Railroad News

New Jersey Transit will resume weekday off-peak, one-seat Raritan Valley Line (RVL) train service to New York Penn Station beginning Nov. 4, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced yesterday.

The commuter-rail service was suspended in September 2018 to allow NJ Transit to install positive train control equipment on its rail fleet, according to a press release issued by Murphy’s office.

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

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is seeking public opinion on accessibility issues related to the Tamien intermodal station in San Jose, California, to help shape the final design of a transit-oriented development (TOD) scheduled for construction near the station in 2020. 

The Tamien Station TOD is a project between VTA and developer UrbanCo-Tamien LLC, to develop nearly 7 acres of property near the station, which serves the VTA light-rail and Caltrain commuter-rail systems.

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA) has experienced major streetcar service disruptions since the partial collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel under construction near Canal Street on Oct. 12.

Crews were working on the hotel when a portion of the building collapsed, killing at least two and injuring more than 19 people. One person remains missing. The cause of the building collapse is under investigation, local media reported.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's (PennDOT) Office of Public-Private Partnerships is accepting unsolicited proposals for transportation projects from the private sector through Oct. 31.

The proposals apply to PennDOT-owned projects and infrastructure and should address innovative ways to deliver transportation projects related to rail, ports, bridges, roads and aviation, PennDOT officials said in a press release.

Railway Interchange, the largest exhibit and technical conference for the North American railroad industry, announced last week that total registered attendance for the biennial event reached 8,450, up 3.4 percent from the 2017 event's attendance.

Held Sept. 22-25 in Minneapolis, the conference featured 746 exhibitors at the indoor and outdoor exhibits, up from 738 in 2017 and setting a new record, Railway Interchange officials said in a press release.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) last week announced that 113 police officers graduated from the Port Authority Police Department’s Police Academy class. 

The new officers bring the department's force to 2,169 officers, the highest staffing level in port history, PANYNJ officials said in a press release. 

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

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) late last week elected Nuria Fernandez as chair and Jeffrey Nelson as vice chair during the organization's TRANSform Conference being held in New York City.

Fernandez is general manager and chief executive officer of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in San Jose, California. Nelson is GM of the Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District in Moline, Illinois.

Amtrak today added an additional train on the Pacific Surfliner service to provide a 13th round-trip between Los Angeles and San Diego.

The new train will depart from Los Angeles at 1:15 p.m., arriving in San Diego at 4:12 p.m, while an existing train will depart San Diego at 5:25 p.m. and arrive in Los Angeles at 8:34 p.m.

R. J. Corman Switching Co. LLC was awarded a contract to serve as the switching and transloading provider for the Union Pacific Railroad-served Hempstead Logistics Park near Houston.

The 137-acre park, which is owned by McAlister Assets and operated by RCR Rail Co., offers services such as manifest, transload, rail-car storage and rail-car switching with controlled park access and security, R. J. Corman officials said in a press release.

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

U.S. Reps. John Carter (R-Texas) and Scott Tipton (R-Colo.), and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper recently visited rail industry suppliers' facilities to discuss various issues, including transportation infrastructure, the short-line tax credit and local job creation. The tours were coordinated by the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA).

Carter, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, toured Georgetown Railroad Equipment Co.'s (GREX) headquarters in Georgetown, Texas. The company provides railway maintenance equipment and technology solutions for track inspection and material handling applications.

New Jersey Transit earlier this week announced it will be conducting a survey to assess the needs of riders with limited English proficiency.

The online survey is intended to gather feedback from people who do not speak or read English well as to how they navigate NJ Transit’s current programs and services. The survey will also poll riders about NJ Transit’s language assistance tools and how those tools might be improved and refined, agency officials said in a press release.

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) earlier this week presented five railroads with President's Awards to recognize their outstanding safety performance in 2018.

The awards were presented during ASLRRA's annual Eastern Region meeting, which was held Oct. 7-9 in Columbus, Ohio.

Paterson GlobalFoods (PGF) recently announced plans to build an oat processing facility in Rosser, Manitoba, near Winnipeg.

Construction is expected to start immediately on the mill, which will be served by BNSF Railway Co., CN and Canadian Pacific. To be located adjacent to PGF's existing inland grain terminal, the facility will process up to 250,000 metric tons of raw oats annually.

On Oct. 14, Metrolink will begin operating a new train schedule to improve frequency and connections between its commuter lines in California. 

The agency added more midday trains to its Orange County Line, which connects Orange County to Los Angeles, as well as added a westbound and eastbound train on its 91/Perris Valley Line between Perris and Los Angeles.