OLD SAYBROOK, Conn. — Two people have been arrested and charged with stealing nearly a half-mile of track used by the Essex Steam Train heritage railroad and selling it for scrap, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has announced. Jason Hubbard, 47, and Nicole Hooghkirk, 38, of Clinton, Conn., were arrested on April […]
DENVER — A bill that includes provisions to protect rail lines for Colorado’s proposed Denver-Craig rail service, even if coal traffic drops below sustainable levels, has cleared its first step in the state Senate. SB24-190, sponsored by Sen. Dylan Roberts (D-Frisco), also enhances the ability of the state to sell the Moffat Tunnel, which it […]
NEW YORK — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has launched a two-year project to upgrade infrastructure of the PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) system, the 13.8-mile rail rapid transit system connecting Newark, Harrison, Jersey City, and Hoboken, N.J., to two lines in Manhattan. The $430 million “PATH Forward” project announced Friday will […]
CAPE BRETON, Nova Scotia — The government of Nova Scotia has ended a subsidy for a dormant section of short line in the province because it sees no chance the line will be restored to operation any time soon, the CBC reports. The move regarding the Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway comes after […]
CHICAGO — With spring having arrived, at least according to the calendar, commuter operator Metra on Wednesday outlined plans for capital projects planned for the 2024 construction season. The Metra budget calls for $332.4 million in projects this fiscal year, including $140.7 million for bridge projects; $81.6 million for station and parking improvements; $66.2 million […]
BALTIMORE — Amtrak has selected Advance, a joint venture by infrastructure firms AECOM and Jacobs, to manage oversight of design, construction, contract management, administrative support, and other aspects of the $6 billion Frederick Douglass Tunnel project. The project includes replacement of the nearly 150-year old, 1.4-mile B&P tunnel, a major bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor, […]
STUART, Fla. — Design work and other preparations for the new Florida East Coast/Brightline bridge over the St. Lucie River in Stuart are under way, the TC Palm newspaper reports, while FEC seeks a federal grant to address the $31.5 million grant to address the unfunded portion of the $218 million project. The current Stuart […]
MEXICO CITY — A loose clamp on a switch led to the Maya Train derailment at the Tixkokob station on March 25, Mexico’s Secretary of National Defense said during a presidential press conference today. The incident involved the fourth car of a train en route from Campeche to Cancún, which derailed as the train entered […]
PHILADELPHIA — A truck carrying an oversized load struck a railroad bridge crossing over Interstate 95 on Monday, closing the northbound lanes of the highway indefinitely and shutting down a portion of NJ Transit’s Atlantic City commuter rail service. The Conrail bridge in northeast Philadelphia was hit about 1:30 p.m.; after railroad engineers assessed damage, […]
JUNEAU, Alaska — Little more than a week after criticizing the Alaska Railroad because it has “not built one single mile of track” in more than 40 years of state ownership, a state legislator has proposed giving the railroad a way to do just that. An amendment introduced by Rep. Kevin McCabe (R-Big Lake) would […]
RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Railroad Co.., the privately run, 100% state-owned business operating 317 miles of rail lines in the state, is now offering flagging and other safety services for construction, repair, and maintenance-of-way projects in its corridor. The services offer experienced Class I and Class II railroad veterans for qualified Roadway Workers-in-Charge […]
BOSTON — A failure in a counterpin, a small switch part, led to the derailment of a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Red Line train on March 23, MBTA CEO Phillip Eng told a meeting of the agency’s board on Thursday. WCVB-TV reports the failure of that small pin allowed a larger pin connecting to a […]
