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NRC Bulletin - June 30, 2014
NRC Welcomes New Members

Driven Engineering 

Trac-Work, Inc. 

Webber, LLC 

wwebber.com  

 

NRC Toolbox Talks

 

The NRC Safety Committee has revised and updated the NRC's Toolbox Talks. They are available for download at: www.nrcma.org/learn/SafetyToolbox.

 

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.

 

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. 

 

Visit the NRC Bid Notifications page on the NRC website at:

www.nrcma.org/go/bids

 

Publicize your Rail Industry Event on www.nrcma.org/calendar.cfm

Visit: www.nrcma.org/listevent.cfm to submit an event

NRC Website: www.nrcma.org 

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TopTable of Contents

 

U.S. Senator Rob Portman's District Representative Tours Delta Railroad Construction's Facility
 
Chicago Transit Authority Awards Station Contracts to Walsh Construction

Detroit City Council Approves M-1 Streetcar Construction

 

MassDOT Board Awards $210M Contract for South Coast Rail Project to VHB/HNTB

SCRRA Awards On-Call Contract Award for Metrolink to JLP/STV

OmniTRAX to Manage Short Line in Brownsville, TX

Watco Subsidiary to Purchase Three Norfolk Southern Branch Lines in North Carolina

FRA Obligates Grants for Track Work Projects in California, Oklahoma

Virginia Approves $13.1B in Transportation Improvements

California Appropriates $250M for High Speed Rail

Oregon Transportation Commission Reviews Multi-Modal Projects for Grant Funding

Utah to Begin Environmental Impact Statement for Uinta Basin Crude by Rail Route

Alstom to Buy GE's Rail Signaling Unit

NRC Members Harsco, Loram, and Vossloh Highlighted in RT&S Rail Grinding Feature

NRC Members American Concrete Products, HiRail Corporation, Industry Railway Suppliers, KSA, LT Resources, Omega, Polycorp, and Stella-Jones Featured in RT&S Grade Crossing Surfaces Report

G&W Appoints Louis Gravel as President of G&W Canada

LRIW Now Accepting Nominations for Outstanding Woman of the Year
USSenU.S. Senator Rob Portman's District Representative Tours Delta Railroad Construction's Facility

U.S. Senator Rob Portman's (R-OH) District Representative, George Brown, joined representatives from Delta Railroad Construction (Delta) for a tour of Delta's Quality Track Equipment facility in Austinburg, Ohio. Additional attendees included Tom Pope, Vice President of Koski Construction Company in Ashtabula, Ohio. The NRC organized the event. 

 

Delta Manager Steve Pratt and Delta Vice President of Equipment Paul Laurello briefed Mr. Brown and Mr. Pope on the history of the company and the extensive build-out and remodel that Delta Railroad Construction performed on QTE's Austinburg facility to make it fit their specific needs for rehabilitating railroad equipment. In addition, the Delta team spoke on the cooperation they received from the local government, utilities, and educational facilities, as well as the number of machines they move through the facility annually.

These congressional visits are coordinated and executed by the NRC staff, for more information on NRC Grassroots Events, please visit:  

www.nrcma.org/go/Grassroots    

ChicagoChicago Transit Authority Awards Station Contracts to Walsh Construction

The Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) board approved the award of two construction contracts to replace and expand the Wilson and 95th/Dan Ryan stations to Walsh Construction.

A $153.6m construction contract for the Wilson station reconstruction project and a $23.1m contract for the initial foundation and retaining wall work for the 95th/Dan Ryan station are both a part of the Red Line Expansion project.

The $203m Wilson project involves replacing the station house, built in 1923, with a new, modern and accessible station that also will serve as a new transfer point between Red and Purple Line service. Work also includes the reconstruction of 2,200 feet of century-old elevated track, signals and supporting infrastructure that will be relocated from the street and sidewalks along Broadway and Wilson to the west. Construction is expected to begin late this year.

The new $240m 95th Street/Dan Ryan station project will replace and expand the existing structure, which was built in 1969.

Source: Progressive Railroading, Chicago Transit Authority

DetroitDetroit City Council Approves M-1 Streetcar Construction

 

The Detroit City Council unanimously approved M-1 RAIL's operating and construction agreements, enabling the agency to begin building the 3.3-mile streetcar system in the coming weeks.

 

Source: Progressive Railroading. M-1 Rail

 
MassDOTMassDOT Board Awards $210M Contract for South Coast Rail Project to VHB/HNTB

 

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation's (MassDOT) board awarded a $210m contract to Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB)/HNTB Corp. for the South Coast Rail project. This officially advances the project from the planning stage to construction.

