June 2017 Railway Age

RailwayAge

June 2017 | www.railwayage.com

Serving the railway industry since 1856

GO goes golden PASSENGER RAIL PLANNER’S GUIDE M/W FOCUS: TAMPING

HIGH CAPACITY I PRECISION I RELIABILITY

Leading the Way Decades of research, development and technological innovations, working in partnership with North American railroads, has resulted in highly productive and reliable track maintenance machinery; one example is the 09-3X C-W DYNAMIC TAMPING EXPRESS. Maximum track quality, minimum track occupancy and increased return on investment are a reflection of Plasser´s commitment to providing the latest technology and solutions for today´s m/w challenges. Plasser American – Your partner for life.

www.plasseramerican.com ”Plasser & Theurer“, ”Plasser“ and ”P&T“ are internationally registered trademarks

RailwayAge

JUNE 2017

visit us at www.railwayage.com Features Passenger Rail Guide

18

GO Transit at 50 Years

28

M/W Focus: Tamping

31

Columns From the Editor

2

Watching Washington

15

Financial Edge

16

ASLRRA Perspective

17

RSI Perspective

40

News/Departments Industry Indicators

4

Industry Outlook

6

Market

8

Update

10

People

35

100 Years Ago

35

Meetings

35

Products

36

Advertising Index

37

Professional Directory

38

Classified

39

18

28

31

On the Cover A GO Transit train approaches Toronto Union Station.

Photo: Stephen C. Host Railway Age Magazine (Print ISSN 0033-8826; Digital ISSN 2161-511X), (USPS 449-130), (Canada Post Cust. #7204564; Agreement #40612608; IMEX PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada) is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp., 55 Broad St., 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Tel. (212) 620-7200; FAX (212) 633-1863. Vol. 218, No. 6.

Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage-paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Qualified individuals in the railroad industry may request a free subscription. Pricing for non-qualified subscriptions, printed and/or digital version: $100.00 per year/$151.00 for two years in the U.S./Canada/Mexico; $139.00 per year/$197.00 for two years, foreign. Single copies are $36.00 each. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only.

COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2017. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information, contact PARS International Corp., 102 W 38th St., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Phone (212) 221-9595. Fax (212) 221-9195.

For subscriptions and address changes, please call (800) 895-4389 or (402) 346-4740; Fax (402) 346-3670; e-mail railwayage@omeda.com; or write to: Railway Age Magazine, SimmonsBoardman Publishing Corp., PO Box 3135, Northbrook, IL 60062-3135.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Railway Age Magazine, PO Box 3135, Northbrook, IL 60062-3135.

June 2017 Railway Age 1

From the Editor William C. Vantuono

Truth is stranger than friction bearings

F

or this month’s column, I thought I’d take a break from the present situation (and believe me, I really need it!) and instead talk about something fun, in this case, history—specifically, our history.

Every once in a while, we get a request for an article or photo that appeared in Railway Age, which for most of its 162 years was a weekly, or one of its companion monthly magazines, only one of which survives—Railway Track & Structures, once named Railway Maintenance Engineer. Do any of you railroaders out there rememember (or have heard of) Railway Signal Engineer, Railway Mechanical Engineer, or Railway Purchases & Stores?

Today, we’re a daily (or “real-time”) news and information outlet with our website, www.railwayage.com, or our e-newsletter, Rail Group News. But that’s another story.

Back to the archives. A few years ago, we donated an extensive collection of photos to the John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library at the University of Missouri–St. Louis Mercantile Library. In our New York offices, we have hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of pages of articles in bound volumes. All of it is available through any good library (see the tiny print at the bottom of the masthead, opposite. You’ll need a magnifying glass).

Here’s a rather interesting request that came in from Holland, to our publisher, accompanied by a lo-res second-hand scan of an 80-year-old Railway Age cover: My name is Fred Jansz,Western Pacific Railroad enthusiast from the Netherlands. I wonder if you have a (digital) archive of RA magazines? If so, would it be possible to scan the cover of the July 3, 1937 issue for me? This cover shows a very rare Western Pacific boxcar of which no pictures are known to exist. I would like to build a model like this in HO scale, so a better scan than the one I have would be very welcome.Thanks for your kind cooperation. Best regards from sunny Holland.

Carol Franklin, our resourceful office manager, did some digging that led to an unusual discovery:

2

Railway Age

June 2017

I looked through the bound copy of the 1937 Railway Age, and unfortunately no covers were included with the bound copy, which is strange.

Our editor mentioned that the cover image you sent was actually an ad. Apparently we ran ads on covers in those days. I looked throughout the bound copy and the only photo of a boxcar I found was from an eastern railroad, which I have attached. Our editor assured me that, if you are a Western Pacific enthusiast, an eastern railroad would probably not be too thrilling!

Fred Jansz replied: It’s a pity but not the end of the world, even if it’s an eastern railway... LOL. I’m indeed aware of the fact that in the bound volumes of RA, the covers seem to be missing. Several sources have told me so. It’s a shame because these are historically significant.Yes, this was the ultimate form of advertising in those days.Why buy the last page if you can own the cover?

Totally unexpected, I found the official Western Pacific photo of this boxcar at a Sacramento historical website a friend pointed out. After scrolling through a few hundred photos, one suddenly showed up­—the actual picture that was used for the July 3, 1937 RA issue! Amazing, because for decades this picture couldn’t be found

by Western Pacific Railroad enthusiasts and book authors. I can assure you: I have all the WP books and documentation; this car is known to exist, but was never illustrated. I also run a 550-member Facebook page, “The Western Pacific Modelers Group,” and nobody has any info on this car.There is an official WP diagram.The photo [on the 1937 cover] was probably made at WP’s Sacramento shop in 1936 and was missing for decades. It was used for the RA cover in 1937 to illustrate the possibilities theYoungstown Steel Door Co. could offer railroads. I’ve been looking for the July 3, 1937 issue of RA for ages on eBay and several university libraries; never found one. All the other weeks, yes, but this one? No sir.Weird, but true.

As the saying goes, truth is stranger than fiction. Or in this case, truth is stranger than friction bearings.

RailwayAge Subscriptions: 800-895-4389 Editorial and Executive Offices Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp.

55 Broad Street, 26th Fl. New York, NY 10004 212-620-7200; Fax: 212-633-1863 Website: www.railwayage.com ARTHUR J. McGINNIS, Jr., President and Chairman JONATHAN CHALON, Publisher jchalon@sbpub.com WILLIAM C. VANTUONO, Editor-in-Chief wvantuono@sbpub.com STUART CHIRLS, Senior Editor schirls@sbpub.com Contributing Editors: Roy H. Blanchard, Jim Blaze, Alfred E. Fazio, Bruce E. Kelly, Ron Lindsey, Ryan McWilliams, David Nahass, Jason H. Seidl, David Thomas, John Thompson, Frank N. Wilner Creative Director: Wendy Williams Art Director: Nicole Cassano Graphic Designer: Aleza Leinwand Corporate Production Director: Mary Conyers Digital Ad Operations Associate: Kevin Fuhrmann Production Director: Eduardo Castaner Marketing Director: Erica Hayes Conference Director: Michelle Zolkos Circulation Director: Maureen Cooney Western Offices 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910, Chicago, IL 60603 312-683-0130; Fax: 312-683-0131 Engineering Editor: Mischa Wanek-Libman mischa@sbpub.com Assistant Editor: Maggie Lancaster mlancaster@sbpub.com International Offices 46 Killigrew Street, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 3PP, United Kingdom Telephone: 011-44-1326-313945 Fax: 011-44-1326-211576 International Editors: David Briginshaw, db@railjournal.co.uk Keith Barrow, kb@railjournal.co.uk Kevin Smith, ks@railjournal.co.uk Dan Templeton, dt@railjournal.co.uk Customer Service: 800-895-4389 REPRINTS PARS International Corp.

253 West 35th Street 7th Floor New York, NY 10001 212-221-9595; fax 212-221-9195 curt.ciesinski@parsintl.com Railway Age, descended from the American Rail-Road Journal (1832) and the Western Railroad Gazette (1856) and published under its present name since 1876, is indexed by the Business Periodicals Index and the Engineering Index Service. Name registered in U.S. Patent Office and Trade Mark Office in Canada.

Now indexed in ABI/Inform.

Change of address should reach us six weeks in advance of next issue date. Send both old and new addresses with address label to Subscription Department, Railway Age, PO Box 3135, Northbrook, IL 60062-2620, or call toll free (800) 895-4389, or (402) 346-4740.

Post Office will not forward copies unless you provide extra postage.

Photocopy rights: Where necessary, permission is granted by the copyright owner for the libraries and others registered with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) to photocopy articles herein for the flat fee of $2.00 per copy of each article. Payment should be sent directly to CCC. Copying for other than personal or internal reference use without the express permission of Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp. is prohibited. Address requests for permission on bulk orders to the Circulation Director.

Railway Age welcomes the submission of unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. However, the publishers will not be responsible for safekeeping or return of such material.

Member of:

SBP

SIMMONS-BOARDMAN PUBLISHING CORPORATION

REDEFINING THE STANDARDS OF SAFETY. For over 65 years, you have relied on Miller Ingenuity to provide you with high-performing, trustworthy solutions for your rail safety needs.

FEATURING

ZONEGUARD

RELOKâ„¢

EVERRAY

Electronic Roadway Worker Protection

Fastener System

LED Signal Lights

VISIT US AT THE 2017 APTA RAIL CONFERENCE Learn about our new products, including our award-winning electronic roadway worker protection system - the most advance in the industry!

Booth 303 at APTA Rail MillerIngenuity.com/APTA

Industry Indicators SHORT LINE AND REGIONAL TRAFFIC INDEX

TRAFFIC ORIGINATED

FOUR WEEKS ENDING APRIL 29, 2017

CARLOADS

MAJOR U.S. RAILROADS

by Commodity Grain Farm products ex. grain Grain Mill Products Food products Chemicals Petroleum Products Coal Primary Forest Products Lumber and Wood Products Pulp and Paper Products Metallic Ores Coke Primary Metal Products Iron and Steel Scrap Motor Vehicles and Parts Crushed Stone, Sand, and Gravel Nonmetallic Minerals Stone, Clay & Glass Products Waste & Nonferrous Scrap All Other Carloads Total U.S. CarLoadS

APRIL ’17 92,649 3,461 35,274 24,447 126,362 39,257 309,546 4,466 13,748 21,455 93,408 17,867 37,140 15,645 67,829 25,990 153,560 30,815 14,877 22,961 1,023,300

APRIL ’16 78,037 2,813 36,277 24,593 126,919 45,186 244,388 5,033 13,784 21,416 92,462 16,854 35,777 14,999 74,606 24,453 140,103 29,812 14,989 23,745 944,351

% CHANGE 18.7% 23.0% -2.8% -0.6% -0.4% -13.1% 26.7% -11.3% -0.3% 0.2% 1.0% 6.0% 3.8% 4.4% -9.1% 12.9% 9.6% 3.4% -0.7% -3.3% 8.4%

281,840

16.1%

1,226,191

10.1%

CARLOADS

Chemicals Coal Crushed Stone / Sand / Gravel Food & Kindred Products Grain Grain Mill Products Lumber & Wood Products Metallic Ores Metals & Products Motor Vehicles & Equipment Nonmetallic Minerals Petroleum Products Pulp, Paper & Allied Products Stone, Clay & Glass Products Trailers / Containers Waste & Nonferrous Scrap All Other Carloads

327,100

COMBINED U.S./CANADA RR INTERMODAL

1,350,400

FOUR WEEKS ENDING APRIL 29, 2015

MAJOR U.S. RAILROADS

by Commodity TRAILERS CONTAINERS TOTAL UNITS

APRIL ’17 89,575 962,426 1,052,001

APRIL ’16 86,121 942,432 1,028,553

% CHANGE 4.0% 2.1% 2.3%

3,831 253,656 257,487

3,557 233,867 237,424

7.7% 8.5% 8.5%

93,406 1,216,082 1,309,488

89,678 1,176,299 1,265,977

4.2% 3.4% 3.4%

% CHANGE -0.8% 20.2% 6.3% 8.1% 28.9% 12.3% 9.7% -11.9% 4.2% -2.5% 9.4% -4.6% -5.6% 3.2% 11.4% 12.0% 0.0%

APRIL 2017 - 347,845 APRIL 2016 - 329,183 300,000 310,000 320,000 330,000 340,000 350,000 360,000 370,000 380,000 390,000 Copyright © 2017 All rights reserved.

Railroad employment, Class I linehaul carriers, APRIL 2017 (% change from april 2016)

CANADIAN RAILROADS TRAILERS CONTAINERS TOTAL UNITS

ORIGINATED APRIL ’16 44,312 20,143 24,453 10,075 20,420 5,669 8,039 3,219 15,891 9,778 2,027 2,004 17,055 12,375 45,269 8,473 78,870

TOTAL CARLOADS, APRIL 2017 vs. 2016

CANADIAN RAILROADS ALL Commodities

ORIGINATED APRIL ’17 43,957 24,219 25,990 10,890 26,317 6,365 8,821 2,835 16,553 9,531 2,218 1,912 16,107 12,771 50,431 9,492 78,858

BY Commodity

Transportation (train and engine) 59,688 (-2.00%)

Executives, Officials, and Staff Assistants 8,832 (-5.35%)

Professional and Administrative 12,671 -8.21%

COMBINED U.S./CANADA RR TRAILERS CONTAINERS TOTAL COMBINED UNITS

Source: Monthly Railroad Traffic, Association of American Railroads

average weekly U.S. Rail Carloads: all commodities (not seasonally adjusted)

Total employees: 149,107 % change from april 2016: (-2.64%) Transportation (other than train & engine) 5,849 (-6.15%)

Maintenance of Equipment and Stores 27,849 -4.19%

Maintenanceof-Way and Structures 34,218 -5.45%

Source: Surface Transportation Board

class I employment OFF FROM 2016 BUT BETTER SINCE MARCH Figures released by the STB show Class I total railroad employment dropped by 2.64% in April 2017 compared to the same month a year ago as all categories were substantially weaker on-year. But employment stabilized month-to-month as total employment fell by just 0.14% from March 2017 on losses of 4.04% in Professional & Administrative and 2.50% for Executives, Officials and Staff. The remaining four categories were stable, with only ME&S declining, by a narrow 0.28%.

