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Oct
11

Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Illinois, New Jersey, & New York

Rail News Home Passenger Rail October 2016 Part 1 : Progressive Railroading's Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Preface Part 2 : Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Amtrak and transit agencies in Arizona & California Part 3 : Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Colorado, Florida, & Georgia Part 4 : Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Illinois, New Jersey, & New York Part 5 : Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Ohio and Pennsylvania Part 6 : Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Texas & Washington Rail News: Passenger Rail

CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY*OPERATING BUDGET: $1.5 billionOperates rail service on eight routes, as well as bus service, in Chicago and 35 suburbs.Service launched: 1947
Route miles: 224 track miles; 211,042 rail miles traveled per day
Rolling stock: 1,492 rail cars
Annual rail ridership: 241 million (2015 forecast)
Annual operating budget: $1.475 billion (2016)
Annual capital budget: $638 million
Stations: 145
Major projects underway:
The CTA’s 2016 budget continues the $5 billion of transit modernization begun under Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2011. CTA continues the reconstruction of major rail stations, including the 95th Street and Wilson on the Red Line, as well as the modernization of the Blue Line O’Hare branch and portions of the Purple Line Express and Brown Line. In addition, CTA is continuing extensive planning necessary to pursue a complete rebuild of the Red and Purple lines north of Belmont and to extend the Red Line south from its southern end at 95th Street to 130th Street.*Information source: CTA website, 2016 budget report.METRAOPERATING COST: $759.8 millionMetra provides commuter-rail service in Cook, DuPage, Will, Lake, Kane and McHenry counties in northeastern Illinois.Service launched: 1984 (Metra)
Miles per mode: 487.7 miles, commuter rail
Rolling stock: 146 locomotives, average age 28 years; 837 rail cars, average age 29 years; 186 M-U electric cars, average age 2.4 years.
Annual ridership: 83.6 million
Annual operating cost: $759.8 million
Annual capital cost: $185.7 million
Stations: 241
Late 2016 procurement plans: UP North Bridge project, Phase 2 (11 bridges and inbound portion of Ravenswood Station); UP West 3rd track project.
Major 2017 procurement plans: Renovation of the historic Van Buren Street Station; replacement and expansion of the Z100 Bridge over the Fox River on the Milwaukee West.PATCOOPERATING COST: $54.5 MILLIONThe Port Authority Transit Corp. (PATCO) operates a rapid transit line from Center City, Philadelphia, to Lindenwold, N.J.Service launched: Heavy rail, 1969
Miles per mode: 14.5
Rolling stock: 120 rail cars; average age is 42 years.
Annual ridership: 10.4 million
Annual operating cost: $54.5 million
Annual capital cost: $72.3 million
Stations: 13Major capital projects underway or scheduled to begin within the next year include:
• Transit car overhaul. This $194 million project refurbishes all 120 rail cars in PATCO’s fleet. As of September 2016, 36 rail cars have been refurbished. Estimated completion is 2018.
• Westmont Viaduct project. This $14.5 million project will replace the rails and fasteners along the structure that supports the PATCO train. Work will occur on a 2,000-foot section for the PATCO line adjacent to and through the Westmont Station. Estimated completion is 2018.Projects with contracts yet to be let include:
• Lindenwold Yard rehabilitation. This $45 million project consists of track rehabilitation, turnout switch rehabilitation, electrical improvements to the PATCO storage yard and maintenance building approach tracks. Anticipated construction start date is early 2017.
• Elevator installation. PATCO is designing and planning work for new elevators at the Ashland, Haddonfield, Westmont, Collingswood, City Hall and 12/13th & Locust Street stations. The project is part of a $28 million program to install elevators in all currently unequipped PATCO stations. Constructed is anticipated to start in early 2017.
• Hall and way interlocking rehabilitation. This $2.5 million project consists of turnout and switch replacement in two interlockings.
• Embankment restoration, Phase 5. This $8 million project will work on restoring embankments along the right of way, drainage improvements and rehabilitation of trackway retaining walls at various locations along the system.
• Electrical substation equipment replacement program. This $9.2 million, multi-year program will replace electrical breakers, switches and electrical gear in electrical substations. Most equipment is original to when the system was constructed in the late 1960s.MTA LONG ISLAND RAIL ROADOPERATING COST: $1.9 BILLIONThe MTA Long Island Railroad (LIRR) is the largest commuter railroad in the United States. Chartered in 1834, it extends from three major New York City terminals — Penn Station, Atlantic Terminal and Hunterspoint Avenue — through a major transfer hub at Jamaica to the easternmost tip of Long Island.Service launched: 1834
Miles per mode: 594, commuter
Rolling stock: 45 locomotives, average age 18; 170 M-3 cars, age 31 years; 134 C-3 coaches, age 18 years; 836 M-7 cars, age 11 years. Cars/locomotives on order: 92 Kawasaki EMU cars, with delivery expected June 2018-January 2019.
Annual ridership: 87,648,046
Annual operating cost: $1.9 billion (2016)
Annual capital cost: NA
Stations: 124
Major capital improvement projects underway: LIRR is progressing with capital projects funded in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) 2015-2019 capital program. The LIRR portion of this program totals $2.83 billion.
Major projects yet to be let:
• Double Track Phase II will complete the construction of full second track between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma on the LIRR’s Main Line. Currently, this segment of the railroad is largely single track with selected passing sidings. Construction of Phase I is underway. This project will greatly improve service reliability, allow for faster recovery from operational incidents, while also allowing for half-hourly bi-directional service during off-peak periods and improving access to Long Island MacArthur Airport.
