Anderzack-Pitzen Construction, Inc.
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Construction Polymers Company
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Joseph B. Fay Company
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Marden Industries Inc. DBA Supertrak
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Paxton & Vierling Steel Co.
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NRC Toolbox Talks
A version is available in PDF format as well as in Microsoft Word so that NRC member companies can make company or job specific changes.
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Member-Get-A-Member Campaign
Help Grow the NRC and Strengthen our Voice
Three options to help recruit new members:
1. Reply to this email with names and contact information of potential members and we'll send them a membership information package.
2. Make a quick introductory call and follow up using the "E-Kit" found here.
3. Direct a potential new member to www.nrcma.org where they can learn more about the NRC and join online.
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Visit the NRC Bid Notifications page on the NRC website at:
www.nrcma.org/go/bids |
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Publicize your Rail Industry Event on www.nrcma.org/calendar.cfm
Visit: www.nrcma.org/listevent.cfm to submit an event |
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Table of Contents
2014 NRC Conference Recap
NRC Announces Winners of the 2013 Field Employee and Rail Construction Project of the Year Awards
NRC Announces Staff Personnel Appointments
Railroad Day on the Hill is March 13, 2014 in Washington, DC - Registration Open
Save the Date: NRC Auction Set for May 1, 2014 in Austinburg, OH
NRC Welcomes New Members Anderzack-Pitzen Construction, CMRR, Construction Polymers Company
NRC Members Highlighted in Progressive Railroading Case Studies and Article on Maintenance of Way Equipment
Ansaldo STS Awarded $20.5m Long Island Railroad Signaling Contract
Wabtec Awarded MARC PTC Contract
Maryland Announces Purple Line Project Final Four
Construction Teams Seek to Build Second Phase of CA High Speed Rail Toward Bakersfield
Metro Gold Line Foothill Authority Issues RFP for Light Rail Project
A&B Rail Services Ltd Acquired by TorQuest Partners
Pandrol Acquires CDM Track
Florida Great Lakes Partners to Purchase MM&A Assets
4th Quarter Reports from NS, CSX, UP, KCS, Capital Spending Plans
Union Pacific Names New Vice Presidents of Supply and Continuous Improvement and Labor Relations
FTA Issues Safety Advisory 14-1: Right-of-Way Worker Protection
Illinois Congressional Delegation Sends Letter to House T&I Chairman Shuster Requesting Federal
Funding for PTC Implementation for Commuter Railroads
USDOT Announces $3b to Strengthen Resiliency of Transit Agencies Affected by Superstorm Sandy
Gov. Cuomo Announces $17b Plan to Stormproof New York's Infrastructure
MassDOT Announces 5-Year Capital Investment Plan, MBTA Partners with Keolis
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 2014 NRC Conference Recap
The NRC would like to thank those of you who were able to join us for the 2014 NRC Conference in Palm Desert, CA earlier this month, and for anybody who missed it, we hope to see you next year. This was our most successful conference to date. We again set new records with over 1,100 registrants, 128 exhibitors, and an average high temperature of 75 degrees! The program was filled with senior engineering executives from Class I railroads, short lines, and rail transit agencies discussing their upcoming capital spending programs.
A final conference registration list may be found here: www.nrcma.org/go/registrationlist.
We have received tremendous feedback from the conference, and we would love to hear your thoughts on the event if there's anything you think we should know before next year. For now, save the date for the next conference, January 7-10, 2015 at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, FL.
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NRC Announces Winners of the 2013 Field Employee and Rail Construction Project of the Year Awards
The NRC is pleased to announce the winners of the 2013 Field Employee and Rail Construction Project of the Year Awards. We honored both outstanding winners at the NRC Conference.
