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Sep
29

Knife River Corp., Portland & Western Railroad host U.S. Rep. Schrader

Knife River Corp. and the Portland & Western Railroad welcomed U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) last week for a tour of Knife River's sand and gravel pit in Salem, Oregon.

The tour included a discussion of public policy priorities for the business and rail communities in the Salem area. The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) and the Railway Engineering-Maintenance and Suppliers Association (REMSA) coordinated the event.

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Sep
29

Rail supplier news from Harsco, CRU, ALLU, Nomad and Transdev (Sept. 29)

Harsco Rail has received two international orders totaling nearly $25 million, the company announced earlier this week. One order calls for Harsco to provide rail grinding equipment for a 281-mile high-speed rail line between Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia. The Harsco machines will be used to maintain railhead contours for extended rail life and smoother operation, company officials said in a press release. For the other order, Harsco will provide two on-track vehicles to assess rail geometry and ballast profile for South Africa's Transnet freight-rail network. The company is supplying the vehicles to Molamu Majories and Thari Joint Venture, a contractor for Transnet. Deliveries for both orders are expected by year's end.

CRU Railcar Services (CRS) has agreed to provide tank-car cleaning and switching services at Rescar Cos.' new "Fast Track" light repair location in Elmendorf, Texas. With access to Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway Co., the new site is ideally situated for tank-car operators and lessors, said CRS spokesman Pedro Berruecos in a press release. Rescar will provide necessary maintenance, inspection or repair, while CRS will handle cleaning. Rescar has five Fast Track locations in the United States.

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Sep
29

WMATA expands testing of waterproof material in Red Line tunnels

Rail News Home Maintenance Of Way 9/29/2017 Rail News: Maintenance Of Way
The Red Line's Farragut North Station during an afternoon rush hour.Photo – WMATA/Larry Levine

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is expanding a pilot of a new waterproofing membrane along the Red Line.

The agency will continue installing the material along another 4,000-foot section of inbound track between the Medical Center and Grosvenor stations. The material is injected into the tunnel walls to form a waterproof membrane on the exterior of tunnel walls.

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Sep
29

Phoenix City Council OKs new construction of downtown light-rail station

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 9/29/2017 Rail News: Passenger Rail
The city has been working on the plan with downtown stakeholders and Valley Metro.Photo – Valley Metro

The Phoenix City Council earlier this week approved a plan that will add a new Valley Metro light-rail station on Central Avenue in the city's downtown.

The plan also calls for shifting some future light-rail platforms east between Central and First avenues. The move is aimed at creating an "easy configuration for riders to transfer from one train to another," according to a press release issued by the City of Phoenix.

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Sep
29

AASHTO elects Tennessee DOT's Schroer president

Rail News Home Railroading People 9/29/2017 Rail News: Railroading People
John SchroerPhoto – Tennessee Department of Transportation

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' (AASHTO) board yesterday elected Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer as the association's president.

At the association's annual meeting this week, the board also elected Utah Department of Transportation Executive Director Carlos Braceras as vice president, and Arkansas Department of Transportation Director Scott Bennett as secretary-treasurer.

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Sep
29

FRA grants RTD waiver to operate two commuter-rail lines

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) yesterday granted the Regional Transportation District of Denver (RTD) a five-year waiver that will allow the continued operation of the transit agency's A and B commuter-rail lines.

The lines, which opened last year, have experienced technical issues with crossing arms that lower too early and stay down too late at grade crossings. To address the concerns, RTD stationed flag attendants at the crossings.

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Sep
29

Sound Transit OKs plan to add two light-rail extensions

Sound Transit's board yesterday agreed to move forward with the proposed West Seattle and Ballard Link light-rail extensions, and established a $285.9 million preliminary engineering budget for the projects.

The extensions will bring light rail to some of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the region, Sound Transit officials said in a press release.

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Sep
29

WMATA expands waterproofing after pilot success

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is expanding a water leak mitigation project on its Red Line after positive early results from the pilot project that began in July.

The pilot project consisted of a test of the use of a "curtain grouting" technique to add a waterproof membrane to the exterior of the tunnel walls using a proprietary polymer-based material.

