North America – Page 58
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Metro Report InternationalFTA grant for Dallas light rail capacity improvement
USA: Dallas Area Rapid Transit has signed a $61m grant agreement with the Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration for the lengthening of platforms at 28 stops on the Red and Blue lines. The grant announced on June 27 is part of FTA’s Capital Investment Grants programme. ...
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Rail Business UKGenesee & Wyoming to be acquired in US$8·4bn deal
INTERNATIONAL: A consortium of Brookfield Infrastructure, GIC and Brookfield’s institutional partners has agreed to acquire short line group Genesee & Wyoming Inc in a US$8·4bn transaction. The consortium would pay US$112 per share in cash, with G&W becoming a privately held company. ‘We believe this transaction is an excellent ...
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NewsQuébec – Toronto High Frequency Rail study awarded funding
CANADA: The government and Canada Infrastructure Bank announced a total of C$71·1m of funding on June 25 to support the further development of VIA Rail’s High Frequency Rail proposal to enhance inter-city services on the Québec – Montréal – Ottawa – Toronto corridor. The corridor carried 72% of VIA Rail’s ...
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Metro Report InternationalCBTC supplier selected for Finch West light rail line
CANADA: Mosaic Transit Group has selected Thales to supply signalling for the Finch West light rail line being developed in Toronto. Thales is to supply its SelTrac CBTC technology. Last year Greater Toronto & Hamilton Area transport authority Metrolinx selected Mosaic Transit Group to build the 11 km light ...
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NewsVirgin Trains breaks ground on Orlando extension
USA: Virgin Trains USA held a ‘Red Spike’ groundbreaking ceremony at Orlando International Airport on June 24 to launch construction work on its 275 km Phase 2 extension from West Palm Beach. Contracts were awarded in May for construction of Phase 2, which represents a private-sector investment of $4bn. The ...
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Metro Report InternationalWaterloo ION light rail inaugurated
CANADA: The first section of the ION light rail line in the Region of Waterloo was inaugurated on June 21 at a ceremony at Fairway stop in Kitchener. Travel is free until July 1. The 16 km line serves 19 stops on a mostly segregated alignment between Congestoga in ...
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Metro Report InternationalFive-year Boston transport investment plan approved
USA: The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority voted on June 18 to approve the 2020-24 capital investment plan. This includes a contribution of $753·7m towards the Red and Orange metro line fleet replacement. CRRC is supplying 252 cars for the Red Line and ...
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Metro Report InternationalPATH Improvement Plan revealed
USA: The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey unveiled the PATH Improvement Plan on June 20. The proposals envisage capacity increases as well as measures to improve reliability and passenger experience on the metro network linking New York with New Jersey. Capacity increases are to ...
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NewsFRA awards $326m for rail infrastructure works
USA: More than $326m in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements and Special Transportation Circumstances grant funding for 45 rail infrastructure projects in 29 states has been announced by the Federal Railroad Administration. ‘These investments in inter-city passenger and freight rail will benefit surrounding communities, make grade crossings safer and ...
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NewsFS Group forms US subsidiary
USA: Italian state railway group FS has established FS Italian Railways USA Inc with the aim of developing its activities in the North American market. FS said the mass transit, high speed and freight markets ‘offer interesting growth possibilities, especially in the large metropolitan areas’, thanks to an increase in ...
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Metro Report InternationalBombardier to open assembly plant in California
USA: Bombardier Transportation announced on June 14 that it is opening an assembly plant in Pittsburg, California. The first vehicles to be assembled at the new factory will be the Fleet of the Future metro cars that Bombardier is supplying for the BART network serving San Francisco. Intended to ...
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NewsNext-generation Acela trainsets take shape
USA: Alstom invited guests to its Hornell factory in New York state on June 12 to showcase the progress it is making in producing the next generation of Acela high speed trainsets for Amtrak. Amtrak says that ‘significant progress’ is being made in production of the fleet, which is expected ...
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NewsPPP partners to develop Utah freight railway
USA: Proposals for the construction of a 160 km freight railway to serve the Uinta Basin region of Utah state are to be taken forward under a public-private partnership, with the aim of starting construction in 2022. The Uinta Basin Railway is being promoted by the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition, ...
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NewsNew Mexico Rail Runner Express PTC deployment contract
USA: Wabtec has been awarded a $55m contract to implement Positive Train Control on the 160 km New Mexico Rail Runner Express route from Belen to Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Wabtec is to supply its Interoperable Electronic Train Management System overlay which has been adopted by the principal freight operators. ...
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NewsIllinois votes to fund rail expansion
USA: Dedicated funding for two new inter-city rail services and urban rail expansion is included in a $45bn package of infrastructure investment approved by the Illinois state legislature on May 31. The six-year programme put together by Governor J B Pritzker allocates $33·2bn for transport projects. The majority of this ...
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Metro Report InternationalSiemens wins Portland light rail vehicle overhaul contract
USA: Portland transport agency TriMet has awarded Siemens Mobility a contract to undertake the mid-life overhaul of 79 SD660 light rail vehicles. Due to be completed in 2025, the €80m contract includes options worth a further €25m. Following two pilot overhauls at the Siemens Mobility West Coast Rail Services ...
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NewsRailUSA acquires Florida line from CSX
USA: Freight railway group RailUSA has announced its second acquisition, forming the Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad with the purchase of a 690 km line from CSX Corp. Terms were not disclosed. The FGA runs east–west across northern Florida from Baldwin near Jacksonville to Tallahassee and Pensacola, ...
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Metro Report InternationalAccount-based contactless ticketing arrives in New York
USA: An event at Bowling Green station on May 31 marked the start of the public pilot of closed-loop account-based contactless ticketing in New York. OMNY readers accept contactless bank cards, as well as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Fitbit. Cubic Transportation Systems has supplied the technology, ...
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NewsCotton Belt railway DMU order placed
USA: Dallas Area Rapid Transit has awarded Stadler a $199m contract to supply eight Flirt diesel multiple-units for the $1·1bn Cotton Belt Regional Rail Project in the northern suburbs of Dallas. The 42 km line between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Shiloh Road in Plano is under ...
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Metro Report InternationalTwo bids for Hurontario light rail project
CANADA: Infrastructure Ontario has received two bids for the contract to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the 18 km Hurontario Light Rail Transit project to the west of Toronto. The proposals were submitted by Mobilinx and Trillium Transit Partners. Mobilinx comprises Astaldi, John Laing, Hitachi, Transdev Amico Concessions, ...