FAMES Issues Safety Report Regarding Increased Fatalities in the 4th Quarter  

The most recent Fatality Analysis of Maintenance-of-way Employees and Signalmen (FAMES) safety report highlights that the highest number of roadway worker incidents occurs in the 4th Quarter.

This is based on a comparison of available roadway worker fatality data over a span of 25 years (1986-1994 and 1997-2012).

Roadway worker fatality data reviewed by FAMES for the 8-year period between 1986 and 1994 (pre-RWP rule) indicates 43 fatal roadway worker incidents. Of these 43 fatal incidents, 34.8% (15 of 43) occurred in the 4th Quarter (October-December). FAMES also reviewed 42 fatal roadway worker incidents which occurred between 1997 and 2012 (post-RWP rule). Of these 42 incidents, 40% (17 of 42) occurred in the 4th Quarter, with October having 9 of the fatalities.

In recognition of these trends, FAMES takes this opportunity to remind all roadway workers to be hyper-vigilant with regard to the application of on-track safety protection, especially during the 4th Quarter.

For more information, visit the FAMES page at http://www.nrcma.org/ps.safety.cfm?ID=2432 

Source: FAMES

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Oklahoma City Seeking Bids for Five Dual-Power Streetcars

Oklahoma City Streetcar opened the bidding process to obtain five dual-power streetcars, though the initial line is expected to include overhead wire as the power source for operations. Last September the city approved the streetcar plan as part of its larger MAPS 3 development project. Estimates call for the line to begin revenue service in 2017.

Local media report the RFP allows manufacturers room to vary vehicle length, but imposes height requirements to address low bridge clearances along the proposed route.

City engineers expect up to 10 responses from streetcar manufacturers. Likely parties include Alstom, Bombardier, Brookville Equipment Co., CAF USA, Kinkisharyo International, Siemens, and United Streetcar, LLC, all of whom have a U.S. track record providing light rail vehicles and/or streetcars to North American transit properties.

Bids are due on November 13, 2014. For the bidding package visit https://www.bidsync.com/bidsync-app-web/vendor/links/BidDetail.xhtml?returnPage=searchResults&bidid=1964208 

Source: RT&S

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Detroit M-1 Project Awards $40M in Contracts to Local and Minority Businesses

Detroit-based companies, along with women, minority and disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE), have been awarded nearly 30% of the construction and concurrent road work for the M-1 RAIL streetcar project.

In all there are 11 Detroit-based companies and six women and minority business enterprises working on the M-1 streetcar. With at least eight other companies certified as a disadvantaged business enterprise being awarded streetcar project contracts.

For further information and a list of contractors, see:  http://m-1rail.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/8-26-14-FINAL-M-1Detroit-basedFirmsPR.pdf

Sources: Metro Magazine, M-1 Rail

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USDOT Announces $3.95B to Make Transit Systems More Resilient in NY, NJ, CT, NH, MA, PA, and DC

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced that 40 projects have been competitively selected to receive a share of $3.59b in federal disaster relief funds to help public transportation systems in the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy to become more resilient, in order to withstand the impact of future natural disasters. Approximately 90% of the funds will be invested in resilience projects primarily in New York and New Jersey, where transit systems sustained the worst of the storm damage, with the remainder going towards projects in Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. A list of all funded resilience projects is available at  http://www.fta.dot.gov/15138_16147.html. 

Examples of resilience projects receiving funds include:

• The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will receive approximately $1.6b to make flood protections at multiple street-level openings throughout the subway system, rail yards, substations, critical support facilities and underground equipment; tunnel portals used by the Long Island Railroad and Amtrak; and Rockaway Line stations; upgrade an emergency management communication system; flood proof communications and signal rooms at key subway stations; upgrade water pumping capacity; and flood proof four bus depots.
• New Jersey Transit will receive approximately $1.3b to reduce the risk of flooding to Hoboken rail yard and the city by filling a deteriorated inlet inside the rail yard; construct a rail storage and re-inspection facility located outside the floodplain that could be used to safely store vehicles in an emergency; and replace the aged and deteriorated Raritan River Drawbridge damaged by Hurricane Sandy with a new bridge that is less vulnerable to storm surge and flooding.
• The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will receive approximately $86.7m to build an alternate system control center to ensure continuity of operations in case a major storm knocks out the system's central control facility; stabilize the slopes of several commuter railroad embankments to reduce the risk of rockfall or landslides after severe rainfall; and improve flood protection to protect commuter rail lines.
• The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will receive approximately $35m to raise a retaining wall and install watertight barriers at MBTA's Green Line Fenway Portal to reduce flooding; and repair and improve a deteriorated seawall.

