UK Office of Rail Regulation (ORR)
ORR launches new series of comprehensive data reports to shine a light on Britain’s rail industry
5 September 2013
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) today published the first in a series of new statistical releases to help build understanding of how Britain’s railway is performing.
These comprehensive publications will form a series of quarterly national statistics offering context and commentary on latest data trends as well as detailed explanations of the methodology used in collecting the data.
The report published today examines rail performance and punctuality in the passenger and freight sectors in Great Britain from 1996-97 to June 2013.
Upcoming quarterly statistical releases in the series:
ORR is currently assessing consultation responses to its draft plan for funding and improving Britain’s railways between 2014 and 2019. As part of this plan ORR will publish new information to help improve public understanding of the railways. The regulator also wants to see the rail industry maintaining progress and taking the lead, seeing transparency as an opportunity for investment, growth and innovation. To join the debate, share views on Twitter at #openrail.
Regulator begins final assessment of plans to enhance Britain’s railways
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) will today begin reviewing responses to its draft plans for funding and improving Britain’s railways between 2014 and 2019 as the consultation process comes to a close.
ORR consulted widely with industry groups, members of the public, train operators and governments in the past few months to understand the different views on proposals outlined in its draft report published in June this year. Discussions have focused on achieving continued growth and better efficiencies over the next five years. Responses to ORR have also highlighted ways to; improve performance for passengers, increase capacity and levels of service and better manage the network infrastructure while improving safety.
ORR will evaluate all the responses to take into account the wide range of views in finalising the plan for Britain’s railways from 2014 to 2019. The final decisions will be published in autumn this year.
To read ORR’s draft determination and summary overviews, visit: http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/
Network Rail
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) today published the first in a series of new statistical releases to help build understanding of how Britain’s railway is performing.
These comprehensive publications will form a series of quarterly national statistics offering context and commentary on latest data trends as well as detailed explanations of the methodology used in collecting the data.
The report published today examines rail performance and punctuality in the passenger and freight sectors in Great Britain from 1996-97 to June 2013.
Upcoming quarterly statistical releases in the series:
- Passenger Rail Usage – 19 September 2013
- Freight Rail Usage – 3 October 2013
- Passenger Rail Service Satisfaction – 17 October 2013
ORR is currently assessing consultation responses to its draft plan for funding and improving Britain’s railways between 2014 and 2019. As part of this plan ORR will publish new information to help improve public understanding of the railways. The regulator also wants to see the rail industry maintaining progress and taking the lead, seeing transparency as an opportunity for investment, growth and innovation. To join the debate, share views on Twitter at #openrail.
Regulator begins final assessment of plans to enhance Britain’s railways
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) will today begin reviewing responses to its draft plans for funding and improving Britain’s railways between 2014 and 2019 as the consultation process comes to a close.
ORR consulted widely with industry groups, members of the public, train operators and governments in the past few months to understand the different views on proposals outlined in its draft report published in June this year. Discussions have focused on achieving continued growth and better efficiencies over the next five years. Responses to ORR have also highlighted ways to; improve performance for passengers, increase capacity and levels of service and better manage the network infrastructure while improving safety.
ORR will evaluate all the responses to take into account the wide range of views in finalising the plan for Britain’s railways from 2014 to 2019. The final decisions will be published in autumn this year.
To read ORR’s draft determination and summary overviews, visit: http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/
Network Rail
Network Rail responds to ORR draft determination
Network Rail today published its response to the Office of Rail Regulation’s draft determination for the period 2014 to 2019, CP5.
Network Rail welcomes the recognition in the determination of the significant progress the industry as a whole has made in the last decade on train performance, value for money, affordability, and, above all, safety as the company continues to meet unprecedented increases in passenger and freight demand at the same time as renewing our Victorian network.
During CP4 Network Rail has identified and begun to address the major challenges that those two goals confront us with, particularly in our approach to sustainable asset management and optimising the inevitable trade-offs between performance and capacity constraints.
Network Rail is determined to keep working with the rest of the industry to maintain, and build on, that progress, which is why we have used the time since the determination to analyse, in detail, the ORR's proposals, particularly given its assessment that the chances of us reaching the targets it has set are less than fifty percent.