Mr. Craig Almont of Hamilton Construction has been selected as the Field Employee of the Year. Craig joined Hamilton Construction two years ago from the Central Washington University Construction Management program. Craig consistently exudes enthusiasm while demonstrating a strong work ethic. One year after his hiring, Hamilton Construction sent Craig to a job in Idaho where he not only exceeded the company's project goals and expectations, but he also immersed himself into the community and joined the coaching staff of the struggling local high school football team in need of inspiration. Craig managed to keep the project on time and on budget while turning a losing football program into the 4th best team in the State.A local resident even sent Hamilton Construction a handwritten note praising Craig, "Craig Almont has been so good to donate his hours after work to our local high school football team...the boys loved him and all the things he taught them this Fall." Craig is a dedicated worker who represents both Hamilton and the entire industry well.
The Rail Construction Project of the Year award goes to the Delta Railroad Construction Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. The Dulles Corridor Project proves that large projects conducted in adverse conditions can be completed on time and on budget when a strong safety culture is embraced. The project required inventive solutions, which Delta delivered through both custom-built equipment and construction practices, as well as special safety considerations for both employees and the public given the urban work environment. The strong safety record they achieved is commendable, especially in a congested location with difficult access and a tight schedule. Delta's collaboration and coordination with multiple partners and stakeholders, along with their commitment to safety, significantly contributed to the overall success of the project.
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NRC Announces Staff Personnel Appointments
The NRC is pleased to announce the appointments and expanded roles of the following staff personnel:
Matt Ginsberg, most recently Director of Operations, will serve as the Vice President of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs. Matt will assist in the execution of NRC's legislative agenda and serve as the lead on safety issues for the NRC.
Ashley Bosch, most recently Operations Manager, will serve as the Vice President of Grassroots Advocacy and Events. Ashley will plan and coordinate visits from Members of Congress to NRC member facilities and work sites, and will assist with government affairs efforts. She will continue to be the lead planner of the NRC Conference and other NRC events.
Alice Post will serve as the Director of Operations and will provide assistance to NRC members regarding all administrative matters, membership issues, event registrations, and directory listings. She will communicate to you regularly via email bulletin, updating you on the latest important news in the rail construction and maintenance industry. Many of you had a chance to meet Alice at the recent NRC Conference in Palm Desert, CA.
Chuck Baker remains in his role as President of the Association.
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Railroad Day on the Hill is March 13, 2014 in Washington, DC - Registration Open
Registration for Railroad Day on the Hill 2014 is available online at:
Over the past 15 years, Railroad Day on Capitol Hill has proven to be an incredibly effective way to get our advocacy message to Congress. The size of the event, the geographical diversity of the participants, and the unified railroad industry message has focused Congress on our issues like never before.
Railroad Day on Capitol Hill is open to all Class I, II, and III railroad personnel, suppliers, contractors, labor, shippers, as well as state and local government representatives, with an interest in furthering the political goals of the railroad industry. By joining with your fellow rail industry workers, you can help drive home to Congress the important role that this industry plays in restoring America's economy, improving America's environment, and connecting America in the global marketplace.
The hotel room block is at the Renaissance Washington DC Downtown. That block is now full, but information about additional rooms will be made available on the event website. You can also book rooms directly at any available hotel in downtown Washington, DC using traditional search methods such as www.hotels.com, Expedia, Kayak, etc.
Learn more about Railroad Day on the ASLRRA website.
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Save the Date: NRC Auction Set for May 1, 2014 in Austinburg, OH
The 2014 NRC Auction will be held on May 1, 2014 at Quality Track Equipment's facility in Austinburg, Ohio: 2950 Industrial Park Drive, Austinburg, Ohio 44010. Quality Track Equipment is a division of Delta Railroad Construction.
Now is the time to start making plans to consign or donate equipment. To schedule shipment or delivery of equipment for the auction, email 2014auction@qualitytrackequipment.com. For questions, contact Steve Pratt at steve@deltarr.com.
A discounted room block is available at The Lodge & Conference Center at Geneva-on-the-Lake, 4888 North Broadway (Rt. 534) Geneva, OH 44041. The room block rate is $95/night plus tax. To make your hotel reservation, call 1-800-801-9982 and refer to the Delta Railroad Group #4G72ZF.