• Jamaica Capacity Phase II will advance efforts to modernize and improve the track-level infrastructure in Jamaica, the LIRR’s key transfer hub in Queens. Work to be progressed during the 2015-2019 Capital Program includes design of a master track layout, which involves reconfiguration of track and switches and a significant modification of train routing through the Jamaica complex. This will support higher speed switches, more streamlined operations and increased Jamaica throughput. Also, included as part of this capital program is a design of a new signal system for Jamaica, which will address significant state-of-good-repair needs and provide a modernized signal system that will facilitate future track configurations.MTA METRO-NORTH RAILROADOPERATING COST: $1.5 BILLIONMTA Metro-North was created in 1983 when the MTA assumed control of Conrail’s suburban and commuter operations in the states of New York and Connecticut. Metro-North operates three main lines — the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven — each extending over 70 miles north and east from Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan and serving 111 stations. The 95-mile Port Jervis and 30-mile Pascack Valley lines west of the Hudson River extend north from New Jersey Transit’s terminal in Hoboken, N.J., connecting with service from Penn Station, N.Y., at Secaucus Transfer, and serving 11 stations in New York.Service launched: 1983
Miles per mode: 391
Rolling stock: 69 locomotives, average age 17 years; 268 rail cars, average age 14 years
Annual ridership: 86.6 million
Annual operating cost: $1.47 billion
Annual capital cost: $464.2 million
Stations: 124, including Grand Central and Suffern. Suffern is in the state of New York, but operated by NJ Transit.Major capital improvements underway:
• Positive Train Control. Metro-North is spending $367 million in its 2005-09, 2010-14 and 2015-19 capital programs (along with an additional $157 million from Connecticut Department of Transportation) to comply with the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, which requires full implementation of a PTC system by Dec. 31, 2018. SYSTRA and AECOM are providing design services, and Bombardier Transportation is serving as the systems integrator.
• Harmon Emu Shop. The shop is Metro-North’s oldest, largest and most critical rolling stock maintenance facility, servicing nearly 500 EMUs, more than 200 coaches and 55 locomotives. Over the past 20 years, Metro-North has spent $500 million in four phases to replace the shop facilities, originally built in 1910, with state-of-the-art maintenance capabilities. Replacement of the main shop (Phase V), where EMUs were traditionally repaired and the last shop facility to be replaced, is underway and includes two stages. Phase V Stage I ($315 million funded under the 2010-14 capital program) includes the design-build of a consist shop and a new stand-alone wheel shop (EMU Annex). Construction is underway with completion anticipated in 2018. Phase V Stage II includes the design-build of running repair and support shops ($431 million funded under the 2015-19 capital program). Preliminary design is underway with construction anticipated to begin in 2018.
• Hurricane Sandy repairs: In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy submerged significant portions of the Hudson Line, damaging track and immersing over 30 miles of signal and power systems from Harlem to Croton Harmon in highly corrosive saltwater. Metro-North is repairing the right of way and replacing signal and power infrastructure, hardening systems to the maximum extent feasible considering the location immediately adjacent to the Hudson River. Design for the signal and power replacement by Gannett Fleming is completed, and a design-build contract awarded to Judlau-TC Electric Joint Venture in May 2015 to construct the segment of the Hudson Line from Tarrytown to Croton-Harmon to be followed by the Bronx to Tarrytown segment.MTA NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT*OPERATING BUDGET: $11 BILLIONThe subway opened in 1904. It travels through underground tunnels and elevated structures in the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. On Staten Island, New York City Transit’s (NYCT) Staten Island Railway links 22 communities.Track miles: 662
Rolling stock: 6,407 rail cars
Annual ridership: 2.4 billion (includes bus, paratransit)
Annual operating budget: $10.9 billion (2016)
Capital budget: NA
Stations: 469Projects underway include:
NYCT’s current, ongoing and future capital projects include the purchase of 940 subway cars, modernizing six signal interlockings, replacing more than 73 miles of track, and rehabbing stations.*Information source: www.mta.info/nyctPORT AUTHORITY TRANS-HUDSON*OPERATING EXPENSES: $390 MILLIONThe Port Authority of Trans-Hudson (PATH) is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). PATH was established as an agency subsidiary in 1962. It provides heavy-rail rapid transit between Manhattan and New Jersey.Route miles: 14
Rolling stock: 350 active vehicles
Annual ridership: 78.7 million trips expected in 2016
Annual operating expense: $390 million
Annual operating capital budget: $290 million
Stations: 13: 6 in Manhattan and 7 in New Jersey.Major projects planned for 2016:
• Opening the final sections of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub;
• $192 million for critical state of repair work, including Hurricane Sandy recovery and resiliency projects in the tunnels, as well as continuation of the PATH modernization program;
• $47 million for signal system replacement;
• $58 million for system enhancement, such as PATH station upgrades; and
• $40 million for security and mandatory projects.*Information source: PANYNJ 2016 Budget BookMTA STATEN ISLAND RAILWAY*OPERATING BUDGET: $79 MILLIONThe railway links 22 communities in the New York City borough of Staten Island.Service launched: 1860
Track miles: 29
Rolling stock: 63 rail cars
Annual ridership: 4.5 million
Annual operating budget: $78.8 million (2016)
Projects underway include: St. George Interlocking rehab project and the Arthur Kill Station project, which calls for constructing an ADA-compliant passenger station and parking facility on Staten Island to replace the Atlantic and Nassau stations. Also, the railway is continuing to build a new substation at the Prince’s Bay station.* Information sources: www.mta.info/sir previous page next page
Keywords Browse articles on Chicago Transit Authority Metra MTA Long Island Rail Road MTA Metro-North Railroad MTA New York City Transit Port Authority Trans-Hudson MTA Staten Island Railway Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff.