The strategic business plan Network Rail published in January set out the fundamental changes we are committed to carrying out in our culture, working practices, use of technology and collaboration with our customers and partners. The ORR's draft determination requires us to go beyond these ambitions and deliver even higher levels of performance and cost savings with less investment, and less money to operate and manage the railway, and with less funding for enhancements.
As a result, Network Rail believes that the cumulative impact of the scale and pace of change that the ORR has proposed across a range of activities makes the package as a whole unbalanced.
David Higgins, Network Rail chief executive, said: “The regulator’s determination provides the opportunity for Network Rail and the industry to build on the progress and success of the last decade, but whilst there are many aspects of the draft which we welcome, taken as a whole we believe it is unbalanced and, therefore, unrealistic."
Amongst the issues Network Rail is concerned about are:
As a result of these, and other real concerns, Network Rail is asking the ORR to restore £1.4bn of the £2.4bn it cut from our original plans (contained in the strategic business plan published in January).
Network Rail is also asking the ORR to review the regulatory regime it is proposing for CP5 since it believes the current proposal will:
Mr Higgins concluded: “We had already set ourselves tough, challenging targets for the next five years in terms of further improving performance, safety and continuing high levels of investment to grow and expand our railway. The ORR’s response to our plans calls us to deliver too much, too quickly and is, overall, simply unrealistic. It would be irresponsible for us not to be open and honest about the scale of the challenge that would pose for us as an organisation."
Global Rail News Headlines..
Network Rail has described the ORR’s plans to cut funding for Britain’s railways by £2 billion over the next five years as “unbalanced” and “unrealistic”.
Baltimore’s entire fleet of light rail vehicles are to be upgraded by Alstom in a contract worth around $150 million.
The operators of Paris Métro, RATP, have reported revenues of € 2.62 billion in the first half of 2013.
Transport Authority Centro has launched a consultation into the £31 million plans to extend the Midland Metro tram network into the centre of Birmingham.
Interior and exterior designs for Austria’s newest regional train, the ÖBB Cityjet, have been unveiled.
Unite has dropped claims against the BAM Ferrovial Kier joint venture (BFK) over alleged blacklisting of union members delivering Crossrail projects across the capital.
New S Stock Tube trains have started service on the Circle line, nine months after the first of 53 new vehicles was delivered to the Hammersmith & City line.
The first chunk of a 300 million euro loan to upgrade Lille’s metro system has been signed off.
AnsaldoBreda has threatened to take legal action against NS after the Dutch operator officially announced the cancellation of its order for 16 Fyra trains.
Engineers in Madrid have almost finished a 1.1 million euro project to renew a section of the city’s oldest metro line.
More on these stories.....HERE
www.railway-technology.com Updates
R&B Group to upgrade London Underground electrical switchgear
UK-based specialist engineering company R&B Group has secured a £1.4m contract to upgrade the electrical switchgear on the London Underground's District Line.
Birmingham tram extension enters new stage of development
West Midlands transport authority Centro's £31m plan to extend the Midland Metro in Birmingham city centre in the UK has entered a new stage of development, with authorities seeking public views on the project.
Union Pacific to deploy aerodynamic technology on US intermodal freight trains
Union Pacific has unveiled Arrowedge, an aerodynamic technology for fuel and locomotive emissions reductions for double-stack intermodal freight trains.
BNSF to increase rail capacity in Texas
North American freight transport company BNSF Railway is set to invest nearly $240m for maintenance and rail capacity expansion programmes in Texas, US in 2013.
International Railway Journal
BRITISH infrastructure manager Network Rail announced on September 5 that Mr Mark Carne has been selected to succeed Sir David Higgins as chief executive.
THE 2km southern extension of the Poznan Fast Tram (PST) to the new Poznan West station was officially presented to civic leaders and the media on August 29 before the start of passenger services on September 1.
MTR Corporation has awarded Thales a contract to supply and install Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) for Hong Kong's $HK 64.9bn ($US 8.36bn) Shatin – Central Link (SCL).
Trams returned to the streets of Tours on August 31 when the city officially inaugurated its first 15km, 29-station light rail line, 64 years after the original network closed.
US HSR
During CP4 Network Rail has identified and begun to address the major challenges that those two goals confront us with, particularly in our approach to sustainable asset management and optimising the inevitable trade-offs between performance and capacity constraints.
Network Rail is determined to keep working with the rest of the industry to maintain, and build on, that progress, which is why we have used the time since the determination to analyse, in detail, the ORR's proposals, particularly given its assessment that the chances of us reaching the targets it has set are less than fifty percent.