The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 provided $10.9b for FTA's Emergency Relief Program for recovery, relief, and resiliency efforts in areas affected by Hurricane 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. To date, FTA has allocated nearly $9.3b of the total funds appropriated-roughly $5.7b for initial and ongoing recovery work and $3.6b for the larger resilience projects in this announcement.

Source: USDOT

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 Illinois to Invest $102M in Upgrades to Chicago-St. Louis High Speed Rail Line

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! capital program will make a $102m investment to improve system performance and reliability on a key segment of the Chicago-to-St. Louis high-speed rail line. The $102m investment is part of the $550m allocated in the Illinois Jobs Now! initiative to improve passenger-rail service across the state.

The investment will allow IDOT and Union Pacific to move forward with construction of a new bridge over the Kankakee River near Wilmington, as well as other safety and capacity enhancements along the busy corridor between Joliet and Dwight.

These funds will build a second set of tracks between Mazonia and Elwood, including the new Kankakee River bridge to accommodate the increased capacity. The work, which will be performed by Union Pacific and overseen by IDOT, will take place in 2016 and 2017.

Sources: RT&S, Progressive Railroading, Associated Press

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Oregon Commission Allocates $40.4M for 36 Multi-Modal Projects

The Oregon Transportation Commission recently approved $40.4m in ConnectOregon V program funding for 36 multi-modal projects in the state.

The commission received 104 applications requesting a total of $124.4m in ConnectOregon V funding. Each application was evaluated and ranked by several stakeholder groups, including modal committees and regional committees, before being considered by a final review committee.

The approved allocations include funds for several rail-related projects, including:

• $6m to the Port of Morrow for a cold storage facility;
• $3m to the city of Rainier for its A Street safety/rail project;
• $2m to the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay to rehabilitate a rail tunnel;
• $841,300 to White's Hauling for a rail siding; and
• $783,700 to LRY L.L.C. to expand the Lakeview spur.

For more information about ConnectOregon, including links to applications, visit http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP/pages/connector.aspx  

Sources: Progressive Railroading, ConnectOregon

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Oklahoma Dedicates $100M to Upgrade More than 300 Grade Crossings

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and ODOT officials unveiled a $100m initiative aimed at improving more than 300 grade crossings statewide.

Of the more than 3,700 crossings in the state, many have some safety deficiencies and most are located on local roads.

ODOT plans to modernize and/or improve crossings by adding high-visibility signage, crossbucks, gates, hazard lighting and pavement markings. Rail funding will be leveraged with other available public and private monies to improve as many priority crossings as possible, while ODOT also will partner with railroads and local entities to cover long-term maintenance requirements.

Sources: Progressive Railroading, ODOT

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R. J. Corman Acquires Texas Southeastern Railroad

R. J. Corman Railroad Company/Texas Lines has purchased the assets of Texas Southeastern Railroad (TSE), a subsidiary of Georgia-Pacific LLC. Located in Diboll, Texas, the TSE serves several industry customers including Atlas Roofing, Agridyne, Momentive Chemicals, Georgia-Pacific and Laminate Technologies.

Source: RailResource 

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R. J. Corman Acquires Roadway Worker Training

R. J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC (RJC), Nicholasville, KY, acquired of Roadway Worker Training, Inc. (RWT) based in St. Augustine, FL. RWT, founded in 2001, provides highly-specialized training and support services to the railroad industry. RWT has four business divisions, RWT Signal Services, Railroad Protective Services, Focal Point Productions and RWT Training, with more than 150 employees and associates working on railroad projects from coast to coast and Canada.

RWT recently named Dave Oram as President at RWT. Jim Cashwell, RWT co-founder and chairman, will play a continuing role with RWT and R. J. Corman for the foreseeable future.

