Still more Thursday morning rail news:
DOT awards $40 million for commuter rail grade-crossing projects
The Department of Transportation has awarded $40 million in grants to five states to improve grade crossings along commuter rail routes. The funds, awarded by the Federal Highway Administration in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Transit Administration, come from the Commuter Authority Rail Safety Improvement Grants Program. The largest award, $19.7 million, will go to improvements along Metro-North’s Harlem Line at nine locations in Winchester, Dutchess, and Putnam Counties. California will receive $14.7 million for work addressing Metrolink crossings at Tyler Avenue and Cogswell Road in El Monte, Calif. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority ($3.3 million), Central Puget Sound (Wash.) Regional Transit Authority ($1.4 million), and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ($1 million) are also receiving grants.
Salt Lake bridge destroyed by fire could be replaced in 10 days, company says
Patriot Rail says it could have the Salt Lake, Garfield & Western bridge destroyed by fire replaced within 10 days. Gephardt Daily reports Patriot Rail COO Matthew Service said in a statement that work to replace the bridge in Salt Lake Citybegan on Tuesday. The company is working with the Salt Lake County Health Department, Utah Department of Environmental Quality and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to mitigate environmental impacts from the fire and said officials from those agencies do not anticipate any lingering health effects. The bridge caught fire Jan. 7 and burned for several days before being dismantled [see “Digest: No one injured in reported explosion of UP locomotive,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 10, 2020].
Jacobs to handle design of South Shore’s West Lake extension
Jacobs, a Dallas-based engineering firm, announced it will be the designer of record on the South Shore’s West Lake Commuter Rail Corridor, the new 8-mile branch between Hammond and Dyer, Ind., to be built by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District. The $933 million project has achieved full funding, allowing work to begin, and is expected to be complete in 2024 [see “Digest: Groundbreaking hails significance of South Shore extension,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 28, 2020]. Construction of the design-build project will be by the F.H. Paschen and Ragnar Benson Joint Venture.
