Railroad News

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System's (SDMTS) board last week approved a $100 million capital improvement budget for fiscal-year 2021, which begins July 1.

The budget allocates funding for rail, including $26 million toward 47 new low-floor trolleys, and $10.9 million to keep the rail network in a state of good repair. 

TransLink yesterday announced it will lay off 1,492 employees, further reduce SkyTrain service and cut senior executive and board pay by 10 percent to save money, as ridership and revenue continue to fall during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With ridership down 83 percent, TransLink is losing $75 million a month, which is an unsustainable rate of financial loss, TransLink officials said in a press release. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) yesterday announced three more of its top safety recommendations have been implemented, including one related to a fatal rail accident that occurred in Pennsylvania in April 2016.

After an Amtrak train struck a backhoe, killing two workers in April 2016 near Chester, Pennsylvania, the NTSB recommended that train dispatchers not be allowed to participate in potentially distracting activities, including making phone calls, while responsible for safe train operations.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) yesterday announced that 5,033 employees systemwide have returned to work following mandatory quarantines, and 4,112 employees remain in quarantine. 

Those who returned to work include 3,306 employees at MTA New York City Transit, 691 at MTA Long Island Rail Road and 522 at MTA Metro-North Railroad, MTA officials said in press release.

Bombardier Transportation signed a 10-year, $113 million contract with Fraport AG to continue operating and maintaining the Bombardier Innovia automated people mover system at the Frankfurt Airport in Germany. The contract also calls for Bombardier to install its CITYFLO 650 communication-based train control signaling technology on the system.

The Skanska, Costain and STRABAG joint venture signed a contract with HS2 Ltd. to design and construct tunnels in the approach to Euston Station in London by 2026. The project is part of Phase 1 of the United Kingdom’s high-speed railway.

Sound Transit this week will begin demolishing buildings in Federal Way, Washington, to make way for the agency’s future Link light-rail station near the Federal Way Transit Center. 

The demolition work, which will continue for several weeks, is part of critical construction on the agency's 7.8-mile Federal Way light-rail extension project, agency officials said in a press release. 

The Kansas City City Council last week approved $7.4 million in design and construction contracts that will enable the Kansas City Streetcar Authority (KCSA) to begin pre-construction work on its Main Street extension later this year. 

About $4.7 million was allocated for design services and $2.7 million for pre-construction activities for the 3.6-mile streetcar extension that would connect Union Station to 51st Street in Kansas City, Missouri. 

The Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western Railroad (DMVW) last week received approval from the South Dakota Railroad Board to install a switch and access to track on a state-owned rail line.

The project is necessary so that soybeans can be hauled by rail from the Wheaton Dumont grain terminal in Britton to the Ag Processing Inc. (AGP) plant on the east side of Aberdeen, South Dakota, according to a report on keoland.com. 

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) last week released a framework for the allocation of more than $780 million of federal funds for transit agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief an Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law last month.

The proposed allocations, which were developed through a partnership between MTC and transit agency staff, represents the first of two distributions of the estimated $1.3 billion in CARES Act funding for which Bay Area transit agencies are eligible and will be considered by the commission on April 22, MTC officials said in a press release.

New Jersey Transit Senior Vice President and General Manager of Rail Operations Raymond Kenny died last week from complications of COVID-19, Newsday reported. He was 68.

Kenny had nearly 50 years of rail industry experience, including a stint as acting president of MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR).

PT Kereta Indonesia (PT KAI) ordered 36 EMD® GT38AC freight locomotives from Progress Rail. The locomotives will enter service at PT KAI’s coal haulage operation in South Sumatra, Indonesia. Delivery will begin in late 2021.

Cambridge Systematics Inc. launched Mobility Forward, a suite of services designed to help transit agencies support riders during the COVID-19 pandemic and through recovery. The suite addresses how agencies can assess impacts on finance and performance; plan for modified operations; prepare grant and funding applications; and transform service to meet future mobility trends, Cambridge Systematics officials said in a press release. The company also is deploying an open-source trip planning software to help riders plan safe trips to essential places.

The Jacksonville Port Authority (Jaxport) earlier this week announced it is deferring the application fee for all new Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) No. 64 applications received by July 31. 

An FTZ is a secured site within the United States, but technically considered outside of U.S. Customs' jurisdiction, allowing shippers to clear cargo as it leaves the FTZ while saving on import clearance costs.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) yesterday issued a letter to the New York State Congressional Delegation requesting an additional $3.9 billion in federal funding as Congress considers its next COVID-19 relief package. 

Last month, the MTA secured nearly $4 billion in federal funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. However, MTA is projecting significant additional losses as the pandemic in New York City worsens, MTA officials said in a press release.

Today, Progressive Railroading announced the names of 25 people chosen for recognition this year as Rising Stars in the North American railroad industry.

This is the eighth year Progressive Railroading has sponsored the Rising Stars Awards program. The magazine defines a Rising Star as someone under the age of 40 who has made, or is making, a positive impact on his or her company, organization, department or team, and is viewed by others — peers, colleagues, supervisors, clients or associates — as an up-and-coming leader in the rail industry.

The Greenbrier Cos. Inc. has suspended new rail-car production at its Gunderson manufacturing plan in Portland, Oregon, due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. About 200 workers will be affected by the suspension, company officials said in a press release. Greenbrier is adjusting production and staffing levels in response to current and anticipated levels of new freight-car demand.

Transfesa Logistics has launched a refrigerated express 72-hour rail route to transport essential, hygiene and medical products from Valencia and Murcia, Spain, to London. A lighter rail box car allows around 30 containers per train to be moved, Transfesa officials said in a press release. 

The Regional Transportation District of Denver (RTD) is looking to fill three vacancies on its Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC).

The 17-member citizens group advises the agency on RTD’s strategies, initiatives and transportation programs.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) crews earlier this week began replacing rail power cables on weekdays in downtown San Francisco, a project made possible by reduced ridership due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Previously, power cable replacement work was performed late at night and on Sundays. With reduced ridership on the system, BART crews are now able to start replacements earlier.