Railroad News

Canadian and Ontario government officials last week announced funding for 10 public transit transportation projects in Waterloo, including some related to its light-rail system.

Rail projects include installation of 39 digital information display systems, 36 mobile payment validation machines and 25 point-of-sale units across Grand River Transit’s ION light-rail system. 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) last week surpassed more than 2 million weekday combined riders on the New York City Transit (NYCT) subway and bus system for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March. 

While a significant increase in ridership since the start of the pandemic due to the gradual reopening of the city, the figure represents a decline of 74 percent from normal weekday ridership levels of 7.6 million combined riders, MTA officials said in a press release.

Amtrak has selected Plenary Infrastructure Philadelphia (PIP) to form a master development partnership via ground lease for the renovation of William H. Gray III 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. 

The key members who will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the station include Plenary Americas USA Ltd., which has partnered with Gilbane Building Co., Johnson Controls Inc. and Vantage Airport Group Ltd.

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System’s (SDMTS) board last week approved a fare enforcement pilot program that reduces fines and provides fare violators new options for paying citations. 

In early September, SDMTS will implement the pilot program to provide more flexibility for passengers who receive citations for not having a valid fare while riding trolleys.

The Orange County Transportation Authority’s (OCTA) independent Taxpayer Oversight Committee earlier this month found that OCTA has administered its Measure M half-cent transportation tax appropriately for the 29th consecutive year.

The committee found that the California agency is following the ordinances that were first approved by votes in 1990 and then renewed in 2006, OCTA officials said in a press release.

VIA Rail Canada Inc. and Valley Metro in Phoenix have announced they will begin requiring riders to wear a mask on trains to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. 

Tomorrow, masks will be mandatory for VIA Rail riders and employees at all times while on a train, and when physical distancing cannot be maintained in stations and while boarding.  

Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. (KSHC) of Irvine, Kentucky, announced last week it has received an SD40-2 locomotive (No. 6162) from Norfolk Southern Corp.

During its 42-years in service, the unit hauled countless tons of freight through the Appalachian coalfields through central Kentucky, KSHC officials said in a press release.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) last week announced a series of police reforms, expanded police training and new initiatives to increase the number of unarmed civilian employees providing presence on the San Francisco rail system. 

On June 12, BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez updated the BART Police Department’s (BPD) use-of-force policy to ban the use of carotid control holds. Previously it was only justifiable under circumstances where deadly force was warranted, BART officials said in a press release.

Strato Inc. received TTX Co.’s 2019 Supplier Evaluation Committee Award for the 24th consecutive year. Strato was evaluated in two categories: coupler and yoke manufacturer and miscellaneous car part manufacturer, and component supplier. Starto received a “A” rating and the “Excellent Supplier” designation in all categories. TTX Co. rates suppliers on quality, cost, delivery, service, finance and administration.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) purchased Miller Ingenuity’s ZoneGuard roadway worker protection system for employees working on mainline track. The system kit includes train detector modules, train alert modules and worker wearable devices. With the purchase, BART has fulfilled California’s state requirement for transit agencies to comply with roadway worker protection rules. One of those rules requires agencies to adopt “early warning alarm technology” to coincide with their existing protection procedures, Miller Ingenuity officials said in a press release.

Metro Transit-St. Louis on June 22 will offer light-rail riders the option to purchase fares through the Transit mobile application.

Offering the contactless fare option is part of a plan to adapt to the coronavirus, agency officials said in a press release. 

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District’s (SMART) board earlier this week authorized funding the design and construction of a second commuter-rail station in Petaluma, California. 

SMART will use $8 million in proceeds from the sale of a downtown property to fund the construction of a new station and parking lot at Corona Road and North McDowell Boulevard, SMART officials said in a press release.

The Port of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) this week announced it handled dramatically low volumes at all of its facilities in April as the result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Cargo volumes at the seaport dropped 7.5 percent to 559,929 20-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) during the month compared with 605,263 TEUs in April 2019. The drop in cargo volume represented the smallest percentage decline at any of the PANYNJ facilities, port officials said in a press release.

The Chicago Plan Commission in May adopted the South Shore Corridor Study, a blueprint for transit connectivity, land use and housing for two corridors in the South Shore neighborhood, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) announced Wednesday.

The study includes recommendations aimed at strengthening transit usage and making access safer and more efficient for residents of East 75th and East 79th streets, from Stony Island Avenue to Lake Michigan.

The Massachusetts BayTransportation Authority (MBTA) today will begin infrastructure work on the Red Line between Braintree and Quincy Center stations on an accelerated 14-day schedule. 

Work includes replacement of 3,500 ties; concrete repairs, elevator structure work; track replacements, resurfacing and ballast work; and bridge inspections and related repairs on the Red Line.

U.S. Rep. Greg Pence (R-Ind.) on Tuesday introduced a bill that calls for improving grade crossing safety by allowing more flexibility in the use of funds allocated by the Federal Highway Administration's Section 130 program.

"Indiana is the crossroads of America. Blocked railroad-highway crossings pose a serious safety risk to Hoosiers and must be updated," said Pence in a press release.

The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) yesterday announced it will reduce its transit police force and redirect $1.8 million in available funding to community-based public safety approaches. 

For the next fiscal year starting July 1, TriMet has committed to: