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Mar
08

USDOT issues $46 million in TIGER grants for rail projects in Maryland, Indiana and New Mexico

Announcements for the latest round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants continue to leak out, with $46 million worth of grants identified for projects in Maryland, Indiana and New Mexico.

Baltimore County, Maryland, was among the awardees. The county has received a $20 million TIGER grant to help TradePoint Atlantic redevelop a former Sparrows Point steel mill site.

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Mar
07

Rail supplier news from Rolls-Royce, TransRail Innovation, LAN, REZ-1, Saft and Hack Partners (March 7)

Knoxville Locomotive Works (KLW) has chosen Rolls-Royce to provide MTU Series 4000 and 2000 engines for its SE Series four- and six-axle locomotive designs. Produced at the MTU America plant in South Carolina, the engines can deliver a power output of 1,050 to 3,218 horsepower, Rolls-Royce officials said in a press release. Each KLW model uses a single drive train system that consists of either an MTU Series 4000 or Series 2000 high-speed engine powering a traditional intermediate speed AR-10 Series alternator. In addition, KLW's locomotive configurations meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Tier 4 emissions standard. The MTU engines are ideal for the demands of switching and road-switching operations, said KLW President Jim Wurtz.

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has certified TransRail Innovation Group's XLOAD sensor to begin pilot trials on tank cars shipping hazardous commodities such as crude oil and refined fuels. TransRail has begun pilot trials with four refineries and shippers in Canada and the United States. The digital sensor is used to measure and track commodities inside of moving tank cars. For example, shippers can use it to automatically detect, measure and report on the specific level and volume of crude oil that is loaded into a closed and sealed tank car. The sensor also could help shippers safely increase the volume of rail cars, which are often under-filled due to poor visibility of the commodity levels inside, according to a company press release.

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Mar
07

DART touts security efforts, unveils new crime-reporting app

Rail News Home Security 3/7/2018 Rail News: Security
DART Chief of Police James Spiller introduces a new rider to the agency's security app.Photo – Dallas Area Rapid Transit

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) employees today joined the agency's police officers and fare enforcement workers to inform riders about new security initiatives.

The agency has assigned more police and security officers to some of its busiest locations. In addition, DART is deploying 29 contracted and uniformed security officers on rail platforms in strategic locations, with plans to add another 30 guards this year.

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Mar
07

Norfolk Southern overhauls e-commerce tool

Norfolk Southern Railway has released its next generation of AccessNS, an e-commerce tool that enables customers to use a one-stop digital platform to conduct business with the railroad.

The revamped portal features faster functionality and a modern, intuitive user interface that's easier to navigate. By selecting digital "widgets," customers can create personalized dashboards that give them quick access to information they consider most vital to their logistics needs, NS officials said in a press release.

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Mar
07

Norfolk Southern overhauls e-commerce tool

Norfolk Southern Railway has released its next generation of AccessNS, an e-commerce tool that enables customers to use a one-stop digital platform to conduct business with the railroad.

The revamped portal features faster functionality and a modern, intuitive user interface that's easier to navigate. By selecting digital "widgets," customers can create personalized dashboards that give them quick access to information they consider most vital to their logistics needs, NS officials said in a press release.

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Mar
07

REMSA members represent on the Hill

More than 55 individuals are representing more than 30 Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA) member companies today at Railroad Day on Capitol Hill.

 

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Mar
07

GE, Long Beach port to pilot data-sharing software

GE Transportation and the Port of Long Beach, California, have partnered to roll out a new data-based pilot program aimed at improving cargo flow.

As part of a two- to three-month pilot, GE will implement its Port Optimizer™ solution at the port's marine terminals, including the Long Beach Container Terminal.

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Mar
07

Rail Traffic for February and the Week Ending March 3, 2018

​​The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 3, 2018, as well as volumes for February 2018.

U.S. railroads originated 1,028,141 carloads in February 2018, down 0.3 percent, or 2,753 carloads, from February 2017. U.S. railroads also originated 1,104,001 containers and trailers in February 2018, up 6.9 percent, or 70,970 units, from the same month last year. Combined U.S. carload and intermodal originations in February 2018 were 2,132,142, up 3.3 percent, or 68,217 carloads and intermodal units from February 2017.