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Oct
11

Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Texas & Washington

Rail News Home Passenger Rail October 2016 Part 1 : Progressive Railroading's Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Preface Part 2 : Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Amtrak and transit agencies in Arizona & California Part 3 : Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Colorado, Florida, & Georgia Part 4 : Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Illinois, New Jersey, & New York Part 5 : Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Ohio and Pennsylvania Part 6 : Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Texas & Washington Rail News: Passenger Rail

DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSITOPERATING COST: $158 MILLIONDallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is the public transit system for Dallas and 12 surrounding North Texas cities operating light rail, commuter rail (the Trinity Railway Express, co-owned with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority), bus and paratransit services.Service launched: light rail in 1996
Miles per mode: 93, light rail
Rolling stock: 163 light-rail vehicles, average age 14 years
Annual ridership: 29.9 million (as of FY2015)
Annual operating cost: $158.2 million (FY2015)
Annual capital cost: $69.5 million (FY2015)
Stations: 64 (as of Oct. 24, 2016)Major capital projects underway: The 3-mile South Oak Cliff Blue Line Extension will open Oct. 24. This includes a rebuilt Ledbetter Station and 3 new miles of double-track light rail extending the DART rail system to the University of North Texas-Dallas. DART continues plans for a second light rail alignment through the Dallas Central Business District, as well as plans for rail on the eastern section of the Cotton Belt corridor from an area near the current Bush Turnpike Station and Terminal B of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.DENTON COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITYOPERATING COST: $13 MILLIONFormed in 2002 and funded in 2003, the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) has been focused on an aggressive service implementation strategy to address the mobility needs of Denton County residents. The central element of the agency’s service plan is the A-train, which connects with Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) Green Line at Trinity Mills in Carrollton, and serves five stations within Denton County. In addition to the A-train, the DCTA provides bus service in the cities of Lewisville, Denton, and Highland Village.Service launched: Commuter rail, 2011
Miles per mode: Commuter rail, 21.3
Rolling stock: 11 DMU-GTW Stadler rail cars, average age 5 years.
Annual ridership: 550,000 on commuter rail
Annual operating cost: $13 million
Annual capital cost: $2 million
Stations: 5Major capital projects underway: DCTA has four major Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) construction projects that resulted from the damage experienced during the Dallas area flooding in May and June 2015. The agency will be undercutting 1 mile of fouled ballast, replacing 13 flood-damaged grade crossings and repairing damaged drainage structures. Engineering is in process and DCTA expects to begin construction in late 2016 or early 2017. Construction is expected to take nine months. Total cost: $4 millions. Contracts have not been awarded.
Future projects: DCTA has a federal grant to construction another 3 miles of Hike and Bike trail in Lewisville, which is part of the agency’s 18.1-mile A-train Rail Trail. That project is in engineering and is expected to be let in January 2017 with a budget of $3 million.TRINITY RAILWAY EXPRESSOPERATING COST: $25 millionThe Trinity Railway Express is a 34-mile commuter line connecting the downtowns of Dallas and Fort Worth. It is jointly owned by Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority.Service launched: 1996
Route miles: 34
Rolling stock: 9 locomotives, average age 22; 17 rail-car coaches, average age 28; 8 rail-car cabs, average age 12.
Annual ridership: 2.1 million
