Cincinnati streetcar trackwork to start soon
Tracks for Cinncinnati’s initial streetcar line will begin being laid in mid-October, a month ahead of schedule, beginning on Elm Street near Memorial Hall, city officials and streetcar advocates say.
news
AAR adds affiliate, associate members
The Association of American Railroads announced Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013, the addition of three companies to its membership roster.
Nebraska short line marks 20 years
The Nebraska Central Railroad Co. (NCRC) says it will commemorate “20 years of excellence” through a series of celebratory activities that will be held Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013, in its headquarters city of Norfolk, Neb.
St. Louis Loop Trolley in jeopardy
One of two streetcar projects in St. Louis, bolstered by a pledge of $22 million in federal funds, could still fall through if plans aren’t finalized by next month.
Commentary
Imagine a multimodal Northeast Corridor
Creative vision in Washington, D.C., is not quite an oxymoron, but seemingly only extraordinary external events cause it to materialize.
Texas transit trio sets GoPass mobile app
Starting Sept. 16, 2012, public transit riders in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex can use their smartphones “to buy, store and activate passes for DART, The T and DCTA,” the three area transit entities jointly announced Monday, Sept. 9.
PB, AECOM: LRT in The Land Down Under
The Government of Western Australia Department of Transport (DoT) has selected a joint venture of Parsons Brinckerhoff and AECOM to form an integrated services team for the next phase of the 13.7-mile Metro Area Express (MAX) light rail network in Perth.
TIGER V advances CAGTC transport projects
The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced 52 projects in 37 states that will receive funding from TIGER V, the fifth round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants. Of those 52 projects, 25 are devoted to freight or have a strong freight component accounting for over $205 million, or 43%, of the total $474 million announced through the grant program. Four projects are sponsored by Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC) member organizations:
Cold Train expands to keep up with demand
Cold Train has expanded its Washington State-based refrigerated container fleet to more than 400 state-of-the-art Hyundai 53-foot containers while adding new destinations on the East Coast, due to continued growth.
Indiana Rail Road sets locomotive shop debut
Indiana Rail Road Co. (INRD) President and CEO Tom Hoback will host ceremonies this Friday, Sept. 13, 2013, as the regional railroad officially opens is new $7.6 million Locomotive Maintenance Facility near Jasonville, Ind.
KCS kicks-off Holiday Express charitable fundraiser
Kansas City Southern will be running its 13th annual Holiday Express train through 20 communities in six states on 24 dates this Christmas season between Nov. 29 and Dec. 22, and is now seeking donations to purchase gift cards that are donated to the Salvation Army at each scheduled stop. The gift cars are used to purchase warm clothing and other necessities for children in these communities. During the past 12 years, the Holiday Express has raised almost $1.2 million for this purpose.
Virginia short line displays heritage colors
The Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad (N&PBL), a switching and terminal railroad that serves customers in Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Portsmouth, Va., is celebrating its 115th anniversary this month with receipt of an EMD GP38-2 painted in the bright red-and-maroon livery used on its first diesel locomotives in the 1950s.
Gabrielle Giffords graces Tucson streetcar event
Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, along with husband Mark Kelly, were surprise attendees attending the dedication of Tucson, Ariz.’s new maintenance and storage facility and arrival of the first streetcar Friday, Sept. 6 2013.
Amtrak ACS-64 begins NEC testing
One of three Amtrak ACS-64 (Amtrak Cities Sprinter) electric locomotives from Siemens Mobility, no. 602, has begun testing on the Boston-New York-Washington Northeast Corridor and Philadelphia-Harrisburg Keystone Corridor in preparation for revenue-service fleet deployment this fall.
For Purple Line, rail and trail issues remain
Though Maryland has committed itself to establishing the two-county Purple Line Light Rail Transit system in the northern Washington, D.C. suburbs, exact routing issues remain, including potential conflicts between LRT and nearby bicycle paths on its western end.
Experts weigh in on LNG
Programs to evaluate LNG (liquefied natural gas) as a locomotive fuel are expanding throughout the rail industry, led by such stakeholders as GE Transportation, Electro-Motive Diesel, BNSF, Union Pacific, CN, Clean Energy Fuels, Chart Industries, Westport Innovations, Waste Management, and many others. At the 2013 GE Transportation/Norfolk Southern Railroad Sustainability Symposium, a panel of industry experts talked about current LNG projects, and the potential of this relatively new alternative to diesel fuel.
Angels Flight funicular derails
One of two funicular cars used on Los Angeles’s resurrected Angels Flight derailed Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013, after an electrical circuit was disrupted and the car’s emergency brake engaged, lifting it off the track, according to Angels Flight Railway President John Welborne.
For KC streetcar, discord over contract
Kansas City, Mo.’s City Council will vote on Sept. 12, 2013 on a construction contract for the city’s 2.2-mile initial streetcar line, but approval reportedly is not assured.
San Diego MTS launches new mobile ticket app
Coordinating an introduction with the start of the NFL San Diego Chargers’ 2013-2014 season, San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) announced Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013, the pilot launch of MTS mTicket, “a mobile ticketing app that lets riders use their smartphone to purchase their day pass” when riding the city’s Trolley system.
Phase One of National Gateway completed
Phase One of the National Gateway—a doublestack clearance project connecting CSX’s existing intermodal terminal in Chambersburg, Pa., and its new, state-of-the-art Northwest Ohio Intermodal Terminal hub facility, has been completed on time, and on budget.