All North America articles – Page 14
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NewsSeattle welcomes BiLevel cab car
USA: The first of nine Bombardier BiLevel cab cars ordered by Sound Transit in 2014 arrived in Seattle on July 24. It is due to enter passenger service in September. Sound Transit ordered the vehicles to augment its fleet of 18 Bombardier cab cars that entered service in 2000-03, ...
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Metrolinx launches search for Toronto Regional Express Rail operator
CANADA: Greater Toronto transport agency Metrolinx has begun the process to appoint an ‘experienced’ operator to support planning and implementation of the GO Regional Express Rail project and subsequently take responsibility for operation of the services. The existing operations and maintenance contract with Bombardier is expected to remain in place ...
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Work begins to electrify Caltrain
USA: California Governor Jerry Brown was among those present at a ceremony at Millbrae station on June 21 to mark the start of work on the Caltrain Electrification Project. ‘Today marks the beginning of a faster, cleaner, better Caltrain, a Caltrain that will allow tens of thousands of people ...
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Alpenglow Rail acquires its first short line
CANADA: Alpenglow Rail announced the acquisition of its first rail business on July 12. VIP Rail is based at Sarnia in Ontario’s Chemical Valley region, and provides shunting, transloading, warehousing, road haulage and wagon storage, cleaning and repair services. Denver-based Alpenglow Rail was founded by former OmniTRAX executives Rich Montgomery, ...
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Saskatchewan sells grain wagon fleet
CANADA: Three short lines in Saskatchewan have agreed to purchase Saskatchewan Grain Car Corp’s fleet of 898 hopper wagons from the provincial government for C$9·7m, an average of C$10 800 per wagon. The government decided to leave the wagon business and began the process of selling the wagons in March, ...
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Environmental survey marks Northeast Corridor progress
USA: The Federal Railroad Administration on July 12 released a Record of Decision marking completion of a Tier 1 environmental review of the Northeast Corridor under the National Environmental Policy Act. This establishes a long-term planning framework for the 735 km corridor linking Boston with Washington DC, along which a ...
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World rail freight news round-up
The Port of Tilbury has set out plans to ‘reinvigorate‘ its rail connections including the introduction of regular intermodal services to the Midlands and Scotland, the creation of a dedicated bulk terminal, and establishing a rail connection into the planned Tilbury2 terminal. ‘Tilbury is making the most of its ...
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VTG expands US and Russian wagon fleets
VTG: Leasing company VTG has strengthened its position in the US market and completed a ‘major strategic step’ in Russia through a series of wagon acquisitions. VTG Rail Inc has expanded its US fleet to around 5 200 vehicles with the acquisition of Redwood Rail’s 1 135 grain, cement, sand, ...
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Airline veteran Richard Anderson to head Amtrak
USA: National passenger operator Amtrak named Richard Anderson as its next President & Chief Executive on June 26. The former CEO of Delta and Northwest Airlines will take up the post on July 12, acting as co-CEO with incumbent Wick Moorman until December 31. Moorman had joined Amtrak in September ...
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CRRC to supply commuter coaches to Montréal
CANADA: CRRC Tangshan has been awarded a contract to supply 24 double-deck hauled coaches to operate on commuter services serving Montréal. The coaches are to be deployed on the Deux-Montagnes line, ahead of the opening of the Réseau Électrique Métropolitain light metro. The coaches are also expected to replace ...
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Fuel cells to be studied as alternative to Toronto electrification
CANADA: Ontario is to study the feasibility of using of hydrogen fuel cells ‘as an alternative to conventional overhead wires’ for the planned electrification of GO Rail and UP Express routes in the Toronto region. According to the province’s Ministry of Transportation, recent advances in the use of hydrogen fuel ...
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Complex interoperability requirements in Chicago PTC contract
USA: Wabtec Corp has signed a $22m contract to design, supply and commission Positive Train Control for the Belt Railway Company of Chicago, which owns and operates about 470 km of track, including 43 km of main line track. Under the contract announced on June 7 Wabtec is to provide ...
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Hudson Bay Railway services to Churchill suspended after washouts
CANADA: Hudson Bay Railway services between Amery, 47 km northeast of Gillam, and Churchill have been suspended indefinitely owing to ‘unprecedented and catastrophic’ flood damage and are not expected to resume before the winter season, parent company OmniTRAX announced on June 9. HBR has been unable to operate to Churchill ...
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Tier 4 genset locomotive enters service
USA: Railserve’s first Tier 4 compliant Dual Leaf Gen-Set Locomotive has entered service in Freeport, Texas. The latest addition to Railserve’s family of locomotives has two Cummins QSX15 engines, and can use only one when hauling lighter loads. The Dual Leaf is intended for shippers, industrial users and short line ...
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SMBC Rail acquires American Railcar Leasing
USA: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp’s wagon leasing and fleet management business SMBC Rail Services completed the $2·78bn acquisition of American Railcar Leasing from investment group Icahn Enterprises on June 1. Chicago-based SMBC Rail said the transaction would produce a ‘premier’ full service lessor of ‘long-lived’ rolling stock for the North ...
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Caltrain board approves operating and capital budgets
USA: Caltrain’s board approved the operating and capital budgets for the financial year starting on July 1 at its monthly meeting on June 1. The $148·2m operating budget includes $20·5m in funding contributions from San Mateo County Transit District, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and the City & County ...
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Caltrain electrification funding confirmed
USA: The Federal Transit Administration confirmed on May 22 that it would execute a Full Funding Grant Agreement worth $647m for electrification of the Caltrain commuter rail corridor between San Francisco and San Jose. Caltrain had agreed contracts in July last year with Balfour Beatty and Stadler for electrification work ...
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Trump urged to intervene in ‘emergency’ at New York Penn Station
USA: Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York State, wrote to President Donald Trump on May 21 requesting that the federal government treat the ongoing infrastructure and operational difficulties at New York Penn Station ‘as an emergency situation’ and provide funding for short- and long-term enhancements of the station. Two derailments ...
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Rail industry responds to proposed Canadian legislation
CANADA: The government has introduced legislation the House of Commons which according to Minister of Transport Marc Garneau is intended to ‘promote a transparent, fair, efficient and safer national freight rail system that will facilitate trade and meet the needs of users and all Canadians.’ The Transportation Modernization Act Bill ...
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Wabtec signs Tri-Rail PTC contract
USA: Wabtec Corp has signed a $40m contract to design, install, test and commission Positive Train Control for South Florida Regional Transportation Authority’s Tri-Rail commuter rail service. Wabtec is to supply its Interoperable Electronic Train Management System for 42 locomotives and cab cars, along with a back-office server and lineside ...