4

Railway Age

June 2017

tie assoc

Rail

NC

E

on

AN

TH

99

Train your sights on San Diego Join the top guns in railroading and crossties Jet out to San Diego to mix, mingle and learn at the 99th annual Railway Tie Association Symposium and Technical Conference. Featuring a fleet of experts to teach and inform amid first-class accommodations, San Diego is the top spot this year for the crosstie crowd.

i ati

w

ay

NUA

L C ONF E

RE

October 31-November 2

Manchester Grand Hyatt S A N DIE GO, C A L IF OR NI A

With fighter jets and aircraft carriers as the backdrop to our second-to-none business program, you’ll learn and love every minute of the RTA conference: • Hear ASLRRA’s Linda Darr on short line and regional railroad issues • Engineering, purchasing, procurement, resource and utilization sessions • Presentations and discussions on research, environmental and tie disposal • Top Gun-themed RTA Banquet & Awards Ceremony (bring your aviator shades!)

• Laugh with comedian Mark Cordes, who has cracked up audiences from Saturday Night Live to Ray Charles, Kenny Loggins, Chicago, Vince Gill and hundreds more!

115 Commerce Drive, Suite C | Fayetteville, GA 30214 Voice: (770) 460–5553 | Fax: (770) 460–5573 ties@rta.org | www.rta.org | www.eventmobi.com/rta2017/

• Learn about additional railroad industry meetings occuring at the conference, including the Railroad Sustainability Symposium, at www.rta.org Events > 2017 Conference > Overview And when the work is done, with the legendary Miramar air base just minutes away, you know you’re in for adventure. Enjoy the San Diego Zoo and tour the historic Midway aircraft carrier. Tee it up at Golf Digest Top 100, Johnny Miller-designed Maderas Golf Club in the annual RTA tournament. Shop La Jolla. Or just kick back and enjoy San Diego sunshine and hospitality! #RTA2017 FOR 2017 CONFERENCE TWEETS

©2017 The Railway Tie Association

Industry Outlook Sweeping upgrades for NYC Transit The NEW YORK Metropolitan Transportation Authority is starting to put some of its record capital budget funding to use, announcing a plan to modernize subway maintenance and operations while issuing a Request for Proposals to dramatically renovate stations in Manhattan.

The modernization plan, to be implemented immediately, will separate the top leadership positions of chairman and chief executive while addressing the root causes of delays and disruptions that undermine service reliability. MTA will accelerate delivery of hundreds of new cars, install continuous welded rail, and implement extensive operational changes and preventative maintenance. The initiative will first be deployed on the Eighth Avenue line, and later extended system-wide.

Renovations will begin on four Manhattan stations—163rd Street, Cathedral Parkway (110th Street), 86th Street, and 72nd Street—as part of sweeping private-public design-build contracts to rebuild 33 stations across the city.

“These four stations are part of an initiative that represents a fundamental transformation for how the MTA does business, and deals with its customers,” MTA Interim Executive Director Ronnie Hakim said. “Rather than doing a few

component repairs, and stretching the work out over nights and weekends, we are taking a new top to bottom approach, renovating stations to bring customers a dramatically enhanced experience, providing them with the tools they need for a better commute.”

The rebuild will add countdown clocks, wi-fi, USB ports, more intuitive way-finding to guide passengers, and LED lighting, under rapid timeframes, with temporary station closures to enable contractors to complete work as quickly as possible.

Among a host of improvements are improved signage; digital, real-time train arrival information at subway entrances; informational totems at

street level; LED handrails at entrances; glass barriers at fare arrays, and dashboards in control areas and on platforms. Cellular phone connectivity and security cameras will be upgraded, and new art installed. The renovation will also involve state-of-good-repair renewals of concrete, steel, waterproofing and paint; repair of existing entrance railings; and refurbished stairs.

Contractors are incentivized, MTA said, to keep closures short. Major construction will be completed during closures, and a contractor’s ability to limit closure duration will be a major factor in awarding contracts. Work at all four stations is slated for completion within 14 months of the date of award.

Budget deal saves Sound Transit LRT extension A portion of federal funding committed to Sound Transit for the light rail Lynnwood Link Extension was saved as part of the Federal Fiscal Year 2017 Appropriations Bill.

The bill is part of a deal to keep the federal government operating through September 2017 and was expected to receive President Donald Trump’s signature. The bill calls for Sound Transit to receive $100 million in federal funds, the first installment of a potential $1.17 billion FTA full-funding grant agreement (FFGA) for the Lynwood Link Extension, 6

Railway Age

June 2017

to begin construction in 2018.

The FFGA is expected to be executed with the FTA in 2018. Sound Transit noted that engineering approval by the FTA last year enabled the agency to move forward with final engineering work on the extension and gave the project its second-highest possible rating under its competitive grant evaluation process.

The 8.5-mile extension is set to open in 2023. Trains on the Lynnwood Link Extension will run along the I-5 corridor from Northgate to Lynnwood with

four new stations including Northeast 145th Street, Northeast 185th Street, the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center at 236th Street Southwest and at the Lynnwood Transit Center. The project will be built to accommodate the potential for future stations at Northeast 130th Street in Seattle and 220th Street Southwest in Mountlake Terrace.

New parking structures at 145th, 185th and Lynnwood Transit Center will add approximately 1,500 park and ride spaces in the corridor as part of the project.

r ailway age and ParsOns Present

Gen

Train ConTrol

CBTC & PTC:

tomorrow’s technology for today’s railways The International Conference on Next-Gen Train Control features in-depth technical sessions and comprehensive project updates on CBTC for rail transit and PTC for main line railways presented by leading experts from around the world.

Now in its third decade, it’s the rail industry’s single-most important gathering of communications and signaling professionals from around the globe.

OctOber 19 & 20, 2017

cOurtyard PhiladelPhia dOwntOwn PhiladelPhia, Pa

KEYNOTE ADDRESS Veronique “Ronnie” Hakim, Interim Executive Director, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority

sponsorship & exhibit info: Jonathan chalon at jchalon@sbpub.com, (212) 620-7224

ReGIsTeR Today: www.railwayage.com/nextgen • (212) 620-7205

Market

Arrows Up awarded bulk storage/transport patent Arrows Up, LLC, an affiliate of OmniTRAX, Inc., and The Broe Group, was issued U.S. Patent No. 9,617,065 titled “Bulk Material Shipping Container” in April. The patent covers the design, construction and usage of the Arrows Up Jumbo Bin, for more efficient storage and shipment of frac sand and other bulk commodities.

“The Arrows Up Jumbo Bin holds up to 25 tons of frac sand or other material, and replaces significant storage and transportation infrastructure in the oil and gas and industrial supply chains,” the company notes. “It also creates trucking and rail efficiencies, eliminates the need for dust suppression equipment, decreases product shrinkage by reducing the number of product transfers and can be moved by standard transportation equipment enabling customers to control costs. Arrows Up bins can be used in a wide range of industries and are easily configured to address the needs of customers shipping a large range of granular commodities.”

John Allegretti, founder and CEO of Arrows Up, invented the system, with Anthony Raso and Lyndon Just.

North America TRAC Intermodal’s Metro Pool chassis fleet, which serves the Port of NY/NJ complex, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New England and western New York State regions, has reached the 30% refurbished level, in “like new” condition with LED lights, and new tires/rims, electrical systems, brakes, airing systems and additional features.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey selected WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff to conduct preliminary engineering and other planning work for a new AirTrain connection to LaGuardia Airport. The agency expects the number of airline passengers using railless LaGuardia is expected to increase by more than 6 million, to 34 million, annually by 2030.

8

Railway Age

June 2017

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has asked for final proposals for the revived Green Line extension project from three designbuild contractor teams shortlisted in February. The RFP includes a project “affordability limit” of $1.32 billion, along with a base scope of work, and possible options only to be included within the project schedule and budget.

The teams are GLX Constructors, Green Line Partners, and Walsh Barletta Granite JV. Responses to the RFP are expected by September.

Wabtec Corp. has signed a contract worth about $40 million to design, install, test and commission a Positive Train Control (PTC) system for the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, operator of Tri-Rail commuter service. Wabtec will provide

its Interoperable Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS®) for 42 locomotives and cab cars; a back-office server; wayside communications and signals; a dispatch system; training, and system integration.

Worldwide Argentina Minister of Transport Guillermo Dietrich visited the port of Buenos Aires on May 24 to witness the delivery of 156 Chinese-built freight cars for Argentinean Trains Cargo. CRRC is supplying 107 diesel locomotives and 3,509 cars under contracts signed in December 2014. The latest batch comprises 122 cars for the Belgrano Norte network, 34 for the San Martín line, and takes the total number of cars delivered to 2,963.

A world of railway market intelligence at your finger�ps Malaysia

CHILE

Australia

Britain Korea GERMANY Sweden China Japan Peru Canada Brazil AUSTRIA Saudi Arabia Russia FRANCE Poland Spain Morocco Bangladesh

Egypt

SERBIA

Myanmar

Tunisia

Belgium

Kazakhstan

VIETNAM

Panama

Cuba

Hong Kong

SRI LANKA

ISRAEL

Philippines

Czech Republic

Ethiopia GHANA

Ukraine New Zealand Azerbaijan Norway

Tenders

Projects

Fleet

With con�nually updated and searchable content, IRJ PRO gives you a unique and up-to-date perspec�ve on investment in new railways and rolling stock

To find out more visit irjpro.com or email cp@railjournal.co.uk

IRJ PRO

Update FTA greenlights Caltrain electrification

T

he Federal Transit Administration late last month said it intends to sign a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) with Caltrain that would commit $647 million to the Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project (PCEP).

The grant is the final funding piece needed to move the $1.98 billion project forward. The electrification project aims to improve system performance by electrifying the Caltrain Corridor from San Francisco’s 4th and King Caltrain station to approximately the Tamien Caltrain station, replace diesel locomotive-hauled trains with electric multiple-units and increase service to up to six trains per peak hour per direction.

Caltrain has worked for more than two decades to plan this critical improvement. During the past few years, more than $1.3 billion was secured from local, regional and state commitments, and contracts were 10

Railway Age

June 2017

awarded to design and, eventually, construct the project.

“The agreement commits the final funding needed to start construction of a project that will transform and improve the way people travel along one of the region’s most congested corridors,” said Caltrain General Manager and CEO Jim Hartnett.

An FFGA was recommended in January following a full assessment of the project’s merits. However, the Trump Administration delayed the decision while its 2018 budget recommendations were being developed.

Because of the delay in securing the FFGA, Caltrain struck an agreement with its contractors to extend the deadline from March 1 to June 30 for them to begin construction of the PCEP. At the time of the negotiated extension, Caltrain said the additional time would likely require the utilization of up to $20 million in project contingencies that otherwise would have been

available for construction-related expenses in the future.

Following the announcement of the FFGA delay, Caltrain and its supporters launched an extensive advocacy effort that encompassed the private and public sectors.

The project has been the rope used in a tug-of-war within the state’s congressional delegation, with a clear line of demarcation between Republican and Democratic representatives. Republicans opposed federal funding based on the PCEP’s perceived ties to the state’s high-speed rail project, while Democrats accused the GOP of holding up a job-producing project through misleading claims.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who pledged to oppose all U.S. Department of Transportation appointees until the funding was finalized, said, “This is exactly the type of infrastructure investment our country needs. Caltrain’s project is now ready to put 10,000 people to work across the country and bring to fruition a badly needed transportation improvement that enjoys nearly unanimous support throughout the Bay Area.

This is a win for everyone involved.”

House T&I Railroad Subcommittee Chair Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), who has been vehemently opposed to highspeed rail, noted that the FTA grant requires a state match that officials have indicated will come from Proposition 1A approved by voters for California’s high-speed rail project. “Caltrain is not, nor will it ever be, ‘high speed’ and should not be funded with high-speed rail dollars,” he said in typical grandstanding fashion. “Providing this grant without first conducting an audit is irresponsible.”

On Sept. 6, 2016, Caltrain awarded contracts to Balfour Beatty to construct the electrification infrastructure and Stadler to manufacture high-performance EMUs, the first of which are anticipated to be in service by year-end 2020 or early 2021.

CP thinking outside the (53-foot) box Canadian Pacific Railway has deployed what it says is “the first 60-foot intermodal container.”

The container, built in CP’s Calgary shops in collaboration with retailer Canadian Tire, is designed to increase productivity and efficiency. Seven feet longer than the current maximum 53-foot container, it will allow Canadian Tire and CP to transport more products to increase the volume of products shipped in each container, while reducing transportation costs and greenhouse gas emissions, CP said.

Headquartered in Toronto, Canadian Tire transports more than 100,000 products to 500 stores across Canada.

“Our supply chain infrastructure is one of the most modern in Canada, capable of supporting growth and efficiently managing the increasing number of products we transport,”

said Neil McKenna, Vice President Transportation, Canadian Tire. “This new configuration will enable us to increase the volume shipped in each container by 13%, which ultimately allows us to carry more goods per trip, resulting in an improvement in service to our stores and our customers.”

While the long-haul trucking industry wants regulators to allow longer and heavier trucks on U.S. highways— Transport Canada usually falls in line with its American counterparts—the Association of American Railroads, among others, has been actively lobbying against those efforts.

In 1994, CP and Canadian Tire collaborated on the introduction of a 53-foot intermodal container, which was later approved for domestic service. Ocean-capable 53-foot containers have been in use since 2007.

The railroad said it has been testing the 60-foot box for several months, including using a prototype stacked on top of a 53-foot container to simulate the new, longer container in transit.

In the photo below, John Salt (left), Canadian Tire’s Senior Vice-President, Supply Chain and CP President and Chief Executive Keith Creel are pictured at the introduction of the 60-foot container at the CP intermodal facility in Calgary, Alberta.