In addition, there will also be a Happy Hour/Social Event the night before the auction, on April 30, 2014, 5pm to close at The Lodge & Conference Center at Geneva-on-the-Lake, 4888 North Broadway (Rt. 534) Geneva, OH 44041.
For more information visit www.nrcma.org/ps.railroadequipmentauctions.cfm?ID=180.
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NRC Welcomes New Members Anderzack-Pitzen Construction, CMRR, Construction Polymers Company
Anderzack-Pitzen Construction, Inc
Anderzack-Pitzen Construction, Inc is located in Northwest Ohio and provides general and heavy/civil construction services in the Midwest and East Coast Areas. Founded in 1992, Anderzach-Pitzen Construction specializes in grading and earthwork, underground sewer and waterline utilities, highways and roadways, bridges, cold asphalt milling, full depth reclamation, soil stabilization, and railway roadbed preparation. For more information, go to www.wecandigit.com.
CMRR/CML Metals
CMRR is a class 3 railroad that works with CML Metals to move iron ore from Cedar City, Utah to Long Beach, California. Member contact information: Vance Leavitt vance@cmlmetals.com and Alex Engelke alex@cmlmetals.com, 435-586-5360.
Construction Polymers Technologies
Construction Polymers manufactures vibration damping solutions for heavy mass transit systems. They specialize in vibration damping and electrical isolation products used in subway track construction. They are a distributor of Getzner Sylomer and Sylodyn vibration damping materials and the North American licensee of the Sonneville Low Vibration Track (LVT) System. Construction Polymers provides consultancy services on railway projects all over the world. For more information, go to www.constructionpolymerstech.com.
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NRC Members Highlighted in Progressive Railroading Case Studies and Article on Maintenance of Way Equipment
NRC Members Balfour Beatty Rail, Herzog Railroad Services, Railroad Construction Co. of South Jersey, Railroad Controls Ltd., and RailWorks were highlighted in Case Studies produced by Progressive Railroading for their December 2013 issue.
NRC Members Georgetown Rail Equipment Co., Harsco Rail, Herzog Railroad Services Inc., Holland LP, Nordco, and Plasser American Corp. were highlighted in a Progressive Railroading review of new Track Inspection and Rail Defect Detection Equipment.
Source: Progressive Railroading
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Ansaldo STS Awarded $20.5m Long Island Railroad Signaling Contract
On 12/20/13, Ansaldo STS announced it was awarded a contract with Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to provide signaling along a 45 mile segment between Speonk and Montauk, New York.
The scope of the contract is to design and furnish a new vital microprocessor-based interlocking control system as part of the LIRR project to upgrade the line from dark to signaled territory.
This upgrade will increase the safety and reliability of the line and support the LIRR's planned Positive Train Control (PTC) system.
Ansaldo STS will supply technology for the Automatic Speed Control (ASC) signalization, including new interlockings at Hampton Bay and Southampton, new control points at Amagansett and Montauk, and 38 grade crossing huts.
Source: Ansaldo-STS.com
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Wabtec Awarded MARC PTC Contract
On 1/10/14, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved a $13m contract with Wabtec Railway Electronics to install Positive Train Control (PTC) equipment on MARC regional passenger railcars.
The contract includes the installation of PTC hardware on 32 MARC locomotives and 30 cab cars, as well as maintenance of the equipment through 2017.
MARC routes operate over right-of-way owned by CSX Corp. and MARC's Penn Line traverses Amtrak's Northeast Corridor (NEC) from Washington through Baltimore to Perryville, MD.
John Hovatter, MARC's director, said that Amtrak and MARC plan to build test track north of Perryville, to test MARC equipment's compatibility with ACSES at speeds above 79 mph, using a $700k grant from the Federal Railroad Administration.
