Scrambling belatedly to secure light rail transit service after rejecting same a decade ago, Virginia Beach, Va., may receive a $20 million state grant to acquire 10.6 miles of Norfolk Southern right-of-way within the municipality. The route, if acquired, would almost certainly become an addition to “The Tide” light rail line now being constructed in neighboring Norfolk, which ends at the Virginia Beach border.
The Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday reported a bill aimed at eliminating the railroads’ limited antitrust exemption. The Association of American Railroads said the effort “could alter economic oversight of the railroads.”
Houston’s Metropolitan Transit Authority Wednesday unanimously approved a $1.46 billion contract for four new light rail lines, which would add 20 miles to its current initial seven-mile route, cementing its decision to bank on LRT in lieu of Bus Rapid Transit routes.
Annapolis, Md.-based ARINC Inc. will design and produce a supervisory control system and communications systems for the Long Island Rail Road’s Harold Interlocking Complex in Long Island City, N.Y. Harold is among the busiest such complexes in the U.S., handling LIRR, New Jersey Transit, and Amtrak train movements as well as some freight activity.
Budget constraints notwithstanding, the Toronto Transit Commission appears determined to move ahead on the first of seven planned light rail transit extensions, setting a September groundbreaking for the Sheppard East line.
The Metrolink engineer involved in the Sept. 12, 2008 Chatsworth, Calif., train crash had earlier allowed a teenaged railfan access to the locomotive cab, overseeing him as the railfan piloted the train, and planned to do so again the day of the accident, which killed 25 and injured 130, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Miami International Airport began construction Monday of its 1.27-mile, $342 million MIA Mover line. The dual elevated guideway project will include two station stops while connecting the airport with Miami Intermodal Connector, a passenger intermodal hub offering access to Amtrak, Tri-Rail, and Metrorail services, along with bus and taxi options.
Dapco Technologies, a service arm of Ridgefield, Conn.-based Dapco Industries, has been renamed Nordco Rail Services to emphasize the company’s role in both rail diagnostic services and engineering. The company also announced a new president, Chris Smitka, and has relocated to a new facility in Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Southwest Signal Engineering Co. announced Monday that it has changed its corporate name to Xorail Inc. (pronounced “Zo-rail”). The move complements the company’s actions last September, when the provider of signal and communications services to the railroad industry and other sectors formed a separate construction subsidiary, called Xorail Construction Services, which specializes in construction services for railroads.
Citing the successful re-introduction of light rail transit to cities nationwide, Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Joseph Marie has called for the Nutmeg State to invest in LRT to keep the state economically competitive.