LOCOMOTIVES | RAIL CARS | TRUCKS | REPAIRS, OVERHAULS & PAINT JOBS

145 Baekeland Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854 | 732.230.4501 June 2017 Railway Age 11

Update Detroit turns the clock back to streetcars

Streetcars returned to Woodward Avenue in Detroit for the first time in 61 years with the May 12 inauguration of the 3.3-mile Q Line from Larned Street to West Grand Boulevard.

The $140 million project staked its claim as the first public-private partnership deal to be funded by

private businesses and philanthropic organizations, in partnership with local, state and federal governments.

Supporters of the project include Bank of America, Detroit Downtown Development Authority, Detroit Medical Center, Ford Foundation, Ford Motor Company, General Motors,

JPMorgan Chase, Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and the United States Department of Transportation.

The federal government supported the project through a $25 million TIGER grant.

In 2007, the project’s backers formed non-profit M-1 Rail to lead the design, construction and operation of the 20-station line. Stacy & Witbeck began major construction in July 2014.

Services are provided by six Brookville Equipment Corp. Liberty LRVs that operate without catenary on 60% of the line, drawing power from 750-volt rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The 70% low-floor vehicles also operate in catenary-free mode around the line’s depot. Each accommodates up to 125 riders, 32 seated.

Keeping Technology in Motion

12

Railway Age

June 2017

Washington State sees new intermodal opportunity Central Washington’s Port of Quincy Intermodal Terminal is promoting itself as a less-congested inland alternative for moving the state’s agricultural products to coastal gateways for export markets.

The Port sees itself as ideally positioned to handle containers of Washington State dry agricultural products such as wheat, corn, beans, hay, legumes, and other grains to be railed to the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, which are less than 200 miles away, for loading onto ocean-going container ships.

From 2010 to 2014, BNSF and partner Rail Logistics operated the Cold Train Express out of Quincy, loading refrigerated containers for pickup by high-priority intermodal trains. Food products via Cold Train receive BNSF’s fastest service to the

Midwest, and were ultimately distributed as far east as Boston.

Annual volume reached approximately 7,000 containers.

A recent report by the Northwest Seaport Alliance highlighted the advantages of an inland port. These benefits include reduced truck traffic around Puget Sound; less pollution moving exports via rail; container yards closer to shippers; new investments in warehousing and other industries supporting the agriculture market; and better turn times for shippers out of less-congested marine terminals.

Quincy, located on 16 acres of land on BNSF’s Stevens Pass route, features more than 8,000 feet of rail storage/ siding tracks, for westbound short-haul intermodal trains with 40- or 20-foot containers. The modern terminal includes a container maintenance

and cleaning facility; nearly 1 million square feet of warehousing for distribution, cross-dock and storage capacity; a container reach stacker; a top-pick container loader, and a switcher locomotive to shuffle doublestack railcars within the terminal.

Quincy officials say that another 20-plus acres of port-owned property is available for expansion.

Fast, Safe and Awesome for Three Decades.

Road & Rail Services is pleased to salute the vision of our founders, Tom and Pete Gerstle, as we celebrate our 30 year anniversary. For three decades, they have provided a vision for leadership in track, railcar and train services, automotive logistics and transloading, ensuring unparalleled velocity, quality and safety for the first and last mile for national and global customers. Find out why so many companies trust their valued assets to us. Call the logistics leaders at Road & Rail Services today.

Call Brian Koontz 502.365.5192 roadandrail.com

June 2017 Railway Age 13

Update ConnDOT contracts with consultants for rail improvements The Connecticut Department of Transportation has selected a trio of consultants to help plan the future of the New Haven Line and the entire statewide rail system.

Developing the investment program

to significantly improve the performance of the rail system is a key element of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s “Let’s Go CT!” 30-year, $100 billion transportation plan.

The team will be composed of one

Add a fresh solution to your location.

Partner with the #1 franchise* A Subway® sandwich shop is a great fit for your location. For more information, contact Liz Smethurst: 800.888.4848 x 1398 or 203.877.4281 x 1398 E-mail: Smethurst_L@subway.com Or visit www.subway.com

Subway® is a registered trademark of Subway Inc. *Subway® is the #1 restaurant chain in total restaurant count with more locations than any other chain in the Quick Service restaurant (QSR) industry.

14

Railway Age

June 2017

executive each from transportation engineering specialists AECOM, WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff and STV, the agency said.

The team will first develop a strategy to improve capacity, frequency and speed of passenger rail service on the New Haven Line, long a heavilypatronized regional/commuter route operated by MTA Metro-North Railroad from New Haven, Conn., to Mount Vernon, N.Y., where it joins Metro-North’s Harlem Line going south to Grand Central Terminal in midtown Manhattan.

The crux of the informally known “2+2” Plan calls for running local trains on two outer tracks and express trains on the two inner tracks. The study will develop service and infrastructure investment strategies to meet key performance targets for the rail system, and evaluate the optimal strategy for creating direct service to New York Penn Station as well as to Grand Central Terminal.

The initial planning phase is funded with $3 million allocated by the Connecticut State Bond Commission as part of the “Let’s Go CT!” program, and will help guide future capital investment decisions such as configuration of new rail stations, railyard improvements, upgraded interlockings and procurement of additional railcars and locomotives.

“This critically important initiative marks the beginning of a new era in the state’s rail system, moving us from the traditional commuter business model to a dynamic, interconnected transit network,” said CTDOT Commissioner James Redeker. “Customers and business leaders are demanding these new services, which will unleash the true economic potential of Connecticut’s communities.”

The study’s initial phase will look at concepts and alternatives for future train service as well as investment needs. The first phase is due to be completed in 2018.

Watching Washington Frank n. wilner

STB update: Waiting for Godot

A

s a perfect scene does not a great movie make, ideal legislation cannot deliver its intent absent proficient administration.

Although Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) harvested bi-partisan support for the 2015 captive-shipper advocated Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act, a key element lies fallow—increasing the current three members to five to allow any two to exchange viewpoints prior to decisionmaking without violating governmentin-sunshine rules.

The law demands more expeditious completion of pending proceedings, plus greater accountability, effectiveness, efficiency and transparency in adjudicating freight rate and service complaints, and crafting related methodologies. Yet 18 months since passage, with the new seats still vacant, stakeholders are experiencing a “waiting for Godot” with major rulemakings held in abeyance.

If funding was why, Thune solved the problem with a successful written plea to appropriators to boost the STB’s annual budget.

His more difficult challenge is to overcome political patronage that periodically catapults fakers and the marginally qualified into crucial regulatory posts. While Thune advocates White House nominations of genuinely qualified new STB members, there disturbingly lurks concern that President Trump will repay political debts with nominees beholden to special interests.

Thune, the third-highest-ranking Senate Republican and chair of the committee before which STB nominees must demonstrate their legitimacy, is a first line of defense. He said he expects “the first new appointments to the expanded Board will bring to the job a

wealth of knowledge in railroad policy and economics along with a zeal for streamlining proceedings and proactive problem solving.”

Skeptics cite Thune’s recent cameramugging with the railroads’ chief lobbyist before an AAR logo-adorned backdrop. Yet Thune also authored a letter to the STB rejecting a railroad attempt to interpret a provision of the reauthorization act (Section 16) as “requiring” the STB to use a rail-beneficial replacement-cost approach in assessing revenue adequacy—some-

Sen. Thune commands STB’s gate, even if President Trump selects who may approach it. thing the STB previously declined to do. Congress, said Thune, did not “require any change to the revenue adequacy determination framework.”

Although a small independent regulatory agency, the STB is crucial to resolving rail-customer grievances— especially as mergers have reduced the number of competing railroads to a handful, eliminating competitive choices for many shippers.

If, as the STB Reauthorization Act intends, there is to be greater accountability, effectiveness, efficiency and transparency, then superior leadership, beginning with an accomplished new chairman, who sets the agenda and initiates decisions, is paramount. A recent House Government Operations Subcommittee hearing revealed a

troubling management culture under the chairmanship of Democrat Dan Elliott.

Although the STB’s current lone Republican, Ann Begeman—arguably one of the most qualified regulators in agency history—could have accepted the chairmanship upon Trump’s inauguration, she declined, agreeing to be the acting chairman pending arrival of at least one of the two new Republicans.

During Elliott’s chairmanship, dating to 2009, she recorded the largest number of dissents from Elliott-initiated decisions in the 130-year history of the STB and its Interstate Commerce Commission predecessor. The second Democrat, Deb Miller, also has been sharply critical of Elliot’s actions.

The issues new members face beg for mature leadership qualities, plus validated skills in economics, finance and policy analysis.

Pending rulemakings have the potential to change substantially how shipper grievances are adjudicated and rates are negotiated. They include alternatives to determining maximum reasonable rates charged captive shippers, defining revenue adequacy that influences the level of new investment in plant and equipment, and standards under which railroads may impose fuel surcharges.

Also to be resolved is calculating the revenue and service impact of allowing sole-served shippers access, via mandatory switching, to a second railroad, including comparisons with Conrail Shared Assets and a similar requirement in Canada. Supporters of so-called competitive switching assert that communications firms, pipelines and electric utilities lost arguments, as made by railroads against such schemes, yet survived and prospered.

Profoundly, these are tasks for experts. Trump selects who approaches, but Thune commands the gate.

June 2017 Railway Age 15

Financial edge DAVID NAHASS

Call the bottom? Good luck with that

R

ecently. a rumor circulated in the railcar lease market that a Class I railroad had made an overture to a group of its operating lessors requesting that these lessors submit offers on cars currently on lease to the railroad.

The letter requested purchase options and potential reductions in existing rates for all railcars expiring from the date of issue through the end of the calendar year 2018. It was a blind, nonnegotiable bid process covering a significant number of cars operating in various commodity services.

Class I railroads are among the savviest operators of equipment. It’s a natural thing; they handle and move more carloads than any other party connected to the railcar industry.

So it is to be expected that they would approach the market aggressively to decrease costs in an environment where car demand is generally weak.

What is interesting about this event, however, is not a lessee’s request for a reduction in lease rates. The operating lessor community has been caught on that “Ring of Fire” rollercoaster for some time now. What is interesting is that by pursuing adjustments to lease rates and focusing on the option to purchase cars currently on lease to the railroad coming off lease through 2018, the railroad in question may have just called the bottom of the railcar market.

At the Rail Equipment Finance Conference 2017 (full report on the Railway Age website, in the Finance/ Leasing channel), the question of when the market will bottom was on everyone’s minds and lips, and, truthfully, with all of the talent and expertise crossing the stage over a three-day period, no speaker offered an answer to that question that was both concrete and evidentiary.

Calling a market bottom is a hari-kari assignment. That’s because too many

16

Railway Age

June 2017

things can happen in a dynamic, crossmodal and multi-industry market that may change assumptions and cast even the best prognosticator in the role of the charlatan.

In this case, the desire to reduce rates across all car types indicates a general sense that the market may have made a shift and is getting ready to rebound.

A targeted offer on mill gondolas (cars that haul scrap steel), for example, would indicate weakness in the market for scrap steel and a desire to shore up a market where profits

The railroad in question may have just called the bottom of the railcar lease market. were thin and expected to remain weak. Addressing the long-term weakness of this market would be prudent, reasonable and responsible. It shows opportunistic thinking and a commitment to the market.

But opening it up to all car types suggests that there is something for the railroad to fear about the future of lease rates and that now is the time to make the grab before the markets shift and lease rates start to rise.

Additionally, extending the window out through the end of 2018 shows that the railroad feels that the uptick in the market might actually be closer than we think. Asking for reductions on cars 18-20 months in advance of lease expiration is a significant request for a market that generally tackles renewals

six months to one year in advance of scheduled expiration.

It may also suggest that the railroad expects new-car pricing to rise in the near- to intermediate-term. Railcar pricing has been sinking since the peak of deliveries and orders in late 2014 and early 2015. Lessors generally in certain markets (well, maybe most markets) have been feeling pain for some time. Nonetheless, it is unlikely that lessors would feel compelled to cut bait and exit markets they have committed capital to for the long-term.

Don’t agree? The history of the lease and ownership market for centerbeam flat cars, aluminum coal cars, 4,750-cubic-foot covered hopper cars and SD40-2 high-horsepower, six-axle locomotives shows that lessor ownership is not easily forgone. Next on the list: tank railcars acquired early in the crude-by-rail run-up.

So, has the market bottomed?

The truth may be as easy as saying that while the market has not bottomed, it may just have reached a point where it does not have (much) further to fall.

Even as the sand market picks up, rumors of other car types being parked remain rampant (and should be expected to increase).

Discounted pricing for off-lease cars just over a decade old are offered weekly. Not much of this is anything other than “new” news that sounds a lot like old news. If you grab while the grabbing is good. perhaps it doesn’t matter whether the market is at the bottom or not.

Good wishes to both those lessors who ignored the offer to change their leases and those who did not in the hopes that their cars stay on lease.

The one with the correct guess buys the first round.

Got questions? Set them free at dnahass@railfin.com.

Perspective: Short Line & Regional Linda Darr

Big data for small railroads

T

he ancient-Greece philosopher Heraclitus famously said, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” This means that nothing is more constant than change. We are in the midst of great change today.

Technological innovation is moving at breakneck speed. Our Class I connections are in relentless pursuit of more efficient and less costly operations. Our trucking competitors are on the verge of huge cost savings associated with autonomous vehicles. Our current Administration is putting new emphasis on bringing manufacturing back to the U.S., which if successful could partially alter who and where we serve.

The short line industry is no stranger to change. Particularly since the Staggers Act, short line railroads have adapted to and thrived amidst great change.

Today’s changes are much different than in the previous four decades, driven mostly by technical innovation that provides new and extraordinarily useful tools.

One of today’s new tools is the growing ability to collect, analyze and share

what is being called “big data.” With the capacity and analytical ability of today’s technology, we are able to see a much bigger and more comprehensive view of the information that affects our businesses. Most of what we saw yesterday was data related to what we did. Today, we have the ability to see what the other guy did and to put it all together analytically to predict what will or could be.

GE’s Digital Solutions Division has spent considerable time with ASLRRA demonstrating the benefits of this new capability. We highlighted some of their work at our recent Annual Meeting.