Source: Railway Age Click Here to Return to the Top
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Maryland Announces Purple Line Project Final Four
On 1/9/14, the Maryland DOT (MDOT) and Maryland Transit Administration(MTA) announced the four teams that will be invited to submit proposals to design, build, construct, finance, operate and maintain the Purple Line in Maryland's Montgomery and Prince George's counties through a public-private partnership.
The short-listed teams are:
- Maryland Purple Line Partners, comprised of Vinci Concessions S.A.S., Walsh Investors L,L.C., InfraRed Capital Partners Ltd., Alstom Transport S.A. and Keolis S.A.;
- Maryland Transit Connectors, comprised of John Laing Investments Ltd., Kiewit Development Co. and Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate L.L.C.;
- Purple Line Transit Partners, comprised of Meridiam Infrastructure Purple Line, Fluor Enterprises Inc. and Star America Fund G.P. L.L.C.; and
- Purple Plus Alliance, comprised of Macquarie Capital Group and Skanska Infrastructure Development Inc.
Later this spring, MDOT/MTA plan to issue a request for proposals to the short-listed teams to submit complete proposals by fall for selection in late 2014 or early 2015.
The $2.2b Purple Line project will involve a 16 mile light rail line that will run between Bethesda in Montgomery County and New Carrollton in Prince George's County.
For more information on the Purple Line, go to www.purplelinemd.com
Source: Progressive Railroading
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Construction Teams Seek to Build Second Phase of CA High Speed Rail Toward Bakersfield
On 12/18/13, the California High-Speed Rail Authority announced that five, "world-class construction teams" submitted qualifications to bid on the next 60-mile phase of high-speed rail construction from Fresno south to the Tulare-Kern County line near Bakersfield.
The five teams are:
- California Rail Builders: Ferrovial Agroman US Corp. and Granite Construction Company
- Dragados/Flatiron/Shimmick: Dragados USA, Inc., Flatiron West, Inc. and Shimmick Construction Co., Inc.
- Golden State Rail Partnership: OHL USA, Inc. and Samsung E&C America, Inc
- Skanska-Ames a Joint Venture: Skanska USA Civil West California District Inc. and Ames Construction, Inc.
- Tutor Perini/Zachry/Parsons, a Joint Venture: Tutor Perini Corporation, Zachry Construction Corporation and Parsons Transportation Group Inc
For more information, go to:
http://www.hsr.ca.gov/docs/newsroom/archives/Teams_Seek_Build_60_Mile_Stretch_Baker_121813.pdf
Source: California High-Speed Rail Authority
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Metro Gold Line Foothill Authority Issues RFP for Light Rail Project
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A&B Rail Services Ltd Acquired by TorQuest Partners
On 12/12/13, Canada-based private equity firm TorQuest Partners led an investor group in the acquisition of a majority stake in A&B Rail Services Ltd.
A&B is an NRC member based in Edmonton, AB, Canada that provides rail maintenance and construction services in the country. Founded in 1965, A&B Rail has approximately 600 employees and operations in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
TorQuest and its co-investors acquired the majority interest in A&B Rail from Fulcrum Capital Partners. A&B Rail's President Paul Brum and all members of the senior management team will continue to hold a significant equity interest in the company. There will be no changes to the company's day-to-day operations as a result of this transaction.
TorQuest will augment the company's board of directors with specific skills and experience in finance, business development, Class 1 rail track and signals, rail construction, track and signal maintenance, railway operations, general contracting, engineering and infrastructure development.
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Pandrol Acquires CDM Track
On 1/17/14, Pandrol USA LP announced the acquisition of the CDM Track business unit, including the Resin Bonded Rubber manufacturing unit RBSI in France, from the Overijse, Belgium-based CDM. CDM is a manufacturer of noise and vibration products for ballasted and slab track, as well as embedded rail. Pandrol, known for track fasteners and resilient track systems, is part of the Delachaux Group.
