With higher oil prices and diversified revenue sources, the Gulf States are picking up the pace on rail investment with many major projects back on the agenda, as IRJ Pro Market Analyst Oscar Sinclair explains. (All financial figures in U.S. dollars.)
Siemens and Alstom confirmed in a statement Jan. 28 that they have offered further concessions to the European Commission (EC) in a bid to gain approval of their merger.
Metrolink, Southern California’s regional/commuter rail service, is preparing to release a request for proposals (RFP) for its first-ever combined O&M (operations and maintenance) contract, and will hold an event on Feb. 15 and 16 in Pomona, Calif., for interested contractors, subcontractors, vendors and suppliers who have expertise and/or offer services or products to the rail industry. “This will be an opportunity for the industry to preview a draft RFP, provide feedback, obtain more information about Metrolink operations and tour Metrolink facilities,” the agency announced Jan. 25.
Wabtec Corp. and General Electric (GE) announced Jan. 25 that the planned merger of Wabtec and GE Transportation is expected to close by the end of February 2019, “subject to satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions.” The two have modified the terms of their merger agreement and have publicly filed S4 and S1 registration statements, respectively, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo shocked the transit world and almost everybody else by announcing that the planned 15-month shutdown of all service on New York City’s “L” train along 14th Street in Manhattan and into Brooklyn will not happen after all. The news stunned even the most jaded New Yorkers and started a local political fight that is still raging.
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority will build four new stations in the East Bronx for Metro-North commuter rail service on the Northeast Corridor, after Governor Andrew Cuomo brokered a deal between the agency and Amtrak. But the deal hinges on a plan to postpone a bridge replacement that was called “beyond a state-of-good-repair” nearly a decade ago.
Recent opinion pieces and news stories, such as in Railway Age, have indicated the Rail Passengers Association “goes along to get along” with Amtrak executives and does not express any objections to what the passenger railroad has done or will do when it comes to serving the riding public. This is clearly not the case.
Five nominations for rail transportation federal leadership posts were announced Jan. 16 by President Trump. All are nominees from the previous session of Congress, and were cleared by respective Senate oversight committees for confirmation on the Senate floor—but none advanced for a floor vote prior to the Senate adjourning.
Voith Turbo, Inc. has named railway industry veteran Garrett Goll Director of Rail, North America. He will be based at the company’s York, Pa., North American headquarters.
Veteran transportation executive Sandy Bushue leads the new Washington D.C. office of national passenger and freight rail and rail transit firm Quandel Consultants. Bushue, the former Acting and Deputy Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, will identify national business development opportunities and also help the firm with strategic management initiatives.