Railroad News

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Managing Editor

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Managing Editor

HDR has obtained a contract with Sound Transit to provide planning, preliminary engineering, environmental and public involvement services for the Tacoma Dome Link light-rail extension. The 9.7-mile extension will include four new stations and a new operations and maintenance facility. The alignment will run through South Federal Way, Fife and East Tacoma, Washington. HDR's team will lead stakeholder engagement and invite the public and business owners to weigh in on the project, company officials said in a press release.

Signet Electronic Systems Inc. has achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification, an international standard for quality management systems. An accredited, third-party certification body performed an audit to determine that the company's quality management documentation is in compliance with the standard. The company is one of the few systems integrators in the United States to achieve the certification, Signet officials said in a press release. The certification is expected to open opportunities for the company in the transportation industry, said Signet Vice President of Transportation Solutions Greg Sparrow.

The Societe de transport de Montreal (STM) yesterday released its 2018 budget, which totals CA$1.4 billion.

The budget includes funds to boost subway service by more than 3 percent, which means trains will arrive at stations every 5 minutes on weekday evenings on all four subway lines.

The first week of 2018 was a tad slow for U.S. railroads, which posted 415,862 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.6 percent compared with the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total carloads for the week ending Jan. 6 were 208,646 units, down 5.2 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while weekly intermodal volume was 207,216 containers and trailers, down 3.9 percent compared with a year ago.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has unveiled four alternative routes for the Green Line light-rail extension.

Also known as the South Bay extension, the project involves extending the Green Line from its current terminus at a station in Redondo Beach, California, to a new transit center in Torrance, California.

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., senior associate editor

An environmental study exploring the viability of a high-speed passenger-rail service between Minnesota and Wisconsin has been halted after two Minnesota state lawmakers objected to its funding.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is celebrating the completion of the state's largest program of rail infrastructure improvements after seven years.

Brightline today announced that its privately funded passenger-rail service between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Florida, will begin Jan. 13.

Over the past month, the company has been operating simulated service to prepare for operational readiness. Brightline expects to become fully operational and extend service to downtown Miami in the coming months, company officials said in a press release.

OmniTRAX, Inc., Board Chairman Edmond Harris is resigning after being named executive vice president of operations at CSX Corporation (CSX).

Norfolk Southern Railway has assisted 75 customer facilities in locating or expanding operations along the Class I's rail lines in 2017.

The 54 new and 21 expanded facilities owned by NS customers represent an investment of $1.1 billion by those customers. The investment is expected to create nearly 2,000 new customer jobs in the railroad's service area and generate more than 147,000 carloads of new rail traffic, according to an NS press release.

Norfolk Southern Railway has assisted 75 customer facilities in locating or expanding operations along the Class I's rail lines in 2017.

The 54 new and 21 expanded facilities owned by NS customers represent an investment of $1.1 billion by those customers. The investment is expected to create nearly 2,000 new customer jobs in the railroad's service area and generate more than 147,000 carloads of new rail traffic, according to an NS press release.

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker signed an order establishing the governor's Commuter Rail Advisory Task Force on Jan. 9.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT) rail division has chosen Dewberry to provide general rail engineering support.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has formed a partnership with FairMarkIT to help modernize the agency's procurement processes.

The firm will assist the MBTA as it moves from a combination of electronic and paper systems to a web-based operation, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) officials said in a blog post.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) Board of Directors has elected its new 2018 chair and vice chair.