Source: Railway Age
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MM&A filed for bankruptcy protection in August, one month after a train carrying crude oil derailed in Lac Mégantic, Quebec, setting off an explosion that killed 47 people. The sale initially attracted about 20 potential buyers interested in purchasing MM&A's buildings, property and about 475 miles of track in Maine, Vermont and Canada. Proceeds from the sale will be used to repay creditors and victims, supplementing $25m in insurance payouts for wrongful death, personal injury, property damage, fire suppression and environmental impact.
Source: Progressive Railroading
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4th Quarter Reports from NS, CSX, UP, KCS, Capital Spending Plans
Norfolk Southern Corp. posted a record profit in fourth-quarter 2013, with net income up 24% to $513m compared with 2012's fourth-quarter results. This was due to strong intermodal, chemical, automotive and agricultural shipments during the quarter, which offset declines in coal traffic to drive total volumes up 4%.
For 2014, NS expects to increase its capital program by 12% to $2.2b in order to maintain safe railway operations, purchase locomotives and freight cars, and support growth and productivity initiatives. About $220m of that spending will go toward positive train control.
CSX Corp. reported declining coal traffic of 5% to 289,000 units and revenue fell 9% to $679m in the fourth quarter on a year-over-year basis. As a result, operating income was flat at $813m, net earnings decreased 5% to $426m, and the operating ratio increased 1.4 points to 73.2 compared with fourth-quarter 2012 figures.
CSX's capital spending plan for 2014 is budgeted at $2.3b, which is flat versus the 2013 budget. About half of the 2014 budget is allocated to maintain core infrastructure and 16% of it is committed to equipment such as locomotive and rail-car purchases. CSX plans to spend $300m on PTC implementation this year, leaving about $500m of the total $1.7b project left to be spent beyond 2014.
Union Pacific reported net income of $1.2b for the fourth quarter 2013. Operating revenue increased 7% in the fourth quarter 2013 to more than $5.6b versus $5.25b in the fourth quarter 2012. Fourth quarter business volumes, as measured by total revenue carloads, grew 2% compared to 2012. Volume growth from agricultural products, automotive, industrial products and intermodal shipments more than offset declines in coal and chemical volumes.
Kansas City Southern (KCS) reported record fourth quarter 2013 revenues of $616m. Overall, carload volumes were 2% higher than in fourth quarter 2012. Compared to 2012, fourth quarter revenue growth was led by a 30% increase in Agriculture & Minerals and an 18% increase in Intermodal.
KCS 2014 capital investments are estimated to be in the low 20% range as a percentage of total annual revenue compared with 25% in 2013. Roadway capital/maintenance projects are budgeted at 11% of total annual revenue compared with 13% in 2013.
Sources: Progressive Railroading, NS, CSX, UP, KCS
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Union Pacific Names New Vice Presidents of Supply and Continuous Improvement and Labor Relations
Union Pacific has appointed D. Lynn Kelley and Joseph O'Connor as Vice President of Supply and Continuous Improvement and Vice President of Labor Relations, respectively, effective Feb. 1, 2014.
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FTA Issues Safety Advisory 14-1: Right-of-Way Worker Protection
On 12/19/13, the NTSB issued two urgent safety recommendations to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regarding the need for redundant protection for workers on rail transit ROW. The NTSB believes that "simple approval" authorizations leave the entire industry "at risk for roadway worker fatalities and serious injuries."
In response to the NTSB recommendations, FTA issued Safety Advisory 14-1 on 12/31/13, which requests that the State Safety Oversight (SSO) agencies coordinate with the rail transit agencies in their jurisdiction to complete the following:
- Inventory current practices, including the identification of the rules, procedures, technology and other elements currently in place to protect ROW workers.
- Conduct a formal hazard analysis regarding workers' access to the ROW and how the protections identified in the inventory address the consequences associated with each hazard.
The ultimate objective of this activity is two-fold:
- to aid agencies in determining options for eliminating access that depends solely on ROW workers to provide protection from trains and moving equipment
- to determine if existing safety barriers adequately protect workers from train movements and other ROW risks.