The map pictured here is but one example. It shows rail volume in yellow and truck volume in green, in billion ton-miles between select origins and destinations for a single commodity, in this case base metals, for trips less than 500 miles. The underlying data pinpoints areas where rail has an opportunity to take volume from trucks. For example, the lane between Detroit and Chicago has rail volume moving one way and truck volume moving the opposite way. If rail can move metal one way, it should be able to move it the other. The map gives

the railroad sales force the data it needs to go directly to a real target of opportunity.

In similar fashion, multiple data sources can be configured to allow easy visual comparison of timing problems at individual interchanges that affect dwell time and car-hire. If cars are delivered earlier than scheduled, you may be paying car-hire on cars over which you have no control.

Alternatively, if notification is delivered late, cars may sit idle when labor was actually available.

To be clear, this new “big data” capability is not uncovering new issues that railroaders have not understood or dealt with in the past. Rather, it is allowing a much clearer picture of the magnitude and location of opportunities and problems as well as the ability to prioritize activity related to those opportunities and problems.

For short lines, this is particularly useful. Like all small businesses, short lines have limited human and financial resources. The ability to more effectively prioritize the use of the resources is critically important.

Further, it gives short lines a valuable tool in discussions with their Class I connections, substituting actual system-wide and location-specific data for anecdotal evidence.

While this can be an extraordinarily valuable tool, no one railroad, be it a Class I or a short line, is able to develop this tool on its own. The costs of developing the analytical tools are likely more than one company can bear.

It will require all those who actually run the business to sit down with those who develop the data to make it relevant and actionable.

ASLRRA hopes to be one of the leaders in advancing what must be a collective effort and will encourage the entire industry to be similarly engaged.

June 2017 Railway Age 17

2017

Passenger Rail Guide

By STUART CHIRLS, Senior Editor

AMTRAK

Construction is proceeding at 11 sites in three “packages,” most between Madera and Fresno. The California High-Speed Rail Authority in April qualified five groups from Europe and Asia to bid for its “early train operator” tender. The winner will work alongside CHSRA on the design, development and procurement of the high-speed rail service, with a view to a franchise agreement. That same month, CHSRA Chief Executive Jeff Morales announced he was stepping down as of June 2. The $64 billion, voter-approved project has been slowed by delays, funding issues and political opposition from the state’s Republican congressional delegation.

In April the Trump Administration released a draft federal budget proposal for 2018 that called for a 13% reduction in funding for the Department of Transportation, and elimination of all federal support for Amtrak’s longdistance train services.

After derailments in March and April at New York Penn Station, which it owns and shares with NJ Transit and the Long Island Rail Road, Amtrak accelerated planned upgrades with the New York Penn Station Infrastructure Renewal Program, a series of major track and switch projects this summer, beginning with the western portion of the station. The first set of projects will occur in the area of tracks and

18 Railway Age June 2017

switches known as “A Interlocking,” which routes trains that enter Penn Station from the Hudson River tunnels and the LIRR West Side Yard to the various station tracks and platforms.

Amtrak plans full replacement, originally scheduled over several years, to begin in May and continue through the fall. Other renewal work of various station tracks will begin in June 2018, with a majority of that work done on weekends. Elsewhere, a number of states have begun testing Siemens’ new Charger diesel-electric locomotives, which in some areas will be deployed to operate Amtrak services.

VIA RAIL CANADA

Nearly 4 million passengers traveled

BART

CALIFORNIA HSR

Authority (MBTA) has a new master plan to cut the timeframe to eliminate its estimated $7.3 billion repair backlog and bring its equipment, infrastructure and operations into a state of good repair to 15 years from the previously projected 25 years.

China’s CRRC MA Corp. in 2018 will begin manufacturing 252 new transit cars at a 150,000-square-foot plant in Springfield, Mass., to enter service on the Orange Line between 2019 and 2023.

PROVIDENCE, R.I.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation in January began accepting proposals for construction of a new commuter rail station in Pawtucket.

The $40 million project will include $13.1 million in funding through the federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program. The station is expected to be open in late 2019.

CONNECTICUT

858 million miles on Canada’s national carrier in 2016, an increase of 4.1% from the previous year and continuing an upward trend that began in mid-2014. Passenger revenues also showed a year-over-year improvement by 9.5%, which the company credited in part to travelers choosing rail for longer trips. The end of 2016 marked the 11th straight quarter of revenue growth, and fourth consecutive quarter of increasing ridership. The positive results meant that VIA Rail’s required government funding for operations fell to C$358.5 million from C$377.9 million in 2015.

BOSTON

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation

The Connecticut Department of Transportation awarded NRE a fiveyear contract to overhaul six EMD GP40-2H locomotives that are part of the state’s fleet and operated on the Shore Line East service. The State will also purchase an additional 60 M-8 EMU (electric multiple-unit) cars by 2019, each equipped with 105 seats, to accommodate more than 6,000 expected additional commuters on MTA Metro-North Railroad’s New Haven Line.

The DOT also selected AECOM, WSP and STV to help plan the future of the New Haven Line operated by Metro-North, and the entire statewide rail system, part of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s Let’s Go CT! 30-year, $100 billion transportation plan.

NEW YORK CITY

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in May introduced a six-point plan to deal with frequent delays on the Eighth Avenue corridor’s A, C and E trains. The agency will accelerate delivery of hundreds of new cars, install continuous welded rail, and implement extensive operational changes and preventative maintenance, while

eventually expanding the program to the entire system. MTA also will upgrade the N line through Astoria, Queens, spending $12.4 million replacing switches to reduce noise along the 31st Street corridor and performing other track work to improve reliability and reduce delays.

The MTA Board approved an amended capital plan that includes $1.95 billion for the LIRR Third Track expansion. At press time, the MTA review board had not yet accepted or rejected the plan, which would add a third track to 9.8 miles along the congested Main Line of the LIRR between Floral Park and Hicksville, N.Y. An environmental review for the expansion had been completed.

NEW JERSEY

NJ Transit’s rail operations got $140 million of a total $400 million supplemental appropriation for infrastructure approved in March by the state legislature for the current fiscal year. That funding will come from the 23-cent increase in the gas tax approved by voters in 2016, and on top of $1.6 billion in capital funding. The results were immediate, as NJT’s board approved a $14.5 million contract for prep work ahead of the replacement of Amtrak’s century-old Portal bridge, long a bottleneck into NY Penn.

Also in the FY2017 capital program, NJT will spend $72 million to install Positive Train Control to meet the federal implementation deadline by year-end 2018. The agency plans $64 million for upgrades to the Northeast Corridor (NEC), its busiest rail line, part of a 10-year, $1 billion NEC investment program.

Separately, NJT will spend $11 million for Elizabeth Station improvements; $2 million for Bloomfield Station enhancements; $3 million for Perth Amboy Station improvements; $3 million for Cranford Station upgrades, and $44 million for other station and terminal improvements and repairs. A total of $105 million will be invested in rolling stock renewal.

PHILADELPHIA

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) proposed June 2017 Railway Age 19

PASSENGER RAIL PLANNER GUIDE

President may give the decades-old idea new life. Trump stumped on support for HSR, but the Georgia Department of Transportation estimates construction of such a line would cost $9 billion.

Chattanooga in the past conducted studies of light rail, but no project has been seriously considered.

ATLANTA

BALTIMORE

February. Metro a year earlier began retiring its oldest cars, the 1000 series, as new 7000 series cars arrive on the property. WMATA ordered 528 of the new 7000 series cars from Kawasaki Rail Car USA. NORFOLK/VIRGINIA BEACH

ORLANDO

Voters in a November referendum rejected a proposed extension of The Tide LRT from Norfolk. The Virginia Beach City Council earlier voted 9-2 to support an extension. The city’s budget will reallocate light rail funds to pay for general expenditures and other transportation projects.

Construction continues on the Intermodal Terminal Facility, a towering steel-and-glass station adjacent to a new terminal at the south end of Orlando International Airport. The hub will open to taxis, buses and airport shuttles in the fall, but planned rail access remains in question after the state estimated the cost of building a third-phase 5.5-mile extension of the SunRail commuter line would cost $250 million, more than twice the $100 million originally projected.

Amtrak is expected by this summer to select a master developer to oversee renovation of Baltimore Penn Station on the NEC, the eighth-busiest station on its network.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in May ruled that the Federal Transit Administration and the state of Maryland conduct an environmental study before the planned Purple Line LRT project can proceed. Leon’s earlier August ruling halting the project came just as Maryland officials were preparing to sign an agreement for nearly $1 billion in federal construction grants for a public-private partnership.

CHARLOTTE

WASHINGTON, D.C.

CHATTANOOGA

FORT LAUDERDALE

Advocates of a high-speed rail line linking Chattanooga and Atlanta believe the election of Donald Trump as

Construction bids are expected shortly for the Wave streetcar, the $195.3 million project that has been

The WMATA Metro system began retiring its problematic 4000 series cars in 20 Railway Age June 2017

CATS in January broke ground for the CityLYNX Gold Line Phase 2 streetcar.

The 2.5-mile, $150 million project will add 11 stops and replace the existing replica Gomaco vehicles with six Siemens S70 modern LRVs with hybrid technology. The extension is expected to be completed by summer 2020. The first phase of the CityLYNX Gold Line, a 1.5-mile segment of the future full 10-mile streetcar system, began service in July 2015. The $37 million first phase has surpassed ridership projections from the outset.

TAMPA BAY

A new study identified six possible expansion routes for the 2.7-mile TECO streetcar operated by Hillsborough Area Rapid Transit, each with their own financial and technical challenges. They range from 2.46 to 4.93 miles on an assortment of routes and connections. Consultants are still in the process of developing cost estimates.

Charlotte Area Transit System

a $727.2 million FY2018 budget to advance its “Rebuilding the System” initiative, a comprehensive program to reinvest in the transit network throughout the region.

The agency signed a contract with China’s CRRC Tangshan for 45 bi-level coaches, which will be used with SEPTA’s new Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotives on regional rail services on the Northeast Corridor. The bi-level coaches will add around 6,000 seats on Regional Rail services, which have witnessed a 52% increase in riders since 2000.

In May, MARTA broke ground on Trackside, a $25 million four-story office and retail project on a 2.16-acre MARTA site adjacent to its Chamblee station. Parkside Partners plans a pair of four-story mixed-use buildings with 80,000 square feet of office and retail space, along with 4,300 square feet of greenspace.

The city is planning for the next phase of the Atlanta Streetcar, connecting the three-mile system to the Atlanta BeltLine, a system of trails, parks and 22 miles of streetcar lines.

Keeping cities in motion takes ingenuity To modernize and revitalize cities, we make transportation more efficient, intelligent, and safe while lowering environmental impact and creating a better traveler experience. Working with cities from coast to coast, ingenuity from Siemens is fulfilling this need and helping to move America forward with knowhow, innovation, and reliable and responsible partnering. From Portland, Ore. where innovations improve efficiency in urban transportation systems to New York City’s subway system increasing capacity on impacted infrastructure.

usa.siemens.com/mobility

PASSENGER RAIL PLANNER GUIDE

fully funded. Planners have held public forums to review design aspects of the 2.7-mile line, scheduled to be completed in 2020.

MIAMI

The Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit plan maps out six rail corridors to enhance and improve transit by rail in and around the Miami-Dade region.

The routes, which range from 10 to 13.5 miles, leverage and connect with existing transit modes including the Metromover, Metrorail, and the Florida East Coast Railway corridor. Potential stations have been identified, and while myriad details have to be worked out, the cost is estimated at as much as $3.6 billion, depending on the speed and scope of the project.

BUFFALO

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority says an Environmental Impact Study for its proposed Metro Rail Phase 1 extension is due to get under way this summer. The EIS is expected to take 18 months to complete, and the agency says that, based on past experience, it would likely be a decade before operations start, even if it is successful in getting $600 million in federal funds for the $1 billion estimated project cost.

CLEVELAND

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority completed a $2.25 million renovation of the Warrensville-Shaker Station on the Green Line. RTA also carried out a more ambitious project to rebuild the Red Line’s Brookpark Station, at a cost of $14.5 million, part of its upgrading of stations to comply with the Americans with Disabiltiies Act. Brookpark, which connects to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, sees the most riders on the system. The RTA board in October 2016 approved a $95 million capital budget for rail improvements over the next five years.

CINCINNATI

The Cincinnati streetcar surpassed a 22 Railway Age June 2017

half-million passenger trips for the first time in May. It was a needed milestone for manager Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, which had seen ridership decline steadily since the first two months of operation beginning in September 2016. Initial projections by SORTA and operator Transdev were for 3,000 daily passenger trips for a total 750,000 rides in that time.

CHICAGO

The Chicago Transit Authority and the Federal Transit Administration in January announced a $1 billion funding agreement for the first phase of the Red and Purple Modernization Program.

The deal is the final step in securing funding needed for the $2.1 billion first phase of the RPM project.

In November 2016, the CTA announced $75 million in funding for the $2.3 billion Red Line Extension (RLE) project, a plan to extend Red Line rail service to 130th Street from 95th Street on Chicago’s Far South Side.

Work has begun on the $200 million rebuilding of the Red Line’s historic uptown Wilson Avenue station. A total of 7,500 feet of elevated track and related structures are to be replaced, with escalators and elevators installed along with 40,000 square feet of canopies over two platforms.

Metra plans to order a minimum of 25 new passenger cars and 10 locomotives plus as many more of each as possible depending on funding for its regional/commuter rail network.

Improvements are planned for 29 of Metra’s 241 stations in 2017, including five stations along the BNSF Line to Aurora, Ill. Along the Metra Electric Line, the McCormick Place Station will receive upgrades to the platform, waiting areas, signage and lighting. A $5.5 million project that started in 2016 to replace platforms, the elevator, stairs and other facilities at the Calumet Station will continue, and a $4.8 million project to replace the street-level depot, stairways and the north platform at the Hazel Crest Station will get under way.

On the UP West Line, about eight

miles of third main line track will be added along the only two remaining double-track segments. The third track will be constructed through two separate projects that together will cost more than $100 million beginning in 2017 and continuing through 2019.

Construction is planned to begin in the fall along the Milwaukee West Line on a $34 million project to replace a 130-year-old single-track bridge over the Fox River in Elgin with a doubletrack bridge. Canadian Pacific is contributing some of the funding.

