North America – Page 68
-
NewsAmtrak seeks to replace or rebuild long-distance locos
USA: Amtrak has issued a request for proposals for either the supply of 50 to 75 ‘next generation’ diesel-electric locomotives or the rebuilding of existing General Electric P42 locomotives with AC traction equipment. There would be options to buy or rebuild further locomotives. The new or rebuilt locomotives would primarily ...
-
NewsAgreement in principle to revive Hudson Bay Railway
CANADA: Agreement in principle has been reached for the transfer of ownership of the Hudson Bay Railway and the reinstatement services to Churchill in northern Manitoba by winter 2018, the federal government announced on May 30. Short line group OmniTRAX purchased the 1 300 km HBR from Canadian National in ...
-
Metro Report InternationalBART launches diesel services to Antioch
USA: A 16 km route linking the BART terminus at Pittsburg/Bay Point with Antioch to the east of San Francisco, with an intermediate station at Pittsburg Center, was inaugurated on May 25. Passenger services started the following day. Known during construction as eBART, the route running along the median ...
-
NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
New Jersey-based supplier of rolling stock and braking components Strato Inc has signed an agreement for GBS Railroad & Mining Services to promote and distribute its products for the rail sector in Australia and New Zealand. Systems and engineering technology consultancy Frazer-Nash has formed a new Transport & Infrastructure business ...
-
Metro Report InternationalFast Forward plan seeks to renew the New York Subway
USA: New York City Transit President Andy Byford has committed to significantly accelerate the renewal of the Subway and bus networks in the city under the Fast Forward programme unveiled on May 23. Byford, who was appointed NYCT President in January having previously served as CEO of Toronto Transit Commission ...
-
Rail Business UKUniversity alliance to promote high speed rail
INTERNATIONAL: The International Union of Railways has moved to strengthen its nascent network of academic institutions which are intended to work together to promote the development of high speed rail. UIC first announced plans for its alliance of universities at the World Congress on High Speed Rail in Tokyo in ...
-
NewsCelebrations as Brightline trains reach Miami
USA: A weekend of celebrations entitled ‘Welcome to the 305!’, referencing the city’s historic telephone code, marked the launch of Brightline inter-city services to Miami on May 19. Brightline’s first public trains ran in January over the 74 km between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. The extension to Miami ...
-
NewsWabtec to merge with GE Transportation
INDUSTRY: Wabtec Corp has entered into a definitive agreement to merge with GE Transportation, the companies announced on May 21. The transaction is expected to close in early 2019, subject to approval by Wabtec shareholders, and regulatory authorities, making Wabtec ‘a global leader in the rail equipment, software and services ...
-
Metro Report InternationalCalgary Green Line funding approved
CANADA: The first stage of Calgary’s Green Line light rail route is set to open by the end of 2026, following the confirmation of C$1·53bn of funding by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on May 15. This is said to be the largest contribution ever made by the Canadian government ...
-
NewsCompetition is key as high speed rail keeps growing
Global ridership has surged by 40% in the three years since UIC last staged its World Congress on High Speed Rail. Yet operators and policymakers must work hard to keep the rail mode ahead as competition grows both in and for the market. Benjámin Zelki reports from the latest summit ...
-
NewsNorfolk Southern to work with Silicon Valley startup accelerator
USA: Norfolk Southern has joined Silicon Valley technology startup accelerator Plug & Play’s Supply Chain & Logistics Innovation Platform, seeking to engage with companies developing artificial intelligence, machine learning, the industrial internet of things and advanced analytics for supply chains. Plug & Play will identify and connect Norfolk Southern with ...
-
NewsHerzog to provide short line PTC
USA: Herzog Technologies is to make its Positive Train Control support and hosting services available to smaller freight railroads under an agreement with the American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association announced on May 10. ‘The implementation of PTC is one of the most complex and challenging projects to be ...
-
Metro Report InternationalMobile ticketing arrives in Portland
USA: Mobile ticketing was introduced to the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area on May 2 with the launch of an Android app. The Virtual Hop Card uses Google Pay. Passengers can tap their smartphones on fare validators when they use bus, light rail and commuter rail services operated by TriMet, C-TRAN ...
-
NewsKansas City Southern to deploy CloudMoyo software
USA: CloudMoyo is to deploy its Microsoft Azure cloud-based CloudMoyo Rail Transportation Management software to modernise Kansas City Southern’s Management Control System and provide analytics and artificial intelligence to improve operational efficiency. KCS already uses CloudMoyo’s crew management, business intelligence and analytics packages, and is to deploy CRTM in ...
-
Metro Report InternationalOttawa light rail project receives more provincial funding
CANADA: Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure Bob Chiarelli announced on May 3 that the province is to contribute up to C$50m towards the construction of a 3·4 km extension of Ottawa’s Trillium Line to Limebank Road. The southern extension, which includes a branch to Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, is part of ...
-
NewsUnion Pacific orders low-emission shunters
USA: Union Pacific has ordered 10 EMD24B low-emission locomotives from Progress Rail for yard shunting work in California. Announced on May 1, the order is the first for the EMD24B design, following the testing of a demonstrator by Pacific Harbor Line at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. ...
-
NewsAmtrak should focus on medium-distance corridors, says Anderson
USA: Amtrak should focus on its medium-distance operations and prioritise investment in a network of corridors across the country of between 200 km and 1 000 km, where the greatest ridership can be achieved, believes its new Chief Executive Richard Anderson. Outlining his vision for the future of the ...
-
NewsSiemens Chargers to work Altamont commuter trains
USA: California’s San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission has ordered four SC-44 Charger diesel locomotives from Siemens, with an option for four more, to support an expansion of its Altamont Corridor Express commuter rail service. Launched in 1998 with just two trains/day, ACE currently operates four trains each way per day ...
-
Metro Report InternationalDurham-Orange Light Rail construction management consultant appointed
USA: Transport agency GoTriangle has selected a Gannett Fleming/WSP joint venture as its construction management consultant for the planned light rail project in North Carolina’s Durham and Orange counties. The joint venture is to provide a constructability review, estimating, contract packaging, design and specification review services under the first phase ...
-
Metro Report InternationalChicago Blue Line resignalling contract awarded
USA: The Chicago Transit Board has awarded a Kiewit-Aldridge joint venture a $152·9m contract to undertake signalling renewal works between Jefferson Park and O’Hare on the Blue Line. Announcing the contract on April 18, CTA said this would be the first major signalling renewal since the section of the Blue ...