicago, the GPS Center is where platform announcements, website updates, email alerts and most service tweets originate, Metra officials said in a press release.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has selected three qualified contracting teams to submit design-build proposals for the first phase of the Red and Purple Modernization Program (RPM) project.

Southern California transit agency Omnitrans has hired Erin Rogers as deputy general manager.

Rogers has nearly three decades of transit industry experience, including 10 years as assistant general manager for the Orange County Transportation Authority.

ABB says it is set to supply key power distribution elements for the Eglinton Crosstown project, Toronto, Canada's new light-rail transit line, to facilitate the line's safe operation with nearly zero emissions.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) has adjusted the project development timeline for the BART Silicon Valley Phase 2 extension in order to further evaluate tunneling options for the project.

In order to progress with state and federal environmental clearance, a defined project description is necessary. SCVTA staff originally identified a single-bore option to construct the five-mile subway portion of the extension as the viable option. However, a recent peer review panel, citing time constraints related to the current federal funding schedule coupled with the preference of BART, advised that a twin-bore tunnel would be the preferred option.

Metrolinx has awarded Stantec Consulting Ltd., along with its partner Amec Foster Wheeler, a technical advisory contract for its Bowmanville Rail Expansion project.

The firm will provide technical advisory, design and construction support services for the project, which will expand rail service approximately 12.42 miles (20 km) from Oshawa to Bowmanville.

R. J. Corman Railroad Group has announced a partnership with the Kentucky Labor Cabinet to begin an apprenticeship program.

In September and October, average weekday ridership in TransLink's Northeast Sector was 25 percent higher than the same months in 2016.

The sector comprises the cities of Coquitlam, Port Moody and Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, as well as the villages of Anmore and Belcarra. The ridership jump followed the opening of the 6.8-mile Evergreen Extension of the Millennium SkyTrain line in December 2016.

Brightline, the new privately financed and operated express rail service in southern Florida, will begin "simulated service" between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale as soon as this week, the railroad announced on Twitter.

Although an exact date was not specified, the tweet stated that Brightline will run up to 10 trains a day on the route.

R. J. Corman Railroad Group yesterday announced a partnership with the Kentucky Labor Cabinet to create an apprenticeship program aimed at the recruitment and retention of new employees.

The program will start early next year, as R. J. Corman and the Labor Cabinet develop a curriculum, company officials said in a press release.

Ontario and Metrolinx are proceeding with planned improvements for the Lakeshore West GO Transit corridor with the issuance of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ).

The planned upgrades to the Lakeshore West GO corridor include track improvements and other work to enable increased service at Exhibition Station, where Ontario Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca and Member of Provincial Parliament for Trinity-Spadina Han Dong made the RFQ announcement on Dec. 7.