UNITED States transportation secretary Mrs Elaine Chao attended a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the future Union Square station in Somerville, Massachusetts, on June 25 to mark the official start of construction on the extension of Boston’s light rail Green Line.
THE city of Gatineau, Quebec, has unveiled proposals for a 26km light rail network which, according to its promoters, will help encourage movement of the population in the west of the city to downtown Gatineau and Ottawa, Ontario.
TWO US rail projects have been recommended for $US 148.2m in grants, plus another four grade-separation schemes totalling $US 66m, out of 26 transport projects recommended by the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) to be awarded a total of $US 1.54bn in federal funds which form part of the 2018 Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (Infra) grant programme.
GENESEE & Wyoming Canada has announced that its Huron Central Railway (HCRY) subsidiary will cease operating by the end of the year, citing a lack of funding from the province of Ontario to maintain services on its 283km line between Sault Sainte Marie and Sudbury.
GREATER Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) and Metrolinx have agreed to work together on a study looking at a potential rail connection between the Regional Transit and Passenger Centre at Toronto Pearson International Airport and the Kitchener rail corridor.
MONTREAL Metropolitan Transport Network (RTM) has unveiled a $C 450m ($US 344.7m) five-year plan to improve service reliability on all of its lines with investment in infrastructure, rolling stock, operations, and maintenance, as well as an enhanced winter operation plan.
LORAM Maintenance of Way and Georgetown Rail Equipment Company (Grex) have completed a definitive merger agreement whereby Loram will acquire all outstanding shares of Grex.
US Department of Transportation (USDOT) secretary Ms Elaine Chao has sent a form letter to 47 Class 1, inter-city and state and local transit authorities to stress the urgency and importance of implementing Positive Train Control (PTC) by December 31 2018.
THE US Federal government has denied that any agreement was in place to help fund the $US 20bn Gateway programme to increase capacity on the Northeast Corridor.