Annual operating cost: $24.7 million
Annual capital cost: $35 million
Stations: 10Major capital improvement projects underway:
• TRE is developing plans to replace a single track Double Lattice Through Truss bridge built in 1903 with a new double track structure in Dallas County. The project is in the design phase and is proposed to begin construction in early 2017, with a proposed 18-month construction duration.
• TRE’s Valley View project will add 1.4 miles of new Class IV double track and connect existing double tracks from West Irving Station to Centre Port Station. Currently in the design phase, the estimated construction schedule will begin in this year’s fourth-quarter. It is slated for completion in fourth-quarter 2017, and will include a new bridge structure at Bear Creek, as well as a double track at grade crossing at Valley View Drive.SOUND TRANSITOPERATING COST: $101 MILLIONSound Transit plans, builds and operates regional transit systems and services to improve mobility for Central Puget Sound.Service launched: light rail, 2009; commuter rail, 2000
Route miles: light rail, 20.4; commuter rail, 83
Rolling stock: 62 light-rail vehicles (average age 8.3 years) and 122 light-rail vehicles on order from Siemens with an expected delivery of 2019-2023; and 14 locomotives (average age 13 years) and 58 rail cars (average age 15 years) for commuter rail, with another nine rail cars on order from Bombardier. Expected delivery is January-March 2017. Type: Bilevel cab cars.
Annual ridership: 11.5 million for light rail and 3.8 million for commuter rail (2015)
Annual operating cost: light rail, $60,712,312; commuter rail, $40.3 million (2015)
Annual capital cost: light rail, $577.6 million; commuter rail, $3.7 million (2015)
Stations: light rail, 16; commuter rail, 12Major projects:
• Light rail expansion. After completing the University Link and South 200th Link Extension projects in 2016, Sound Transit continues its major light-rail expansion program of nearly 30 miles and 20 stations. Each segment is in various stages of environmental assessment, planning, design and construction as part of the Sound Transit II (ST2) expansion that voters approved in 2008. The total capital program for ST2 is about $13 billion,
• Northgate Link Extension (ST2), a 4.3-mile line featuring stations at Northgate, Roosevelt and the U District. Construction is underway, major tunnel work is completed and service will begin in 2021.
• East Link Extension (ST2), a 14-mile segment that includes 10 new stations. Construction began in 2016 and trains are expected to begin running in 2023.
• Lynnwood Link Extension (ST2), an 8.5-mile line that will run between Northgate and Lynnwood along the Interstate 5 corridor. Construction is expected to begin in 2018, with trains beginning to run in 2023.
• Federal Way Link Extension (ST2), which is in planning with a final environmental impact statement (EIS) expected in late 2016. Current funding will extend service 7.6 miles south from Angle Lake Station to Kent/Des Moines by 2023. Funding for the remaining extension reaching south to the Federal Way Transit Center has yet to be secured, although the EIS includes both segments. previous page
Keywords Browse articles on Dallas Area Rapid Transit Denton County Transportation Authority Trinity Railway Express Sound Transit Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff.

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Oct
11

Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Ohio and Pennsylvania

Rail News Home Passenger Rail October 2016 Part 1 : Progressive Railroading's Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Preface Part 2 : Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Amtrak and transit agencies in Arizona & California Part 3 : Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Colorado, Florida, & Georgia Part 4 : Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Illinois, New Jersey, & New York Part 5 : Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Ohio and Pennsylvania Part 6 : Progressive Railroading’s Passenger Rail at a Glance 2016: Texas & Washington Rail News: Passenger Rail

