Intermodal container volume set a new record in 2011 with 12.4 million moves, beating former record-year 2007 by 3.7%, the Intermodal Associaton of North America (IANA) said Thursday.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Wednesday introduced a five-year surface transportation funding bill, a successor to the now-expired SAFETEA-LU, that would extend Congress’ mandated deadline for Positive Train Control (PTC) by five years, from Dec. 31, 2015, to Dec. 31, 2020. It also would revamp the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) program--and allow larger and heavier trucks on U.S. highways
BNSF Railway Co. on Wednesday announced a planned 2012 capital commitment program of approximately $3.9 billion, up $400 million, or about 11.4%, from its 2011 capital spend of $3.5 billion.
Though conflicting concepts on the future of U.S. ground transportation are part of the process, the American Public Transportation Association is encouraged by action by both houses of Congress to renew federal surface transportation funding, APTA said Tuesday.
Legislation designed to fix the nation’s crumbling transportation infrastructure will actually accelerate road and bridge damage and trigger an increase in taxpayer subsidies to the trucking industry, the Association of American Railroads said Tuesday, pointing to language in a House bill that allows for 20% heavier trucks and triple trailers.
Hampton Roads Transit will add a new crossover on The Tide light rail transit system. To facilitate construction this weekend, LRT service will be suspended between Harbor Park and EVMC/Ft. Norfolk stations during construction the weekend of Feb. 4-5.
Florida’s Pinellas County Project Advisory Committee on Monday formally adopted a proposal to build 24 miles of light rail transit linking St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Pinellas Park, and Gateway.
Bombardier Transportation said Tuesday it will deliver up to 60 FLEXITY trams to Basel, Switzerland’s Transport Authority (BVB). Bombardier notes it is the largest order placed by BVB in the agency’s 116-year history. The contract is worth roughly $241 million.
The Federal Transit Administration Monday gave the city of Milwaukee environmental approval for an initial streetcar line. City Engineer Jeff Polenske said FTA had issued a “finding of no significant impact” (FONSI) for the proposed route.
The Association of American Railroads says the nation’s major freight railroads are projected to invest a record $13 billion in capital expenditures in 2012 to expand, upgrade, and enhance the nation’s freight rail network.
California Gov. Jerry Brown said Sunday the state’s 700-mile high speed rail project will cost far less than the state's current estimate of nearly $100 billion, and also said that environmental fees paid by carbon producers will be a source of funding.
The Railway Supply Institute said Friday that the “House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is set to vote on SAFETEA-LU reauthorization legislation as early as next Thursday, February 2, and that vote could sanction “an increase in truck size and weights at state option as well as allow longer combination vehicles nationwide.”
Railroad freight car orders increased 51.4% in the fourth quarter to 16,434, compared with 10,853 car orders for the same quarter last year, according to the Railway Supply Institute. Orders in the quarter fell relative to the third quarter, which totaled 20,165 orders.
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority Capital Construction says it plans to reorganize its construction plan of the $7.4 billion East Side Access project, designed to give the Long Island Rail Road access to Grand Central Terminal and Manhattan’s East Side.
U.S. freight carload traffic in early 2012 rose again, up 1.6% for the week ending Jan. 21, the Association of American Railroads reported Thursday. U.S. intermodal volume moved up even more, advancing 3.0% for the week measured against the comparable week in 2011.
New generation trains running on existing track can easily combine higher speeds, lower energy consumption, reduced noise, and lower costs, according to findings by Swedish researchers released Wednesday in Stockholm. The four-year project was supported by three major partners, including Bombardier Transportation, Bombardier said.
Canadian National Tuesday reported net earnings of C$592 million, or C$1.32 per share, up 18% from C$503 million or C$1.08 per share in the same quarter a year ago. Adjusted earnings of C$1.30 handily surpassed Wall Street consensus estimates of C$1.24. Revenue rose 12% C$2.38 billion, a record, that also surpassed Street estimates of C$2.30 billion.
The bistate, trans-Hudson PATH rail system rolled to a record ridership 76.6 million trips in 2011, an achievement that the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey notes followed the investment of more than $1 billion in PATH during the past four years for new cars, station upgrades, and a new signal system.
CSX Corp. said late Monday fourth-quarter earnings of 43 cents per share, up 13% from 38 cents per share in the fourth quarter of 2010, as it recorded revenue of about $3.0 billion and operating income of $841 million. CSX also notched an operating ratio of 71.5%.