The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on March 1 announced a national initiative for focused inspections on routes that carry high-hazard flammable trains (HHFTs) and other trains carrying large volumes of hazardous material (hazmat) commodities.
Ahead of service to Orlando, train testing of up to 125 mph is beginning for Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger railroad. Also, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is livestreaming the morning rush service conditions on Blue Line O’Hare Branch; Sound Transit’s Link light rail extension from Tacoma to Seattle is delayed again; and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) establishes a partnership with the city of Austin, Tex., to finance mobility and Infrastructure projects, including the $7.1 billion Project Connect.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on Feb. 28 reported that its new Reconnecting Communities Pilot Grant Program will distribute $185 million to 45 projects; this includes six capital construction grants (with one rail-related project) and 39 planning grants (with nine rail-related projects).
A Hawaii Senate Committee mistakenly passes a rail tax extension that would raise funding for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit (HART). Also, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) ridership is up 12% compared with a year ago; a draft study for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) finds that commuter rail service between Boston and Manchester, N.H., would cost $782 million to build; Transit Wireless expands its partnership with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA); and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General (USDOT OIG) will audit Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s (SEPTA) compliance with Buy America requirements for rolling stock.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on Feb. 21 reported distributing up to $435 million in grant awards to 34 University Transportation Centers (UTU), which conduct research that supports the “safe, efficient, and environmentally sound movement of goods and people.”
A new Siemens Mobility trainset is heading to Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger railroad. Also, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) is passed over for Multimodal Project Disciplinary Grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT); and a recent audit finds that USDOT oversight of Seattle’s transportation-funds management is insufficient.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on Feb. 7 announced that it is now accepting proposals for funding ranging from $150,000 to $200,000 from its Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) to “spur research and commercialization of innovative transportation technologies in select research areas,” including the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).
Researchers at the Virginia Tech Center for Vehicle Systems and Safety (CVeSS) and the Railway Technologies Laboratory have created a new kind of crosstie that replaces the conventional wooden variety and is equipped to generate power from moving trains, transforming that energy into usable electricity, according to a report by The Roanoke Star.
New U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) tools, including RAISE webinars, are now available to help organizations navigate the grant process for railroad projects, according to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA).
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has issued a strategic plan to guide transportation research, development and technology deployment activities over the next five years.