Railroad News

The South Carolina Ports Authority's (SCPA) board this week adopted a fiscal-year 2021 financial plan, as well as a $319 million capital spending plan that will be used to finish construction of the first phase of the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal.

Set to open in March 2021, the Leatherman terminal will be the first new container terminal in the United States since 2009, port officials said in a press release.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) earlier this week announced it's pursuing federal funding for second phase of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Silicon Valley Extension through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Expedited Project Delivery (EPD) Pilot Program. 

The EPD Program enables transit agencies to fast-track the federal funding process for major projects. In August 2019, FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams pledged $125 million of  $1.7 billion in federal funds that VTA will be requesting, VTA officials said in a press release.

The Port of Longview, Washington, this summer will begin a project to add more than 5,000 feet of new railroad track.

The port's commissioners earlier this week gave staff approval to buy materials to start the North Rail Connection project, which is designed to boost the port's rail capacity by realigning more than 1,900 feet of existing track and adding two lines totaling more than 5,000 feet, The Daily News reported.

Nearly two-thirds of voters in the three California counties served by Caltrain would support a one-eighth cent sales tax to preserve Caltrain service during the COVID-19 pandemic and to expand service in the future, according to a public opinion poll commissioned by the agency.

The poll was conducted as Caltrain leaders consider advancing a ballot measure that would call for a dedicated revenue source to address the financial impact of the pandemic. Caltrain officials said in a press release said. To pass, the measure would need support from a combined two-thirds of voters in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. 

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) on Aug. 16 will restore Silver Line service and reopen six stations in Fairfax County, Virginia, the agency announced yesterday. 

The reopening date is weeks earlier than originally planned, and reflects the progress crews made on rebuilding deteriorating station platforms and other rail extension integration work, agency officials said in a press release.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) board earlier this week approved $4.3 million to fund salary bonuses for the agency’s front-line and essential employees. 

More than 2,900 DART employees are potentially eligible for the bonus pay, including those whose core job functions pose a hazardous threat because of the nature of their work and their direct interaction with the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has recognized Jose Jimenez of The Belt Railway Co. of Chicago (BRC) and Travis Herod of Watco Cos. LLC for their efforts to improve rail safety.

Jimenez, a machinist, has been named the association's 2020 Safety Person of the Year. The award recognizes a non-management employee who exhibits knowledge and practice of safety procedures within his or her company, with no reported self injuries, and contributes off-duty time to safety procedures and awareness in their own communities.

New Jersey Transit yesterday announced it will receive $13.3 million in federal Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to address the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A majority of the funds will be used to help sustain transportation service in rural areas of New Jersey, particularly those used by senior citizens, riders with disabilities and riders who are economically disadvantaged, NJ Transit officials said in a press release.

STV Inc. appointed Richard Amodei executive vice president of the transportation and infrastructure division to oversee its operations and growth. Amodei joined STV in 1999, having served as manager for the division's Northeast region and national director of business development for transportation and infrastructure in North America. Amodei succeeds Martin Boyle, who is retiring.

RailSolutions LLC named Mike Mahoney senior vice president. He will be responsible for customer relationships and day-to-day projects. Mahoney has over 40 years of experience in finance with the past 18 years in rail finance, RailSolutions officials said in a press release. Prior to joining RailSolutions, he served as a member of the Land Transport Finance team at DVB Bank and Helaba, and held senior positions at GE Capital.

VIA Rail Canada Inc. recorded 5 million riders in 2019, the railroad’s highest annual ridership in 30 years and a 5.5 percent increase compared with 2018. 

Of the 5 million riders, 96 percent used VIA Rail for inter-city travel, 3 percent for long-distance travel and 1 percent for regional travel, according to VIA Rail’s 2019 Annual Report, which was released yesterday.

Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation on June 29 will restore the daily Pere Marquette round-trip service between Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Chicago in response to anticipated ridership demand. 

This Amtrak Midwest service was temporarily suspended March 21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP) has filed a notice of termination of a public-private partnership over a dispute with the state of Maryland over delays and cost overruns involving the Purple Line light-rail project.

The notice came two days after the PLTP consortium and its contractor passed a June 20 deadline to reach an agreement over who will pay delay-related costs, The Washington Post reported yesterday.

The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) has hired Julia Leone as manager of research and organizational development.

Leone will be responsible for working with senior leadership to establish and manage priorities and goals for process improvements; building systems to monitor, evaluate and report on progress; and direct efforts to ensure quality and consistency through the application of systematic approaches in its programmatic design and execution. She also will lead the SLSI's research efforts.

The Regional Transportation District of Denver (RTD) yesterday announced it will open the N commuter-rail line Sept. 21. 

The new 18.5-mile, six-station line will serve downtown Denver, Commerce City, Northglenn and Thornton, and include a stop at the National Western Complex in Denver.

Sound Transit is continuing early preparations for construction of the 7.8-mile Federal Way Link Extension, which will extend the light-rail line from Angel Lake Station in SeaTac, Washington, to a transit center in Federal Way.

Efforts include clearing vegetation and 8,600 trees, as well as relocating conflicting utilities. The work in SeaTac and Des Moines is underway, and will begin in Federal Way on Thursday.

Two rail supplier groups last week announced mixed reactions to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's (T&I) multiyear surface transportation legislation known as the INVEST in America Act.

Both the Railway Supply Institute (RSI) and the National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) expressed support for the committee taking up a surface transportation package, especially with the current legislation — known as the FAST Act — set to expire Sept. 30.

Metra in Chicago and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in San Francisco have announced added service on some of their commuter-rail lines to accommodate growing ridership.

On June 29, Metra will add service on the North Central Service, SouthWest Service and Heritage Corridor lines.