GREATER CLEVELAND REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITYOPERATING COST: $268 MILLIONGreater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) provides public transit services to Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Services include heavy and light rail, bus, bus rapid transit and paratransit. The agency was established Dec. 30, 1974, as a successor to Cleveland Transit System, Shaker Heights Rapid Transit and a number of suburban bus systems.Service launched: Light rail, 1913; heavy rail, 1955.
Miles per mode: Light rail, 15.3; heavy rail, 19.
Rolling stock: 1 locomotive, average age 34 years; 60 rail cars, average age 35; 48 light-rail vehicles, average age 33.
Annual ridership: light rail, 2.6 million; heavy rail, 6.4 million.
Annual operating cost: $267.7 million (2016 budget)*
Annual capital cost: $29.7 million
Stations: Light rail, 34; heavy rail, 18.Projects underway or scheduled to begin, total project cost, major contracts and anticipated project timeline:
• 3 light-rail grade crossing replacements, $3 million, Delta RR Construction 2016.
• 3 light rail grade crossing replacements, $3.4 million, 2017
• 3 substations replacement, with modular, $6 million, 2017
• Fiber optic system replacement, $8 million, 2017-18
• Track rehabilitation, West 30th to West 98th, $8.5 million, 2017-2018
• Track 8 replacement, $5.1 million, Delta RR Construction, 2016
• Brookpark Station reconstruction, Mid American Construction, $12.2 million, 2016
• East 116th Station reconstruction, $4.5 million, 2016-18
• East 34th Station reconstruction, $5.3 million, 2017-18
• East Boulevard track bridge reconstruction, $`1.9 million, Suburban Maintenance & Construction, 2016-17
• East 92nd/CSX bridge rehabilitation, $2 million, Suburban Maintenance & Construction, 2016-17*Information source: www.riderta.comSOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITYOPERATING BUDGET: $1.4 billionSoutheastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is the nation’s sixth largest public transportation system with an extensive network of fixed route services that include bus, subway, trolley, trackless trolley, high-speed and regional rail serving a 2,202- square-mile service region. SEPTA’s service region includes five counties in Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery — and extends to Trenton, N.J., and Newark, Del. SEPTA is one of the region’s largest employers with a workforce of 9,000 employees.Service launched: SEPTA began operating heavy-rail service in 1968, light-rail in 1969 and commuter-rail in 1983. SEPTA was created by the state of Pennsylvania in 1964 to consolidate private regional public transportation operators. SEPTA’s predecessor rail agencies began providing passenger service in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Miles per mode: light rail, 42; heavy rail, 47; commuter rail, 280
Rolling stock: eight locomotives, average age 27 years; 404 rail cars, average age 29 years; 167 light-rail vehicles, average age 33 years. Locomotives on order: 13, manufactured by Siemens.
Annual ridership: light rail, 28,500,600; heavy rail, 91,861,300; commuter rail, 37,413,300.
Annual operating budget: $1.4 billion (FY2017)
Annual capital budget: $548.63 million (FY2017)
Stations: eight light rail, 75 heavy rail, 154 commuter railMajor projects include:
• Crum Creek Viaduct on the Media/Elwyn Line. Replacing a 925-foot-long, 100-foot-high steel viaduct built in 1895. SEPTA also is performing structural remediation on three other viaducts, performing a rock cut stabilization project, and replacing the overhead contact system on the Media/Elwyn Line.
• Frazer Rail Shop and Yard modernization. Procurement of new locomotives and a fleet of multilevel cars for the Regional Rail system. To accommodate the increased fleet size, the 35-year-old shop and yard facilities will be renovated and expanded. The initial phase will include significant earth work and stormwater improvements at the 40-acre site to create space for additional yard track. Later phases will provide for additional shop buildings and vehicle maintenance equipment necessary to maintain the new operating fleet. Budget for this project: $139.6 million. Construction completion: late 2019.Project contracts to be let:
• Resiliency program to renew and harden infrastructure vulnerable to extreme weather. The program was partially funded by a resiliency grant from the Federal Transit Administration. The projects include rock-cut stabilization in Media in Delaware County and near Jenkintown in Montgomery County; flood mitigation at Sharon Hill (Delaware County) and Jenkintown; shoreline stabilization on the Manayunk/Norristown Line in Montgomery County; reinforcement of the regional railroad signal power system; installation of emergency power generators in pump rooms at the Broad Street Subway in Philadelphia; and construction of an ancillary control center.
• Infrastructure improvements near the University City Station. The project includes replacement of 80-year-old catenary, construction of rehabilitation of four interlockings, retiring an interlocking, tie and surface renewal, and signal improvements in an area that is adjacent to the Northeast Corridor. These improvements will be constructed between 2017 and 2019.
• Service restoration on the Media-Elwyn Regional Railroad Line from its current terminus at Elwyn Station to Wawa, Delaware County. (Service beyond Elwyn was discontinued in the 1980s.) Early action phase to stabilize embankments on sections of this line was completed in 2010. The next component of the restoration calls for retaining walls, the rehabilitation or replacement of nine bridges and the replacement of track, catenary, and structures and signals. The last component will be construction of a new station, a 600-car parking deck and an intermodal connection. The current budget for this project is $150.6 million.
• Substation program, a multiyear effort to rehabilitate 80-year-old traction power substations on the Regional Railroad. The first substations to be addressed are under construction and include Lenni and Morton on the Media/Elwyn Line; and Jenkintown and Ambler on the Main Line. Fourteen additional substations will be overhauled or replaced, and a new substation will be constructed on the West Trenton Line. previous page next page
Keywords Browse articles on Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff.

