NFTA to lay off 20% of police force
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, which oversees Buffalo, N.Y.’s light rail transit line, plans to lay off almost 20% of its transit police, or about 20 officers, to cope with a $15 million deficit.
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Houston readies for FFGA ceremony
Federal, state, and local officials will hold a Full Funding Grant Agreements (FFGA) special signing ceremony Monday, Nov. 28, for Houston’s light rail expansion projects. Harris County (Tex.) Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)
DOT grants $928.6 million for California HSR
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Tuesday formally awarded a $928.6 million grant to the California High-Speed Rail Authority for phase 1 ofconstruction of California high speed rail. The move comes even as Congress recently voted to terminate the Obama Administration’s overall funding emphasis on high speed rail.
STB denies mediation in BNSF coal dust case
The Surface Transportation Board issued a decision Tuesday denying a petition of the Western Coal Traffic League (WCTL) asking the Board to institute mediation on a new coal dust tariff issued by BNSF Railway. Instead, the decision is instituting a new proceeding “to consider the reasonableness of the new tariff’s safe harbor provision.”
Employment up modestly on Class I railroads
Employment on Class I railroads of the U.S. rose to 160,251 in mid-October, up a modest 0.01%, or 11 employees, over mid-September but 3.87% higher than in October 2010. The strongest gains
Mesa, Ariz. LRT extension gets funded
A three-mile extension of light rail transit deeper into Mesa, Ariz., has received $35.5 million in fiscal year 2012 appropriations. The amount is less than the $75 million sought under the federal
Railcomm aids BNSF yard expansion
RailComm said Tuesday it has been selected to expand its existing yard system at BNSF’s Alliance South Yard in Alliance, Neb. Fairport, N.Y.-based RailComm said its state-of-the-art Domain Operations Controller (DOC®) System
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STB authorizes 35-mile Alaska Rail extension
The Surface Transportation Board issued a decision Monday authorizing the Alaska Railroad Corp. (ARRC) to build a 35-mile line connecting Port MacKenzie in south-central Alaska to a point on ARRC’s existing main
Strike threat to freight railroads recedes
With unions for more than half of the workers bargaining with North American freight railroads reaching agreements, the threat of a walkout affecting freight rail transportation is diminishing. Four more unions last week have reached agreement with the Class I’s, making it 10 unions in all, according to the National Railway Labor Conference.
Wabtec acquires Fulmer Co.
Wabtec Corp. on Monday said it has acquired Fulmer Co., a manufacturer of motor components for rail, power generation, and other industrial markets. Based in Export, Pa., Fulmer has annual sales of
STB issues EIS for planned 20-mile Corman line
The Surface Transportation Board announced Friday that its Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) has issued a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Pennsylvania Lines Inc. (RJCP) proposed construction of
Fatality occurs at East Side Access project
A worker at Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s East Side Access project in Manhattan was killed Thursday evening, causing MTA to halt work on the project.
Congress OKs FY12 transport appropriations
Both the House and Senate Thursday passed the Conference Report on a package of three appropriations bills, including the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations bill, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) reports.
VIA (San Antonio) OKs local streetcar funding
San Antonio, Tex.’s VIA Metropolitan Transit has formally increased the amount of money it will put into two downtown streetcar lines, ensuring that the proposed system is built largely with local money.
What gives with these full order books?
A good friend of mine who practices transportation finance in London, Jacqui Nelson, recently asked me about the condition of the U.S. economy. She reported that the “City” of London (the U.K.’s Wall Street) was truly rattled by the Greek financial crisis and its likely meaning for the European economy.
CTA selects Cubic for open-standards AFC
The Chicago Transit Authority has awarded Cubic Transportation Systems (a business unit of San Diego-based Cubic Corp.) an estimated $454 million contract to integrate, deliver, operate, and maintain a next-generation OSFS (Open
BNSF eyes Asia for grain export market
BNSF Railway reportedly is investing about $680 million to tap a 29% increase in exports of specialty grains headed for Asia. BNSF is concentrating its investment in its container yards, mostly Midwest
With cash flow strong, UP ups dividend 26%
Union Pacific’s board of directors voted Thursday to increase its quarterly common share dividend by 26% to 60 cents per share, payable Jan 2. to stockholders of record on Nov. 30. “We’re