Railroad News

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker late last week signed a bill that will require freight trains operating in the state to have at least two crew members.

The law will take effect Jan. 1, 2020. The measure was proposed by Illinois State Rep. Jay Hoffman.

The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) announced yesterday that effective Aug. 26 positive train control (PTC) will be implemented on the A-train commuter-rail line in Denton County, Texas. 

The PTC implementation will increase the A-train's run time by 12 minutes. To accommodate the extra time and to provide better connections to Dallas Area Rapid Transit's Green Line, DCTA added midday service and will run trains at a 30-minute frequency, authority officials said in a press release. 

Norfolk Southern Railway has chosen Alfred Benesch & Co. and TranSystems to provide program management and track design service on one of four projects that are part of the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project (CIP) in the Chicago area.

Alfred Benesch and TranSystems will work on a portion of the Belt Junction and 80th Street Junction replacements, a project known as EW2. That project, along with the 75th Street CIP, are part of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE), a long-term effort to reduce train delays and address passenger and freight congestion on converging rail lines in Chicago.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) board last month approved a reorganization plan for its entire system, including measures aimed at improving subway service, ending cost overruns and project delays, and reducing waste and inefficiencies.

Brian O’Donnell, 30
Accident investigator
MTA Metro-North Railroad

Nominator's quote: "Brian was part of a team that won Metro-North's 2016 Safety Excellence Award. He helped to train a group of people with little to no EMT/firefighter experience and established a working fire brigade for Metro-North's Stamford shop. His goal was to promote safety and to teach his co-workers to help others in an emergency."
— Justin Vonashek, MTA Metro-North Railroad, 2013 Rising Stars Winner

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) rail, bus and paratransit riders pay too much for transferring between service lines in the agency’s current fare structure, according to a recent analysis conducted by LTK Engineering Services Inc.

The study found that riders, especially minorities and people with low income, pay “excessively” for transfers under GCRTA’s current fare structure, and that they are not purchasing the “best choice” fare option for their trips.

VIA Rail Canada Inc. logged more than 94,900 passenger boardings for its Canada Day weekend between Aug. 1 and Aug. 6, an increase of 3,300 passengers compared to the same period last year. 

The 3.7 percent increase in ridership marks the sixth consecutive year of increases for the six-day holiday, VIA Rail officials said in a press release. 

VIA Rail Canada Inc. logged more than 94,900 passenger boardings over the long Aug. 1-6 weekend, an increase of 3,300 passengers compared to the same period last year. 

The 3.7 percent increase in ridership marks the sixth consecutive year of increases for the six-day holiday, VIA Rail officials said in a press release. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) last week determined the probable cause of a fatal Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) train incident in 2018 was a flagperson moving equipment outside of a restricted area without authority and on-track protection.

The incident occurred June 3, 2018, when a MARTA northbound train struck on-track equipment about 120 yards north of the Medical Center Station near Sandy Springs, Georgia, according to an NTSB accident brief.

Metro Transit-St. Louis last week selected three hires to lead the system’s public safety team: Stephen Berry, Kevin Scott and Vernon Summer.

The team will assume responsibility for Metro Transit’s security operations from MetroLink General Manager Scott Grott on Sept. 9. Grotto has been overseeing daily operations for public safety on an interim basis for the past seven months, Metro Transit officials said in a press release.

Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) members on July 30 ratified a new four-year contract with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) that governs rates of pay, work rules and health care benefits for 200 locomotive engineers.

The contract, which was ratified by 96 percent of BLET members, includes a 2 percent general wage increase, BLET officials said in a press release.  

The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) elected Jeremy Ferguson president of the Transportation Division (TD) at the union's second convention Aug. 11.

Ferguson was elected TD vice president at SMART TD's first convention in 2014. A member of Local 313 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Ferguson started his career in railroading in 1994 as a conductor at CSX in Grand Rapids. He was promoted to engineer in 1995, according to his biography on SMART TD's website.

The Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA) and its member Gallagher Asphalt Corp. hosted U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) last week for a tour of the company's facility in Thornton, Illinois.

During the visit, Kelly met with Asphalt President Charles Gallagher, senior company executives and employees, community leaders and rail industry representatives to discuss the importance of passing a surface transportation reauthorization bill.

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

Rail-car order activity can be an indicator of the rail industry’s economic health. But in the current economic environment, which CSX President and CEO James Foote last month called “one of the most puzzling” he’s experienced, I’m hesitant to suggest that the most recent car-order figures serve as a sign of good or not-so-good things to come in rail country. But the order activity hasn’t been much to write home about.

Jessica Mefford-Miller, 38
Executive director
Metro Transit-St. Louis
Bi-State Development

Nominator’s quote: “She is tasked for developing and implementing operational and capital programs of $339 million and $483 million, respectively, partnering with regional stakeholders, and successfully developing and managing local and federally funded projects that enhance and expand transit service across the St. Louis region. Ms. Mefford-Miller is the first woman to serve as St. Louis Metro’s executive director.” — Mokhtee Ahmad, Federal Transit Administration

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) yesterday announced it will launch its bike share program in North Hollywood, its busiest transit hub. 

All Red Line rail stations and Orange Line bus stations will be served by the program, now that 16 new bike share stations have been installed in North Hollywood, Toluca Lake and Valley Village, LA Metro officials said in a press release.

The Commuter Rail Coalition (CRC) yesterday announced that North County Transit District (NCTD) Executive Director Matthew Tucker has succeeded Doug Kelsey as vice chair.

CRC is an association made up of transit agencies, operators, public owners, suppliers and consultants whose mission is to advocate for commuter railroads in the U.S.  

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) today will appoint Dale Austin Jenkins to interim chief operating officer to replace Inez Evans Benson, who will retire as COO on Aug. 17. 

Jenkins will oversee the operations division while VTA begins recruiting a permanent appointment, according to a VTA meeting agenda document.