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Jan
29

CTA unveils preferred alignment for Red Line extension

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) last week announced its preferred alignment for the proposed Red Line rail extension, which calls for extending the route from 95th Street to 130th Street.

The chosen route would begin at 95th Street and run along the west side of Union Pacific Railroad tracks from Interstate 57 to 109th Street. Then, the route would cross UP tracks and run along their east side until crossing the Metra Electric tracks near 119th Street.

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Jan
29

NYA knocks out sleep apnea with new program

New York & Atlantic Railway (NYA), a subsidiary of Anacostia Rail Holdings, began a program Jan. 23 to screen employees for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

 

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Jan
29

UP taps former CSX exec Sanborn as regional VP of transportation

Union Pacific Railroad has hired former CSX executive Cindy Sanborn as UP's regional vice president of transportation for the West.

Sanborn, who will begin her new job on Feb. 16, will succeed Richard Castagna, who will retire after nearly 25 years of service, UP officials said in a press release.

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Jan
29

Banedanmark, Bentley building high-speed rail

 

The 60-kilometer new line crosses 88 bridges and passes through four tunnels to connect 10 municipalities, with a new station at Køge Nord and new platforms at Ny Ellebjerg Station for regional and long-distance connections.

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Jan
29

CSS leases five miles of CN track in Indiana

Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad (CSS) has set out to expand its business opportunities in Gary, Ind., with the lease of five miles of track from Canadian National Railway (CN).

 

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Jan
26

Forum Media Group acquires Progressive Railroading magazine and its conference business

Trade Press Media Group Inc., a 100-plus-year-old Milwaukee-based business media company, has been acquired by Forum Media Group, headquartered in Merching, Germany.

Founded in 1915, Trade Press Media Group is a business-to-business media company serving the rail industry with Progressive Railroading magazine, Progressive Railroading.com, the Car & Locomotive Yearbook, the Track Yearbooks, RailTrends Conference and the Secure Rail Conference.

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Jan
26

Rail supplier news from REMSA, Drapeau Rail, Harting, Cylus, Tiger Cool and CIT (Jan. 26)

The Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA) will again host the USA Pavilion at the upcoming InnoTrans 2018 show in Berlin, Germany. The pavilion offers a "turnkey service" to help exhibitors simplify exhibiting at the international trade show, which will be held Sept. 18-21. The layout includes a common exhibit area with internet, refreshments, seating and meeting space, as well as booth space for each exhibition company. The pavilion also will include translators. Held biennially, InnoTrans attracts more than 120,000 visitors from more than 100 countries, REMSA officials said in a press release.

Drapeau Rail and Neotec last month delivered a hi-rail truck to contractors working on Ottawa's Confederation Line. The truck is designed to maintain overhead catenary systems. Equipped with a scissor lift deck, the unit features a 180-degree turret module, Drapeau officials said in a press release.

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Jan
26

Keolis graduates new class of assistant conductors for MBTA

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 1/26/2018 Rail News: Passenger Rail
The class was the largest to graduate in the commuter-rail system's history, according to Keolis.Photo – Keolis Commuter Services

Keolis Commuter Services earlier this week graduated 27 new assistant conductors for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) commuter-rail network.

The group, which completed the training program in Somerville, Massachusetts, was the largest class to graduate in the commuter-rail system's history, Keolis officials said in a press release.

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Jan
26

L.A. Metro OKs new policy aimed at creating local jobs

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (Metro) board yesterday approved a new policy to incentivize companies bidding on contracts to create and retain U.S. jobs.

Under the policy, the agency will apply a "U.S. Employment Plan" to all train, bus and equipment purchases above $100 million. The plan was developed by advocacy group Jobs to Move America, the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, the Brookings Institution, the University of Southern California and the University of Massachusetts.

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Jan
26

UP’s planned 2018 capital plan up 6%

Union Pacific will target a 2018 capital plan of approximately $3.3 billion, pending final approval from its Board of Directors.

 

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Jan
26

UP’s planned 2018 capital plan up 6%

Union Pacific will target a 2018 capital plan of approximately $3.3 billion, pending final approval from its Board of Directors.

 

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Jan
26

FRA slates hearings on environmental report for Texas bullet train

Rail News Home High-Speed Rail 1/26/2018 Rail News: High-Speed Rail
A rendering of the proposed Brazos Station in Grimes County, Texas.Photo – Texas Central Railway

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on Jan. 29 will begin a series of 10 public hearings on its draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the proposed bullet train project in Texas.

The first public hearing will be held in Dallas County. Others will be held in locations along the proposed route, which would extend from North Texas to Houston.

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Jan
26

SEPTA KOP rail project advances with preferred alternative

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will adopt the recommended Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) as presented in the King of Prussia Rail (KOP Rail) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) with the North/South design option following Board approval. 

 

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Jan
26

SEPTA KOP rail project advances with preferred alternative

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will adopt the recommended Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) as presented in the King of Prussia Rail (KOP Rail) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) with the North/South design option following Board approval. 

 

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Jan
26

Amtrak engineer didn’t see mileposts, speed signs prior to deadly derailment

The engineer of an Amtrak train that derailed in DuPont, Wash., in December was aware of the 30 mph curve and planned to reduce speed, but miscalculated the train's location until it entered the curve and derailed.

 

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Jan
26

Amtrak engineer didn’t see mileposts, speed signs prior to deadly derailment

The engineer of an Amtrak train that derailed in DuPont, Wash., in December was aware of the 30 mph curve and planned to reduce speed, but miscalculated the train's location until it entered the curve and derailed.

 

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Jan
26

UP kicks off Brazos Yard construction

Union Pacific Railroad began construction this month on the Brazos Yard in Robertson County, Texas.

The $550 million rail yard project represents the largest capital investment in a single facility in the railroad's 155-year history, UP officials said in a press release.

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Jan
26

Metro Transit's rail lines set ridership record in 2017

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 1/26/2018 Rail News: Passenger Rail
In 2017, the agency reported a record 13.1 million rides on the Green Line.Photo – Metro Transit's 'Rider's Almanac' blog

Last year, Metro Transit served a record number of riders across all three of its rail lines in and around the Twin Cities.

The agency logged a record 13.1 million rides on the Green Line light-rail route, along with a record 10.7 million rides on Blue Line light-rail trains. Ridership on the latter line topped the previous high-water mark set in 2015.

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Jan
26

UP kicks off Brazos Yard construction

Union Pacific Railroad began construction this month on the Brazos Yard in Robertson County, Texas.

The $550 million rail yard project represents the largest capital investment in a single facility in the railroad's 155-year history, UP officials said in a press release.

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Jan
26

NTSB: Amtrak engineer missed speed-limit sign before train derailed

The engineer of the Amtrak Cascades train missed seeing a speed-limit sign before the train derailed from an overpass in Washington state last month, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced yesterday.

NTSB investigators interviewed the train's engineer and a conductor the week of Jan. 15, about a month after the fatal derailment killed three passengers and injured dozens of others. The engineer and conductor, who were in the lead locomotive during the Dec. 16 accident, were unable to be interviewed until recently because of their injuries.

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