Along the Rock Island Line, Metra will rehabilitate three existing bridges and remove and replace the 57th Street bridge with a new concrete access road bridge.

On the UP North Line, Metra will begin a 30-month project to replace 11 bridges on the North Side.

DETROIT

Streetcars returned to Woodward Avenue in Detroit for the first time in 61 years with the inauguration of the 3.3-mile Q Line from Larned Street to West Grand Boulevard. The $140 million project is claimed to be the first public-private partnership to be funded by private businesses and philanthropic organizations, in partnership with local, state and federal governments. The project was also supported through a federal $25 million grant from the Transport Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program.

MILWAUKEE

In May, the first rails were installed along Milwaukee Street in the first phase of The Milwaukee Streetcar project. The Phase 1 route and Lakefront Line are fully funded, and vehicles have been ordered from Brookville Equipment Corp.

Kiewit Infrastructure is The Milwaukee Streetcar’s general contractor, and the city is seeking a partner to operate the system. The Phase 1 route is scheduled to begin operations in late 2018; the Lakefront Line extension is slated to begin service in 2019.

LOCOMOTIVES

170055

CLEAN POWER At 4,700 hp and 125 mph, the Tier 4 EMD F125 is the highest performing diesel-electric transit locomotive in North America. > Designed to lower total cost of ownership > Service-proven components for increased reliability > Optimized fuel efficiency for transit and intercity applications > Complies with Buy America and PRIIA NGEC Spec 305-005

Life in the fast lane just became a lot cleaner.

progressrail.com

•

@Progress_Rail

PASSENGER RAIL PLANNER GUIDE

streetcar line, the route’s second iteration after service ended in 1949. The line runs from Elysian Fields past Canal Street to the Union Passenger Terminal on Calliope Street. The RTA will add wheelchair accessibility to six stops on the St. Charles line as part of a federal consent decree from a lawsuit filed in 2016. The agency will operate one liftequipped car until the station improvements are completed.

BATON ROUGE

ST. LOUIS

Funding for the proposed $1.9 billion Southwest light rail line is imperiled after the Republican-led Transportation Conference Committee drafted wide-ranging provisions to bar the city’s Metropolitan Council from spending money on new light rail projects without prior legislative approval. If finalized, the provisions would scuttle the Council’s plan to issue Certificates of Participation to locally raise construction funding of $103.5 million, seen as a key to qualifying for $929 million in federal grants to cover half the project’s costs.

The start of operations of the heritage Loop Trolley was delayed as organizers waited for retrofitting of the last of three cars for the line. Two vintagereplica Brill cars were being upgraded with ADA-compliant technology and other appurtenances before running on the 2.2-mile line. St. Louis acquired three heritage W2 cars first operated in Melbourne, Australia and then Seattle, but will operate only one as part of the Loop fleet.

OMAHA

A new report estimated the cost of building a downtown streetcar line at $156 million and another $7 million annually to operate it. Omaha taxpayers would contribute between $10 million and $30 million under a number of funding scenarios.

KANSAS CITY

KC Streetcar carried its two-millionth rider in May, ahead of original projections for the 2.2-mile route. The farefree line averaged 5,500 daily rides over the preceding 12 months, up from an original forecast of 2,700. Preliminary planning is under way for extensions to the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Berkley Riverfront Park.

24 Railway Age June 2017

NASHVILLE

The MTA and RTA are working together to find solutions to the city’s transit issues. Incremental improvements are planned for the Music City Star regional rail service. These include a new fare collection system that accepts payment by smartcard or mobile phone, and expansion to double the number of shelters by 2019.

LITTLE ROCK

In an effort to boost ridership, Rock Region Metro has made its downtown streetcar free for the summer. The Pulaski County transit agency’s board voted to drop the $1 fare for June, July and August.

NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans RTA opened the North Rampart Street/St. Claude Avenue

OKLAHOMA CITY

As of May, contractors had finished 10% of the MAPS3 Oklahoma City streetcar’s 4.6-mile route. The first of the city’s seven streetcars, being built

by Brookville Equipment Corp., is to be delivered by late October. Service is slated to begin by year-end 2018. Oklahoma City residents voted to fund the $131 million streetcar through a 2009 citywide one-cent sales tax.

DALLAS/FORT WORTH

Dallas Area Rapid Transit presented the City Council with three routes for a proposed subway. The long-discussed plan would provide alternate routes for the existing Orange, Green, Blue and Red surface lines, which run on the same track through downtown Dallas. The plan to route the Orange and Green lines underground would cost an estimated $1 billion, about half of which DART hopes to cover with federal funding. DART’s board has also approved spending of $1.1 billion for the Cotton Belt Corridor, an east-west regional/commuter rail line connecting Plano with Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

New York MTA

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL

Baton Rouge will begin the early design phase for a passenger rail terminal, using part of more than $2 million being distributed by the Southern Rail Commission to cities in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to build and improve train stations. The station is the first step in a long-proposed commuter rail line connecting the state capital and New Orleans. The city and parish in 2016 agreed to match the SRC funds.

PASSENGER RAIL PLANNER GUIDE

TEX Rail got a boost early in 2017 as the city of Grapevine approved funding for demolition to clear the way for construction of a station and hotel, part of the 27-mile, 10-stop commuter line running from downtown Fort Worth through Grapevine into DFW’s Terminal B. The $1.03 billion project is slated to begin operations in 2018.

Colorado A Line. The 11-mile G Line will serve Union Station and Wheat Ridge, passing through northwest Denver, Adams County and Arvada. The A Line traverses 23 miles linking downtown Denver, Denver International Airport and several communities along I-70.

HOUSTON

Texas Central Railway, a private entity developing a high-speed rail link connecting Houston and Dallas, reportedly has reached agreement with a global engineering consortium to design and build the line, estimated to cost $10 billion. Central Japan Railway is also on board to provide its Shinkansen bullet train technology.

MetroRail opened service on the Green Line over the Harrisburg Overpass in January. The bridge was built along the system’s East End to convey vehicle and rail traffic over the Union Pacific East Belt freight line.

The Wasatch Front Regional Council’s transportation plan through 2040 proposes new Salt Lake City streetcar lines on 200 South and in the Granary District, and extending and upgrading the existing Sugar House line. It also proposes extending TRAX light rail south into Utah County, and west from Salt Lake City International Airport to the International Center. But the Utah Transit Authority said funding those and other proposals would require a 45% voter-approved tax increase in Salt Lake County, from 0.69% of one penny per dollar to a full penny per dollar, and more in other counties.

AUSTIN

ALBUQUERQUE

Construction on a new downtown station is scheduled to begin in August, part of a plan by Capital Metro that includes new cars and track thanks to a $50 million grant from the Texas Department of Transportation and other funds. The MetroRail line currently is single-track for 32 miles to Leander, and the agency has acquired just six cars since starting operations in 2010, leading to overcrowding during the morning and afternoon rush hours.

Capital Metro plans to replace its seven-year-old “temporary” downtown station with a larger facility, add passing tracks, and run trains on 15-minute headways beginning in 2019. MetroRail trains currently are operating on 30-minute headways.

The Rio Metro Regional Transit District opened the $1 million Zia Road station seven years after it was built, owing to disputes over parking and surrounding private land. The station is served by the Rail Runner, itself the object of a long range plan to increase revenue.

Fares account for about 10% of the line’s annual operating costs.

William C. Vantuono

DENVER

The Regional Transportation District has not announced a date for the opening of the completed G Line, as it works out timing issues with software controlling grade crossing protection there and on the University of

SALT LAKE CITY

TUCSON

Passengers traveling to and from the University of Arizona account for 60% of riders on the Sun Link streetcar, or about 4,000 riders a day, when school is in session. From its 2014 opening, the line carried 2 million passengers through mid-2016. The city is considering expansion to surrounding areas.

HONOLULU

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is facing a $3 billion shortfall for its partially-built Oahu rail transit system. While the agency in April submitted a recovery plan to the Federal Transit Administration, the state legislature earlier would not agree to a proposal to raise taxes to fund the $8.2 billion project. The FTA had pledged $1.5 billion to the project, provided HART submitted a reasonable financial recovery plan.

SAN DIEGO

Mid-Coast Transit Contractors, a joint venture of Stacy & Witbeck, Herzog and Skanska, were awarded a $921.8 million construction managment/ general contractor contract from the San Diego Association of Governments to construct the Mid-Coast Trolley.

WSP|Parsons Brinkerhoff, Kimley Horn and HDR are the designers for the $2 billion project, which is under way. The 11.5-mile extension includes nine new stations, adding the Mission

PHOENIX/TEMPE

Stantec Consulting Services was awarded the lead design contract for the Tempe Streetcar. The design phase is expected to be completed in 2017 on the three-mile, $177 million project that is scheduled to begin operations in 2020. Proposed cuts to the U.S. Department of Transportation budget threaten both the streetcar project and expansion of the Valley Metro light rail system. The latter has already received $75 million in federal funding. The Metro in May awarded two contracts worth a combined $92.5 million to Brookville Equipment Corp. and Siemens for 17 light rail vehicles.

June 2017 Railway Age 25

PASSENGER RAIL PLANNER GUIDE

Bay area, the VA Medical Center, UC-San Diego, and Westfield UTC Transit Center. Service is expected to begin in 2021.

LOS ANGELES

Excavation of the twin tunnels for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s $2.1billion Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project light rail extension was completed in April.

The eight stations on the new line are Crenshaw/Expo, Martin Luther King Jr., Leimert Park, Hyde Park, Fairview Heights, Downtown Inglewood, Westchester/Veterans and Aviation/ Century. Expo/Crenshaw, Martin Luther King Jr. and Leimert Park will be connected by the mile-long tunnels. A separate project will build a station at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street, where riders will transfer to a people-mover to the airport. The 8.5-mile line is scheduled to open in fall 2019.

ANAHEIM

SAN BERNARDINO

Anaheim’s new city council in January voted 6-1 to put an end to plans for the OC Streetcar based in the city. But the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) took up development of the proposed 3.2-mile line originally budgeted at around $300 million. The federal budget appropriations worked out by Congress include $50 million for the project.

“Arrow” is the new name of the Redlands Passenger Rail Project, which will run nine miles from the San Bernardino Transit Center to the University of Redlands. Four stations are planned for the project, which broke ground this year.

SANTA ANA

Congress as part of its recent budget deal allocated $50 million for the OC Streetcar for the current fiscal year, and the Orange County Transportation Authority plans to pursue a full funding grant agreement from the FTA to cover $148.9 million of the project’s $299.3 million total cost. Design is 90% complete for the 4.1-mile route, which will run from the Santa Ana train station to Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove.

Providing 21st century transit

SOLUTIONS to Ballmore and beyond

Rail Vehicle Engineering Rail Systems Engineering Revenue Systems and Technology Operaaons Planning and Simulaaon

www.ltk.com

26 Railway Age June 2017

SAN JOSE

Begun in 2012, the newly constructed tracks of the 10-mile Bay Area Rapid Transit Silicon Valley extension running to Berryessa and Milpitas has been fully electrified for testing this spring. In March, BART opened the first phase of its Silicon Valley route, the 5.4-mile line from Fremont to Warm Springs.

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

Construction is two-thirds complete on the $1.5 billion Central Subway, a 1.7-mile extension of the San Francisco Municipal Railway’s light rail network.

Siemens is assembling the first 16 of an order of 175 S200 LRVs for delivery this year to expand the fleet; 24 more will be delivered in preparation for the opening of the Subway in 2019.

STOCKTON

A bill raising California’s gasoline tax by 12 cents will provide $52 billion for state transportation projects, including $400 million for a southern extension of the Altamont Corridor Express.

The regional/commuter rail service connects Lathrop and Stockton to the Bay Area, and the extension will for the first time provide transportation to and from Modesto and Ceres by 2023 and, by 2027, Merced in Stanislaus County. The $400 million will come as an appropriation for the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission in 2018, part of $2.9 billion to flow into the state’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program over 10 years.

SACRAMENTO

The Sacramento Regional Transit District saw bus and light rail ridership drop by 12% after it raised fares, to 17 million in the nine months of the current fiscal year beginning in July

PASSENGER RAIL PLANNER GUIDE

2016 from 19 million in the previous fiscal-year period. The RTD launched an online survey to gather feedback from Sacramento County residents about their priorities and vision for the future of public transit.

PORTLAND

TriMet continued to make improvements to its MAX streetcar service, the latest including track and intersection improvements on SW Morrison and Yamhill streets at 11th and 1st Avenues, the oldest section of the MAX system.

Similar improvements were made in 2016 to the 30-year-old system’s 1st Avenue and Rose Quarter areas. The switches and special trackwork at Southwest 11th Avenue connect to what was the end of the original MAX line, which went into service in 1986.

SEATTLE-TACOMA

Sound Transit ordered 30 additional light rail vehicles from Siemens, to serve extension projects to Federal Way and downtown Redmond, Wash. The order expands on the original contract announced in September 2016 to bring the total number of LRVs Siemens will provide for the region to 152.

VANCOUVER

A plan to construct a subway along the Broadway corridor in Vancouver has yet to be finalized after the provincial government that pledged $2.2 billion for transit projects was dissolved.

The subway is part of a 10-year, $7.5 billion plan that also includes a light rail system in Surrey, more buses and SkyTrain cars, and upgrades to transit stations. The federal government has committed $2.2 billion to the plan but municipalities face a funding gap for their share of it.

EDMONTON

Construction continues on the Valley Line Southeast, an 8.6-mile light rail route between 102 Street in downtown Edmonton and Mill Woods Town Centre. The P3 TransEd partnership building the project includes Bombardier, Bechtel, EllisDon and Fengate

Capital Management. The first phase opens in 2020.

CALGARY

Calgary Transit deployed four-car CTrains on the Blue Line LRT in May, part of the order of 63 Mask cars that began arriving from Siemens Canada in 2016. There will be a weekday average of six four-car trains running on the line from 69 Street to Saddletowne.

ONTARIO

Alstom and Metrolinx of Canada announced a C$529 million order for 61 Citadis Spirit light rail vehicles for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area.