Continue reading
Sep
29

WMATA expands waterproofing after pilot success

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is expanding a water leak mitigation project on its Red Line after positive early results from the pilot project that began in July.

The pilot project consisted of a test of the use of a "curtain grouting" technique to add a waterproof membrane to the exterior of the tunnel walls using a proprietary polymer-based material.

Continue reading
Sep
29

WMATA expands waterproofing after pilot success

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is expanding a water leak mitigation project on its Red Line after positive early results from the pilot project that began in July.

The pilot project consisted of a test of the use of a "curtain grouting" technique to add a waterproof membrane to the exterior of the tunnel walls using a proprietary polymer-based material.

Continue reading
Sep
29

Sound Transit approves budget for West Seattle and Ballard Link extensions

The Sound Transit Board approved the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions, establishing a $285.9-million budget for the project's preliminary engineering.

Additionally, the Sound Transit Board also approved a $24.4-million consultant contract with HNTB Corporation to begin project development services.

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Sep
29

Sound Transit approves budget for West Seattle and Ballard Link extensions

The Sound Transit Board approved the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions, establishing a $285.9-million budget for the project's preliminary engineering.

Additionally, the Sound Transit Board also approved a $24.4-million consultant contract with HNTB Corporation to begin project development services.

Continue reading
Sep
29

Sound Transit approves budget for West Seattle and Ballard Link extensions

The Sound Transit Board approved the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions, establishing a $285.9-million budget for the project's preliminary engineering.

Additionally, the Sound Transit Board also approved a $24.4-million consultant contract with HNTB Corporation to begin project development services.

Continue reading
Sep
29

LACMTA seeks P3s to accelerate Measure M

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) is moving forward with a series of public-private partnerships (P3s) in efforts to expedite Measure M transportation projects.

 

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Sep
29

LACMTA seeks P3s to accelerate Measure M

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) is moving forward with a series of public-private partnerships (P3s) in efforts to expedite Measure M transportation projects.

 

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Sep
29

LACMTA seeks P3s to accelerate Measure M

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) is moving forward with a series of public-private partnerships (P3s) in efforts to expedite Measure M transportation projects.

 

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Sep
29

Democrats introduce bill mandating sleep apnea testing

Members of Congress representing New York and New Jersey have introduced a bill that would require the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to mandate sleep apnea tests for commercial truckers and rail operators.

The legislation would reverse a recent decision by President Donald Trump's administration to reverse the department's proposed rule to require truck drivers and train operators to be tested for sleep apnea and, if diagnosed with the condition, receive treatment for it.

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Sep
29

Port Mac rail extension is 75% complete; embankment closed for travel

The Port MacKenzie Rail Extension has reached 75 percent completion, but officials say the 32-mile embankment is closed to travel due to increased rates of vandalism.

Officials with the Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Borough said the last segment of the project was cleared in spring 2017 and surveyors continue to install monuments along the entire route. Funding is the chief hurdle to reaching completion of the project, which is 10 years in the making. Mat-Su Borough notes that the project has been funded with voter-approved state general obligation bonds and state appropriation.

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Sep
29

Port Mac rail extension is 75% complete; embankment closed for travel

The Port MacKenzie Rail Extension has reached 75 percent completion, but officials say the 32-mile embankment is closed to travel due to increased rates of vandalism.

Officials with the Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Borough said the last segment of the project was cleared in spring 2017 and surveyors continue to install monuments along the entire route. Funding is the chief hurdle to reaching completion of the project, which is 10 years in the making. Mat-Su Borough notes that the project has been funded with voter-approved state general obligation bonds and state appropriation.

Continue reading
Sep
29

Port Mac rail extension is 75% complete; embankment closed for travel

The Port MacKenzie Rail Extension has reached 75 percent completion, but officials say the 32-mile embankment is closed to travel due to increased rates of vandalism.

Officials with the Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Borough said the last segment of the project was cleared in spring 2017 and surveyors continue to install monuments along the entire route. Funding is the chief hurdle to reaching completion of the project, which is 10 years in the making. Mat-Su Borough notes that the project has been funded with voter-approved state general obligation bonds and state appropriation.

Continue reading