Sources: RJ Corman, RWT

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Balfour Beatty to Sell Parsons Brinckerhoff to WSP Global

Balfour Beatty has agreed to sell its Parsons Brinckerhoff consulting business to WSP Global for $1.24b. The agreement also calls for Montreal-based WSP to contribute $110m that will be retained by Parsons Brinckerhoff. Balfour Beatty acquired Parsons Brinckerhoff in 2009 for about $626m.

Sources: Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Bloomberg

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Loram Acquires Majority Stake in Railway Vehicle Engineering

Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc. on Sept. 4, 2014 announced it acquired a majority stake in Railway Vehicle Engineering Ltd. (RVEL), based in Derby, United Kingdom.

Minneapolis-based Loram already has a strong presence in British markets supplying on-track rail grinding technology to Britain's rail infrastructure owner Network Rail. The acquisition of RVEL, which offers maintenance, overhaul, and bespoke engineering services to a range of British passenger and freight rolling stock operators and owners, will reinforce that presence. RVEL also maintains Network Rail's Infrastructure Monitoring Fleet.

Source: RT&S

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UNITRAC Appoints Vice President of Operations

UNITRAC Railroad Materials, Inc. has welcomed Scott Arnold to the executive management team as the Vice President of Operations at UNITRAC's headquarters and manufacturing facility in Knoxville, TN. Arnold comes from Yale Locks, where he served as the Director of Operation and brings with him over twenty years of manufacturing experience.

Source: UNITRAC

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 Union Pacific Announces Operating Department Appointments

Union Pacific announced multiple Operating Department appointments, effective Sept. 1.

Kenneth Hunt has been named VP of Transportation and will lead transportation field operations across Union Pacific's 32,000-mile system. Currently VP of Network Operations and Union Pacific's Harriman Dispatching Center, Hunt will bring more than 30 years of railroad operating experience to his new role. He succeeds Randy Blackburn who will retire in 2015 after 40 years of service.

Shane Keller has been named VP of Network Operations and Harriman Dispatching Center, succeeding Hunt. Keller will apply extensive safety and operations experience to his new role leading Union Pacific's centralized train dispatching organization and coordinating operations across the railroad.

Richard Castagna has been named regional VP of Transportation for the Western Region, succeeding Keller. He will oversee safety and operations for the western third of Union Pacific's rail system, encompassing 8,900 employees and 10,500 miles of track. Currently assistant VP of Safety, Castagna has progressed through multiple field operations management roles.

Rodney Doerr has been named assistant VP of Safety, succeeding Castagna. He will lead the railroad's safety and operating practices functions. Doerr joined Union Pacific's Supply Department in 1992 and moved to the Operating Department in 2004, holding various positions, including his current role as general superintendent of Transportation Services for the Los Angeles Service Unit.

Roger Lambeth has been named general superintendent of Transportation Services for the Los Angeles Service Unit, succeeding Doerr. Lambeth will be responsible for leading safety and transportation operations over 1,200 track miles in southern California. Currently the superintendent of Transportation Services for the Livonia Service Unit, Lambeth started his career as a trainman and has worked extensively throughout transportation operations for Union Pacific and its subsidiary Insight Network Logistics.

Jamal Chappell has been named superintendent of Transportation Services for the Livonia Service Unit, succeeding Lambeth. He will be responsible for safe operations of 800 track miles in Louisiana and Texas. Currently director of Transportation Services for the Livonia Service Unit, Chappell began his railroad career as a dispatcher in 1996 and has extensive field operations management experience.

Phillip Danner has been named assistant VP of Engineering-Track Programs and will be responsible for track programs across Union Pacific's system. Danner started his Union Pacific career in 2011 as assistant VP of Engineering-Signal.

Neal Hathaway has been named assistant VP of Engineering-Signal, succeeding Danner. He will manage the strategy and direction of a safe, efficient signal/train control system to facilitate train movements. Currently general director of Maintenance of Way-Positive Train Control, Hathaway has 23 years of experience in Union Pacific's Engineering Department.

Grant Janke has been named assistant VP of Network and Capital Planning. He will be responsible for leading the business planning process, managing capacity and overseeing the railroad's critical resources to ensure reliable transportation service and network fluidity. Beginning his Union Pacific career in 1994, Janke currently is assistant VP of Strategic Planning.

Sources: Union Pacific, Progressive Railroading, RT&S

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