Railroad News

Considered a major milestone by CTA for the $23-million renovation, the new entrance includes additional lighting, more security cameras and a CTA bus and train tracker display to provide real-time arrival information convenience to customers. The station also received new flooring and stainless steel wall finishes as wells as a reconstructed ramp leading to the platform for enhanced accessibility.

"The Illinois Medical District station is a vital public transit connection to one of the nation's largest medical districts and this renovation will help it better serve the nearly one million people that go through it annually," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. "By investing in a 21st Century, world-class transit system we are investing in a stronger future for Chicago, its neighborhoods and its residents."

Considered a major milestone by CTA for the $23-million renovation, the new entrance includes additional lighting, more security cameras and a CTA bus and train tracker display to provide real-time arrival information convenience to customers. The station also received new flooring and stainless steel wall finishes as wells as a reconstructed ramp leading to the platform for enhanced accessibility.

"The Illinois Medical District station is a vital public transit connection to one of the nation's largest medical districts and this renovation will help it better serve the nearly one million people that go through it annually," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. "By investing in a 21st Century, world-class transit system we are investing in a stronger future for Chicago, its neighborhoods and its residents."

Joshua Engel-Yan, 38

Job description: Engel-Yan has worked in railroading at Metrolinx for eight years. He provides the evidence and analysis to inform the agency’s transportation planning and investment decisions. He leads teams of technical experts who specialize in ridership forecasting, mapping and economic modeling. In addition, Engel-Yan is responsible for the Metrolinx business case framework, which is aimed at ensuring that project assessments consider benefits and costs from a range of angles.

Education: Bachelor’s of applied science in systems design engineering, University of Waterloo; master's of applied science in civil engineering, University of Toronto

Alstom has inaugurated its first locomotive repair center in Astana, Kazakhstan. At the more than 28,000-square-foot facility, the company will perform overhauls of the Prima T8 and Prima M4 locomotives over the next 25 years. The facility includes a repair and testing shop, warehouse, spare parts shop and office space. The center also will be able to maintain products built by other companies, such as pantographs, transformers and braking systems. The Kazakh rail network spans about 8,700 miles and represents a "substantial market for maintenance activities," Alstom officials said in a press release. 

GCT Global Container Terminals Inc. has appointed Doron Grosman president and chief executive officer. He will be responsible for the company's operations in both Canada and the United States. Grosman succeeds Stephen Edwards, who held the position since 2012. Most recently, Grosman was an operating partner at Court Square Capital Partners. Before that, he was president for Hexcel Corp., a company specializing in advanced composites technology. Grosman also spent 11 years in various senior executive roles at GE and GE Plastics.

Union Pacific Railroad's rail safety programs contributed to a 5 percent decline in vehicle-train collisions at grade crossings in the first half of 2017 compared with the same period in 2016, the Class I announced late last week.

UP logged a 2.27 crossing accident rate across its 23-state network compared to a 2.40 rate during 2016's first half, UP officials said in a press release. The rates are calculated by the number of Federal Railroad Administration reportable crossing accidents per million train miles.

On July 22, the Sun Link streetcar system in Tucson, Arizona, marked its third anniversary.

Since its launch, the system has provided approximately 2.93 million rides, Sun Link officials said in a press release.

Last month, Metra logged an on-time performance rate of 95.3 percent.

The figure exceeded the commuter railroad's goal of operating at least 95 percent of trains on time, Metra officials said in a press release. The agency considers a train to be on time if it reaches its final destination within five minutes and 59 seconds of the scheduled arrival.

CSX has designated the South Alabama Mega Site in Bay Minette as a Select Site.

The site is located between Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida, on CSX's mainline.

CSX has designated the South Alabama Mega Site in Bay Minette as a Select Site.

The site is located between Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida, on CSX's mainline.

Following years of planning and recent federal funding uncertainty, Caltrain broke ground on Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project July 21.

Following years of planning and recent federal funding uncertainty, Caltrain broke ground on Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project July 21.

Following years of planning and recent federal funding uncertainty, Caltrain broke ground on Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project July 21.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has authorized the North County Transit District (NCTD) to begin Positive Train Control (PTC) Revenue Service Demonstration (RSD) operations on Coaster trains.

NCTD notes the start of RSD an important step in the implementation of PTC as it allows NCTD to collect and validate data on the performance of the PTC system. The testing supports the PTC Safety Plan that NCTD anticipates submitting to the FRA in September 2017.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has authorized the North County Transit District (NCTD) to begin Positive Train Control (PTC) Revenue Service Demonstration (RSD) operations on Coaster trains.

NCTD notes the start of RSD an important step in the implementation of PTC as it allows NCTD to collect and validate data on the performance of the PTC system. The testing supports the PTC Safety Plan that NCTD anticipates submitting to the FRA in September 2017.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has authorized the North County Transit District (NCTD) to begin Positive Train Control (PTC) Revenue Service Demonstration (RSD) operations on Coaster trains.

NCTD notes the start of RSD an important step in the implementation of PTC as it allows NCTD to collect and validate data on the performance of the PTC system. The testing supports the PTC Safety Plan that NCTD anticipates submitting to the FRA in September 2017.

Class Is employed 148,627 workers in the United States as of mid-June, down 0.27 percent since mid-May's employment figure and down 2.49 percent compared with mid-June 2016's level, according to Surface Transportation Board data.

Four out of six employment categories reflected workforce decreases in mid-June compared with mid-May levels. Those categories were executives, officials and staff assistants, down 0.53 percent to 8,699 employees; maintenance of way and structures, down 0.34 percent to 34,042; maintenance of equipment and stores, down 1.54 percent to 27,300; and transportation (other than train and engine), down 0.34 percent to 5,805.

Vehicle-train collisions at Union Pacific railroad crossings declined by five percent in the first half of 2017, compared to last year, according to Class 1. Union Pacific attributes this decline to its rail safety programs geared towards improved public safety.

Union Pacific reported a 2.27 crossing accident rate across its 23-state network, calculated by the number of Federal Railroad Administration reportable grade-crossing accidents per million train miles, compared to a 2.40 rate during the first half of 2016.

Vehicle-train collisions at Union Pacific railroad crossings declined by five percent in the first half of 2017, compared to last year, according to Class 1. Union Pacific attributes this decline to its rail safety programs geared towards improved public safety.

Union Pacific reported a 2.27 crossing accident rate across its 23-state network, calculated by the number of Federal Railroad Administration reportable grade-crossing accidents per million train miles, compared to a 2.40 rate during the first half of 2016.

Vehicle-train collisions at Union Pacific railroad crossings declined by five percent in the first half of 2017, compared to last year, according to Class 1. Union Pacific attributes this decline to its rail safety programs geared towards improved public safety.

Union Pacific reported a 2.27 crossing accident rate across its 23-state network, calculated by the number of Federal Railroad Administration reportable grade-crossing accidents per million train miles, compared to a 2.40 rate during the first half of 2016.

The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) Board of Commissioners has selected Jeffrey H. Lynford, the senior New York commissioner, to be the PANYNJ's new vice chairman.

Lynford was first appointed to the board in June 2011 by New York Gov. Cuomo and reappointed two years later. Lynford will serve in a leadership role with Chairman John Degnan in his new capacity as vice chairman.