The contract includes an option for additional vehicles. Alstom is currently supplying 34 Citadis Spirit vehicles under a 2013 contract for Ottawa’s O-Train Confederation Line. Hamilton’s under-construction LRT line will be extended an additional 1.9 miles to its original eastern terminal, Eastgate

Square, an east Hamilton shopping mall. The crosstown line will now total 8.7 miles.

Metrolinx has more than 200 projects worth more than $16 billion under way, with the goal of transforming GO Transit into a 24-hour, electrified Regional Express Rail system. The Union Station Rail Corridor renewal program aims for a 2019 completion.

MONTREAL

Quebec’s provincial government is considering a bill to confer the authority to expropriate homes and businesses that stand in the way of the REM LRT. The legislation would empower the project’s backer, Caisse de Depot, to expropriate 200 homes and businesses located in the paths of planned light rail lines. The C$5.5 billion integrated electric rail network would link downtown Montreal, South Shore, West Island, North Shore and the airport. Funding for the project is not yet in place. RA

TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE BUILDINGS & FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT ENERGY SERVICES

Enduring. Driven. Visionary.

Reaching the century mark isn’t easy – you have to be quality-driven, client-focused, and have a vision for the future. At 100 years, STV is looking ahead. As an employeeowned firm, our planners, architects, engineers and construction managers have a stake in the business, and are committed to quality performance. We provide personal attention and timely solutions, with an eye toward sustainability. And with more than 35 offices, we are a local firm with national resources.

When it comes to getting your project delivered right, choose the firm that has the drive and vision to be the best.

An employee-owned firm Offices nationwide Toll-free: 877-395-5459 info@stvinc.com www.stvinc.com

June 2017 Railway Age 27

GO Transit goes golden

By JOHN D. THOMPSON, Canadian Contributing Editor

I

t all began on a lovely Spring morning in 1967, Canada’s Centennial Year: Startup of North America’s arguably most successful new commuter rail service, GO Transit.

The “GO” stands for “Government of Ontario,” reflecting the ownership of the operation, and is also a clever play on words. In those early days, the legal name of the authority was “Toronto Area Transit Operating Authority” (TATOA), which was too much of a mouthful for the riding public to be expected to remember.

The initial operation, started on Tuesday, May 23 (the day after a Provincial holiday, Victoria Day) consisted of 40 passenger coaches, nine self-propelled railcars, eight diesel locomotives and 65 route-miles. Today (Spring 2017), the GO rail system has grown to 656 coaches, 75 locomotives and 281 route-miles.

The first service extended from Oakville to Pickering, two towns along Lake Ontario. Pickering was 25 miles east of Toronto Union Station, Oakville 33 miles. There was also very limited rush hour service to Hamilton, at the eastern end of the lake, 40 miles from Union Station.

It will likely surprise many readers to learn the initial sponsor of GO was the Ontario Department of Highways.

It realized, with commendable foresight, that continually expanding roads in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) simply would not work, from the standpoint of land requirements,

28 Railway Age June 2017

cost, and not moving people effectively. It is well known that motor vehicle traffic quickly expands to fill the space available; it is impossible to continually meet the demand.

Canadian National (CN) had, somewhat reluctantly, operated limited commuter service in the area for some time, using 1920s-vintage, heavyweight, non-air-conditioned coaches. These were pulled by steam locomotives as late as the Spring of 1959. The operation, in common with most such services, was run at a loss, and CN had no interest in making improvements or sustaining the service indefinitely.

The catalyst for launching GO train service was the opening, in mid-1965, of CN’s new Toronto (now MacMillan) Hump Yard, a few miles northwest of the city. This facility was linked to the lakeshore line at Burlington (adjacent to Hamilton), and at Pickering. Most CN freight trains were rerouted from the lakeshore onto a new access line north of the city, freeing up existing trackage for commuter service.

The area at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, basically extending from the city of Oshawa, about 35 miles east of Toronto, to Niagara Falls, some 70 miles westward, has for many years been called “The Golden Horseshoe.” This name describes the region’s long-standing role as the industrial and fruit growing heartland of Ontario.

The area contains many industries, such as automotive plants, while Toronto hosts numerous corporate offices,

Stephen C. Host

Marking its 50th anniversary this year, Canada’s premier regional passenger rail system looks forward to a new era of expansion.

e.g., banks and insurance companies, as well as being the Provincial Capital. Toronto was traditionally the second largest Canadian city, after Montreal, but has since secured the number one spot, with more than 2.5 million residents.

It was on this stage that plans were made, beginning in the early Sixties, for the debut of GO service.

In common with many other cities, the Toronto area has numerous so-called bedroom communities; that is, outer suburbs where houses are more affordable than closer in.

It was these areas that GO was intended to serve.

In 1962, the Metropolitan Toronto and Region Transportation Study was tabled. One of the key recommendations was for a new, provincially sponsored rail commuter service.

Thus was GO Transit, as it became known, with its distinctive herald, born. As well, three planned expressways in Toronto were subsequently canceled.

The Provincial Government initially considered GO as a three-year experiment. It was accepted that the service would operate at a deficit, perhaps C$2-3 million annually.

Expenses were held down as much as possible. Existing CN stations were used, or very rudimentary new structures were built. Additional trackage and signals were installed at GO’s expense. Part of CN’s disused Mimico Yard, about five miles west of Union Station, was taken over for a storage yard and maintenance shop. Heavy locomotive repairs and car washing were performed at CN’s Spadina Avenue facility, just west of Union Station.

The Early Years

GO proved to be a tremendous success almost at once; within two weeks, four more trains needed to be added to relieve PM rush hour crowding. By August, despite the summertime vacation period, the service had already attained a daily total of 15,000 riders. A year later the total was 16,000, or 10 times greater than the former CN service. Any plans for cancellation went into the wastebasket of history.

One of the incentives for GO riding has been the provision of free parking at most stations. In recent years, multi-story parking garages have appeared at the busiest stations, but the price is still the same.

In 1978, GO trains arrived in Richmond Hill, a bedroom community on CN’s Bala Subdivision some 20 miles north of Union Station. Meanwhile, other major improvements were in store for GO passengers. In 1979, the first bilevel coaches, including cab control cars, were ordered to help cope with expanding ridership. They represented a new, unique design, jointly developed by GO staff and the builder, that has since been adopted by many other commuter authorities in Canada and the U.S. Autumn 1981 saw GO trains venture onto CPR rails for the first time, from Union Station to Milton, some 35 miles to the northwest on CP’s Toronto-Windsor main line. Two new routes were added in 1982: Bradford, some 40 miles north of Union Station, on CN’s Newmarket Subdivision, and Stouffville, 35 miles out, a small town northeast of Toronto reached via CN’s Kingston and Uxbridge Subdivisions.

In mid-1995, following the election of a Progressive

Conservative government in Ontario, it was announced that there would be significant spending cuts. GO expansion projects were frozen as a result of this new policy.

Another major change, in January 1997, was the announcement that Ontario was turning over GO funding responsibility to the local governments served by the system.

This announcement was very unpopular with the municipalities. The government sweetened the proposal by saying that it was prepared to assume certain costs that were incurred by the municipalities up to that time. The funding responsibilities covered all of GO’s capital and operating deficits, and became effective on Jan. 1, 1998.

Then, one year later, a new, provincially-created agency came into existence: the Greater Toronto Services Board (GTSB). It was comprised of regional chairs, municipal mayors and local councillors from GTSB service area. But following numerous complaints regarding the perceived inequity of the new system, Premier Mike Harris agreed that his government would take back GO Transit as a provincial crown corporation, and would also invest $3 billion in public transit. The experiment in municipal ownership had been a significant failure; the GTSB was abolished.

The year 2006, though, would see the creation of a new super agency: the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority, which soon adopted the current, easily remembered name of Metrolinx. The agency has overall responsibility for planning a seamless, integrated transit network within the GO operating area. In due course, Metrolinx produced a regional transportation plan entitled “The Big Move” to improve coordination between transit systems, such as TTC and GO, with control remaining at the local level.

GO became a division of Metrolinx in 2009, although its operating identity has remained intact. GO requires an operating subsidy, as do most public transit operations. The province accepted this from the outset, and the three parties in power since 1967 have always been willing to provide it.

Operations, Present and (Possibly) Future

From the beginning, GO train operation has been centered on Union Station, which remains a thriving and expanding business, employment and entertainment destination.

From time to time there has been talk of a crosstown GO train service. The most likely candidate for this would be CPR’s North Toronto Subdivision across the central part of the city. CPR would most likely insist upon additional trackage and signaling; this could include widening or replacing two major bridges. Opposition to increased train frequency along this route could be expected from local residents. In short, it would be quite costly and difficult to implement.

Another possible cross-Toronto route would be CN’s freight access line that extends from Burlington to Pickering.

The portion from just east of the city of Brampton, to Pickering, was built in the early 1960s to serve MacMillan Yard; it has always been freight-only. CN would also insist upon numerous expensive physical improvements before it would accept GO trains.

As a result of these considerations, a cross-Toronto route, desirable as it might be, seems unlikely in the near future, June 2017 Railway Age 29

GO TRANSIT

given GO’s other priorities. In short, it may not come to pass until the need is seen as overwhelming.

That said, there has been much discussion recently about remaking GO as something of a local transit service within Toronto. This is been largely at the initiative of the city government, specifically Mayor John Tory, who used it as a campaign promise, dubbing the service “Smart Track.” There is uncertainty as to what form it will take. The concept arose partly because it was realized that there will never be enough money to build all of the rapid transit lines Toronto needs, and Smart Track was seen as a possible alternative.

An encouraging sign is that the federal government has recently promised a major grant to Toronto for transit projects that could include Smart Track, or something called Regional Express Rail.

GO Transit’s mid- to long-term planning includes rail extensions to Bolton, over the CP; Brantford (CN); Peterborough (CP); Uxbridge (GO-owned track); and Bowmanville (CP). There have, over the years, been numerous requests from the city of Cambridge to extend the Milton service westward over the CP to that growing city. The one definite extension, in the works, is the previously mentioned eastward extension on CN, toward Niagara Falls.

If GO decides to implement electrification during the 2020s, route expansion could move to the back burner

30 Railway Age June 2017

for several years. That said, service improvements (all-day service, and perhaps weekend trains) are contemplated for several lines.

The expansion has continued apace with the never-ending population increases in the GTA. Rail service now extends north to the city of Barrie and west to Kitchener.

Future plans include extension of the original Lakeshore service eastward to Bowmanville, about 45 miles from Union Station. A more definite project is expansion of service from Hamilton to Niagara Falls, in increments. This would utilize existing trackage: CN’s Grimsby Subdivision. The first section, from the new West Harbour station at James Street in downtown Hamilton, to a station to be built at Centennial Parkway, is approved and scheduled to begin by 2019. Also, GO has assumed responsibility for Union Pearson Express, serving Pearson International Airport near Toronto.

Over the years GO has reduced its dependence on CN for the provision of operating and maintenance personnel.

Much of this work is presently contracted out to Bombardier.

Thinking back to that exciting and optimistic day in May 1967, when GO service began, it may be appropriate to close with an analogy from a famous movie: “Build It, and They Will Come.”

This is a condensed version of a much longer, highly detailed story available at www.railwayage.com. RA

Striking the right

compact

Maintaining proper track geometry and providing a uniform track structure bed begins with proper tamping.

By MISCHA WANEK-LIBMAN, Engineering Editor

T

amping can help increase the durability of the track structure. Manufacturers are providing equipment that is versatile and able to perform more tasks, but remains easy to transport. Tamping equipment is also becoming “smarter” by accessing data sets that are designed to increase the efficiency and productivity of this key maintenance practice.

Ease of Transport

Nordco Inc. says reliability, productivity and total cost of ownership continue to be key drivers among its customer base, but adds that transportability has been gaining on the expectation list.

“Over the past year we have had multiple customers seeking tamping equipment that can be easily transported to job sites and get to work quickly to eliminate slow orders,” says Bob Coakley, director of sales and marketing. “This is music to our ears as this is exactly why we created our RoadReady Production Tamper and RoadReady Ballast Regulator.”

Coakley explains that the Nordco RoadReady Production Tamper was designed for mobility, productivity, and ease of use. The RoadReady Production Tamper attaches to an overthe-road tractor-trailer for ease of loading, transportation and unloading.

“It has been designed to comply with current U.S. and Canadian highway and bridge standards to allow transport without special permits and without time-of-day travel restrictions. Customers enjoy the full capabilities of a production tamper with an easy-to-deploy reference and geometry system with the Transportability like they have never seen but always wanted,” says Coakley.

Elevating Machine Productivity

Plasser American Corp. explains that work windows are at a premium, and that it will be more difficult for railroads to get track time since maintenance requirements increase as traffic increases. The company says it has worked to help mitigate this by providing machines with increased June 2017 Railway Age 31

tampers

Plasser American 09-2X DYNACAT tamping unit.

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

RAILWAY MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

“ Get on the Right Track” Fall 2017 Registration Now Open Sue Lonier • 517.353.5667 railway.broad.msu.edu/info

32

Railway Age

June 2017

production using continuous action tamping technology, multi-tie tampers and combining multiple functions, i.e. tamping and track stabilizing, into a single machine without adding additional operators.

Plasser introduced the 09-2X DYNACAT based on the company philosophy of high capacity, precision and reliability. The 09-2X DYNACAT combines multi-tie tamping for increased productivity with a dynamic track stabilizer that allows for production and switch tamping to be performed with a single operator.

Plasser points to the machine’s new two-tie tamping unit, which enables two ties to be tamped in one operation, resulting in higher tamping performance, or only one tie if the tie spacing becomes irregular or the machine has to work on track sections with skewed ties. The company says each tamping unit can be lifted and lowered individually to provide maximum flexibility during tamping on maintenance or renewal jobs, which makes the 09-2X DYNACAT versatile for the user. Plasser explains that this production capability is especially important for high-density railways where track availability is minimal.

The 09-2X DYNACAT can be purchased as a complete new machine, or an older DYNACAT may be upgraded to this new version as part of a complete factory rebuild and upgrade that would include upgrading the electrical control system to the latest PLC control system.

