Exhibit space is now available for the RSI/CMA 2012, set for Sept. 23-25 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers in Chicago. Railway Supply Institute exhibits will be held in conjunction with the Coordinated Mechanical Association’s technical sessions.
Phoenix’s Valley Metro on Thursday selected Valley Transit Constructors (VTC), a joint venture, for the design and construction of the $200 million, 3.1-mile Central Mesa light rail extension into the namesake Arizona municipality. Parsons Transportation Group, part of the joint venture, will serve as lead designer. The agency’s board of directors voted unanimously to accept the $111 million bid.
New South Wales government officials in Australia have announced that the state has acquired Metro Transport Sydney (MTS), the company that owns monorail and light rail operations, in an A$19.8 million (US$20.6 million) deal. The acquisition is part of a plan to redevelop the Darling Harbour Convention Centre and precinct in Sydney, Australia’s largest city with a population of roughly 4.6 million.
CN Thursday said it plans to acquire 65 new high-horsepower locomotives, augmenting that purchase with one of 96 second-hand high-horsepower locomotives that will be upgraded, or 161 locomotives in all.
Florida East Coast Industries, Inc., is developing a plan to own and operate passenger rail service between South Florida and Orlando.
A second day of debate by the Toronto City Council Thursday resulted in the council’s affirming more light rail transit (LRT) for Canada’s largest city, rejecting Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s preference for subways-only construction.
U.S. freight carload traffic for the week ending March 17, 2012 fell 5.3% compared with the same week in 2011, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday. But U.S. intermodal volume advanced 2% compared with the same week a year ago, continuing the trend of recent weeks.
Caltrain said Thursday a regional agreement between the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) and more than a half-dozen Bay Area public agencies, including Caltrain, ” will fully fund the electrification and modernization of the Caltrain system— a long-planned, critically-needed improvement that will dramatically improve the service and help ensure the long-term viability of the commuter rail system.”
Class I rail employment numbers released by the Surface Transportation Board show Class I railroads employed 159,333 people in mid-February, up 3.93% from February 2011, and down just 105 positions, or only 0.07%, from January 2012.
The Toronto City Council Wednesday, in defiance of Mayor Rob Ford, readied a vote to advance light rail transit above ground along Sheppard Ave. and not a subway option.