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Oct
10

MetroLink's FTA grant aims to connect rail riders with wellness services

Rail News Home Passenger Rail October 2016 Rail News: Passenger Rail

Select MetroLink rail stations will host St. Louis County's health care van starting in 2017. The visits will be funded by a federal grant.Photo – Metro Transit, St. Louis By Julie Sneider, senior associate editorTransit riders in the north St. Louis area will have access to health care screenings at local rail stations starting in early 2017.Bi-State Development Research Institute, an affiliate of Metro Transit's parent company, last month received a $940,251 "Ride to Wellness'' grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) that will allow the agency to work with the St. Louis County Department of Public Health to offer basic health care services at select MetroLink rail stations.The research institute was awarded the grant for an 18-month pilot project to use the county's mobile health van to provide health checkups at a yet-to-be-determined number of MetroLink stations in north St. Louis.The grant was included in the $7.3 million the FTA awarded this year as part of the Ride to Wellness Initiative, which the federal agency created to increase partnerships between health and public transportation providers. The initiative's goals are to increase access to health care, improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs.Lack of access to transportation can keep people from receiving health screenings and primary care. About 3.6 million people miss or delay non-emergency medical care each year because of transportation issues, according to the FTA. And those missed appointments can lead to greater health problems down the road for people with chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes."We know that public transportation can be a literal lifeline to patients to help them maintain good health," FTA Acting Administrator Carolyn Flowers wrote in a recent blog post. "Rides to Wellness focuses on improving the health of those with chronic conditions and ensuring that at-risk populations can more easily get to wellness appointments, healthy food and community services."The grants awarded last month were the first awarded under the initiative, which was created under the federal FAST Act passed by Congress in late 2015.The St. Louis project may be the only one among the 19 grants that involves a health care provider delivering medical care to patients at a rail station, according to an FTA list of the grant awardees. St. Louis County public health and Bi-State Research Institute officials will soon determine which stations north of St. Louis will be on the mobile health clinic route. They expect to begin providing service in January 2017, said Spring Schmidt, the St. Louis County health department's director of health promotion and public health research."We haven't planned out the routes yet, but the van will be out for full-day periods, three days a week," Schmidt said.The station stops will depend on where the need for basic health services is greatest, she said. In 2011, an assessment of the county's health needs determined north St. Louis County residents had less access to medical care and faced higher barriers associated with health care costs than residents in other parts of the county. Also, when in need of health care, a majority of north St. Louis-area residents are more likely to use an emergency room for primary care.At transit stops, the van will offer basic care such as vaccinations, flu clinics and screenings for diabetes and hypertension, Schmidt said. Patients who don't have a primary care physician will get a referral, and they’ll be coached on how to use the public transit system to get from their home to the doctor's office. Patients also will be given a transit voucher if they need one."We will be funding several vouchers over the course of the pilot to see if that improves the patients' follow-up care if a health screening determines something of concern," said Schmidt. "We'll always document where we collect the basic information that will help us reach back out to someone with a health condition. We want this service to have a personal touch."Clinic staff also will help uninsured patients determine if they qualify for benefits under the federal Affordable Care Act or Medicaid programs, Schmidt said.The Ride to Wellness grant is an opportunity for Metro Transit to help address the region's "growing problem of access to health care," said Ray Friem, Metro Transit’s executive director. "Every day, thousands of people rely on the Metro transit system to reach important destinations throughout the region, and we are very excited that they will be able to visit our MetroLink stations and conveniently and easily connect with important health resources and care at these mobile clinics," Friem said in an email.The FTA grant is the second time that the St. Louis transit agency received funds to explore ways to help residents access basic health care services. Last year, the research institute received a $41,900 grant from the Missouri Health Foundation to study the feasibility of offering health services at some MetroLink train stations. The study evaluated issues to consider as part of a business plan for establishing basic medical care at a rail station or a Metro bus site.A report on the study's findings was to be issued this past spring, but was postponed while the institute completed the application for the FTA funding. Now that it’s known the Bi-State institute received the FTA funds, the institute is back to writing the report.During the Ride to Wellness pilot, county health and institute officials will assess how the project affects the population’s health, said John Wagner, the institute's project manager for economic development. Transit agency officials also will continue to work with health department officials to seek additional funding to continue the service beyond the 18-month period, he added."We hope the service will be well-received and the health benefits will be apparent to people," said Wagner.
Keywords Browse articles on MetroLink Bi-State Development Research Institute Metro Transit Federal Transit Administration Ride to Wellness St. Louis County Department of Public Health Spring Schmidt John Wagner Ray Friem Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff.

