Commuter Rail
FRA
FRA
Railroad Industry Collaboration Enters New Phase in Working to Prevent Employee Switching Fatalities
FRA
Commuter Rail
U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces $727,000 for New York High-Speed Rail
NEW YORK — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $727,000 for the State of New York to continue work on its high-speed rail program with the rehabilitation of the Buffalo-Depew railroad station. The Department of Transportation has provided New York $1.7 million of the $151 million awarded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for high-speed rail. “President Obama’s bold vision for high-speed rail is a game-changer for transportation in New York and the United States,” LaHood said. “This undertaking is not only creating good jobs and reinvigorating our manufacturing base, it’s also going to reduce our dependence on
FRA
U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood, Governor Doyle Sign Agreement for $46.5 Million for Wisconsin High-Speed Rail
WASHINGTON — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle have signed an agreement providing $46.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for work to continue on the state’s aggressive high-speed rail program. The funding is the latest installment from the $822 million that President Obama announced for Wisconsin high-speed rail from the Recovery Act in January. Wisconsin previously received a $5.7 million Recovery Act grant that brings their high-speed rail total to $52.2 million. Nationally, an unprecedented $8 billion down payment for the creation of a national network of interconnected high-speed rail corridors was included
FRA
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces $300 Million for Denver Union Station Redevelopment
DENVER – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced that the Denver Union Station project will receive just over $300 million in federal loans through an unprecedented and historic innovative financing arrangement using the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) Program and the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) Program. The project is funded with a unique financing structure and for the first time combines credit assistance from both programs. The loans are being awarded to the Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA), a non-profit, public benefit entity formed by the city in July 2008,
FRA
New Rule Strengthens Railroad Bridge Safety Programs, Oversight
WASHINGTON — Federal Railroad Administrator (FRA) Joseph Szabo has announced a Final Rule requiring railroad track owners to adopt and follow specific procedures to protect the safety of their bridges, and to strengthen federal oversight of railroad bridge maintenance programs. This rule is a requirement under the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. “This Final Rule will help ensure the 100,000 railroad bridges in the United States are maintained and inspected to the standards accepted by sound engineering practices,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “The structural integrity of bridges that carry railroad tracks is vitally important to the safety of
Commuter Rail
High Speed Rail Moves Forward: Federal Railroad Administration Seeks Applications for $2.3 Billion in High-Speed Rail Grants
WASHINGTON — The Obama Administration has taken the next step toward realizing its vision for high-speed rail in the United States. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will begin accepting applications for $2.1 billion in grants to continue the development of high-speed intercity passenger rail corridors. In addition, FRA will make another $245 million available for individual construction projects within a corridor. Funds for both come from the FY 2010 DOT Appropriations Act. “This important step builds on the $8 billion for high-speed rail that President Obama announced last January,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “The President’s