The strategic business plan Network Rail published in January set out the fundamental changes we are committed to carrying out in our culture, working practices, use of technology and collaboration with our customers and partners. The ORR's draft determination requires us to go beyond these ambitions and deliver even higher levels of performance and cost savings with less investment, and less money to operate and manage the railway, and with less funding for enhancements.
As a result, Network Rail believes that the cumulative impact of the scale and pace of change that the ORR has proposed across a range of activities makes the package as a whole unbalanced.
David Higgins, Network Rail chief executive, said: “The regulator’s determination provides the opportunity for Network Rail and the industry to build on the progress and success of the last decade, but whilst there are many aspects of the draft which we welcome, taken as a whole we believe it is unbalanced and, therefore, unrealistic."
Amongst the issues Network Rail is concerned about are:
- The proposal to cut our renewals budget by a further £594m on top of the £2.2bn of savings we had already identified in our plan. This does not reflect the additional costs involved in focusing track renewals on critical routes which are more complex, and therefore expensive, because of their higher rates of use and difficulties of access.
- The expectation that we should deliver an additional £800m of property income and enhancements on top of the £1.8bn we had already aimed for. We, and independent property consultants, consider this to be unrealistic.
- Our plans to update antiquated industry IT systems has been cut from £614m to £338m and our plans for a special budget for research and development to stimulate much needed technological innovation to drive efficiencies has been reduced from £300m to £50m.
- A significant increase in the level and degree of regulatory oversight which will result in Network Rail having to report on a total of 3,700 measures.
- An assumed cost of financing which is too low because it does not reflect current market conditions.
As a result of these, and other real concerns, Network Rail is asking the ORR to restore £1.4bn of the £2.4bn it cut from our original plans (contained in the strategic business plan published in January).
Network Rail is also asking the ORR to review the regulatory regime it is proposing for CP5 since it believes the current proposal will:
- add additional cost through duplication of effort;
- deny the company the flexibility it needs to manage the risks inherent in a highly complex industry; and
- deny the industry as a whole the flexibility it will need to manage jointly the trade-offs between capacity and performance in a period when demand will continue to grow and there will be inevitable disruption as we continue to deliver the biggest rail investment programme since the Victorian era.
Mr Higgins concluded: “We had already set ourselves tough, challenging targets for the next five years in terms of further improving performance, safety and continuing high levels of investment to grow and expand our railway. The ORR’s response to our plans calls us to deliver too much, too quickly and is, overall, simply unrealistic. It would be irresponsible for us not to be open and honest about the scale of the challenge that would pose for us as an organisation."
Delays down at Birmingham New Street thanks to special engineering team
Passengers travelling through Birmingham’s New Street are experiencing fewer delays thanks to a dedicated team of engineers who have reduced the number of track faults at the station by 80% over the last 12 months.
The team was brought in specifically to reduce the number of points failures on what is one of the most intensively used sections of track anywhere on the rail network.
Network Rail route managing director Dyan Crowther explains: “With more trains and passengers using the network than ever before, the tracks at New Street are incredibly busy; however passengers rightly expect services through the station to be reliable. The number of points failures on the tracks around the station were unacceptably high so we brought in a specialist team of engineers to help cut delays at the station.
“Each shift, the team completely overhaul one set of points, checking screws, fittings, installations and joints. They troubleshoot faults and keep the points in good working order to minimise the chances of a failure. There is still more work to do but we are committed to reducing delays for passengers travelling through Birmingham”
London Midland managing director Patrick Verwer recently spent a night shift with the team and commented: “It was fascinating to see the team in action and learn more about New Streetmaintenance. It’s a bit of a hidden world down there, but really amazing to see how the team find faults, or predict them and correct them to prevent failures and subsequent delays, helping us to keep our trains running. I was impressed with the team’s dedication to improving reliability of the infrastructure for our customers.”
As an advanced market with many opportunities for rail developments, Singapore has many ongoing and future rail projects that are planned in the pipeline.
Land Transport Authority’s Director, Ow Chun Nam shares some of the ongoing and future plans that are in the government’s rail development master plan.
Find out more on:
- Underground infrastructure in Singapore
- Challenges: site investigation, deep excavation, board tunelling
- New methods and technologies to address the challenges
Global Rail News Headlines..
