Railroad News

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) earlier this month awarded the Metro Regional Government in Portland, Oregon, and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) grants for transit projects that improve rural communities and areas experiencing long-term economic distress.

Portland’s Metro was awarded a $850,000 Helping Obtain Prosperity for Everyone (HOPE) grant to fund community engagement efforts for the development in the 16-mile Tualatin Valley corridor, and to inform the design of transit projects along the corridor.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reverse an interim policy related to the COVID-19 pandemic that eliminates the ability of public transit agencies to seek reimbursement for purchasing disinfectants, personal protective equipment and similar related costs.

In a letter to FEMA sent last week, APTA President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Skoutelas wrote that, given transit agencies' enormous budget shortfalls related to the pandemic, "transit agencies cannot afford a change in policy that burdens them with additional costs related to COVID-19."

Following heavy rains stemming from Hurricane Delta, a CSX train derailed yesterday, causing a fire and hazmat situation outside Atlanta.

Two CSX employees were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries, according to a statement from Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation last week notified the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay that it will receive a $10 million grant through the federal Port Infrastructure and Development Program for a project along the Coos Bay Rail Line.

The project calls for replacing 67,000 crossties and resurfacing the mainline, sidings, an industrial lead, rail yard and spur tracks with ballast along the 121 miles of track that stretches from Eugene to Coos Bay, Oregon.

U.S. Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) earlier this week toured the Budde Enterprises’ repair and custom metal fabrication facility in Newtown, Kansas. 

Estes was joined by members of the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA) and Budde Enterprises executives.

Plasser American signed a contract to increase the manufacturing capacities at its plant in Chesapeake, Virginia. The $52.6 million investment will include a new office building and an expanded assembly area with a 229,000-square-foot warehouse. The enhancements will increase output by more than 100% due to a new assembly production flow, the efficient design of the workspaces and additional employees, Plasser officials said in a press release.

PINC acquired RailcarRx, a software and service provider that provides maintenance, repair, fleet and asset management insights for the rail industry. In September, PINC also acquired a transportation management software (TMS) carveout from Wabtec Corp. The software provides cloud-based shipment management applications to industrial shippers that move goods over multimodal transportation. RailcarRx will extend these capabilities by enabling shippers to monitor rail fleet health, track various repair and maintenance stages and improve rail logistics operations, PINC officials said in a press release.

The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this week denied Indian River County's petition to appeal its lawsuit against Brightline/Virgin Trains USA and the Federal Railroad Administration, Treasure Coast Newspapers (TCN) reported.

The county was arguing that $2.7 billion of tax-exempt private activity bonds issued to Brightline/Virgin Trains was "improper," TCN reported. County Attorney Jeffrey Lamkin told TCN that the Supreme Court case was an opportunity for the court to weigh in on the role federal agencies have in interpreting the law or if that should return back to the lower courts.

North Dakota will soon launch an intermodal rail service to help reduce shipping costs for the state's agricultural producers and other industries, Gov. Doug Burgum announced this week.

North Dakota officials have pursued access to intermodal rail for more than 20 years. Next week, it will become a reality as Minot, North Dakota, will receive an intermodal unit train at a newly operational facility served by BNSF Railway Co., state officials said in a press release.

The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) yesterday unveiled the final conceptual design report for the proposed Southwest Corridor Light-Rail Project, a proposed 11-mile light-rail line between Downtown Portland and Tualatin, Oregon.

If proposed Measure 26-218 — Get Moving 2020 — is passed in the Portland Metro District in November, the Southwest Corridor project would receive $975 million. The proposed measure would be funded by a tax on certain employers of up to .75% of payroll, TriMet officials said in a press release.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) later this month will connect the L Line tracks in downtown Los Angeles to two underground light-rail tunnels that will ultimately connect the A, E and L Lines as part of the Regional Connector transit project.

As part of the construction, tracks from East Los Angeles and Azusa will both be connected to the tunnel. The current Little Tokyo/Arts District street-level station will also be demolished and replaced by an underground station at 1st Street and Central Avenue, LA Metro officials said in a press release.

MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) yesterday completed platform and station upgrades at the Lynbrook commuter-rail station in New York.

The four-track elevated station now features two new island platforms, platform canopies, and new signage, LED lighting and security cameras.

Louisville & Indiana Railroad (LIRC), in conjunction with American Commercial Barge Line, this week announced  the grand opening of Jeffersonville RiverRail Terminal in Indiana will take place in early 2021.

The terminal is located on a mile-long river frontage with more than 60 acres of industrial land. It serves as a site for breakbulk and bulk shipping of raw materials and finished goods. Northern Kentucky and southern Indiana markets will be "readily reached" from the terminal, according to the terminal website.

Sound Transit contracted crews yesterday began building the light-rail guideway for the agency’s Federal Way Link Extension, which will extend light rail nearly 8 miles from Angle Lake Station in SeaTac, Washington, to the Federal Way, Washington, by 2024. 

Design-build contractor Kiewit Infrastructure West began construction of drill shafts at the site of the future Kent/Des Moines Station, Sound Transit officials said in a press release.

CSX today announced that Lt. General (Ret.) Thomas Bostick has been appointed to the company's board.

Bostick served in the U.S. Army for 38 years. He served as the chief of engineers and commanding general of the Army Corps of Engineers. After retiring from the military, Bostick was chief operating officer of Intrexon and president of Intrexon Bioengineering.

Voith is participating in a program with four other manufacturers to test automatic freight coupler types in Europe. The test series is being commissioned and financed by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure in Germany and Shift2Rail in Sweden. By spring 2021, the commissioning parties will decide which coupler head will be introduced as a standardized coupler head Europe-wide, Voith officials said in a press release. Voith is testing its CargoFlex coupler on test cars of DB Cargo and GATX in Germany as well as Green Cargo in Sweden.

The San Diego Association of Governments awarded Granite a $7 million contract to construct a pedestrian rail undercrossing in Encinitas, California. The project also includes improvements to sidewalk, retaining walls, stormwater control devices, utilities and landscaping. Construction will begin this fall and conclude by spring 2022.

Metra officials yesterday proposed a $700 million 2021 operating budget and a $386.4 million capital budget that would continue investments in rail cars, locomotives and stations. 

The proposed operating spending plan assumes that Metra ridership will end 2020 at about 20% of the pre-COVID-19 level and increase to 50% by the end of 2021. If that happens, Metra expects about $158 million in fare revenue, Metra officials said in a press release.

Kansas state officials yesterday announced the 13 recipients of $5 million in grants awarded through the state's new Short Line Rail Improvement Fund program.

Four grants were awarded to short lines and nine to shippers. The program is a partnership between the public and private sector; applicants are required to provide 30 percent in matching funds.