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North Carolina Amtrak Passenger Train Service Continues to Roll

Posted 11/1/2012 3:06:56 PM

RALEIGH — Amtrak’s Piedmont and Carolinian passenger service between Raleigh and Charlotte are operating normally, while Carolinian trains are operating normally between Charlotte and Philadelphia, Pa. with no alternate service north of Philadelphia, Pa.  Destruction left behind by the remnants of Hurricane Sandy continues to impact passenger train service in the mid-Atlantic states and on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor.   The following Amtrak long distance trains that normally operate through North Carolina will operate tomorrow: Train #19, the southbound Crescent, will only operate between Washington, D.C. and New Orleans, La. with limited alternate service between Philadelphia, Pa. and Washington, D.C.;  Train #20, the northbound Crescent, will only operate between New Orleans, La. and Washington, D.C. with limited alternate service between Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, Pa.; Trains 89 & 90, the Palmettos, are cancelled entirely with no connecting Amtrak Thruway bus service between Wilmington, Morehead City and Wilson; Trains 91 & 92, the Silver Stars, will only operate between Jacksonville, Fla. and Miami, Fla. with no alternate transportation;  Train 97, the southbound Silver Meteor, will only operate between Washington, D.C. and Miami, Fla. with limited alternate service between Philadelphia, Pa. and Washington, D.C.; and  Train 98, the northbound Silver Meteor, will only operate between Miami, Fla. and Washington, D.C. with limited alternate service between Washington,  D.C. and Philadelphia, Pa.  Please consult www.Amtrak.com for more detailed information about service modifications and cancellations, particularly in the Northeast Corridor.   ***NCDOT***  

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NCDOT Delivers Rail Safety Message in Greensboro as Rail Safety Summit Approaches

Posted 6/12/2013 1:54:47 PM

RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Transportation conducted a Crossing Safety Blitz in Greensboro Tuesday, prior to a statewide Rail Safety Summit being held Thursday, June 20 in Chapel Hill. Both the blitz and the summit are aimed at combating an unusually high number of vehicular and trespasser deaths on railroad tracks so far this year.  Twelve people have died on North Carolina’s railways since January.    At the crossing blitz, NCDOT’s Rail Division, local law enforcement, Norfolk Southern Railway police and other officials in Greensboro handed out safety tips to drivers as they approached rail crossings to help educate them about potential dangers on and around the tracks and how to stay safe.   “The blitzes help get the word out to motorists to stay off the tracks,” said NCDOT Rail Division Director Paul Worley. “We are taking additional measures to protect North Carolinians on and around the railroad tracks given the state’s recent increase in railroad fatalities.”   Thirteen hundred cards, printed in English and Spanish, were distributed to drivers at the MacKay Street railroad crossing.   This was the third of four planned blitzes across the state since April near rail crossings with some of the highest train-car collisions in the state.  The last blitz will be held in July in Dunn.   The Greensboro blitz occurred one week before NCDOT Secretary Tony Tata hosts a Rail Safety Summit designed to bring together community leaders and law enforcement groups from across the state to discuss ways to further improve rail safety and help save lives.  It will focus on improving education and deterring distracted drivers and trespassers on and around railroad tracks.   The Rail Safety Summit is being held Thursday, June 20 at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill.  For more information, visit www.berailsafe.org.     Rail Safety Tips   Motorists:   Always stop your vehicle when crossing gates are down or lights are flashing. Wait for the crossing gates to rise and lights to stop flashing. Look both ways, listen and proceed with caution. For your safety, obey all signs and signals at railroad crossings. Never stop your car on railroad tracks. When approaching an intersection at railroad tracks, keep your car behind the white lines. If your car stalls while crossing the tracks, get out immediately and call 911 or the emergency notification number located on the railroad signal equipment. If a train is coming - abandon the car! Proceed quickly toward the train at a 45 degree angle so that if the train strikes your car you will be safe from flying debris. Be aware that trains may operate any time throughout the day and night in either direction.   Pedestrians:   Never walk or run on railroad tracks. Remember: “Tracks are for trains. Stay away and stay alive.” Walking on or near railroad tracks is dangerous - and illegal. Trains in North Carolina operate up to 79 miles per hour and can take more than a mile to come to a complete stop. Also, tracks are on private property; you risk being cited for trespassing. Do not cycle or operate all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on railroad tracks or railroad rights of way. Do not hunt, fish or bungee jump from railroad trestles. They are not designed to be sidewalks - there is only enough clearance for a train to pass. Always look both ways before crossing railroad tracks and cross only in designated areas. Do not cross tracks when gates are down. Be aware that trains may operate any time throughout the day and night in either direction. Do not attempt to hop onboard railroad cars or locomotives at any time.     ***NCDOT***  
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NCDOT Awards $13.7 Million Contract for Grier Road over Norfolk Southern Railroad in Mecklenburg County

