The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has awarded a $16.2 million contract to J.F. White Contracting Company for repairs on the railroad bride between Beverly and Salem, Mass, the agency announced Feb. 11, 2016.
In preparation for Metrolink passenger rail service on the expansion of the 91/Perris Valley Line (91/PVL), this weekend test trains will operate at higher speeds between Downtown Riverside and South Perris, the commuter rail service announced on Feb. 11, 2016. Metrolink trains began testing last fall along the corridor at slower speeds.
No progress has been made in contract talks between the New Jersey Transit Rail Labor Coalition, which consists of 11 unions representing more than 4,000 workers, and NJ Transit. A strike or lockout may occur in Mid-March, leaving tens of thousands of rail passengers without service.
GTA (Greater Toronto Area) region public transportation agency Metrolinx outlined the four options being considered for the core of the Toronto Regional Express Rail (RER) network at a board meeting on Feb. 10, 2016.
The Federal Transit Administration on Feb. 10, 2016 highlighted $3.5 billion recommended in President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2017 federal budget to advance the construction or completion of 31 public transit projects in 18 states, including 15 first-time funding recommendations. The projects would be funded through the FTA Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx on Feb. 10, 2016 highlighted $3.5 billion recommended in President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget to advance the construction or completion of 31 rail, bus rapid transit and streetcar projects in 18 states. These projects, competitively funded through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program, would create thousands of construction and operations-related jobs and help communities expand transportation choices that offer new ladders of opportunity for residents.
On Feb. 5, 2016, U.S. Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA-06) joined National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) member—Progress Rail Services (PRS)—for a tour of its locomotive and rail car services facility in Roanoke, Va.
Railway Age’s inaugural Fast Trackers—10 Rising Stars Under 40, are ten individuals under the age of 40 who have made an impact in their respective fields or within their company.
At the Caltrain Board meeting on Feb. 4, 2016, Executive Director Jim Hartnett announced that Michael Burns, who retired as the Chief Executive Officer for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in 2014, will take the reins of the Caltrain Modernization Program. The Caltrain Modernization Program is the most transformative project in the rail system’s 150-year history, the agency says. The program will electrify the system and provide electric vehicles to operate with the electrified infrastructure.
In an effort to improve safety, increase reliability and provide passengers with a more comfortable ride, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) has awarded a $36.8 million contract to Bombardier Transportation to overhaul 63 MARC III bi-level commuter rail cars, MTA announced Feb. 4, 2016.
