Railroad News

Virginia and Colorado have obtained federal certification of their transit-rail state safety oversight (SSO) programs, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced late last week.

Federal law requires states with transit-rail systems in operation to obtain FTA certification of their SSO programs by April 15, 2019. States with transit-rail systems in the engineering or construction phase also must get their SSO programs certified by the deadline.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has announced the appointment of Capitol Hill veteran Ward W. McCarragher as vice president of Government Affairs, effective April 9.

Virginia and Colorado have obtained Federal Transit Administration certification of their rail transit State Safety Oversight (SSO) Programs, well in advance of the 2019 deadline.

The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) will be accepting applications for scholarships through Aug. 31, 2018.

Bombardier Transportation has signed a $452 million contract to supply 40 high-speed electric multiple unit trains to Swedish public transit agency Vasttrafik. The agreement includes an option for 60 additional trains, Bombardier officials said in a press release. Delivery is slated to begin in 2021. The units, which can operate at speeds up to 124 mph, will help address growing ridership in Sweden's Vastra Gotaland region, according to Bombardier.

Rio Grande Pacific Dispatch (RGPD) and PS Technology have announced the first implementation of the CrewPro Short Line™ crew management system. The cloud-hosted system provides a subscription-based, dynamic platform for crew scheduling, RGPD officials said in a press release. CrewPro Short Line handles hours-of-service requirements, and handles tie-up, work list/pool management, seniority move bumps and Federal Railroad Administration certification requirements. RGPD will use the system to manage crew calling for multiple railroads. The technology is expected to improve cost savings and accuracy by preventing errors that occur with legacy crew management methods, according to RGPD.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is soliciting public comments on an updated version of the state's long-range transportation plan.

The Long Range Transportation Plan is a federally required process that sets the state's 25-year vision for transportation.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) has asked President Trump's administration to "stop playing chicken with the economy" after the White House yesterday ordered the U.S. Trade Representative to consider tariffs on an additional $100 billion of Chinese products.

Trump's proposal would impose tariffs on a large portion of Chinese goods that entered the United States — about $505.6 billion last year, according to The Washington Post.

The Georgia General Assembly late last week passed a bill that would establish a regional governance and funding framework for Atlanta area transit systems.

Under the legislation, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) and four other regional transit systems would operate under a new entity known as the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority, or The ATL.

Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx have issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a team to design, build and finance the GO Transit Milton corridor project.

The agencies submitted the RFP to three teams that were identified through an earlier request for qualifications process.

Union Pacific Railroad has slated $38 million this year for capital expenditures in New Mexico.

The Class I's capital expenditure plans for the state include $15 million to replace 135,775 ties and install 92,220 tons of ballast between Tucumcari and Vaughn, and $4.8 million to replace 43,974 ties and install 22,440 tons of ballast between Vaughn and Corona.

Union Pacific Railroad has slated $38 million this year for capital expenditures in New Mexico.

The Class I's capital expenditure plans for the state include $15 million to replace 135,775 ties and install 92,220 tons of ballast between Tucumcari and Vaughn, and $4.8 million to replace 43,974 ties and install 22,440 tons of ballast between Vaughn and Corona.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) crews and contractors are set to perform work starting April 7 as part of a series of projects intended to improve the authority's service reliability along its Chestnut Hill East Regional Rail Line.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board of Directors has approved the agency's annual two-year operating budget for fiscal years 2019 and 2020 at $1.2 billion.

Ontario has committed an initial investment of more than CA$11 billion (US$8.6 billion) to make high-speed rail service between Toronto and Windsor a reality as early as 2025.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne was at Info-Tech in London on April 6 to highlight the investment that the province said would connect communities and create jobs and economic growth across Southwestern Ontario.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's (SFMTA) board on Wednesday approved an annual $1.2 billion operating budget for fiscal years 2019 and 2020 that includes funds for adding rail cars and launching the Central Subway.

The Central Subway, which is slated to launch service in 2019, involves extending the T Third Line route from the 4th Street Station in downtown San Francisco to Chinatown. The project includes four new stations along a new 1.7-mile alignment.