Railroad News

New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway has chosen Rockwell Collins' ARINC RailwayNet platform for positive train control (PTC) implementation. The platform creates a common communication infrastructure for PTC solutions and allows for interoperability between short lines, commuter railroads and Class Is, according to a Rockwell Collins press release.

Infinity Transportation Logistics LLC (ITL) this fall will add new next-generation domestic refrigerated intermodal containers to its fleet in various lanes to and from Washington state and Oregon. The new units will more than double the company's existing fleet, ITL officials said in a press release. The fleet will be able to haul up to 44,000 pounds. Meanwhile, the company is adding staff to its Kansas City, Missouri, office due to increasing demand for temperature-controlled intermodal service, ITL officials said.

Don Krusel has been named managing director of the Port of Quebec's project to build a container terminal.

Krusel was president and chief executive officer of the Prince Rupert Port Authority when the port created a new container port gateway for North American trade. As a result of the project, the Port of Prince Rupert has transformed from a regional forest and agricultural products facility to the fastest growing container port in North America, Quebec Port Authority (QPA) officials said in a press release.

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (SDMTS) received a perfect score in the Federal Transit Administration's triennial review of operations.

This marks the fourth consecutive time the agency has achieved a perfect score, SDMTS officials said in a press release. That means that for the past 12 years the FTA has found no deficiencies in SDMTS' management of FTA funds and program implementation.

The Durham County Board of Commissioners in North Carolina yesterday agreed to provide $57.6 million to fill a funding gap for the $2.5 billion Durham-Orange light-rail project.

The added cash was needed after the the state's General Assembly changed the funding makeup for the project earlier this summer, The Herald-Sun reported.

Canadian government officials announced CA$3.3 million in funding will be used for 18 rail safety improvements in Alberta.

The money will be used to pay for construction of fencing and other barriers along rail properties; installation of flashing lights, bells and gates at crossings; and installation of advanced train detection and crossing control systems.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $6.8 million to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to fund safety and security efforts.

The money will enable BART to continue to deploy its Critical Asset Patrol (CAP) team, which consists of seven officers and one sergeant who ride trains during peak passenger travel times and special events.

Amtrak and Washington state transportation officials anticipate a positive train control (PTC) system will be installed on the Amtrak Cascades corridor — including the Point Defiance Bypass — prior to the federal Dec. 31 deadline.

PTC likely would have prevented the fatal accident that occurred last Dec. 18 on the bypass track in DuPont, Washington, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials have said. Amtrak expects to return rail service to the bypass between Tacoma, Lakewood, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) and DuPont in spring 2019, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) officials reported on the department's website.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) on Aug. 25 restored Muni light-rail service in its century-old Twin Peaks Tunnel following two months of rehab work.

During the tunnel closure, the agency updated tracks, walls and drainage systems to "keep up with the demands of the Muni system," SFMTA officials said in a press release. The new tracks will enable the agency to lift a speed restriction in the tunnel.

MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) expects to complete a double-track project along the Ronkonkoma Branch by summer's end, the railroad announced late last week.

The $431 million project calls for building 13 miles of second track between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma, New York.

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), federal and state officials last week marked the start of major improvements to the Blue Line's Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station in Willowbrook, California.

The $109 million project is aimed at improving station access, expanding capacity, adding community space and better connecting the station to the surrounding area, Metro officials said in a press release.

Agencies in Washington and Ohio have approved upgrades to railroad crossings.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) approved a $19,084 grant from the Grade Crossing Protective Fund to improve a grade crossing on Walnut Street in Bingen, Washington. BNSF Railway Co., which owns the track, has agreed to the request and will complete the upgrades, according to a UTC press release.

Ray Energy Corp. officials last week marked the opening of the company's new propane rail and truck terminal in Hampton, New York.

The 21-acre facility features a 16-spot rail siding — with an operational capacity of 28 spots — and on-demand switching provided by the Vermont Railway.

New Jersey Transit founding chairman Louis Gambaccini died Aug. 19. He was 87.

In 1978, he was selected to serve as New Jersey's commissioner of transportation, and through his leadership, NJ Transit was created on July 17, 1979. He served as the state's commissioner and NJ Transit's chairman through 1981.

Hexagon's Geosystems division has signed a U.S./Canada distribution agreement with Amberg Technologies Ltd., a provider of surveying solutions for the rail industry. The expanded partnership is aimed at accelerating the digitalization of the industry by providing easier access to solutions that solve "geospatial and measurement challenges," Hexagon officials said in a press release. Under the new agreement, Hexagon will improve its rail industry offerings in the United States and Canada by adding sales distribution, technical support, and repair and calibration services for the full line of Amberg's rail products. Hexagon provides several branded products and services to the rail industry, including Leica Geosystems' reality capture solutions and SafeLoad clearance solutions.

IMC Cos. has received the "Best in Benefits" award at a recent Lipscomb & Pitts Insurance event. The honor recognizes employees that offer the best benefit plans relative to their peers, IMC officials said in a press release. Using medical plan designs, premiums and contributions from employers in the Benefits Benchmarking Survey, management consulting firm Milliman examined about 430 employers in the Memphis, Tennessee, area. IMC was recognized for being in the top 10 employers evaluated in the mid-south United States.

RIO Real Estate Investment Opportunities LLC has signed an agreement with Blacklands Railroad subsidiary Black Gold Terminals to manage operations at the Central New Mexico Rail Park that's slated to open soon in Los Lunas, New Mexico.

Black Gold Terminals provides transload services, including on-demand switching, loading and unloading services. In May, the subsidiary opened a transloading and storage terminal at the Northern Nevada Railport and Logistics Center in Fernley, Nevada. Black Gold Terminals also operates a facility in Odessa, Texas.

During the second quarter, Sound Transit's Central Link light-rail line served 6.3 million riders, marking a 6.2 percent increase over the same period last year.

In addition, average weekday boardings shot up 5.4 percent to 77,567, according to the agency's second-quarter ridership report.

BNSF Railway Co. has awarded its "Certified Sites" designation to three new industrial locations in Oklahoma, Montana and Saskatchewan.

The program identifies optimal rail-served sites for customer development along the Class I's network. To be considered for the designation, sites must undergo a thorough analysis that includes an evaluation of environmental and geotechnical standards, available utilities and site availability.