News Wire Digest Third Section for Thursday, Feb. 13 NEWSWIRE

And still more rail news on a very busy Thursday:

— Denver’s Regional Transportation District is threatening legal action against the contractor building its N Line commuter route to Thornton, Colo. In a notice posted on its website, the RTD says it is considering issuing a former notice of default against Regional Rail Partners after its failure to meet its latest target date to turn the project over to the RTD. That passed on Feb. 3. Groundbreaking on the N Line came in March 2014; the line was originally scheduled to be in service in 2018.

— Alstom could reach agreement with Bombardier as early as this week on purchase of Bombardier’s rail division, Bloomberg reports, saying “advanced talks” on the deal is underway. The potential deal, first reported in January [see “Report: Bombardier, Alstom discussing combining rail units,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 22, 2020] would make Alstom the world’s No. 2 manufacturer behind China’s CRRC.

— A newly appointed member of NJ Transit’s board of directors cannot begin serving until legislation addresses a 1911 law preventing individuals from serving with two state agencies simultaneously. Bob Murphy, a former state senator, has also been nominated to serve on the state Public Utilities Commission. Northjersey.com reports Murphy attended Wednesday’s meeting of the NJ Transit board but did not vote on resolutions or participate in an executive session. Legislation has been introduced in both houses of the state legislature to address the law. At the meeting, NJ Transit CEO Kevin Corbett said meeting the Dec. 31 deadline for PTC implementation will be a “monumental effort … for the rest of the year.”

— Use of creosote-coated railroad ties as fuel at wood-burning power plants in rural Georgia is spurring an effort by state legislators to change the law allowing the burning of such materials. The Georgia Recorder reports State Rep. Alan Powell has introduced a law that would ban the state’s Environmental Protection Division from allowing permits for power plants to burn materials coated with creosote or napthenate, both believed to be carcinogenic.