Plasser’s GRM3000T Switch Production tamper is standard-equipped with Plasser American’s TampLink®, the universal interface to connect different types of Plasser

tampers

American machines with a 2X Tamping trailer, PST16SW Switch and Spot Tamper or a PTS90C Dynamic Track Stabilizer to increase work performance and provide more flexibility. The GRM3000T with one of these additional machines coupled to it only requires one operator. All of these machines are designed so that they can be transported over the road, loaded onto trailers.

To further enhance the GRM3000T, Plasser American developed and built a mobile tamping simulator that can be used for training. The company says the use of modern 3D technology on this tamping simulator allows superior operator training to be carried out much quicker than would be possible on the actual machine. A detailed reproduction of the GRM3000T’s work cabin is intended to provide trainees with an authentic working environment, while a large 3D display immerses them in their virtual surroundings.

Plasser has been using tamping simulators successfully for years. The company explains that cautious estimates by responsible trainers assume that it takes an operator about one and a half to two years to gain the specialist skills required for daily work with a tamping machine when they are trained on the job during worksite operation.

“By using a tamping simulator and its carefully designed training programs, it is possible that trainee operators gain this specialist knowledge in two to six weeks, depending on

their prior knowledge. All this without the risk of damage to the track or the machine,” says Plasser.

The syllabus of the training programs ranges from general work procedures to tamping theory, obstacles and problems, as well as leveling, lining and cross-level systems. Training programs can be planned to ensure optimum availability of the actual tamping machine while using the simulator for training selected machine operators.

Tamping equipment is becoming smarter by accessing data sets to increase efficiency and productivity.

Another machine Plasser offers is the Minima II tamper, a small lightweight unit that can be moved between locations on a small trailer. Plasser explains this machine is ideal for spot tamping and is well suited for Class I’s, short lines and contractors. The machine is equipped with manual lift, leveling and lining systems. “Even though the machine is small, you get the same quality tamping Plasser is known for,” says the company.

June 2017 Railway Age 33

tampers Leveraging Data

“This unique feature saves valuable time and reduces potenProtran Technology, a division of Harsco Rail, recently tial errors associated with manually typing in correction values. introduced the Callisto ProTamp track geometry measureOnce the operator accepts the best-fit curve, the tamper will ment system for the Harsco Mark Series and 6700 tamper in begin to place the track accordingly. Callisto ProTamp brings response to customer demand for higher tamping efficiency value to customers by offering a highly efficient, easy to use, and productivity at a low cost. The company says the Callisto low-cost solution that will set the new standard for quality ProTamp offers an innovative, low-cost aftermarket add-on tamping,” explains Protran Technology. RA developed on Harsco’s Jupiter platform that improves tamper operational efficiency, productivity and output quality “Historically, track geometry measurements are collected using a measurement buggy system extended out in front of the tamper that is time-consuming to deploy and has a limited recording speed. By offering a simple addition, the Callisto ProTamp system eliminates the need to deploy a buggy system and allows a tamper to collect track geometry data from 0-30 mph,” says Protran Technology.

Measurement data is collected and stored while the tamper is traveling and then recalled when the tamper is switched to work mode. Protran Technology says the Callisto ProTamp matches the historical data to the exact current position of the tamper with a high degree of accuracy. The Harsco System V software then automatically calculates the recommended correction values to determine the best-fit curve. If needed, the operator can adjust the values by simply dragging and dropping the best-fit curve to a preferred location.

1_2pgHorzWrkStTraining2016.qxp_Layout 1 8/17/16 3:25 PM Page 1 Flexible Scheduling.

Anytime. Anywhere.

Work Site Training Courses:

My Employees don’t have time for training.

CORRESPONDENCE TRAINING • WORK SITE TRAINING

Locomotive: •

GE 7FDL Diesel Engine Maintenance

•

Testing and Troubleshooting 26-Type Locomotive Air Brake Systems

•

Locomotive Periodic Inspection and FRA Rules Compliance

•

Locomotive Electrical Maintenance and Troubleshooting

•

Locomotive Air Brake Maintenance and Troubleshooting

•

Distributed Power Maintenance and Troubleshooting

•

Distributed Power Operations, Training, and Operating Rules

Freight Car:

The Railway Educational Bureau The Railway Educational Bureau 1809 Capitol Ave., Omaha NE, 68102 Toll Free (800) 228-9670 • (402) 346-4300

www.RailwayEducationalBureau.com 34

Railway Age

June 2017

•

Freight Car Inspection and Repair

•

Single Car Air Brake Test

•

FRA Part 232 Brake System Safety Standards for freight and other non-passenger trains

•

Train Yard Safety

Track: •

Track Safety Standards

People

Meetings

High profile The U.S. Senate confirmed Jeffrey Rosen as Deputy Transportation Secretary. Rosen is a Harvard Law School graduate and served as general counsel and senior policy advisor for the White House Office of Management and Budget from 2006 to 2009 and as general counsel at the USDOT from 2003 to 2006. Rosen’s confirmation comes shortly before the Trump Administration plans to release its much-anticipated infrastructure proposal, which USDOT Secretary Elaine Chao has said would happen in a matter of Rosen weeks. Rosen’s Senate vote was not completely drama-free, USDOT as Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced her intention to withhold support for all USDOT nominees until funding was released for Caltrain’s electrification project. The FTA released the funding late last month.

July 10-11, 2017 Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) Summer Meeting Grand Geneva Resort Lake Geneva, Wisc. http://www.mwrailshippers.com/

July 24-26, 2017 AAR 2017 Damage Prevention & Freight Claim Conference Hyatt Regency

Benjamin R. Whiteley, 87, former Chairman of The Greenbrier Companies Board of Directors, died May 4, 2017. Whiteley began his career in 1956 with The Standard, an Oregonbased insurance company, serving as Chief Executive from 1983-94 and as Chairman until retiring in 1998. In 1985 he helped arrange the State of Oregon’s participation in a debt transaction that allowed Greenbrier to purchase its Gunderson manufacturing operation in North Portland. He was elected to the Greenbrier board at the time of the company’s initial public offering in 1994, and served as chairman from 2000-14. In that time, Greenbrier expanded from its local roots to a multinational supplier with a worldwide network on four continents.

He also helped guide the company into new and successful lines such as automotive-related rail products and tank cars. He is survived by his wife, Elaine.

Plasser American Corp. has appointed long-time executive Ronald Olds as Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Olds previously worked as Sales Manager and has been with Plasser American, the U.S. arm of Austriabased Plasser & Theurer, a manufacturer of rail maintenance machines, for 41 years. He is responsible for all aspects of sales and marketing including overseeing outside and inside staff personnel. Olds is based at Plasser American headquarters in Chesapeake, Va., and reports directly to Thomas Blechinger, President.

The League of Railway Industry Women is seeking nominations for four Board of Directors positions: Scholarship Chair, Membership Chair, Awards Chair and Director. The terms of these three-year positions will begin in fall 2017. The volunteer LRIW Board of Directors is comprised of 15 female industry professionals from across the U.S. and Canada, of which four govern the Executive Committee. Interested applicants can visit http://lriw.org/ourboard/current-opportunties/ for more information. The LRIW’s 2017 Annual Conference will be held Sept. 18-19, in conjunction with Railway Interchange 2017, in Indianapolis.

100 YEARS AGO in

Savannah, Ga. https://www.regonline.com/ DPFC2017 Contact: dpls@aar.com

August 15-17, 2017 Michigan Rail Conference Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Mich. http://rail.mtu.edu Contact: dannelso@mtu.edu or alkerttu@mtu.edu

Sept. 17-20, 2017 Railway Interchange 2017 Indiana Convention Center Indianapolis, Ind. http://railwayinterchange.org

Sept. 25-29, 2017

June 1917 WHY COLLEGE MEN LEAVE RAILROADS C.H. Benjamin, dean of the schools of engineering at Purdue University, in analyzing … the occupations followed and remuneration received by engineering graduates, forcefully emphasizes one of the defects in railway organization. He concludes that college graduates give up their positions with the railroads after a few years because of their small salaries.

It is to be noted, moreover, that those engaged in transportation work were the lowest paid of all the occupations considered.

Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) 2017 Annual Convention Dallas, Tex. Contact: ray@globalsignals.net http://irsecon17.wixsite.com/dallas

Oct. 19-20, 2017 Railway Age/Parsons International Conference on Next-Generation Train Control Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown Information: http://railwayage.com conferences@sbpub.com

June 2017 Railway Age 35

Products Ingersoll Rand torque multiplier

Ingersoll Rand has introduced the QX Series™ Cordless Torque Multiplier, a

high-torque fastening tool for industrial applications that achieves up to 1,475

foot-pounds of torque. The tool has a brushless motor paired with a premium Norbar® gearbox to generate 160 times the torque of a standard QX Series tool.

It is available in five combinations of torque and speed capability, ranging from 30 to 1,475 foot-pounds and 5 to 45 revolutions per minute. The tool can also store records for up to 1,200 fastenings, which can be downloaded to a computer via a USB cable or wirelessly transferred to a dedicated Process Communication Module. It operates on the Ingersoll Rand IQV20 Series™ battery system, and each 20-volt battery charge will rundown an average of 100 bolts.

Information: http://www.ingersollrandproducts.com.

Smart Arm Manipulator

Handling Specialty’s S.A.M (Smart Arm Manipulator) is a laser- and camera-assisted motion control solution utilizing a custom heavy-duty multi-axis manipulator arm. The S.A.M comes complete with supporting framework of the positioning arm for quick installation, a compact footprint and the ability to lift and hold large payloads. The

software is set up to the client’s parameters, programmed with pre-defined movements at the Handling Speciality test facility to ensure easy integration and seamless interface with the client’s equipment and controls.

An operator monitors the positioning of the arm via an on-screen live feed camera display, which is well-suited for advanced manufacturing, where heavyduty, robot-like movement and repeatability are required. The versatile and robust multi-axis smart-motion control system can also be engineered to run fully automatically, simplifying the work required by the application while freeing up the operator.

Information: http://www.handling.com.

Powerrail locomotive A/C Powerrail is offering the Orange Locomotive Air Conditioner, a patentpending splittype locomotive a/c system that does not need an inverter. The modular threecomponent system is powered directly 36

Railway Age

June 2017

from the locomotive’s batteries via a compressor with brushless motor, with a 32,000-BTU evaporator/air handler using Variable Refrigerant Flow technology. Powerrail claims it saves up to 30% in energy consumption over conventional systems while reducing power surges in a 72VDC system.

Information: Sales@EPowerRail.com; (570) 883-7005.

Concrete Fasteners Red Head anchor Concrete Fasteners, Inc. has introduced the Red Head Trubolt+ wedge anchor, an American-made product approved for cracked and uncracked concrete and seismic applications. The new anchor features design flexibility with minimum edge distance and anchor spacing requirements, and is the first 1/4-inch wedge anchor approved by ICC Evaluation Service for seismic, cracked and un-cracked concrete. It is available in 1/4- and 3/8-inch lengths; order direct from the manufacturer for immediate delivery.

Information: salesanchoringsalesmanagers@itwccna.com.

Ad Index Company

Phone #

Fax

URL/Email address

Alstom Transport SA

+1(514)673-5278

elaine.west@transport.alstom.com

C4

Danella Rental Systems, Inc.

610-828-6200

610-828-2260

pbarents@danella.com

33

Dixie Precast

770-944-1930

770-944-9136

fbrown142@aol.com

33

Kinkisharyo Eastern Rail Division

732-230-4501

732-979-2378

businessdevelopment@kinkisharyo.com

11

LTK Engineering Services

215-641-8826

215-542-7676

tfurmaniak@ltk.com

26

MAC Products

973-344-0700

973-344-5891

edward.gollob@macproducts.net

12

Michigan Sate University

517-353-5663

517-353-0796

littlen@broad.msu.edu

32

Miller Ingenuity

877-843-0767

sales@milleringenuity.

3

Plasser American Corp

757-543-3526

757-494-7186

plasseramerican@plausa.com

C2

Progress Rail Services

256-505-6402

256-505-6051

info@progressrail.com

23

Railquip Inc

770-458-4157

770-458-5365

sales@railquip.com

30

Railway Tie Association

770-460-5553

770-460-5573

ties@rta.org

Railway Educational Bureau, The

402-346-4300

402-346-1783

Road & Rail Services

502-365-5198

Siemens

800-SIEMENS

www.usa.siemens.com/transportation 21

STV Inc

212-777-4400

info@stvinc.com

27

Subway

203-877-4281x1398

Smethurst_L@subway.com

14

212-529-5237

Page #

5

bbrundige@sb-reb.com

34,C3 13

The Advertisers Index is an editorial feature maintained for the convenience of readers. It is not part of the advertiser contract and Railway Age assumes no responsibility for the correctness.

