Railroad News

—Compiled by Michael Popke

—Compiled by Michael Popke

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Associate Editor

Iteris Inc. was awarded a $2 million subcontract by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) to provide traffic operations analysis and traffic engineering design services for a new light-rail system in LA County. Iteris will provide design services for the light-rail system at more than 60 signalized intersections as part of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Project, Iteris officials said in a press release.

HNTB Corp. hired Kimberly Proia as project director and vice president, and Debbie Gies as senior project manager for program management. Proia will serve as deputy project manager for Sound Transit’s West Seattle and Ballard Link light-rail extension project. Proia has 25 years of experience managing U.S. transit-rail projects, HNTB officials said in a press release. Meanwhile, Gies will work with transit agencies on project management, operations coordination, construction staging logistics and public outreach. She has 27 years of experience. Previously, she worked for another transportation consulting firm and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority as deputy director of light-rail operations.

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (SDMTS) generated $1 billion in positive economic impact for the San Diego region, according to a report from the Fermanian Business & Economic Institute at Point Loma Nazarene University. 

The report concludes that every dollar of public investment into SDMTS returns $2.82 in the form of jobs, infrastructure investment, productivity gains, environmental benefits and money saved by riders.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Transit Innovation Partnership and Empire State Development earlier this week hosted a summit to speed up modernization of MTA New York City Transit’s (NYCT) subway signaling system. 

The summit challenged about 100 company participants from four continents to reimagine signaling infrastructure and advance the transition to 21st century signaling technologies. 

The Bi-State Development Board earlier this week voted to explore possible options for assuming control of the Loop Trolley streetcar operations in St. Louis, Missouri. 

The 2.2-mile Loop Trolley, which is operated by the nonprofit Loop Trolley Co., is financially strapped and set to close by Dec. 29. It needs about $240,000 more a year to operate, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported earlier this week.

G3 yesterday announced plans to build two new grain elevators in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

G3 will construct one elevator in Vermilion, Alberta, which will have a capacity of 34,000 tons and be located on a CN line. The second elevator, which will be built in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, will have a capacity of 42,000 tons and be located on a Canadian Pacific line.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced yesterday the approval of 26 freight-rail improvement projects, along with the state's share of the cost.

The projects are designed to improve freight mobility while creating or sustaining more than 390 jobs, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has created a new pilot program to expedite long-term, low-cost loans for short-line and regional railroads, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced yesterday.

The Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Financing Express (RRIF Express) is aimed at reducing the time and costs associated with securing loans to modernize aging freight-rail infrastructure.

—By Richard Kloster

The rail equipment industry entered 2019 with cautious optimism, which is the best spin you could put on it. The real sentiment was probably more along the lines of “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst,” which is about what we had. With 2020 right around the corner, the “prepare for the worst” part is front and center again as the rail equipment community braces for more of the same next year.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) yesterday launched its One Metro New York (OMNY) contactless fare payment system at the 34th Street-Penn Station in Manhattan, one of the busiest transit hubs in New York City. 

The OMNY system enables riders to enter the MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) system by tapping a contactless prepaid card, mobile phone or smart watch against a payment reader. 

The Maryland Department of Transportation's Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) earlier this week reopened the BWI Airport rail station in Linthicum, following completion of a $4.7 million renovation project.

Renovation work at the station, which serves Amtrak Northeast Corridor trains and the MARC Penn Line commuter-rail service, included expanded seating areas, more natural sunlight, new ticketing facilities, and new options for refreshments and snacks, MDOT MTA officials said in a press release.

The Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) board yesterday approved a five-year contract with Intersection to manage advertisements across CTA's rail system and continue efforts to earn revenue from sources other than fares.

The agreement calls for Intersection to install 775 digital screens across CTA’s rail system, nearly tripling the 425 digital screens now installed, CTA officials said in a press release. The installation will include large format displays, in-station and street level screens, interactive digital kiosks and a digital advertising display in every CTA station. 

Brightline, soon to be known as Virgin Trains USA, will locate a train station in Boca Raton, Florida, now that the Boca Raton City Council has approved a long-term land lease for the construction of the station and parking garage near the city's Downtown Library.

By the end of 2020, the Boca Raton facility is expected to be the third new station in Brightline's south corridor, joining Aventura and PortMiami hubs in connecting the privately owned intercity passenger rail system, city and Brightline officials announced yesterday.

Construction on Sound Transit's Northgate Link light-rail extension in Seattle is more than 90 percent complete, the transit agency announced yesterday.

Upon project completion in 2021, the 4.3-mile extension will connect riders between Northgate and downtown Seattle through two new underground stations, Roosevelt and U District, and one new elevated station, Northgate.

The U.S. rail traffic decline continued during the week ending Dec. 7, with railroads logging 517,130 carloads and intermodal units, down 9.4 percent compared with the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Railroads posted a total 248,174 carloads during the week, down 7.2 percent, and intermodal volume of 268,956 containers and trailers, down 11.3 percent compared to 2018.

Ridership on U.S. public transit agencies rose 2.2 percent in third-quarter 2019 compared with ridership during third-quarter 2018, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) reported yesterday.

The growth in total ridership included a 5.46 percent surge on heavy rail systems and a 4.38 percent gain on commuter-rail systems, APTA officials said in a press release.