Commuter Rail

CHICAGO – The last two cars of a northbound Orange Line Chicago Transit Authority train derailed at 14th and State Street south of the Roosevelt Line station Tuesday, Dec. 19, causing delays on both the Green and Orange lines.Several minor injures were reported in the derailment. The train’s first two cars did not have a problem passing over a switch, but apparently the switch moved before the final two cars passed, causing the derailment, The Associated Press reported. At the time of the derailment, the train was traveling about 25 mph. Orange Line trains were operating between Midway and Halsted,

NEWARK, N.J. – N.J. Transit is planning to renovate the station building and build longer, wider platforms at N.J. Transit’s busiest outlying rail station – Metropark Station on the Northeast Corridor in Woodbridge Township. “These improvements will ensure that Metropark Station remains an efficient and modern gateway for commuters in the growing Central New Jersey region,” said Transportation Commissioner and N.J. Transit Board Chairman Kris Kolluri. “While providing an enhanced customer experience, the project will also enable the station to serve more riders in the future to support capacity expansion projects such as the Access to the Region’s Core tunnel

WASHINGTON – Public comments are being sought for a project to replace, repair, or retain a 96-year-old railroad bridge on the heavily congested Northeast Corridor connecting the Newark, N.J., and New York. The Federal Railroad Administration and New Jersey Transit will jointly prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS), in cooperation with Amtrak, to study improvements to enhance capacity and operation of the Amtrak-owned Portal Bridge that spans the Hackensack River. Originally constructed in 1910, the bridge is nearing the end of its projected lifespan, officials say. “Because of the bridge’s critical role in the successful operation of the Northeast Corridor,