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Mar
07

USDOT awards $8.5 million TIGER grant for Arkansas rail bridge projects

Rail News Home Federal Legislation & Regulation 3/7/2018 Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation
The U.S. Department of Transportation has approved an $8.5 million grant toward the cost of repairing and rehabilitating three rail bridges in Arkansas.The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant was awarded to Fort Smith, Arkansas, announced U.S. Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton and U.S. Rep. Steve Womack in a press release. All three are Republicans representing the state.One project calls for rehabilitating structural components and electrical and mechanical systems that control the lift span for a bridge that crosses the Arkansas River. For two bridges that cross Clear Creek, the projects call for replacing the timber trestles approaching the bridge span."Upgrading our infrastructure is necessary to continuing and growing economic development in the region. This investment in Fort Smith will improve transportation routes to move Arkansas goods around the world," said Boozman.More than 50 Arkansas businesses rely on the rail bridges for sending and receiving goods, noted Womack.The TIGER program is part of the USDOT. Funding is awarded to projects that have a significant economic impact on a region, metropolitan area or the nation as a whole, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.The USDOT expects to announce all TIGER grant awards later this week, according to a department spokesman. 

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Mar
07

Metrolinx issues RFQ for GO Transit Lakeshore expansion

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 3/7/2018 Rail News: Passenger Rail
The project calls for infrastructure upgrades to make way for GO rail service increases along the Lakeshore East line.Photo – Infrastructure Ontario

Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario (IO) have issued a request for qualifications for firms to build and finance GO Transit's Lakeshore East-West Corridor expansion project in the Toronto area.

The project calls for infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the planned expansion of GO rail service on the Lakeshore East line.

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Mar
07

Chao confirms Trump opposes Hudson rail tunnel project

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A House committee hearing yesterday on President Donald Trump's infrastructure proposal led to some tense exchanges between U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and lawmakers from New York and New Jersey over the administration's support of the Hudson River rail tunnel replacement project.

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Mar
07

Court upholds $1.25M award to BNSF whistleblower

A federal appeals court has upheld a $1.25 million award to a BNSF Railway whistleblower in a safety violations case.

 

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Mar
07

CN, CP respond to grain shippers' concerns over rail shipment backlog

Both Canadian Class Is today announced their efforts to improve grain shipments following extreme winter weather in February that affected the nation's grain supply chain.

The announcements were made in response to grain shippers' and producers' recent concerns about a growing backlog of rail shipments.

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Mar
07

TTC to perform signal upgrades on Line 1

This weekend, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) crews are set to continue work on the installation of an Automatic Train Control (ATC) signal system.

 

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Mar
07

Metro-North Port Jervis Line set for weekend upgrades

Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) Metro-North Railroad will send Metro-North crews out this weekend to make improvements to the Port Jervis Line.

 

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Mar
06

VRE releases facility condition report

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 3/6/2018 Rail News: Passenger Rail
The assessment covered 19 stations, three VRE-owned parking facilities, two administrative buildings, and two maintenance and storage facilities.Photo – Virginia Railway Express

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Mar
06

JAXPORT's heavy-lift berth used to move locomotives

Rail News Home Intermodal 3/6/2018 Rail News: Intermodal
CSX delivered the 68-foot long locomotives from Illinois.Photo – JAXPORT's Flickr account

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Mar
06

SFMTA tests three-car Muni trains

The agency may put the three-car trains into service as early as this spring.Photo – SFMTA's blog

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has begun testing three-car setups with its new Siemens-built light-rail units.

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Mar
06

SCVTA meeting with FTA to discuss BART extension delays

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) said it has identified more challenges than expected during the BART Silicon Valley Project's first phase.

 

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Mar
06

Savannah harbor deepening reaches halfway mark

Rail News Home Intermodal 3/6/2018 Rail News: Intermodal
Deepening the harbor will enable larger ships to bring heavier loads into the Port of Savannah.Photo – Gov. Nathan Deal's office

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