Mechanical

Wabtec is supplying brake systems to Alstom for use on trains that will run on the 14.3-mile (23.3-kilometer) Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar Metro Line 3 in India. (Wabtec Photograph)

Wabtec Lands Brake System Order from Alstom

Alstom Transport India Ltd. has selected Wabtec brake systems for the 22 new three-car trains it is building to support Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited and Pune Metro Rail Development Authority for the Metro Line 3 project.

Cordel Group PLC and D/Gauge Ltd. (part of the TÜV Rheinland Group) have landed a multi-year contract to provide Amtrak with a Rail Clearance Management system.

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, BART, CapMetro, CTDOT, PATH, TTC, WMATA

Amtrak awards Rail Clearance Management system contract. Also, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) lowers its ridership estimate for San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District’s (BART) extension through San José; CapMetro’s Project Connect in Austin, Tex., has five new light rail options; Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is developing a unified, statewide public transit information system for mobile devices; PATH introduces nine-car train service on the Newark (N.J.)-World Trade Center (N.Y.) line; the city of Toronto, Ontario, and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) bolster transit system outreach efforts; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) tests new fare gates.

PHMSA Issues DOT-111 Tank Car Safety Advisory

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), on March 22 released a safety advisory, which it said was to “re-emphasize previously raised concerns about the survivability of DOT-111 tank cars and encourage tank car owners and shippers of flammable liquids to voluntarily upgrade their tank car fleets to the newest, and safest, available tank car design authorized for flammable liquid service—the DOT-117 specification tank car.”

CSX: Paid Sick Leave for IBEW

CSX on March 22 reported reaching an agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) for paid sick leave.

FRA Issues SNPRM for Emergency Escape Breathing Apparatus Standards

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on March 22 released a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) to expand occupational noise exposure regulations and require railroads to provide locomotive crews with appropriate “atmosphere-supplying emergency escape breathing apparatuses” when their trains transport hazardous material.

Greenbrier’s new orders—comprising tank cars, autoracks, boxcars and covered hoppers—“were consistent with Greenbrier’s expectations for the period,” the manufacturer said March 22.

Greenbrier Lands $580MM in New Railcar Orders

The Greenbrier Companies on March 22 reported receiving orders for 4,500 new railcars during the fiscal second quarter ended Feb. 28, 2023, for which it provided preliminary results, including deliveries of 7,200 units. TD Cowen offers insight.

Amtrak’s Adirondack service between New York City and Montreal will resume April 3. It had been suspended for three years due to the pandemic.

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, CATS, MBTA, Metrolinx, NYCT, TransLink

Amtrak, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and VIA Rail Canada are fully restoring Adirondack service. Also, a Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) derailment report raises light rail vehicle safety concerns; Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) lifts Green Line speed restrictions; Metrolinx, the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area transit authority, launches the #GOTransitReads by Legible Book Club; MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) logs more “Station Re-NEW-vation Program” work; and the government of British Columbia provides C$479 million in emergency funding for metro Vancouver’s TransLink.