North America – Page 80
-
Metro Report InternationalBoston’s PCC streetcars to be overhauled
USA: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority plans to overhaul its fleet of PCC streetcars. The $7·9m overhaul and aims to extend the life of the vehicles, which have been in service since the mid-1940s. The work is expected to take two years and will include fitting new traction equipment, brakes ...
-
Metro Report InternationalBART analyses results of crowd-reduction trial
USA: BART and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority have released preliminary results of the BART Perks pilot, which rewarded passengers who travel outside the morning peak with cash rewards. The six-month trial ran from August 30 to February 28. Inspired by a similar project launched in ...
-
NewsBrightline targets inter-city opportunities
USA: Inter-city passenger promoter All Aboard Florida is expanding its horizon to focus on other potential markets across the country. The company announced on March 8 that Dave Howard, ‘a veteran executive from the sports and entertainment industry’, was joining the leadership team as Chief Executive Officer for the Brightline ...
-
NewsVancouver Island commuter rail study
CANADA: Options for establishing a commuter service on 15 km of the former Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway corridor between Westhills in Langford and Victoria West on Vancouver Island are to be studied, British Columbia’s Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure announced on March 9. A working group is to be formed ...
-
NewsRail industry marks International Women's Day 2017
INTERNATIONAL: The railway operations and supply industries around the world marked International Women's Day on March 8. Special events were organised, and the diverse range of career opportunities available in the rail sector was highlighted.
-
NewsSiemens rolls out first Cascades Charger locomotive
USA: The first of eight SC-44 Siemens Charger diesel-electric locomotives ordered by Washington State Department of Transportation has been rolled out at the manufacturer’s Sacramento plant. The locomotives are to be used with Talgo coaches on the Cascades service from Eugene, Oregon, to Vancouver in Canada, which is operated by ...
-
NewsCSX board restructured as Harrison takes charge
USA: Former Canadian Pacific Chief Executive E Hunter Harrison was confirmed as the new Chief Executive Officer of CSX Corp on March 6. He succeeds Michael Ward, who had announced his decision to retire as Chairman & CEO on February 21 and will now become a consultant. CSX has also ...
-
Metro Report InternationalTEX Rail signalling contract signed
USA: Fort Worth Transportation Authority has awarded Wabtec Corp a $97m contract to provide the signalling, communications and a control centre for the $1·03bn TEX Rail commuter line. The 43 km line between Fort Worth and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is under construction with opening planned for 2018. It will ...
-
NewsDeadlines extended as Caltrain seeks to save electrification programme
USA: San Francisco to San Jose commuter operator Caltrain announced on February 27 that it had reached agreement with contractors Balfour Beatty and Stadler to extend the contractual deadlines for start of work on the Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project.Caltrain had been expected to issue ‘Notice to Proceed’ ...
-
NewsCaltrain cancels Parsons PTC contract
USA: San Francisco to San Jose commuter operator Caltrain has terminated Parsons Transportation Group’s contract to supply Positive Train Control for the route. In late 2011 the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board which owns and operates Caltrain selected Parsons for a contract to design and install a $138m ...
-
Metro Report InternationalDenver inaugurates tangential R Line
USA: Denver RTD’s light rail R Line was officially inaugurated on February 24 with a ceremony at Iliff station, where the City of Aurora operates a 600-space multi-storey park and ride facility. Following the opening, free travel was provided for the rest of the day, with trains running every 15 ...
-
Metro Report InternationalBoston Green Line extension shortlist
USA: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has shortlisted three bidders for the design-build contract to extend Boston’s Green Line. The shortlisted bidders are: GLX Constructors: Fluor Enterprises, The Middlesex Corp, Herzog Contracting Corp, Balfour Beatty Infrastructure. Green Line Partners: The Lane Construction Corp, Salini Impregilo, Judlau Contracting, LM Heavy ...
-
NewsThe Andersons Rail Group reports solid year in weakening market
USA: Diversified agricultural product and rail group The Andersons Inc reports that its Rail Group ‘led the way’ across the business in 2016. Looking forward, it said freight volumes had shown signs of improvement after a difficult operating environment last year, and it believes the Rail Group's lease and wagon ...
-
NewsProgress Rail tests remanufactured Tier 4 shunting loco
USA: Progress Rail has completed initial testing of a EMD24B locomotive produced from remanufactured components, and has begun the process of obtaining Tier 4 emissions certification. The 2000 hp locomotive will also undergo 3 000 h of in-service testing with Anacostia Rail Holdings' Pacific Harbor Line, which operates at the ...
-
Metro Report InternationalMilwaukee Streetcar operator sought
USA: The City of Milwaukee has issued a request for proposals for the operation and maintenance contract for the future downtown streetcar line. The deadline for submissions is April 4, with the selection of a preferred bidder expected on April 18. The contract would cover 15 to 18 months ...
-
Metro Report InternationalFirst Waterloo LRV leaves Bombardier factory
CANADA: The first light rail vehicle for the ION light rail project in the Region of Waterloo left Bombardier’s Thunder Bay plant on February 15. Delivery is expected to take 10 to 12 days. The project promoter aims to unveil the vehicle to the public in April at an ...
-
NewsA pivotal year for Norfolk Southern
USA: ‘2016 was a pivotal year as Norfolk Southern began implementing its new strategic plan’, said Chairman, President & CEO James A Squires when presenting the railway’s annual results on January 25. ‘We delivered $250m of productivity savings and recorded our best ever operating ratio, notwithstanding challenging business conditions.’ Net ...
-
NewsCN performing well in a mixed economic environment
CANADA: ‘Despite facing difficult winter conditions in December, CN delivered very strong fourth-quarter results and throughout 2016 demonstrated once again its ability to perform well in a mixed economic environment’, said President & CEO Luc Jobin when presenting the company’s annual results on January 24. ‘We saw weaker volumes during ...
-
NewsTrimble buys machine vision company
USA: Trimble has acquired automated lineside inspection system manufacturer Beena Vision for an undisclosed price, the company announced on February 8. Founded in 2003, Beena Vision supplies machine vision and other non-contact detectors which can be used for the detailed and automated condition monitoring of components on passing trains, providing ...
-
Metro Report InternationalOklahoma City Streetcar breaks ground
USA: Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the city’s streetcar project on February 7. A joint venture of Herzog and Stacy & Witbeck is building the line, with ADG, Jacobs Engineering, Aecom and SOJ providing consultancy services. Opening is scheduled for December 2018. The ...