Network Rail has described the ORR’s plans to cut funding for Britain’s railways by £2 billion over the next five years as “unbalanced” and “unrealistic”.
Baltimore’s entire fleet of light rail vehicles are to be upgraded by Alstom in a contract worth around $150 million.
The operators of Paris Métro, RATP, have reported revenues of € 2.62 billion in the first half of 2013.
Transport Authority Centro has launched a consultation into the £31 million plans to extend the Midland Metro tram network into the centre of Birmingham.
Interior and exterior designs for Austria’s newest regional train, the ÖBB Cityjet, have been unveiled.
Unite has dropped claims against the BAM Ferrovial Kier joint venture (BFK) over alleged blacklisting of union members delivering Crossrail projects across the capital.
New S Stock Tube trains have started service on the Circle line, nine months after the first of 53 new vehicles was delivered to the Hammersmith & City line.
The first chunk of a 300 million euro loan to upgrade Lille’s metro system has been signed off.
AnsaldoBreda has threatened to take legal action against NS after the Dutch operator officially announced the cancellation of its order for 16 Fyra trains.
Engineers in Madrid have almost finished a 1.1 million euro project to renew a section of the city’s oldest metro line.
More on these stories.....HERE
www.railway-technology.com Updates
R&B Group to upgrade London Underground electrical switchgear
UK-based specialist engineering company R&B Group has secured a £1.4m contract to upgrade the electrical switchgear on the London Underground's District Line.
Birmingham tram extension enters new stage of development
West Midlands transport authority Centro's £31m plan to extend the Midland Metro in Birmingham city centre in the UK has entered a new stage of development, with authorities seeking public views on the project.
Union Pacific to deploy aerodynamic technology on US intermodal freight trains
Union Pacific has unveiled Arrowedge, an aerodynamic technology for fuel and locomotive emissions reductions for double-stack intermodal freight trains.
BNSF to increase rail capacity in Texas
North American freight transport company BNSF Railway is set to invest nearly $240m for maintenance and rail capacity expansion programmes in Texas, US in 2013.
International Railway Journal
BRITISH infrastructure manager Network Rail announced on September 5 that Mr Mark Carne has been selected to succeed Sir David Higgins as chief executive.
THE 2km southern extension of the Poznan Fast Tram (PST) to the new Poznan West station was officially presented to civic leaders and the media on August 29 before the start of passenger services on September 1.
MTR Corporation has awarded Thales a contract to supply and install Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) for Hong Kong's $HK 64.9bn ($US 8.36bn) Shatin – Central Link (SCL).
Trams returned to the streets of Tours on August 31 when the city officially inaugurated its first 15km, 29-station light rail line, 64 years after the original network closed.
US HSR
HIGH SPEED RAIL IS COMING TO CALIFORNIA!
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Business and political leaders will come together with the world's top experts to bring high speed rail to America. The first $1Billion construction contract was just signed last week to begin the first phase of the state-wide, 800 mile state-of-the-art transportation system - set to revolutionize mobility in California and the US. Conference info
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HIGHLIGHTED SPEAKERS
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 JEFF MORALES, CEO - CA HIGH SPEED RAIL AUTHORITYJeff Morales has a distinguished record of experience managing large and complex transportation issues and projects. As the former Director of the California Department of Transportation, Morales managed a $10 billion program and more than 20,000 employees working to build, maintain and operate the largest state transportation system in the U.S. Morales is the past executive vice president of the Chicago Transit Authority where he spearheaded major reforms at the nation's second-largest transit agency. His experience at the federal level includes serving as a member of President-Elect Obama's transition team focusing on transportation, Vice President Al Gore's National Performance Review, the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security, the United States Department of Transportation and as U.S. Senate staff. He most recently was Senior Vice President of Parsons Brinckerhoff , where he worked with transportation agencies across the United States and internationally to develop and implement major capital programs. More info |
 MALCOLM DOUGHERTY, DIRECTOR CALIFORNIA DOTMr. Dougherty leads the $11 billion organization and the Department's 20,000 employees who build, maintain, and operate the 50,000 lane miles of California's world-class transportation system. He is also a member of California's Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee, which provides project oversight on the seismic retrofit of the state's toll bridges, including the iconic $6.46 billion San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. During his 20 years with Caltrans, Dougherty has served in several high-profile management positions. Before being appointed Director, he served as Chief Deputy Director, where he advised and assisted the Director with all aspects of Caltrans' policies and operations. He also served as District Director in the Fresno area. Before he came to Caltrans, Dougherty worked for a consultant with a focus on land development and municipal engineering. Dougherty is a graduate of Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. More info |
 ARTHUR LEAHY, CEO - LA COUNTY MTAMr. Leahy will give an update and overview of the transportation picture in the Los Angeles region including the growing metro system, as well as preparations for HSR coming to LA. Mr. Leahy became MTA's CEO in April 2009. LA MTA serves as transportation planner and coordinator, designer, builder and operator for one of the country's largest, most populous counties. Mr. Leahy's prior position was the CEO of Orange County Transportation Authority, a county-wide transportation agency, where he oversaw planning, financing and coordination for Orange County's freeway, street and rail development, bus service, commuter rail service, and paratransit services. Prior to this, he was general manager of the transit agency in Minneapolis-St. Paul between 1997 and 2001. More info |
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Sponsor the Event! Exhibit your firm!