Advertising Sales MAIN OFFICE Jonathan Chalon, Publisher 55 Broad St., 26th Floor New York, NY 10004 (212) 620-7224 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jchalon@sbpub.com AL, KY, Jon Chalon 55 Broad St., 26th Floor New York, NY 10004 (212) 620-7224 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jchalon@sbpub.com CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, WV, Canada – Quebec and East, Ontario Jerome Marullo 55 Broad St., 26th Floor New York, NY 10004 (212) 620-7260 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jmarullo@sbpub.com

AR, AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, In, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NE, NM, ND, NV, OK, OR, SD, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY, Canada – AB, BC, MB, SK Heather Disabato 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 Chicago, IL 60603 (312) 683-5026 Fax: (312) 683-0131 hdisabato@sbpub.com The Netherlands, Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal, Switzerland, North Germany, Middle East, South America, Africa (not South), Far East (Excluding Korea /China/India), All Others, Tenders Louise Cooper International Area Sales Manager The Priory, Syresham Gardens Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom +44-1444-416368 Fax: +44-(0)-1444-458185 lc@railjournal.co.uk

Scandinavia, Spain, Southern Germany, Austria, Korea, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Russia, Eastern Europe Baltic States, Recruitment Advertising Michael Boyle International Area Sales Manager Nils Michael Boyle Dorfstrasse 70, 6393 St. Ulrich, Austria. +011436767089872 mboyle@railjournal.com Italy, Italian-speaking Switzerland Dr. Fabio Potesta Media Point & Communications SRL Corte Lambruschini Corso Buenos Aires 8 V Piano, Genoa, Italy 16129 +39-10-570-4948 Fax: +39-10-553-0088 info@mediapointsrl.it

Japan Katsuhiro Ishii Ace Media Service, Inc. 12-6 4-Chome, Nishiiko, Adachi-Ku Tokyo 121-0824 Japan +81-3-5691-3335 Fax: +81-3-5691-3336 amkatsu@dream.com CLASSIFIED, PROFESSIONAL & EMPLOYMENT Jeanine Acquart 55 Broad St., 26th Floor New York, NY 10004 (212) 620-7211 Fax: (212) 633-1325 jacquart@sbpub.com

June 2017 Railway Age 37

RECRUITMENT

TRAINING

EDNA A. RICE, EXECUTIVE RECRUITER, INC EDNA A. RICE, President

(713) 667-0406 FAX (713) 667-1651 Web address: www.ednarice. com Email: resume@ednarice.com

6750 West Loop South Suite 735 Bellaire, Texas 77401-4111

Part 243 Training & Certification Part 242 Conductor Training Part 240 Engineer Training and re-certification -------------------------------------------------------Modoc Railroad Academy 916-965-5515 info@modocrail.com

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

strAteGic PLANNiNG: • Commuter rail tranSitionS • fra ComplianCe programS • operationS auditing

Kansas City Office (913) 661-2424 oPerAtioNs trAiNiNG & coNsULtiNG: www.tcsrailservices.com • engineer training & CertifiCation other services: • exCellent HiStory witH fra, ntSB • Staffing • interim management • meCHaniCal & part 238(Qmp)

RailwayAge.com

The News Destination for the Rail Industry

Get the inside scoop on and off the track

Rail BRief: The Weekly RT&S Email Newsletter SubScribe at: www.rtands.com/RailBrief

38 Railway Age June 2017

equipment Sale/Leasing

LOCOMOTIVE BATTERY AGM64RR

Available For Lease • Pressure Differential (PD) Covered Hopper Cars – 5,125 & 5,230 cu. ft., 286K GRL, operate at 14.7 psi.

• Pressure Differential (PD) Covered Hopper Cars – 5,150 cu. ft., 263K GRL, operate at 14.7 psi.

• Mill Gondolas – 52’6” inside length with 4’6” sides • Open Top Hopper Cars – 4,000 cu. ft., three pocket with manual gates and rotary couplers.

• Box Cars – 60’ cars equipped with interior load dividers, plug doors & cushioned underframes.

• Covered Hopper Cars – 3,250 cu. ft., 286K GRL

For additional information and pricing, please contact John Goodwin phone (605) 582-8318 e-mail jgoodwin@mwrail.com www.carmathinc.com

• MAINTENANCE FREE SEALED LEAD ACID BATTERY • • 214 AMP HOUR BATTERY CAPACITY • 750 LBS • • 3800 AMPS PEAK CURRENT • 1600 CCA @ 80˚ F • • 1450 CCA @ 32˚ F • 1300 CCA @ 0˚ F • • CYCLIC CHARGE VOLTAGE 76.8V - 78.9V • • FLOAT CHARGE 72.0V - 73.6V • 64V BATTERY • • BUILT-IN FORKLIFT POCKETS FOR EASY INSTALL •

EMPLOYMENT

www.STARTPAC.com OR TOLL FREE 844.901.9987

Available for Lease AGM64RR (3.4in x 5in).indd 1

18/02/2016 3000 cu ft Covered Hopper Cars 4650 cu ft Covered Hopper Cars 3600 cu ft Open Top Hopper Cars 4480 cu ft Aluminum Rotary Open Top Gons 65 ft, 100-ton log spine cars equipped with six (6) log bunks 60 ft, 100 ton Plate F box cars, cushioned underframe and 10 ft plug doors 50 ft, 100 ton Plate C box cars, cushioned underframe and 10 ft plug doors

Contact: Tom Monroe: 415-616-3472 Email: tmonroe@atel.com

Canadian Pacific is looking for talented individuals to join our Signals and Communications team! Current open positions include Signal Electronic Technicians. All positions are located 15:46 throughout the Midwest. To view full job descriptions and submit your resume, please visit our website at www.cpr.ca/en/careers.

CP is an EEO/AA Employer

GLOBAL RAIL TENDERS

MARKETPLACE SALES Contact: Jeanine Acquart Ph: 212/620-7211 Fax: 212/633-1165 Email: jacquart@sbpub.com

ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

TuRninG OppORTuniTies inTO new Business

Get up-to-the-minute business intelligence by subscribing to GlobalRailTenders.com Powered by

June 2017 Railway Age 39

Perspective Tom Simpson, President – Railway Supply Institute

Industry committees provide vital services

E

ach year, hundreds of executives, technical experts, engineers and safety officers from across the railway supplier universe engage in an activity that, while largely unheralded, is enormously important to our industry and the North American economy.

This is the countless hours people spend volunteering to serve on technical committees for the Railway Supply Institute (RSI) and other industry associations and professional groups. This contribution of knowledge, experience and know-how is critical to smooth and safe operations and helps keep railroads and the economy moving.

Let’s start with the experts who participate on RSI’s six standing committees: the American Railcar Institute (ARCI), RSI Committee on Tank Cars (RSICTC), Quality Assurance, Equipment Leasing, State Taxation, and Government/Public Affairs committees, whose members are engaged, civic-minded, and seasoned industry professionals impacting our industry in tangible ways.

One example is the vital role played

by ARCI, which has been collecting and reporting on new freight car orders, deliveries, and backlogs since the 1930s. ARCI’s statistical data is collected quarterly and provides an important barometer for economic trends in our industry and the nation.

Component suppliers use the data as a business planning tool to forecast the need for new rolling stock; Wall Street analysts use the data by car type to better understand the health of economic sectors such as mining, energy, chemicals, construction, auto manufacturing, imports and intermodal; the federal government uses the data as a measure of U.S. economic vitality. In addition to producing public reports, ARCI also works closely with its counterparts at the AAR, TTCI, 40

Railway Age

June 2017

freight railroads and component suppliers to identify and solve issues affecting freight car operation and utilization.

The RSICTC is another example where railway supply professionals are tirelessly working to remove the risk of moving hazardous materials by rail. The committee fosters and facilitates discussion, solicits and evaluates materials and tank car design improvements, and comments on tank car standards, regulations, and policy. In combination with the AAR, RSICTC funds the RSI/AAR Tank Car Safety Research Project that

The time-honored committee system has helped create our safe, efficient rail industry. has invested millions collecting and analyzing data that has led to safety improvements such as head shields, shelf couplers and stronger types of steel. The RSICTC also developed the online Tank Car Resource Center, which demonstrates our commitment to reducing risk from tank cars used in flammable liquid service.

Of course, RSI is not the only organization whose committee work is vital.

The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of-Way Association (AREMA) is an individual membership organization with 31 committees that drive improvements, supplier innovation and broader investment in sub-segments of the industry that include everything from structures, track, communications and signals, maintenance, engineering services and

passengerrail. AREMA committees develop seminars and webinars, and create and edit manuals covering topics ranging from bridges, track, and railgrade crossing maintenance to high-tech issues like PTC, commuter and intercity rail systems, track measurement and assessment. As AREMA Executive Director and CEO Beth Caruso puts it, “Our mission is developing and advancing technical and practical knowledge and recommended practices for the design, construction and maintenance of railway infrastructure. The work of our committees is an integral part of our mission and offers an invaluable way for our members to network with industry professionals.”

Committees are likewise instrumental to the good work done across the Coordinated Mechanical Associations (CMA). Whether it’s advancing product improvements, informing policies and regulations, promoting professionalism industry-wide, or putting together technical conferences, committees are hard at work behind the scenes of the five CMA member organizations: ABA, IAROO, LRIW, LMOA and MARTS. In addition, the AAR has technical committees, many of which include railway supplier representatives. The investment of time and talent that theycontribute each year to committee meetings, conferences and other industry events is invaluable.

Since 1827, when the Baltimore & Ohio became the first U.S. railroad chartered for commercial transport of passengers and freight, railroads have been one of the most reliable and successful industries in North America.

The committee system, with its timehonored transfer of knowledge from one generation of professionals to the next, has led to an increasingly safer, more efficient movement of goods and people by rail.

We’re current, are you? FRA Regulations FRA News:

Mechanical Department Regulations A combined reprint of the Federal Regulations that apply specifically to the Mechanical Department. Spiral bound.

Part Title 210 Railroad Noise Emission Compliance Regulations 215 Freight Car Safety Standards 216 Emergency Order Procedures: Railroad Track, Locomotive and Equipment Updated 4-3-17.

217 Railroad Operating Rules 218 Railroad Operating Practices - Blue Flag Rule 221 Rear End Marking Device-passenger, commuter/freight trains 223 Safety Glazing Standards Updated 4-3-17.

225 Railroad Accidents/Incidents Updated 4-3-17.

229 Locomotive Safety Standards 231 Safety Appliance Standards 232 Brake System Safety Standards

$28.95

Mech. Dept. Regs.

BKMFR

Order 25 or more and pay only $26.00 each

49 CFR Part 243 Training, Qualification, and Oversight for Safety-Related Railroad Employees.

This document delays the implementation dates in the final rule published November 7, 2014, because model training program developers alerted FRA they will not be able to timely produce model programs that an estimated 1,459 railroads and contractors are expected to use to comply with the rule’s program submission requirements.

DATES: This regulation is effective June 2, 2017. Petitions for reconsideration of this delay must be received on or before May 23, 2017. Petitions for reconsideration will be posted in the docket for this proceeding. Comments on any submitted petition for reconsideration must be received on or before June 19, 2017.

Current FRA Regulations Item Code

FRA Part #

209 211 BKTSSAF 213 BKTSSG 213 BKWRK 214 BKFSS 215 BKROR 217 218 BKRRC 220 BKEND 221 BKSEP

Update effective

4-3-17 7-20-09 4-3-17 4-3-17 4-3-17 4-3-17 4-3-17 4-3-17 4-3-17 4-3-17

BKHORN 222 4-3-17 BKRFRS 224 4-3-17 BKHS BKLSS BKSLI BKSAS BKBRIDGE BKLER

228 229 230 231 237 240

4-3-17 4-3-17 4-3-17 4-3-17 4-3-17 4-3-17

BKCONDC 242 4-3-17

BKBSS

BKCAD BKSTC

BKPSS

232 4-3-17

FRA Part #

40 219

233 234 235 236 238 239

Update effective

Each

RR Safety Enforcement Procedures & Rules of Practice Track Safety Standards (Subpart A-F) Track Safety Standards (Subpart G) RR Workplace Safety RR Freight Car Safety Standards RR Operating Rules and Practices

28.50 10.50 9.50 9.95 7.65 9.95

9.45 8.55 8.95 6.90 8.95

RR Communications Rear End Marking Device, Passenger, Commuter & Freight Trains Use of Locomotive Horns Reflectorization of Rail Freight Rolling Stock Hours of Service Locomotive Safety Standards Steam Locomotive Inspection RR Safety Appliance Standards Bridge Safety Standards Qualification and Certification of Locomotive Conductor Certification

5.95 5.50

5.35 4.95

13.75

12.40

6.95 11.00 11.50 23.95 9.95 6.95 13.25

6.25

8.95 6.25 11.90

11.50

10.35

Each

25 or more

15.25

13.70

Brake System Safety Standards

Combined FRA Regulations Each

25 or more

8-8-16 4-3-17

Drug and Alcohol Regulations in the Workplace

37.00

4-3-17 4-3-17 4-3-17 4-3-17 4-3-17 4-3-17

Signal and Train Control Systems

20.50

18.45

Passenger Safety Standards

23.80

21.40

BKTM

Track and Rail and Infrastructure Integrity Compliance Manual - Volume II, Track Safety Standards - Part 213 Technical Manual for Signal and Train Control Rules. - Includes Part 233, 234, 235, 236

"Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs" and "Control of Alcohol and Drug Use." Both regulations are in one book. Softcover.

Spiral bound. 87 pages.

BKCAD

Drug and Alcohol

$37.00

Part 228: Hours of Service of Railroad Employees 49 CFR 228 for records and reporting of hours of duty of a railroad employee. Also covers the construction of employee sleeping quarters and health requirements for camp cars. 40 pages. Spiral bound.

BKHS

Hours of Service of RR Employees

$11.00

10.35

Compliance Manuals BKTRACKCOMP

Drug and Alcohol Regulations

50 or more

33.00 47.00

Updates from the Federal Register may be supplied in supplement form.

30.00 42.30

Track and Rail and Infrastructure Integrity Compliance Manual - Volume II, Track Safety Standards Updated 2017. This book consists of the guidance the FRA provides to its inspectors to properly apply the Track Safety Standards (TSS) during inspection activities. It covers Classes of Track 1 through 5. Includes defect codes for Part 213. 190 pages.

Spiral bound.

BKTRACKCOMP

Trk and Rail and Infra. Integrity Comp.Man.

Order 25 or more and pay only $30.00 each

$33.00

800-228-9670 www.transalert.com

The Railway Educational Bureau 1809 Capitol Ave., Omaha NE, 68102 I (800) 228-9670 I (402) 346-4300 www.RailwayEducationalBureau.com

Add Shipping & Handling if your merchandise subtotal is: U.S.A. CAN U.S.A. CAN UP TO $10.00 $4.50 $8.75 25.01 - 50.00 10.78 16.80 10.01 - 25.00 7.92 12.65 50.01 - 75.00 11.99 21.20

Orders over $75, call for shipping

*Prices subject to change. Revision dates subject to change in accordance with laws published by the FRA. 6/17

CITADIS SPIRIT  100% low-floor design  2,000 + Citadis vehicles in 50+ cities world-wide  65 mph (105 km/h) top speed  Superior accessibility and passenger flow  Enhanced comfort and passenger experience  Custom-designed aesthetics  Designed to maximize availability  Local manufacturing in Canada & the U.S.

www.alstom.com