Railroad News

The MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) yesterday began construction on a two-way grade separated underpass at the Covert Avenue crossing in Long Island, New York.

MTA is rebuilding the crossing at Covert Avenue as an underpass with a sidewalk on the east side, according to an MTA press release.

Metra Police yesterday launched a mobile application to enable riders on the Chicago commuter-rail service to discretely report crimes and suspicious activity from a train or station. 

The Metra COPS app allows riders to send a description along with a photo or video of the issue being reported. The app automatically disables the user’s smartphone flash to ensure discretion, and reports can be made anonymously, according to a Metra press release.

Next month, Amtrak will expand Acela Express weekend service between Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C.

An additional round trip will be added on Saturdays, starting May 4. Train 2252 will depart Washington, D.C., mid-morning and Train 2255 will depart Boston in the early afternoon, filling gaps in the current schedule. Regular, scheduled service on the weekends will continue.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's (PANYNJ) board has named Sam Ruda port director. Ruda has served as interim port director for the past five months. 

Ruda succeeded Molly Campbell, who left the authority in late 2018 to accept a fellowship at Harvard University. 

A railroad safety bill introduced earlier this month in Ohio's House of Representatives includes a provision that requires trains be operated by at least two crew members.

House Bill 186 includes the two-person crew provision, as well measures addressing blocked public grade crossings, rail-yard lighting and rail-yard walking conditions.

Americans took more commuter-rail trips in 2018 than in 2017, but overall ridership on commuter-, heavy- and light-rail systems decreased by 550,585 passenger trips last year, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) reported yesterday.

Nationally, commuter-rail ridership increased in 18 out of 31 transit systems, while overall ridership increased slightly by 0.41 percent in 2018 versus 2017. Two commuter-rail systems logged double-digit increases in 2018: Orlando, Florida, 30.9 percent; and Stockton, California, 11.9 percent.

CN will appeal a Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) ruling issued yesterday that determined the Class I had breached its freight-rail service obligations last year in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The CTA found that CN violated its service obligations by announcing its intention to impose embargoes on wood pulp shipments in September 2018, several months before rail congestion and other challenges emerged in the Vancouver area. The Class I imposed those embargoes in December 2018, "rather than making every reasonable effort to deal with those challenges before unilaterally restricting the transportation of the shippers' traffic," according to a CTA press release.

CN will appeal a Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) ruling issued yesterday that determined the Class I had breached its freight-rail service obligations last year in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The CTA found that CN violated its service obligations by announcing its intention to impose embargoes on wood pulp shipments in September 2018, several months before rail congestion and other challenges emerged in the Vancouver area. The Class I imposed those embargoes in December 2018, "rather than making every reasonable effort to deal with those challenges before unilaterally restricting the transportation of the shippers' traffic," according to a CTA press release.

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

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

BNSF Logistics LLC late last week announced its annual Supplier Excellence Award recipients.

The honorees are among the more than 60,000 suppliers that BNSF Logistics uses globally across all modes of transportation. BNSF Logistics operations team members nominate the suppliers for recognition.

Societe de transport de Montreal (STM) logged ridership growth last year, including 3.5 percent more riders using electronic ticketing and nearly 5 percent more riders using traditional paper ticketing, agency officials said in a press release announcing STM's 2018 annual report. 

STM credited the ridership increase to the city’s economic vitality, sustained employment growth, tourism, the expansion of reduced fares to full-time students, and measures to encourage motorists to use public transit.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) General Manager Grace Crunican last week informed the agency's board she will retire July 6.

Cruncian was appointed general manager of the San Francisco agency in 2011.

By Vesna Brajkovic, Associate Editor