 

The 10-year pact for program and construction management awards $12m in the first year to begin program management, early design development and environmental permitting, with additional awards in succeeding years up to the contract limit of $210m. When completed, South Coast Rail will provide commuter service from New Bedford and Fall River to Boston South Station using the Northeast Corridor, Stoughton Commuter Rail Line, New Bedford Main Line, and Fall River Secondary Line. The proposed service would be an electrified system extending from Canton Junction to New Bedford and Fall River.

 

Source: Progressive Railroading

  

 

SCRRASCRRA Awards On-Call Contract Award for Metrolink to JLP/STV

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) has awarded a contract worth up to $10m to a joint venture of J.L. Patterson & Associates Inc. and STV Inc. for on-call professional engineering design services for the Metrolink regional/commuter rail system.

 

The JLP/STV team will collaborate on various Metrolink capital and rehabilitation transportation projects in Southern California over a three-year period. Potential projects include grade crossing safety improvement, rehabilitation of track and structures, main line track and siding extensions, station construction and expansions, Los Angeles Union Station reconstruction to accommodate high speed rail, grade separations, Perris Valley Line expansions, Redlands first-mile extensions, a Raymer to Bernson double-track project, and third-party projects.

 

Source: Railway Age

  
OmniTraxtxOmniTRAX to Manage Short Line in Brownsville, TX 

 

OmniTRAX will manage the Brownsville & Rio Grande International Railroad, a short line railway based in Brownsville, TX. OmniTRAX will also develop a large-scale industrial park on land owned by the Brownsville Navigation District (BND) of Cameron County, the parent governmental body of the Port of Brownsville.

 

Source: Railway Age

 

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 WatcoWatco Subsidiary to Purchase Three Norfolk Southern Branch Lines in North Carolina

 

Watco Transportation Services L.L.C. subsidiary Blue Ridge Southern Railroad (BLU) has reached an agreement with Norfolk Southern Corp. to purchase three branch lines in North Carolina that feed into the railroad's terminal in Asheville.

 

BLU will operate 91.8 miles of track and will initially operate with 10 locomotives, seven SD40's and three GP39's. BLU plans to file for approval with the Surface Transportation Board and could begin operations on July 2.


Sources: Progressive Railroading, RT&S

  

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 FRAFRA Obligates Grants for Track Work Projects in California, Oklahoma

 

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) obligated a $3m Rail Line Relocation and Improvement Capital Program grant to the Port of San Francisco to improve a nearly mile-long track. The project is to be completed in July 2015, and calls for upgrading the Quint Street lead between Oakdale Avenue and Third Street from industrial track to Class I track, which can be used for low-speed mainline service. This award was announced by the FRA in September 2011.

 

The FRA also announced that the USDOT obligated a $1.8m Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery V (TIGER V) grant to the state of Oklahoma to rehabilitate 12 miles of track on a state-owned line between Erick and Sayre, OK that is operated by Farmrail System Inc. Work involves the installation of new ties, rehabilitation of grade crossings and two bridges, and construction of an industrial siding near Erick. This award was announced by USDOT in April 2013.

 

Sources: FRA, USDOT, Progressive Railroading

  

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 VirginiaVirginia Approves $13.1B in Transportation Improvements

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced a six-year, $13.1b transportation improvement program that includes $3.2b for rail projects.

For fiscal years 2015 through 2020, the allocations call for $3.2b for rail and public transportation, and $9.9b for highway construction projects.

Program highlights include extending the Tide light-rail system to Virginia Beach; providing two new passenger trains from Richmond to Norfolk; funding improvements in the Metro 2025 program, including upgrades for eight-car trains along the Metrorail Orange Line; and funding a second passenger train to Lynchburg.

 

For more information on the 2015-2020 Improvement Program see the full press release at www.virginiadot.org/newsroom/statewide/2014/governor_mcauliffe_announces_$13.173920.asp and the VDOT presentation www.ctb.virginia.gov/resources/2014/june/pres/Presentation_Agenda_Item_3.pdf.

 

Sources: Progressive Railroading, VDOT

  

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CAHSRCalifornia Appropriates $250M for High Speed Rail 

 

The California General Assembly reached a budget deal with Gov. Jerry Brown that includes a $250m appropriation from the state's cap-and-trade greenhouse gas emissions fund for high-speed rail in fiscal-year 2015, which begins July 1. In coming years, the HSR system could receive 25% of the revenue from the cap-and-trade program. California High Speed Rail Authority CEO Jeff Morales said a dedicated funding source would allow simultaneous work on several sections of the planned San Francisco-Los Angeles system

 

Sources: Progressive Railroading, Railway Age

   

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 OregonOregon Transportation Commission Reviews Multi-Modal Projects for Grant Funding

 

The Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) will consider 37 multi-modal projects that recently were recommended to receive $42.4m in funding through the state's ConnectOregon V program.

