Railroad News

Transport Canada officials yesterday announced the Canadian government will invest CA$15 million in a rail project aimed at reducing bottlenecks on the western Canadian rail network.

The project calls for the construction of a 1,930 rail-car storage yard in Sturgeon County, Alberta, northeast of Edmonton. Major project components include a large loop track, 32 parallel storage tracks capable of accommodating rail-car storage and assembly of trains, and a connection to the CN Rock Yard's rail siding, Transport Canada officials said in a press release.

President Donald Trump's administration yesterday unveiled a proposed fiscal-year 2021 budget that calls for cutting Amtrak funding by more than 50 percent compared with 2020 levels.

The White House budget would cut funding to the Northeast Corridor from $700 million to $325 million, as well as cut funding for long-distance train routes from $1.3 billion to $611 million. After that, the White House would phase out support for Amtrak's long-distance trains, Reuters reported.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) last week recognized Keolis Commuter Services LLC and Clever Devices for achievements in sustainability. 

As part of APTA’s Sustainability Commitment program, companies pledge to take actions that lead to continuous improvements in environmental, social and economic sustainability. Based on measurable achievements, APTA honors organizations with platinum, gold, silver and bronze level recognition for their efforts, APTA officials said in a press release.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) from vendors interested in providing mechanical services for its Piedmont passenger train fleet.

The vendor would provide inspections, servicing, repairs and cleaning of the train sets at NCDOT's Capital Yard facility in Raleigh, along with inspection and cleaning services in Charlotte. The contract is for three years with two one-year extensions.

Metrolinx will install rubber panels at 18 grade crossings on GO Transit's Lakeshore corridors to deter people from trespassing on tracks, the Toronto transit-rail agency announced last week.

Last year, the anti-trespass panels (ATPs) were installed at three locations as part of a pilot program. Almost immediately, Metrolinx officials noticed a drop in the number of pedestrians in the railway corridor, agency officials said in a blog.

Caltrain’s board last week adopted two policies to guide the agency’s use of its property and set standards for future developments.

The board's Rail Corridor Use Policy provides a framework to make sure proposed uses of Caltrain property meet the railroad’s needs. 

Several Democratic U.S. senators are criticizing the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) over delays in the process that would allow construction to begin on a new passenger-rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey.

In a Feb. 6 letter to FRA Administrator Ronald Batory, the senators expressed "deep disappointment" that the FRA has not yet finalized a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) nor a record of decision (ROD) that would allow for construction of the so-called "Gateway" tunnel beneath the Hudson River and provide "essential repairs" to the North River Tunnel.

Canada's Transport Minister Marc Garneau late last week ordered a 30-day speed limit for trains hauling dangerous goods including crude oil. The order took effect Feb. 7.

Garneau issued the order after a second freight train in two months carrying crude oil derailed in Saskatchewan. The latest involved a Canadian Pacific train that derailed Feb. 6 near Guernsey. The incident caused a fire, which prompted the village to be evacuated because of air quality concerns.

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Wabtec Corp. broke ground on a 200,000-square-foot plant that will be used for developing and manufacturing brakes, as well as maintaining brakes and couplers for transit vehicles. Once completed, the plant in Bochum, Germany, will be a DGNB Gold-certified property in recognition of sustainable and innovative design, Wabtec officials said in a press release. Upon completion in third-quarter 2020, the site will have 99,000 square feet of production space, nearly 55,000 square feet of storage and 60,000 square feet of offices. The site also will have a green roof on the administration building; make use of geothermal heating, intelligent light control and photovoltaics; and offer loading stations for e-cars and e-bikes.

SCI Rail Holdings LLC, through its subsidiary A. Stucki Co., acquired Salco Products Inc. Salco supplies circular hatch covers, tank car valves and other components for the freight rail-car industry. The acquisition broadens SCI Rail’s freight car product offering and expands its customer reach with blue chip commodity shippers, SCI Rail officials said in a press release. Dave Oestermeyer will remain president of Salco. Financial terms were undisclosed.

MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) this year will begin a $2 million project to reopen a second set of entrances at the Nostrand Avenue subway station in Brooklyn, to reduce crowding and improve accessibility, the agency announced yesterday. 

The Bedford Avenue entrances to the station were closed more than 30 years ago during a period of concern about crime, NYCT officials said in a press release.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) yesterday announced plans to accelerate several rail projects in 2020 to improve service, safety and reliability. 

The 2020 Infrastructure Acceleration Plan will deliver track replacement, upgraded intersections and station improvements eight years earlier than originally planned. The accelerated schedule is the result of expanding traditional work windows and increasing work activities within those windows, MBTA officials said in a press release.

Vitro Chemicals will become the first tenant of the Southwest International Gateway Business Park, a 540-acre industrial park in El Campo, Texas, built for cross-border shippers and served by Kansas City Southern Railway.

The first phase of Vitro Chemicals' development will include a 125,000-square-foot distribution center and a 200,000-square-foot speculative warehouse, according to a press release issued by the park's real estate investment firm, Stonemont Financial Group.

Montana Rail Link (MRL) promoted Joe Racicot, Jim Lewis and Ross Lane to vice president. 

Racicot will serve as VP of administration and general counsel; Lewis, VP of sales of marketing; and Lane, VP of corporate relations.

Total intermodal volumes dropped 7.4 percent year over year in fourth-quarter 2019, the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) reported yesterday.

During the quarter, domestic containers declined 2.7 percent to 1,958,649 units compared with Q4 2018; international shipments fell 9.1 percent to 2,195,684; and trailers plunged 21.4 percent to 292,513, according to IANA's Market Trends and Statistics report.