Showcase your firm in front of hundreds of business and political leaders from across California, throughout America, and around the world. More info
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See you in LA!
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RAIL A TOP PRIORITY FOR AUSTRALIA
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 GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR HSR GROWSAustralian government leaders continue to support building high speed rail. Labor's plan to build a high-speed rail network will transform the region's workforce, Labor candidate for Newcastle Sharon Claydon said. Ms Claydon said Hexham had been flagged as a possible passenger terminal in the latest plans she had seen on the project.
Labor went to the 2010 federal election with a similar plan - $20 million for a feasibility study into a high speed train linking Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. Last week Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced $52 million would be used to create a high-speed rail authority that would finalise the location of train stations and develop a plan for the project with Infrastructure Australia. He also said a 1748-kilometre rail corridor between Brisbane and Melbourne would be preserved for the project if Labor was returned to government. Ms Claydon wanted the project to happen faster but emphasised the importance of proper planning. More info
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HSR STATION PLANS RELEASED FOR PICCADILLY
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 LONDON STATION HSR REVAMP REVEALEDPlanners want to create a massive new 'gateway quarter' modelled on Amsterdam and New York, centred around a new high-speed rail link.
An ambitious plan for a multi-billion pound regeneration around a new-look Piccadilly station would leverage the rewards of the planned High Speed 2 rail link long before it arrives - in a regeneration bonanza dubbed the 'opportunity of the century'.
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HIGH SPEED RAIL INDIA GETS BOOST FROM JAPAN
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 JAPANESE LEADERS ADVANCING HSR IN INDIARiding the bullet train dream, chairman of rail board (CRB), Arundendra Kumar, will go to Japan this week in a bid to firm up involvement of Tokyo in the ambitious project. The visit assumes significance in the backdrop of the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe having shown keen interest in the high speed rail system in India during his New Delhi visit earlier. Japan has agreed to jointly carry out the survey of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor on which India hopes to run the first bullet train. Mr Kumar, who is known for successfully tying up Public Private Projects (PPP), is hoping to put the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project on the fast track. Even though the successive Union railways ministers, including the incumbent Mallikarjuna Kharge, have shown not much zeal for the bullets trains due to prohibitive cost, the dream project has suddenly propped again in the limelight following support of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. More info |
GREENBRIAR EQUITY ACQUIRES NORDCO RAIL
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 US TRACK MAINTENANCE SUPPLIER ACQUIREDNordco is headquartered in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and supplies new, used and rebuilt track maintenance equipment, ultrasonic rail flaw detection tools and rubber-tyre wagon movers. 'Nordco has established itself as a leading service provider in the railroad industry, providing critical support to its blue chip customer base', said Greenbriar director Michael Weiss. 'We are excited to be partnering with CEO Bruce Boczkiewicz and his executive team and look forward to further accelerating the company's growth trajectory organically and through add-on acquisitions. More info |
HSR TO BRING CHINA AND HONG KONG CLOSER
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 GREAT PROSPECTS FOR NEW GROWTHTunnelling works are almost complete on a new high-speed line designed to open up Hong Kong to mainland China. The HSR line will bring Hong Kong closer to China's prosperous economic hubs, namely the future 'megacity' of the Pearl River Delta (PRD). Official figures suggest that, since the 1970s, around 30% of all foreign investment in China has centered around the PRD. Hong Kong to Guangzhou will take less than 50 minutes. From there, passengers have access to mainland China's 16,000 kilometres of high-speed railway.
