The Madera High-Speed Rail Station Project involves designing and constructing the Madera Station in California through improvements at the relocated Madera Amtrak Station location. These include new platforms, trackwork, an overhead contact system, a bus depot, expanded auto parking, an access roadway network, a multi-use path, and a station building. (Image Courtesy of USDOT)

Madera High-Speed Rail Station Project Lands $54.5MM Grant

The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) on Oct. 30 reported securing $54.5 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Mega (National Infrastructure Project Assistance)

New York MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber, MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer, and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards on Oct. 29 announced an RFP for the design phase of the proposed Interborough Express (IBX) near the future site of the Jackson Heights terminal at 71st St. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)

Transit Briefs: NYMTA, Metra, CapMetro

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) releases an RFP (Request for Proposals) to begin the preliminary engineering phase of the $5.5 billion Interborough Express (IBX) project. Also, Metra reopens the 147th Street/Sibley Boulevard Station in Harvey, Ill., after a two-plus year rebuild; and Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro) plans a double-tracking project in East Austin, Tex.

(FRA image)

FRA NPRMs Target Automated Track Inspection, Defect Remediation and Waivers

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on Oct. 23 and 24 published two successive, related Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRMs) the agency says will enhance railroad track safety by requiring railroads to include,

Ports of Indiana handles more than 4 million tons of agriculture products at its three ports on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan, and those cargoes make up more than a third of the total shipments. (Ports of Indiana Photograph)

Intermodal Briefs: Ports of Indiana, Los Angeles, Coos Bay

Ports of Indiana and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture sign a Memorandum of Understanding to boost agriculture trade and container shipping. Also, Port of Los Angeles handles a record number of TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) in September; and Oregon International Port of Coos Bay secures a $25 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant.

USDOT: More Than $33MM for P&L Railway

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $33,780,304 in federal funding, as part of the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program, to Paducah & Louisville Railway, Inc. (P&L) to support

“Hey, Virginia and Rail Enthusiasts everywhere! We've officially broken ground on the Long Bridge Rail Project,” the U.S. Department of Transportation reported via social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Oct. 15. (Image Courtesy of USDOT)

Long Bridge Construction Kicks Off

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Oct. 15 for the $2.3 billion Long Bridge Project, which is slated to boost passenger rail capacity over the Potomac River between Arlington, Va., and Washington, D.C.,

(SMART-TD Photograph)

Report: USDOT Calls on Appeals Court to Reject Petitions Against its Two-Person Crew Rule

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is calling on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to reject petitions that seek to vacate its two-person crew rule, according to a Law360 report. The rule, issued earlier this year by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), was issued to establish “minimum safety requirements for the size of train crews.”

Rendering of the Siemens Mobility AP 220 high-speed trainset for Brightline West. (Courtesy of Siemens Mobility)

FRA Advances Brightline West Project With Signed Agreement

Brightline West on Sept. 26 reported that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has officially signed the $3 billion grant agreement awarded in December 2023 for its 218-mile high-speed rail project linking Nevada

New FTA General Directive Addresses Assault Against Transit Workers

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on Sept. 25 announced a General Directive that will require more than 700 transit agencies nationwide to take action to protect frontline transit workers from the risk of assaults.

Transit Briefs: NYMTA, Amtrak, Metro-North, DART, UDOT, MBTA

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) launches a new feature on its TrainTime app. Also, Amtrak launches the Floridian, with daily service between Chicago and Miami; Metro-North Railroad launches a pilot program for customers to report restrooms in need of maintenance; Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) signs a 10-year office lease at Knoll Trail Crossing; the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) gets ready to begin a statewide passenger rail feasibility study; and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) wins $472 million in federal funding to replace the North Station Draw One Bridge.

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