Illinois study: Midwest HSR system feasible
A study funded by the state of Illinois says true high speed rail operations in the Midwest, while costly to implement, is feasible and might even cover operating costs once implemented.
news
Metrolinx: We’ll aid (any) Scarborough Line
Greater Toronto Area transportation agency Metrolinx says it will provide C$1.48 billion (US$1.43 billion) for any rail approach to revamping the Scarborough Line, allowing other parties to decide which rail mode should be implemented.
Bombardier lands LRT manufacturing honors
Bombardier Transportation said Friday, Oct. 4, 2013, that it won the Manufacturer of the Year Award at the 2013 Light Rail Awards held in London.
Amtrak: Five years to no food service losses
Amtrak announced on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, that it “is moving forward with a plan to eliminate its food and beverage losses over five years.” The plan “builds on successful initiatives implemented since FY 2006 that have increased the cost recovery rate from 49% percent to 65%.
New Haven Line target: Normal Monday
Metro-North Railroad is hoping to resume normal service frequency on its New Haven Line Monday, Oct. 7, 2013, according to railroad officials and Connecticut state transportation representatives.
LRIW elects Whiting’s Heldt 2nd VP
The League of Railway Industry Women has named Jodi Heldt, Sales Administration Manager at Whiting Corp., as Second Vice President.
RSI names three to Board
Railway Supply Institute President Tom Simpson announced Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, the election of three new members of the board of directors. The three were elected during Railway Interchange 2013 in Indianapolis, Ind., held earlier in the week.
AAR: U.S. freight up for week, September overall
Both U.S. freight carload traffic and U.S. intermodal volume for the week ending Sept. 28, 2013 surpassed levels notched in the comparable week of 2012, the Association of American Railroads reported Oct. 3, 2013. AAR said both categories also did better last month than in September 2012, as well.
Commentary
The “public” in rail public transportation
Do the U.S. rail transit industry, Amtrak, and advocates of rail public transportation have a stake in the current Washington crisis over the federal budget and government shutdown? A stake in the looming crisis over threats to force a default on the federal national debt? Or is this mainly a fight over the Affordable Care Act with little relevance to other issues?
MTA seeks $106 billion over 20 years
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority seeks to continue upgrading its rail infrastructure – along with other public transit – by requesting $106 billion during the next 20 years.
2014 Railroad Financial Desk Book
Welcome to the 2014 edition of the Railroad Financial Desk Book. As regular readers know, every year we take a look back at issues and events that have impacted the current year in railcars and their financing, and we take a look forward at trends that are likely to have an impact on the coming year.
PB gets Detroit streetcar contract
Detroit has awarded a contract to Parsons Brinckerhoff for design, review, and construction quality assurance services for the 3.2-mile M1 Rail Project along Woodward Avenue.
FEC, Orlando Airport reach HrSR accord
Florida East Coast Industries and Orlando International Airport have reached agreement on higher-speed rail access to and from the airport, a key station in the planned All Aboard Florida higher- speed rail proposal envisioned to link Orlando with West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.
Coast Guard OKs new bridge plan; LRT still in
The U.S. Coast Guard has approved a new bridge carrying Interstate 5 over the Columbia River, linking Oregon and Washington states, and potentially including Portland TriMet light rail transit service to Vancouver, Wash.
CN recognized by CDP for environmental leadership
CN has earned a position of leadership for the quality of climate change data it has submitted to the global marketplace through CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), described as “the world’s only global environmental disclosure system.”
Simonetta inducted into APTA Hall of Fame
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has inducted Richard J. Simonetta into its Hall of Fame. Simonetta was selected to receive this honor “based on his commitment to and support of APTA’s core values: Leadership and Integrity; Excellence and Accountability; Diversity, Inclusiveness, Fairness, and Equity; and Professionalism,” APTA said.
NYAB DB-60 II control valve maintains brake pressure on grades
Heavy-haul freight trains require fully charged brakes. When operating a train on a downgrade, brake usage levels on individual cars climb, equipment heats up, and braking power levels can drop drastically, sometimes forcing the engineer to stop the train. New York Air Brake has developed a new control valve, the DB60 II, to address these issues.
Alstom to supply Coradia Liners to SNCF
SNCF has ordered 34 Coradia Liner trainsets, the latest generation of long-haul trains from Alstom, as part of a project initiated by the French Prime Minister to renew Corail intercity trains. The order is worth $474 million. The trainsets are expected to enter into service beginning December 2015.
Ahuja earns INFORMS-RAS Distinguished Member Award
INFORMS (Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences) fellow Dr. Ravi Ahuja has been awarded the 2013 Distinguished Member Award from the organization’s Railway Applications Section (RAS).
CN rejects allegations made by former employee over GO Transit contracts
CN said on Tuesday, October 1, 2013, that the commuter rail infrastructure projects it undertook for GO Transit in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) were “rigorously reviewed” and that it rejects “unfounded allegations” made by a former employee that it defrauded the agency.