Railroad News

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) yesterday issued a notice of funding opportunity to solicit proposals for $8.5 million in grant funding for transit projects aimed at helping lift communities out of poverty and support recovery from substance abuse.

Titled "Helping Obtain Prosperity for Everyone" (HOPE), the grant program supports planning, engineering and technical studies or financial planning to improve transit service in areas experiencing long-term economic distress, FTA officials said in a press release.

Seattle's future National Hockey League (NHL) team will offer free transit passes to fans traveling by light rail or bus to the team's venue starting in 2021.

NHL Seattle — the team doesn't yet have a name — will be the third sports franchise in the United States to offer free public transit to fans traveling to games, as a way to ease traffic congestion in the city, Fast Company reported last week.

The Sonoma-Marin Rail Transit District (SMART) in California recorded ridership growth in the first two months of 2020 compared with the same period last year.

SMART logged 71,974 riders in January, a 26 percent increase from January 2019's ridership, and 71,676 riders in February, up 40 percent, according to ridership data SMART released yesterday.

The Lost Creek Rock Products Coastal Reload Yard opened March 1 at the Port of Coos Bay in Oregon.

The multi-commodity, rail-to-truck and truck-to-rail terminal will serve the southern Oregon coast with a link to domestic and global markets, Port of Coos Bay officials said in a press release.

The Tulsa Port of Catoosa in Oklahoma received a $1.1 million grant from the the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to improve freight-rail infrastructure. 

The grant — matched with $1.1 million from local investments — will fund rail crossing repairs and interchange improvements at the port, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) said in a press release. 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City on Monday announced an update to its sanitizing protocols as it continues to take precautions in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The frequency and intensity of sanitizing procedures are being increased at each station and on the full fleet of rolling stock at MTA New York City Transit, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, as well as the bus and access-a-ride systems, MTA officials said in a press release.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) yesterday announced that by March 31 its One Metro New York (OMNY) contactless fare payment system will be installed at more than 200 MTA New York City Transit subway stations.

This month, MTA will begin installing OMNY readers on the 5 Line between Morris Park and Eastchester–Dyre Avenue stations.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has extended until March 9 the public comment period on the agency’s proposed fiscal-year 2021 budget to gather feedback on several proposed changes, such as expanded service hours and fare and service adjustments.

WMATA’s board will consider the feedback prior to making key decisions about the budget, WMATA officials said in a press release. 

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) received a $17.4 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for construction of a new rail station on the Hartford Line in Windsor Locks, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced last week. 

The $64.9 million station will be part of a transit-oriented development project adjacent to an apartment complex and a mixed-used redevelopment site.

CN announced today that it has started calling back most of its employees who were temporarily laid off in Eastern Canada because of protest blockades on its rail lines over the past few weeks.

The employees are being called back to work in the absence of significant blockades on its network over the past four days, CN officials said in a press release.

CN announced today that it has started calling back most of its employees who were temporarily laid off in Eastern Canada because of protest blockades on its rail lines over the past few weeks.

The employees are being called back to work in the absence of significant blockades on its network over the past four days, CN officials said in a press release.

Amtrak yesterday announced William Flynn as the railroad's next president and chief executive officer. Flynn will succeed Richard Anderson starting on April 15.

Flynn, 66, has served as a leader in various transportation modes, including at CSX, where he was senior vice president of the merchandise service group. Most recently, Flynn served 13 years as chairman, president and CEO of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc.

Sound Transit's board last week advanced the construction schedule for the infill light-rail station at North East 130th Street in Seattle to minimize future service disruptions when the Lynnwood Link extension opens in 2024.

The board approved completing final design for the entire station, as well as work in the project’s first construction package, Sound Transit officials said in a press release.

The Chicago Police Department (CPD) will expand its public transportation unit to increase safety on Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) rail and bus systems, CTA officials announced last week.

The CPD will assign 50 additional officers to patrol the CTA, monitoring activity at stations and on trains. The department also is creating a detective unit focused on crime activity on the CTA system, CTA officials said in a press release.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (LA Metro) board last week approved further study of a potential route for an eastern extension of the Gold Line from its current terminus in eastern Los Angeles.

The route would follow both Atlantic Boulevard and Washington Boulevard to Whittier, California, with proposed stations in East L.A., Commerce, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Los Nietos, Santa Fe Springs and Whittier. The route includes an underground segment under Atlantic Boulevard and both street-level and aerial segments along Washington Boulevard.