Posted 6/6/2013 11:15:46 AM

CHARLOTTE – The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $13.7 million contract to Blythe Development Co. of Charlotte to build a new bridge taking Grier Road over the Norfolk Southern Railroad in Charlotte.   This project is part of the Piedmont Improvement Program, a series of rail projects that will improve safety and mobility on the corridor between Raleigh and Charlotte. PIP projects are primarily funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and will be completed by Sept. 30, 2017. Citizens can view a map of the project corridor here.   Work can begin as early as July 1, with roadwork scheduled to be completed by June 15, 2015. Reforestation and vegetation establishment can continue through December 12, 2015.   This is one of 20 contracts totaling $165.1 million awarded by NCDOT this week for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina. NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest bidders, as required by state law. The bids received on the projects awarded came in about 13.5 percent, or $25.8 million, below NCDOT estimates.   ***NCDOT***  
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NCDOT Awards $4.9 Million Contract for Caldwell Road Grade Separation over Norfolk Southern Railroad in Cabarrus County

Posted 6/6/2013 10:52:37 AM

   CHARLOTTE – The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $4.9 million contract to Blythe Development Co. of Charlotte to build a new bridge taking Caldwell Road over the Norfolk Southern Railroad in Harrisburg.   This project is part of the Piedmont Improvement Program, a series of rail projects that will improve safety and mobility on the corridor between Raleigh and Charlotte. PIP projects are primarily funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and will be completed by Sept. 30, 2017. Citizens can view a map of the project corridor here.   Work can begin as early as July 1, with roadwork scheduled to be completed by November 1, 2014. Reforestation and vegetation establishment can continue through May 14, 2015.   This is one of 20 contracts totaling $165.1 million awarded by NCDOT this week for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina. NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest bidders, as required by state law. The bids received on the projects awarded came in about 13.5 percent, or $25.8 million, below NCDOT estimates.   ***NCDOT***
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NCDOT Awards $3.4 Million Contract to Extend Caldwell Park Drive in Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Counties

Posted 6/6/2013 10:49:37 AM

CHARLOTTE – The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $3.4 million contract to Granite Contracting LLC of Cornelius to build a new two-lane road extending Caldwell Park Drive approximately 1.1 miles from Cochrane Farm in northeast Mecklenburg County to its current terminus in Harrisburg.   This project is part of the Piedmont Improvement Program, a series of rail projects that will improve safety and mobility on the corridor between Raleigh and Charlotte. PIP projects are primarily funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and will be completed by Sept. 30, 2017. Citizens can view a map of the project corridor here.   Work can begin as early as July 1, with roadwork scheduled to be completed by November 1, 2014. Reforestation and vegetation establishment can continue through April 30, 2015.   This is one of 20 contracts totaling $165.1 million awarded by NCDOT in May for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina. NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest bidders, as required by state law. The bids received on the projects awarded came in about 13.5 percent, or $25.8 million, below NCDOT estimates.   ***NCDOT***
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