Railroad News

Amtrak has dedicated and renamed its train station in Rochester, New York, after the late U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), a longtime Amtrak supporter.

The station opened in October 2017, the result of a 15-year process of planning by several stakeholders including Slaughter, who secured a $15 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant for the work, according to an Amtrak press release.

Charah Solutions Inc. will open a facility at Watco Cos.' Greens Port Industrial Terminal on the Houston Ship Channel in Texas.

The facility will use new technologies for grinding blast furnace slag to create supplementary cementitious materials, according to a Charah press release.

Norfolk Southern Railway yesterday broke ground on its new Atlanta headquarters and named three company officers to executive positions.

NS Chairman President and Chief Executive Officer James Squires was joined by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms at a groundbreaking ceremony held in Atlanta's Midtown area.

The Western Carolina Railway Service Corp. (WCRS) has hired Dolly Durham as director of community engagement.

Durham has more than 25 years of nonprofit development experience, including in community involvement, event planning, grant writing and management of benevolent giving, according to a WCRS press release.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Apple announced that later this year CTA transit riders can add a fare card to the Apple Pay iPhone app. 

The feature will enable passengers using the Ventra fare payment system to load card information onto their iPhone, then scan the phone to enter rail stations or board a bus.

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By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Managing Editor

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By Michael Popke

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Senior Associate Editor

The city of Phoenix has named Markus Coleman as its new light-rail administrator. 

Coleman has 23 years of experience with the city, working on development projects and in transportation, according to a press release. Prior to his new role, he was an engineering technician, plan review coordinator, project manager and had a previous rotation of acting deputy public transit director over transit operations.  

U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) earlier this week introduced a bill to require California to return $3.5 billion in federal funds the state received for its high-speed rail program.

H.R. 1515, the High-Speed Refund Act, would direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to retrieve discretionary grant funds provided to California for high-speed rail development and return the money to the federal government for use toward "nationally significant freight and highway projects," according to the legislation.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is seeking approval from its board to select The Boring Co. (TBC) to design, construct and operate autonomous electric passenger vehicles in underground express-route tunnels around the Las Vegas Convention Center, the authority announced in a press release earlier this week.

Upon approval from the board on March 12, the project would have the potential to connect the Las Vegas Convention Center, downtown Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Boulevard Resort Corridor and McCarran International Airport. Following approval, specific plans and contracts would be negotiated in a meeting to be held by June.

Rail industry representatives are reacting to the news of former Amtrak leader Joseph Boardman's death, which the railroad announced yesterday.

Boardman, 70, died this week after suffering a stroke while on vacation with his wife and family in Florida, the Rome Sentinel reported. He led Amtrak from 2008 until 2016, when he retired. He also served as administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) from 2005 to 2008 during President George W. Bush's administration.

Union Pacific Railroad yesterday announced executive appointments for Jon Panzer, Jennifer Hamann and Gary Grosz.

The appointments take effect April 1, according to a UP press release.

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), state and local officials yesterday marked the opening of the new Blue Hill Avenue commuter-rail station Boston.

Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Boston Mayor Martin Walsh joined MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak in cutting the ribbon on the nearly $17 million station yesterday. Construction began in 2017. The station has been open to passengers since Feb. 26.

Amtrak added a second daily roundtrip service to Norfolk, Virginia, as part of the passenger railroad's Northeast Regional service, on March 4. 

The service connects the commonwealth to the Northeast, offering passengers a same-seat trip to and from 17 Virginia stations to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston.