North America – Page 30
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NewsMetrolink unveils refurbished coach
USA: Los Angeles commuter rail operator Metrolink has returned to service the first of 50 coaches which are undergoing mid-life refurbishment, and has been allocated funding for a capacity enhancement programme. The contract for the refurbishment work was awarded to a Talgo-Systra joint venture in June ...
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NewsAmtrak returns passenger trains to Burlington
USA: Regular inter-city trains have begun serving the largest city in Vermont following a gap of 69 years, with the extension of Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express to Burlington.
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NewsFederal Railroad Administration proposes national train crew size rule
USA: Rail industry associations have criticised a Federal Railroad Administration proposal to replace varying state laws on train crew size with a uniform national standard requiring a minimum of two people for main line operations. There would be exceptions for low-risk operations, with railways able to ...
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NewsUnion Pacific awards $1bn+ loco modernisation contract
USA: Union Pacific has awarded Wabtec a contract worth more than $1bn for the modernisation of 525 AC4400 and AC6000 and 75 Dash-9 locomotives. This will include the FDL Advantage engine enhancement and Modular Control Architecture. The modernisation aims to extend the life of the locos ...
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Metro Report InternationalMARTA metro train HVAC contract
USA: Wabtec is to supply heating, ventilation and air conditioning units for use on 56 four-car CQ400 metro trainsets which Stadler’s Salt Lake City factory is to build for Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. The order covers 112 cab HVAC units and 224 units for the ...
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Metro Report InternationalAll Stations Accessibility Programme launched
USA: The Federal Transit Administration has announced the All Stations Accessibility Programme, which will provide $1·75bn of grants to improve access to rail transport for people with limited mobility.
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NewsSmartTransit West explores North America’s growing rail and metro market
USA: Taking place in Denver on October 24-26, SmartTransit West will bring together industry leaders to discuss the future of regional, suburban and metro rail in North America, and to assess the wider urban mobility landscape.
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NewsAIMCo to acquire Cando Rail & Terminals
CANADA: Alberta Investment Management Corp has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a 100% equity stake in Cando Rail & Terminals Ltd from the rail freight group’s employees and private equity investor TorQuest. Manitoba-based Cando was founded in 1978 and now operates more than 40 industrial ...
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NewsUTA to offer rail apprenticeships
USA: Utah Transit Authority has appointed specialist training company Xpan to develop apprenticeships in light rail vehicle maintenance, maintenance of way and commuter rail vehicle maintenance. The three-year apprenticeships will offer a mix of e-learning, interactive simulations, instructor-led training, labs and on-the-job training. UTA is developing ...
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NewsKCSM concession extended in return for infrastructure investment
MEXICO: The Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications & Transport has extended Kansas City Southern de México’s operating concession by 10 years, in return for a commitment to 4bn pesos of infrastructure investments including the Celaya-NBA Line bypass to separate KCSM and Ferromex tracks. KCSM’s exclusive concession now ...
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Metro Report InternationalMexico City Line 1 train unveiled
MEXICO: The first of 29 trainsets which CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive is supplying as part of the modernisation of Mexico City metro Line 1 was rolled out on July 18. The event was marked by a hybrid ceremony in both Mexico and China, attended by the city’s ...
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NewsHudson Bay Railway permafrost study funded
CANADA: Current and future permafrost conditions along the Hudson Bay Railway corridor to Churchill in Manitoba are to be studied by the University of Calgary with C$4·4m of funding from the National Trade Corridors Fund. The results will be used to develop strategies to ensure the ...
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NewsTaking pantograph monitoring to the Americas
INTERNATIONAL: Ricardo and PantoInspect have formed a strategic alliance to supply PanMon pantograph monitoring technology in the Americas, building on its use in Europe, Australia and Africa. PanMon uses high-definition cameras and lasers above or adjacent to the track to scan passing pantographs at 3 000 ...
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NewsTexas railway changes hands in logistics park expansion project
USA: Liberty Development Partners has acquired the Gulf Inland Logistics Park and Class III railway CMC Railroad which operates on the site near Dayton in Texas. Liberty Development Partners was formed by property developer Connor Investment Real Estate and Logistics & Development Resources, a rail company ...
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NewsCanadian measures to address effects of climate change on rail
CANADA: Transport Canada has announced a Rail Climate Change Adaptation Programme to provide up to C$2·2m of co-funding for to support research and development activity to address the impacts of climate change on the rail sector.
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NewsTexas Central on path to ‘successful development’ after court ruling
USA: Dallas to Houston high speed rail project promoter Texas Central Partners issued an update on July 8. This follows a Texas Supreme Court ruling in the June that Texas Central can use eminent domain powers for land acquisition; the ruling came not long after the ...
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NewsCalifornia high speed starter section set for completion as state funding finalised
USA: The state of California appears finally to be on course to complete the Initial Operating Section of its high speed rail network between Bakersfield and Merced after the programme was allocated $4·2bn in the annual state budget on June 30.
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NewsSan Diego operations and maintenance taken in-house
USA: San Diego’s North County Transit District has completed the insourcing of operation and maintenance of its Coaster and Sprinter regional passenger services. This was previously undertaken by Alstom, as successor to Bombardier Transportation, and sees almost 100 staff transfer to the agency. ‘This transition will ...
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Metro Report InternationalGreen bonds raise funds for Virginia commuter rail improvements
USA: Commuter operator Virginia Railway Express closed a public bond sale on June 28 which will enable it to make a $119·2m contribution towards the state’s purchase of a CSX line in the Interstate 95 corridor as part of the $4bn Transforming Rail in Virginia programme. ...
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Metro Report InternationalHID Global launches multi-system ticket reader
USA: HID Global has launched its TripTick Halo ticket reader, combining near-field communication, QR/barcode and contactless EMV payments in a single onboard device which can be mounted on a surface, pole or desk. Unveiled at the Transport Ticketing Global exhibition in London on June 28, the ...