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Oct
10

Industry stakeholders weigh in on regulation, free trade, transit funding and other potential election-impacted issues

Rail News Home Rail Industry Trends October 2016 Part 1 : Election 2016: What's at stake for rail? Part 2 : APTA: Local elections put transit funding to the test Part 3 : Industry stakeholders weigh in on regulation, free trade, transit funding and other potential election-impacted issues Rail News: Rail Industry Trends
Click on an individual's name to jump to his or her take on the 2016 elections:
Joe McHugh, Amtrak
Ed Hamberger, AAR
Chuck Baker, NRC
Lance Fritz, UP
Andy Kunz, U.S. HSR Association
Linda Darr, ASLRRA
Paul Lewis, Eno Center for Transportation
Madeline Janis, Jobs to Move America
U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham
Jim Mathews, National Association of Railroad Passengers
Elaine Nessle, CAGTC
John Risch, SMART Joe McHugh, senior VP/governmental relations, AmtrakHow might the outcome of the national elections impact Amtrak? We try very hard to build relationships across the aisle. With regard to Congress, we got most of our big work done last year, when the FAST Act was passed, and this year has been spent implementing it. ... So, we really don't have any major legislative issues for Congress right now. And I don't expect to see us going up to Congress with a revised amount of issues. With regard to the presidential election, we will be watching very closely how the Department of Transportation is shaped under either of the two candidates' administration. The secretary of transportation sits on the board of directors at Amtrak — they typically delegate that through the FRA administrator, so we'll see how that evolves during the next year or so. There could be some potential changes in that, but, largely, I think we've benefited over the years.Joe McHugh

How might Amtrak benefit from a new president’s infrastructure investment program? Regardless of who’s elected, there will be at tremendous opportunity and push to invest in infrastructure, and I think that’s where we will have a chance to bring to the fore the things that we feel are essential to make our operation and what we do more healthy, and advance our mission. There was a lot of money at the beginning of the Obama administration eight years ago, and we put that ARRA [American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009] money to good use. We bought a lot of new equipment and brought it into service; we got to a couple of big bridge projects done in New England that we hadn’t been able to get to [before the funding]. We did a good job of meeting the spirit and intent of what that stimulus funding was for.

We’ll have a similar list — we will be asked for it by the transition teams that get set up under the new administration and we will have that list ready to go.