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Illinois Congressional Delegation Sends Letter to House T&I Chairman Shuster Requesting Federal Funding for PTC Implementation for Commuter Railroads
On 12/6/13, Reps. Dan Lipinski and Mike Quigley led a letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster and ranking members, asking that $320m/year in federal grants be allocated to help passenger railroads pay for positive train control (PTC).
The lawmakers pointed out that the original 2008 law mandating PTC authorized federal money to help pay for it but that only $50m was appropriated in 2010. The FRA estimated that it will cost more than $2b for commuter railroads to install PTC.
PTC implementation will cost Metra alone over $235m. Despite significant technological issues, a lack of clarity of the availability of wireless spectrum in the Chicago region, and lack of funding, Metra plans to continue to move ahead with hiring a systems integrator in early 2014.
The federal law still mandates that railroads install PTC by December 31, 2015.
To view a copy of the letter, click here.
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USDOT Announces $3b to Strengthen Resiliency of Transit Agencies Affected by Superstorm Sandy
On 12/23/2013, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced the availability of approximately $3b to strengthen the resiliency of public transportation systems affected by Superstorm Sandy.
The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2012 provided $10.9b for FTA's Emergency Relief Program for recovery, relief, and resiliency efforts in areas affected by Sandy. That total was subsequently cut by almost $545m due to sequestration. FTA is allocating the remaining $10.4b in multiple tiers for response, recovery, and rebuilding; for locally prioritized resiliency projects; and for competitively selected resiliency work. Apart from today's funding announcement, FTA has made available roughly $5.7b to help transit systems in the affected states. The work now under way includes reconstruction of the Montague and Greenpoint subways tubes, Hoboken Terminal, and other critical infrastructure.
The full Notice of funding availability can be found on the FTA website at: http://www.fta.dot.gov/grants/13077_15783.html
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Gov. Cuomo Announces $17b Plan to Stormproof New York's Infrastructure
On 1/8/14, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a $17b upgrade of the state's infrastructure and transportation networks to withstand the impact of extreme weather such as 2012's Superstorm Sandy.
The state will use its share of federal funds appropriated for storms Sandy, Irene and Lee to implement the plan, which includes the largest reconstruction of the state's transit system in 110 years with $5b in federal funds, New York officials said.
New York has endured nine presidentially declared disasters in the three years since Cuomo took office.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is undertaking a $5b overhaul of New York City's mass transit systems to withstand extreme weather.
New York officials said the state will invest in technologies to seal hundreds of subway and tunnel entrances, seal station stairways and increase pump capacity in stations and tunnels and projects to protect bus and train yards and the vital infrastructure that makes them run. The state also will explore permanent and temporary technologies to seal automobile and subway tunnels and prevent future flooding. Six under-river tubes used by 1m people daily will be rebuilt.
Source: Progressive Railroading
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MassDOT Announces 5-Year Capital Investment Plan, MBTA Partners with Keolis
On 1/13/14, the Massachusetts DOT (MassDOT) announced it will host six meetings across the state in January and February to solicit public comments on the first draft of its five-year, $12.4b capital investment plan.
MassDOT Rail and Transit investments include:
- $1.3b to complete the Green Line extension;
- $835m to begin the $1.3b replacement program of 43-year-old Red Line vehicles and 31-year-old Orange Line vehicles, as well as improvements to track, signals and systems;
- $254m for South Coast Rail;
- $34m for the Housatonic Railroad, including rehabilitation of tunnels, track and signals in advance of eventual rail-line acquisition; and
- $31m to restore seasonal Cape Flyer service to Cape Cod.
The public meetings will be held Jan. 29 and Feb. 3, 5 and 10.
MassDOT's board also approved MBTA's new eight-year contract with Keolis Commuter Services, which will take over operations of the commuter railroad starting on July 1, according to an MBTA press release.
Sources: Progressive Railroading, MassDOT, MBTA
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