Railroad News

Brightline, soon to be Virgin Trains USA, has been named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2020.

The list honors businesses making a profound impact on both industry and culture, Brightline officials said in a press release.

RCR Rail Co. officials recently broke ground on a new logistics park near Taylor, Texas, and opened a new park in Hempstead, Texas, the company announced late last month.

The 750-acre RCR Taylor Logistics Park will be located west of Taylor to serve the manufacturing, storage and logistics industries of the Austin area and central Texas. It will offer direct access to BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad lines, state highways 70 and 130, and Interstate 35, RCR Rail officials said in a press release.

OmniTRAX Inc. has hired Justin Strickland to serve as director of economic development.

Strickland will support all phases of business growth and act as a liaison with economic development partners in the southeast United States, OmniTRAX officials said in a press release.

Ottawa, Ontario, officials notified Rideau Transit Group (RTG), the company responsible for maintaining the Confederation light-rail line, that it has defaulted on its contract with the city.

The notice advises RTG that it is not meeting obligations set under the project agreement and requires the entity to submit a remedial plan and schedule by March 31.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Maritime Administration has awarded $18.2 million in federal funding to the Port of Los Angeles and $14.5 million to the Port of Long Beach for rail-related projects.

The grants were awarded through the Maritime Administration's new Port Infrastructure Development Program, which is designed to help fund projects that improve port facilities or near coastal seaports, administration officials said in a press release.

Metro Transit’s light-rail service in Minneapolis logged 25,299,442 riders in 2019, an increase of 343,825 riders compared with 2018.

The Green Line logged a record annual ridership of 14.2 million rides in 2019, a 3 percent increase from 2018. Ridership on the Green Line has climbed every year since service began in 2014, Metropolitan Council officials said in a press release. The Met Council is the regional planning agency for Metro Transit.

McKean County, Pennsylvania, has received $11.9 million in federal funding for a project designed to improve freight-rail capacity and safety, U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) announced late last week.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued the grant through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program (CRISI).

MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) crews on March 20 will begin installing a communications-based train control (CBTC) system on the F subway line between Church Avenue and Coney Island stations in Brooklyn.

The $253 million project is part of the agency’s Culver Line signal modernization project to replace the 70-year-old block signaling system on the line. CBTC enables continuous updates on train positions and speeds, which will allow for faster and more efficient operations compared with the old system, NYCT officials said in a press release.

New Jersey Transit last week broke ground on a project to extend the Hudson-Bergen light rail’s West Side Avenue Branch less than a mile from its current terminus at West Side Avenue in Jersey City to a new terminus across Route 440.

The $220 million extension project will include construction of a new station west of Route 440 to serve riders at a future development on the Hackensack River waterfront, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced at a press event last week.

Canadian Pacific Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Nadeem Velani has been named Canada's CFO of the Year for 2020.

Presented annually by Financial Executives International Canada (FEI Canada), PwC Canada and Robert Half, the award recognizes senior financial leaders who've made significant contributions to business in Canada.

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) Executive Director Rick Cotton tested positive for the the novel coronavirus, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday. 

Cotton is showing no symptoms of the virus and is self-quarantined at his home while maintaining a full schedule, port officials said in a published statement following Cuomo’s announcement. 

The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (JPB) last week added Steve Heminger to its board to represent the city and county of San Francisco.

He was appointed to the board by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA).

MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has activated positive train control (PTC) on the eastern 108 miles of its system, the commuter railroad announced yesterday.

The trackage runs from Patchogue to Montauk, and from Ronkonkoma to Greenport, New York. The 108 miles nearly double the route miles under PTC operation to 220, LIRR officials said in a press release. Now, 72.5 percent of the railroad’s 305 route miles are PTC-operable.
 
“This latest achievement shows that we are continuing to make steady and deliberate progress as we work toward implementing PTC systemwide by Dec. 31,” said LIRR President Phil Eng.

The Transportation Communications Union (TCU)/IAM last week announced National President Robert Scardelletti will retire on July 31 after serving 29 years as the union’s leader and more than 53 years as a TCU/IAM member.

The union’s executive council has elected Arthur Maratea as Scardelletti’s successor. Maratea — who will assume the position of national president on Aug. 1 — currently is national vice president. He serves as a special assistant to the president, and heads the TCU/IAM’s industry relations and social services departments.

Ellis & Eastern Co. will receive a nearly $14.5 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help fund the rehabilitation of 7.5 miles of track between Brandon, Minnesota, and Valley Springs, South Dakota.

The nearly $34 million project calls for rebuilding 6 miles of track between Rushmore and Adrian, Minnesota, constructing a siding in Valley Springs, and upgrading 11 bridges and a number of grade crossings.

Transit agencies across the United States have been taking precautions in response to the outbreak of COVID-19, a disease caused by the new coronavirus.

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority today will implement an enhanced cleaning schedule, which calls for sanitizing rail cars every 72 hours and buses daily.