The program's final review committee recommended the projects, which range from railroad improvements to bicycle paths. Among the recommended projects, 32% involve rail, 26% involve port/marine facilities and 8% involve transit systems.

 

The rail projects include the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay's rail tunnel rehabilitation; White's Hauling and Farm L.L.C.'s transload rail siding; city of Rainier's A-Street rail corridor improvements; Port of Morrow's cold storage rail transload facility; Teevin Bros. Land & Timber Co. L.L.C.'s rail intermodal consolidation facility; BNSF Railway Co.'s Portland intermodal facility improvements; and Portland & Western Railroad's capital city rail work.

 

For a full list of projects and more information about ConnectOregon, please visit http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP/pages/connector.aspx.

 

Sources: Progressive Railroading, Oregon.gov

UtahUtah to Begin Environmental Impact Statement for Uinta Basin Crude by Rail Route
After studying 26 possible routes for a rail line to transport crude oil from the Uinta Basin, the Utah Department of Transportation revealed that only one is feasible.

 

That is a 100-mile route southwest to Price, roughly along U.S. 191, which would require a 10-mile tunnel through mountains. It could connect with national rail lines near Price, and take oil to Wasatch Front refineries or anywhere else in the nation to expand Utah energy markets and would cost roughly $2b to build.

 

UDOT told the Utah Transportation Commission it plans now to begin a formal environmental impact statement (EIS) to further evaluate that route - and potentially avoid derailing an expanded Uinta oil boom. UDOT hopes to have a draft EIS in 2016 and a final version in 2017.

 

Source: Salt Lake Tribune

 AlstomAlstom to Buy GE's Rail Signaling Unit
 
As part of the broader energy infrastructure deal reached between GE and Alstom, the companies also agreed on terms for the sale of GE's signaling business.

 

GE signed a memorandum of understanding to sell its signaling business to Alstom for approximately $825m and to enter into multiple collaboration agreements involving services, technology, supply chain, manufacturing, and commercial support in the U.S.

 

Sources: RailResource, International Railway Journal

 

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 RTSRailGrindNRC Members Harsco, Loram, and Vossloh Highlighted in RT&S Rail Grinding Feature

 

In the June issue of RT&S, the article Grinding Out the Ideal Rail Profile features NRC members Harsco Rail, Loram Maintenance of Way, and Vossloh Rail Services who were interviewed for their expertise in rail grinding. For the full feature, please visit http://issuu.com/railwaytrackstructures/docs/rt_s_0614/18. 


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 RTSGradeCrossNRC Members American Concrete Products, HiRail Corporation, Industry Railway Suppliers, KSA, LT Resources, Omega, Polycorp, and Stella-Jones Featured in RT&S Grade Crossing Surfaces Report

 

In the June issue of RT&S, the article Grade Crossing Surfaces Annual Report features NRC members interviewed for the latest products in grade crossing surface materials. For the full feature, please visit   

http://issuu.com/railwaytrackstructures/docs/rt_s_0614/22.

 

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  GravelG&W Appoints Louis Gravel as President of G&W Canada

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) announced the appointment of Louis Gravel as President of Genesee & Wyoming Canada Inc. to succeed Mario Brault, who plans to retire in September.

 

Gravel most recently was general manager of the Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway for Rio Tinto/Iron Ore Co. of Canada (IOC). He also has managed IOC's Canadian port operations since 2006. Over the past 15 years, Gravel has served in various capacities at both the railroad and IOC, including superintendent of strategic rail projects and manager of the engineering department.

 

Source: Progressive Railroading, RT&S, G&W  

 

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  LRIWLRIW Now Accepting Nominations for Outstanding Woman of the Year

The League of Railway Industry Women (LRIW) is now accepting nominations for its 2014 Outstanding Woman of the Year award. For fifteen years, LRIW has been recognizing women who have made significant contributions to the rail industry through their leadership, dedication, and vision.

 

The 2014 award recipient will be honored at the LRIW Annual Conference, held in conjunction with RSI/CMA 2014 + Canadian Rail Summit, in September in Montreal.

 

The nomination form and more information about the award can be found on LRIW's website at: http://lriw.org/woman-of-the-year/. Nominations of women working within the rail industry are due July 31, 2014.

 

For more information contact: Sally Boven, LRIW Woman of the Year Chair at sally.boven@reflectiveapparel.com or visit http://lriw.org/14woy-nominations/.

 

Source: LRIW

 

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