Friday, June 26, 2009 (Washington, DC)

FRA Awards a contract for Portland, Maine area Rail Infrastructure Improvements. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded a grant totaling $500,000 to the city of Portland, Maine for the rehabilitation and improvement of track infrastructure including the replacement of crossties and rail, surfacing of track, replacement of bridge ties, ballast replacement, and renewal of turnouts. This work is intended to add capacity and eliminate slow orders that are currently in place, resulting in improved ride quality and an increase in the speed of passenger rail operations through the area from 10 to 25 mph. It is anticipated that this increase in speed will reduce trip times by an average of 3-5 minutes per trip. In addition, the project will once again permit the use of wye tracks to turn passenger cars and switch locomotives among train sets in the event of mechanical difficulties thus minimizing operational disruptions. The period of performance for the above work extends to March 31, 2010. Contact: Rob Kulat (202) 493-6024.

FRA Awards a Contract for On-line High-Speed Rail Defect Detection. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded a grant totaling $238,510 to the University of California in San Diego for the continued refinement of a rail defect detection prototype. A previous grant totaling $231,802 was awarded in July 2008. Based upon lessons learned from the performance of the prototype at recent field testing, this funding will help support ongoing efforts to assist track inspectors by providing faster defect detection at speeds of up to 40 mph. These funds will also support a planned technology demonstration program at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, CO. Contact: Rob Kulat (202) 493-6024.