Railroad News

Two temporary bridges will be installed in downtown Middlebury, Vt., to support a rail tunnel project.

Inspections performed on the existing bridges at Main Street/VT 30 and Merchants Row shown they are safe for travel, but evidence of accelerated deterioration prompted the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) to seek approval of the temporary bridges as a precautionary measure. Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn approved the emergency order authorizing the VTrans to install the temporary bridges in advance of a long-planned tunnel project.

3/27/2017    

Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation

Community members joined elected officials and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) representatives for a ribbon cutting of BART's Warm Springs/South Fremont Station, which opened for service March 25.

BART noted that the project finished more than $100 million under the original $890 million budget and serves a fast-growing Silicon Valley community. BART will run 10-car trains between Fremont and Daly City each weekday morning during commute hours.

R.J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC, has ended its efforts to establish an intermodal port on the Cumberland River in Clarksville, Tenn., citing a $3.5 million funding gap.

The port project has been in development since 2004 and was in partnership with Nyrstar Clarksville, a zinc production company located on R.J. Corman Railroad Company's Memphis Line. The project would have developed an intermodal port to serve businesses located in the Clarksville/Montgomery County area. R.J. Corman says many industries in this region could benefit from the transportation of raw goods via barge, which would be transferred to railcars and moved to their destination. Nyrstar owns and operates a dock and conveyor system on the river that R.J. Corman intended to utilize and expand into a larger facility. The expansion would have included a 55-railcar capacity loop track, on-site storage space, several additional conveyors and multiple pieces of heavy equipment.

Ontario is making it easier for commuters and families to get around York Region and the Greater Toronto Area with the construction of a new GO station at Highway 404 and Bloomington Road.

The new station will extend the Richmond Hill GO rail line north from the current terminus at Gormley GO Station, and will offer commuters living in Aurora and Whitchurch-Stouffville convenient access to GO Transit service.

3/27/2017    

Rail News: MOW

3/27/2017    

Rail News: Security

3/27/2017    

Rail News: Passenger Rail

3/27/2017    

Rail News: Mechanical

3/24/2017    

Rail News: Intermodal

3/24/2017    

Rail News: Passenger Rail

3/24/2017    

Rail News: Intermodal

3/24/2017    

Rail News: Passenger Rail

3/24/2017    

Rail News: MOW

Canada's federal 2017 budget was released March 22 in a move the government called "the next step in the government's long-term plan to create jobs and strengthen the middle class."

The budget contained few surprises and little new spending that had not been previously discussed, but it continues the federal government's push toward public transit projects with inclusion of CA$25 billion (US$18.7 billion) through various avenues.

Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx have issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the Lakeshore East - East Corridor Expansion project.

The RFQ scope of work calls for the construction and finance of 6.8 miles of third track to be built between Beechgrove Road and Durham Junction; the expansion and upgrade of two rail bridges; the expansion and rehabilitation of existing culverts and the construction of retaining walls to support additional track grading for the corridor.

3/24/2017    

Rail News: Passenger Rail

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said the commonwealth would take on an independent review of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) "to identify potential changes to governance and funding, and help position WMATA to support growth in the region."

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) Board of Directors is moving forward with an environmental study that will look into building run through tracks at Union Station.

The Link Union Station project would expand the station's passenger concourse with retail and passenger amenities; reconfigure the station entry tracks or "throat," as well as the elevation of the rail yard, run-through tracks and loop track.

3/24/2017    

Rail News: Short Lines & Regionals