Railroad News

MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) on July 31 will partially close seven N line rail stations in Brooklyn to complete the final phase of a $395.7 million renovation project.

The stations' Coney Island-bound platforms will remain closed until late 2018.

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) posted a 2.8 percent increase in its North American carload traffic in the second quarter and a 3.3 percent increase in June compared with the same periods a year ago.

Last month, G&W's North American operations hauled 135,654 carloads compared with 131,338 in June 2016. The activity included carloads from the Providence and Worcester Railroad Co. (P&W) acquisition, which closed Nov. 1, 2016, and the Heart of Georgia Railroad Inc. (HOG) acquisition, which closed May 31, according to a G&W press release.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) early next month will kick off a series of weekend shutdowns on its Lowell commuter-rail line to install positive train control (PTC).

The agency will close the line on weekends from Aug. 5 through Oct. 1, MBTA officials said in a press release late last week. Shuttle buses will replace trains during the closures.

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Legislation aimed at making the 45G tax credit permanent has reached majority support in the U.S. House and Senate, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) announced today.

The Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act has achieved 226 co-sponsors in the House (H.R. 721) and 51 co-sponsors in the Senate (S. 407), according to an ASLRRA press release.

Coney Island-bound platforms at seven Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) N stations in Brooklyn will close on July 31 for the final phase of a major $395.7-million renovation project.

The purpose of the renovation is to modernize these century-old stations and upgrade track infrastructure along the corridor. Two additional stations will be included in the renovation and will remain open during construction. The entire nine-station project is expected to be completed in late 2018.

Coney Island-bound platforms at seven Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) N stations in Brooklyn will close on July 31 for the final phase of a major $395.7-million renovation project.

The purpose of the renovation is to modernize these century-old stations and upgrade track infrastructure along the corridor. Two additional stations will be included in the renovation and will remain open during construction. The entire nine-station project is expected to be completed in late 2018.

Coney Island-bound platforms at seven Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) N stations in Brooklyn will close on July 31 for the final phase of a major $395.7-million renovation project.

The purpose of the renovation is to modernize these century-old stations and upgrade track infrastructure along the corridor. Two additional stations will be included in the renovation and will remain open during construction. The entire nine-station project is expected to be completed in late 2018.

The Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act, introduced in March of this year, has achieved 226 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives (H.R. 721) and 51 co-sponsors in the Senate (S. 407), the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) announced.

The BRACE Act is important to short line railroads because it includes language to make permanent the 45G tax credit. Under the terms of the credit a short line railroad must invest one dollar for every 50 cents in credit up to a credit cap equivalent to $3,500 per mile of track. It is a critical in assisting the nation's 603 short line railroads in upgrading track and bridges, and has been a major target of the ASLRRA's lobby efforts.

The Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act, introduced in March of this year, has achieved 226 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives (H.R. 721) and 51 co-sponsors in the Senate (S. 407), the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) announced.

The BRACE Act is important to short line railroads because it includes language to make permanent the 45G tax credit. Under the terms of the credit a short line railroad must invest one dollar for every 50 cents in credit up to a credit cap equivalent to $3,500 per mile of track. It is a critical in assisting the nation's 603 short line railroads in upgrading track and bridges, and has been a major target of the ASLRRA's lobby efforts.

The Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act, introduced in March of this year, has achieved 226 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives (H.R. 721) and 51 co-sponsors in the Senate (S. 407), the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) announced.

The BRACE Act is important to short line railroads because it includes language to make permanent the 45G tax credit. Under the terms of the credit a short line railroad must invest one dollar for every 50 cents in credit up to a credit cap equivalent to $3,500 per mile of track. It is a critical in assisting the nation's 603 short line railroads in upgrading track and bridges, and has been a major target of the ASLRRA's lobby efforts.

Metra's Board of Directors along with agency officials sent the Metra Safety Train on an excursion to "highlight the numerous ways that Metra strives to operate the safest possible railroad for its customers, employees, local schoolchildren and the public."

The special train operated along the Milwaukee District West Line from Chicago Union Station to Elgin. Metra officials were joined by Illinois State Senator Tom Cullerton, State Representative Marcus Evans, Elgin Mayor David Kaptain and Park Ridge Deputy Police Chief Lou Jogmen, who also serves as the chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee for the Illinois State Police.