Three years on and the seven tunnel boring machines (TBMs) currently constructing the 26 kilometre-long tunnel between Hong Kong and the Chinese border are now nearing the end of their subterranean journey with tunnelling around 86% complete. On course to open in 2015, the line also includes a spectacular four-floor underground terminus station in Hong Kong's West Kowloon district, which is aiding a regeneration of the area. Excavation of the 11-hectare site has now reached track level and work will soon begin from the bottom up, starting with the installation of the new track. More info
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ITALY TRAIN AND BIKE USE SOARS, DRIVING DROPS
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 SWEEPING TRANSPORT CHANGES IN ITALYHistorically car-crazy Italy - home to automakers Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini - is quickly becoming a leader in train and bicycle use. The CEO of Ferrari has started his own railway, and bicycle sales in 2011 edged past car deliveries for the first time in 50 years. Driving the tectonic shift is the country's longest economic recession since World War II, which has pushed auto demand to the lowest point in more than 30 years. "It's not just about the crisis - there is a structural change in the market which has started and no one can stop," said Peter Fuss, a senior advisory partner at Ernst & Young in Eschborn, Germany. "You have both people who can't afford any more to own a car and those, especially young people, who no longer have an interest in owning an auto."
Bankers, managers and fashionistas cross through the crowded Montenapoleone fashion district on city bikeshare rentals, which posted a 32 percent increase in usage last year to 1.43 million rides. Italians bought 1.61 million bikes last year compared with 1.4 million cars. At the same time, the number of cars circulating on Italian roads fell by 35,026.
With Italy adding more high-speed trains between bigger cities, public transport has for many become the mode of choice. Highway traffic in Italy dropped 7.5 percent in 2012, while ridership on the state-owned railway's fast connections increased 6.5 percent last year to 39.8 million passengers. The train trip from Milan to Rome is less than 3 hours; ticket prices start at about 30 euros. By car, the 360-mile ride through the Apennine Mountains takes at least 5 hours and costs about 38 euros in tolls alone, without factoring in some of Europe's highest fuel prices. More info
US Department of Transportation
U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx Announces $474 Million for 52 TIGER 2013 Projects in 37 StatesProjects Support President Obama’s Calls to Create Ladders of Opportunity, ‘Fix it First’ and Contribute to Economic Growth
WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced that 52 transportation projects in 37 states will receive a total of approximately $474 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) 2013 discretionary grant program. Among these, 25 projects funded at $123.4 million will be designated for projects in rural areas of the country.“These transformational TIGER projects are the best argument for investment in our transportation infrastructure,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Together, they support President Obama’s call to ensure a stronger transportation system for future generations by repairing existing infrastructure, connecting people to new jobs and opportunities, and contributing to our nation’s economic growth.” The highly competitive TIGER program offers one of the only federal funding possibilities for large, multi-modal projects that often are not suitable for other federal funding sources. These federal funds leverage money from private sector partners, states, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations and transit agencies. The 2013 TIGER round alone supports $1.8 billion in overall project investments. TIGER has enjoyed overwhelming demand since its creation, a trend continued by TIGER 2013. Applications for this most recent round of grants totaled more than $9 billion, far exceeding the $474 million set aside for the program. In all, the Department received 585 applications from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. The projects funded through this round of TIGER illustrate the President’s goals of creating “Ladders of Opportunity,” the need for a “Fix it First” approach to infrastructure, and contributing to America’s economic growth. The following are examples of how TIGER supports these goals: Ladders of Opportunity: A good example of a project connecting people to jobs and economic opportunities is the Atlanta Beltline Corridor, a 33-mile system of trails, transit and parks circling downtown Atlanta and connecting more than 45 communities throughout the city and region. A total of $18 million in TIGER funds will be used to build two miles of the trail. This project will provide connections for residents in primarily low-income and minority communities to bus routes, rail stations, schools, parks, and other recreational activities. Fix it First: The $10 million investment to reconstruct the Tacoma, Wash., rail trestle is a good example of a project that will repair existing infrastructure. Replacing the 100-year old single-track wooden trestle and bridge with a modern twin-track structure will double capacity and improve reliability and travel time for Sounder and Amtrak Cascades passenger rail service. This “fix it first” project also adds freight capacity on the Tacoma Rail line, contributing to economic growth and supporting Pierce County, the City of Tacoma