Railroad News

CN officials yesterday participated in a ground-breaking ceremony at Whirlpool Canada's distribution center now under construction at the railroad's Calgary Logistics Park in Rocky View County, Alberta.

The 425,000-square-foot building will serve as a distribution center for finished Whirlpool alliances coming to Alberta from across North America, CN officials said in a press release.

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has presented this year's John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award to Norfolk Southern Railway's Andrew Paul, the association announced yesterday.

The AAR issues the award annually in honor of the late senator from Rhode Island. Chafee was a strong advocate for environmental causes and the eco-friendly benefits of rail transportation.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo today declared a state of emergency for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

The move will allow the agency to speed up the purchase of material and equipment needed to repair tracks, signals, switches and other components, Cuomo said on Twitter.

Southern California transit agency Omnitrans has appointed Trischelle Baysden director of rail.

Omnitrans made the appointment as it prepares to launch the Arrow passenger-rail service between Redlands and San Bernardino, California. The route is slated to open in 2020.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has named the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) its "outstanding public transportation system" for 2017.

The award recognizes the Toronto agency's "transformative change" over the past five years, TTC officials said in a press release. The TTC's efforts have included developing a five-year plan aimed at putting customers first.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators this week introduced the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) of 2017, a measure that would reauthorize the federal clean-air program through fiscal-year 2022 at current funding levels.

The legislation also would ensure equal funding opportunities between large cities and rural areas, according to a press release issued by U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW).

An MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) A-line subway train derailed yesterday and injured at least 34 people.

None of the injuries were life-threatening, according to the New York City Fire Department's Twitter account.

The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) has expedited efforts to repair 10 light-rail cars to increase capacity following a heat wave in the western United States.

Last week, the light-rail fleet's air conditioning systems struggled to perform in the region's triple-digit temperatures, causing "extreme discomfort for both passengers and operators," SacRT officials said in a press release.

TransLink has begun welcoming new retailers to its SkyTrain stations for the first time in eight years.

The agency's retail real estate program generates CA$500,000 each year, a figure that's anticipated to double over the next five years, TransLink officials said in a press release issued last week.

U.S. Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) last week introduced a bipartisan bill that would create a dedicated funding source for freight-related infrastructure projects.

H.R. 3001, the National Multimodal and Sustainable Freight Infrastructure Act, would build on the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which outlines for the first time a national freight policy, according to a press release issued by Lowenthal's office.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on July 1 will begin a $163 million project to rebuild and improve century-old sections of the M rail line.

Contractors will demolish and rebuild a crucial segment of the line between the Fresh Pond Road and Middle Village-Metropolitan Avenue stations in Queens, New York. The segment includes a 100-year-old metal bridge that crosses over the New York & Atlantic Railway's tracks.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board yesterday approved a six-year, $18.6 billion improvement program for the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT).

The allocation will cover more than 3,600 projects that will improve highways, roads, bridges, rail, transit and bicycle and pedestrian paths across the state over the next six fiscal years.

Amtrak yesterday named former airline industry executive Richard Anderson as the national passenger railroad's next president and chief executive officer.

Anderson, who most recently was executive chairman of Delta Air Lines after serving as the airline's CEO from 2007 to 2016, will begin his new duties at Amtrak on July 12, Amtrak officials announced in a press release.

Metra has hired Jayne Deno as chief human resources officer.

Deno most recently served as vice president of human resources at Americas for Oerlikon Fairfield in Lafayette, Indiana.