Metra's Board of Directors along with agency officials sent the Metra Safety Train on an excursion to "highlight the numerous ways that Metra strives to operate the safest possible railroad for its customers, employees, local schoolchildren and the public."

The special train operated along the Milwaukee District West Line from Chicago Union Station to Elgin. Metra officials were joined by Illinois State Senator Tom Cullerton, State Representative Marcus Evans, Elgin Mayor David Kaptain and Park Ridge Deputy Police Chief Lou Jogmen, who also serves as the chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee for the Illinois State Police.

Metra's Board of Directors along with agency officials sent the Metra Safety Train on an excursion to "highlight the numerous ways that Metra strives to operate the safest possible railroad for its customers, employees, local schoolchildren and the public."

The special train operated along the Milwaukee District West Line from Chicago Union Station to Elgin. Metra officials were joined by Illinois State Senator Tom Cullerton, State Representative Marcus Evans, Elgin Mayor David Kaptain and Park Ridge Deputy Police Chief Lou Jogmen, who also serves as the chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee for the Illinois State Police.

Rio Grande Pacific Dispatch (RGPD), formerly Nebraska Central Dispatch, has rebranded with a new name and logo, to strengthen its connection to parent company Rio Grande Pacific Corp., and more accurately depict the company's operations.

The company said that while its dispatching services originated as part of the Nebraska Central Railroad Co. more than a decade ago, the relocation of its dispatching center to Fort Worth, Tex., in 2016 necessitated a rebranding.

Rio Grande Pacific Dispatch (RGPD), formerly Nebraska Central Dispatch, has rebranded with a new name and logo, to strengthen its connection to parent company Rio Grande Pacific Corp., and more accurately depict the company's operations.

The company said that while its dispatching services originated as part of the Nebraska Central Railroad Co. more than a decade ago, the relocation of its dispatching center to Fort Worth, Tex., in 2016 necessitated a rebranding.

Rio Grande Pacific Dispatch (RGPD), formerly Nebraska Central Dispatch, has rebranded with a new name and logo, to strengthen its connection to parent company Rio Grande Pacific Corp., and more accurately depict the company's operations.

The company said that while its dispatching services originated as part of the Nebraska Central Railroad Co. more than a decade ago, the relocation of its dispatching center to Fort Worth, Tex., in 2016 necessitated a rebranding.

U.S. Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.) earlier this week joined R. J. Corman Railroad Services LLC representatives to tour a trackwork project on the Louisville & Indiana Railroad (L&I).

The 106-mile short line has contracted R. J. Corman to perform improvements that will enable the railroad to increase rail-car weight capacity to 286,000 pounds. From 2015 through 2017, 94 miles of continuous-welded rail and more than 80,000 ties will be installed.

Rail Construction Equipment Co. has rebranded itself as RCE Equipment Solutions Inc. The new name reflects the company's "growth and diversification goals," RCE officials said in a press release. Although the company has been primarily focused on rail maintenance equipment, RCE within recent years has received several requests for custom equipment design projects outside the rail market. RCE Equipment Solutions will serve as the umbrella company for three different divisions: RCE Rail, which continues to cater to the rail market; RCE Energy, which develops machinery for the energy sector; and RCE Engineering. Meanwhile, RCE's facility in Rockford, Illinois, is undergoing an "extensive" expansion, company officials said. To support the additional products, the company added 11,000 square feet of production space and 6,000 square feet of additional engineering and support space.

In Alstom's first fiscal quarter, the company booked $2.18 billion worth of orders compared to $1.03 billion for the same period in its last fiscal year. The quarter runs from April 1 through June 30. In addition, Alstom logged sales of $2.13 billion, up 6 percent. The company's orders this year include two contracts for almost 100 light-rail vehicles in Canada, a fleet modernization project in the United States and a metro system contract in Vietnam. By 2020, Alstom expects its sales to grow by about 5 percent each year.

A complex crossing design and distracted ambulance driver were contributing factors to a fatal grade crossing accident that occurred in September 2015 in Langley, British Columbia, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada's (TSB) just released investigation report.

On Sept. 11 2015, a CN train struck an ambulance at the Crush Crescent–Glover Road crossing in Langley. Two paramedics, including the driver, were injured. The patient who was being transported later died due to injuries sustained in the accident.