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Oct
10

APTA: Local elections put transit funding to the test

Rail News Home Rail Industry Trends October 2016 Part 1 : Election 2016: What's at stake for rail? Part 2 : APTA: Local elections put transit funding to the test Part 3 : Industry stakeholders weigh in on regulation, free trade, transit funding and other potential election-impacted issues Rail News: Rail Industry Trends
By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Senior Associate EditorThe U.S. presidential and congressional elections aren’t the only votes that public transportation advocates will be watching on Nov. 8: A total of $200 billion in transit initiatives are at stake on local ballots in 31 cities, counties and states.The ballot measures ask voters to approve proposed increases in taxes or fees to help pay for public transportation in their communities, according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).If the measures pass, the proceeds will go toward improving existing service and expanding transit systems. The largest local transit initiative on the ballot will be in Los Angeles, where voters will be asked to approve Measure M, a half-cent sales tax increase that Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority leaders hope will generate enough funds for a $120 billion expansion of the transit system to accommodate the region’s future population growth. Other communities with transit-funding measures on the Nov. 8 ballot and the amount they’re asking voters to approve include Seattle, $54 billion; San Diego, $7.5 billion; San Francisco, $3.5 billion; Santa Clara County, Calif., $3 billion; and Atlanta, $2.5 billion.“With approximately $200 billion in funding for public transportation, this [election] is a game changer for people and the communities they live in,” said Richard White, APTA’s acting president and chief executive officer during a media conference call held during the association’s annual meeting in September.White noted that the ballot initiatives will help local communities keep up with the cost of local transportation infrastructure, especially at a time when Congress isn’t always clear about whether it will come through with additional funding for major infrastructure needs.Economic benefitsThe number of ballot measures in November is due in part to transit’s popularity, with transit ridership at an all time high in many areas, according to APTA. Communities see economic advantages, as well: Every $1 invested in public transportation produces about $4 in economic benefits, APTA officials say. Plus, many riders use transit to get to work: Six out of 10 trips on public transportation systems are work-related commutes, according to APTA. Also, riding the subway or other forms of transit can save individuals money — up to $10,000 annually — over the cost of owning and driving a car.Whether voters in all 31 communities approve the ballot initiatives remains to be seen, of course. But during the media call, White emphasized that transit initiatives have had a good track record. Since 2000, public transit ballot initiatives have passed by an average of more than 70 percent, according to APTA.“When people understand how a ballot initiative will improve their community’s transportation network, they overwhelmingly vote to support the suggested funding,” White noted in a recent APTA press release.But even if all 31 ballot measures pass, U.S. public transit executives hope that the next Congress and president will be open to new investment in major transportation infrastructure projects. (Both presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have indicated support for large increases in infrastructure spending.)However, during the GOP convention in July, APTA issued a strong statement in opposition to a GOP platform measure that called for ending dedicated federal revenue for public transportation by eliminating mass transit dollars in the federal Highway Trust Fund. Such a move would “undo more than 30 years of overwhelming support for dedicated federal investment in public transit,” White said in a prepared statement in July.“Having no federal funds would be devastating, not only to the millions of Americans who use public transportation and to the employers who depend on it for their employees, but also for communities of all sizes that need it for a thriving economy and quality of life,” he said. previous page next page
Keywords Browse articles on American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) Richard White Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff.

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Oct
10

Election 2016: What's at stake for rail?

Rail News Home Rail Industry Trends October 2016 Part 1 : Election 2016: What's at stake for rail? Part 2 : APTA: Local elections put transit funding to the test Part 3 : Industry stakeholders weigh in on regulation, free trade, transit funding and other potential election-impacted issues Rail News: Rail Industry Trends

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. StaffWhen Vice President Joseph Biden announced a $2.45 billion federal loan for Amtrak on Aug. 26, he expressed his frustration about long-snarled efforts to bolster and modernize rail systems in the United States.“Why in this country are we so boneheaded to not understand the essential value of a rail system that is modern throughout the whole country? Why do we argue about whether or not it makes sense?” he queried. “We can’t make this country work without rail.”Those questions could be addressed or ignored by the next administration and new Congress, meaning the Nov. 8 national elections will have a significant impact on whether freight- and passenger-rail systems make strides, stand pat or slip backward over the next four years. As the elections neared, it wasn’t clear to rail industry stakeholders which of the three was the more distinct possibility.“It’s tempting to get distracted by the ‘bright shiny object’ that is this year’s presidential campaign. However, it’s difficult to decipher much rail-related information from all the noise surrounding partisan wedge issues, even more so with this campaign cycle,” says Jim Mathews, president and chief executive officer of the National Association of Railroad Passengers.So, anxieties are high among many rail constituents about how a number of key issues might swing after the 115th Congress takes office Jan. 3 and the 45th president is inaugurated Jan. 20. Among them: infrastructure spending, rail funding, Amtrak’s federal allocation, economic growth, rail regulation and free trade.The heightened state of uneasiness has been magnified by the uncertainty surrounding the national elections and the winning politicians’ potential position on rail.“There’s the question of which candidate is better for railroads. That has to play out. It depends on the issue,” says American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association President Linda Darr.But at least one thing is certain: The major political party winners will have an opportunity to exert their influence on many issues in the U.S. government’s executive and legislative branches in the years to come. Since the strength of that influence on rail-related issues is up for debate, pre-election discussions among industry constituents have been lively, to say the least.To learn where various constituents stand on the issues and election implications as voters prepared to make their voices heard at the polls, Progressive Railroading reached out to 10 rail industry stakeholders, including the House Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee chair, a Class I leader, an Amtrak executive, a labor union legislative director and the heads of several associations.Our what’s-at-stake-for-rail questions and their answers — mostly obtained via interviews and emails — are featured here. Plus, American Public Transportation Association and transit agency execs review Nov. 8 ballot measures and express their concerns about federal passenger-rail funding in this piece. In addition, this online version of our Oct. issue cover story includes longer responses and feedback from a few more stakeholders that weren’t included in the print version. next page
Keywords Browse articles on Amtrak National Association of Railroad Passengers American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association House Railroads Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee American Public Transportation Association Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff.

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