and the Port of Tacoma. Economic Growth: An example of a project that will help jumpstart local and national economic growth is the $10 million investment in the Houston, Texas, Bayport Wharf extension project. The investment will allow the terminal to double its cargo capacity by 2033, supporting international trade with more than 1,000 ports in 203 countries. The project will increase the port’s ability to take advantage of the ships expected after the Panama Canal expansion and supporting President Obama’s goal of doubling exports. The project also will increase the productivity of the terminal by reducing truck waiting and idling times. On March 26, 2013, the President signed the FY 2013 Appropriations Act, which after sequestration provided approximately $474 million for Department of Transportation national infrastructure investments. Like the first four rounds, TIGER 2013 grants are for capital investments in infrastructure and are awarded on a competitive basis based on the published selection criteria. This is the fifth round of TIGER funding. Under all five rounds combined, the TIGER program has provided more than $3.6 billion to 270 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Demand for the program outweighed available funds, and during all five rounds, the Department of Transportation received more than 5,200 applications requesting more than $114.2 billion for transportation projects across the country. Click here for additional information on individual TIGER grants: www.dot.gov/tiger/. U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $8.9 Million TIGER 2013 Grant to Vermont for Western Corridor Rail Rehabilitation BURLINGTON, Vt. – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today announced the Vermont Agency of Transportation has been awarded an $8.9 million grant. The project is one of 52 transportation projects in 37 states that will receive a total of approximately $474 million from DOT’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) 2013 discretionary grant program. “These TIGER projects are the best argument you can make for investment in our transportation infrastructure,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Together, they answer President Obama’s call for a stronger transportation system for future generations by repairing existing roads and bridges, connecting people to new jobs and opportunities, and contributing to our nation’s economic growth.” The $18.5 million project involves rehabilitating 20 miles of the state-owned Vermont Railway from Rutland to Leicester, which includes replacing nine miles of rail, upgrading 11 at-grade farm crossings, and making other improvements. When completed, this project will eliminate track-related slow orders, allowing for unrestricted Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Class 3 speed operations of up to 40 mph. The Vermont Rail System operates over the line and provides a critical connection for shippers to the Class I network in New York. The project also supports the state’s efforts to improve the line to allow for the future extension of Amtrak’s Ethan Allen service from Rutland to Burlington. Approximately $6 million in match funding is coming from previous federal appropriations benefiting the corridor, as well as $3.2 million from the state and $200,000 in-kind contributions from the rail operator. This grant is one of 17 rail grants totaling $146.2 million in this round of TIGER. Since the program’s inception, there have been 48 rail grants totaling $808.6 million. “This investment is helping to move the economy by improving track, bridges and other infrastructure, building stations and intermodal facilities, advancing higher-performing rail service, and improving safety,” said FRA Administrator Joseph C. Szabo. The highly competitive TIGER program offers one of the only federal funding possibilities for large, multi-modal projects that often are not suitable for other federal funding sources. These federal funds leverage money from private sector partners, states, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations and transit agencies. The 2013 TIGER round alone supports $1.8 billion in overall project investments. TIGER has enjoyed overwhelming demand since its creation, a trend continued by TIGER 2013. Applications for this most recent round of grants totaled more than $9 billion, far exceeding the $474 million set aside for the program. In all, the Department received 585 applications from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. The projects funded through this round of TIGER illustrate the President’s goals of creating “Ladders of Opportunity” that connect people to jobs, repairing and replacing aging infrastructure with a “Fix it First” approach and contributing to America’s economic growth. On March 26, 2013, the President signed the FY 2013 Appropriations Act, which after sequestration provided approximately $474 million for Department of Transportation national infrastructure investments. Like the first four rounds, TIGER 2013 grants are for capital investments in infrastructure and are awarded on a competitive basis based on the published selection criteria. This is the fifth round of TIGER funding. Under all five rounds combined, the TIGER program has provided more than $3.6 billion to 270 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Demand for the program outweighed available funds, and during all five rounds, the Department of Transportation received more than 5,200 applications requesting more than $114.2 billion for transportation projects across the country.
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