Projects

BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)

RailPros has been providing on-call project and construction management services to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) for all track related projects on their Bond Measure RR rehabilitation project. RailPros’ role has included track, bridge, station, drainage, and systems work. Other highlights include construction during active operations and coordination with multiple stakeholders.

LA Metro/SCRRA Van Nuys North Platform

RailPros developed construction phasing for a station platform modification project on a busy, active railroad corridor. The project involved extensive coordination with operating railroads, FRA, FTA, CPUC, resource agencies, and local cities. The RailPros team developed innovative design solutions and construction phasing that saved more than $20 million for the project, keeping it under budget.

Additional Information:

The project featured a center platform that was first-of-its-kind for the Metrolink system.

Oceanside Quiet Zones

RailPros provided design and project management services for the development of safety improvements at seven multi-track at-grade crossings. Improvements involved crossing and pedestrian safety, trespassing and sealed corridors, traffic signal interconnection, and other safety measures. Five intersections were planned to be compliant with FRA standards for a quiet zone. RailPros’ scope included performing site studies and safety analysis, stakeholder diagnostic meetings and coordination, engineering design, and construction management.

Additional Information:

The project involved multiple railroad operators (Coaster, Sprinter, Amtrak, Metrolink, and BNSF) and coordination with multiple agencies, stakeholders, and regulators (CPUC, FRA, SANDAG, Caltrans, the City, and adjacent property owners).

POLB Rail Inspection

RailPros has been providing Terminal Rail Infrastructure Inspections for the Port of Long Beach (POLB). Services have included performing FRA-required track inspections and assessing rail infrastructure facilities. RailPros’ teams have coordinated extensively with POLB and its terminal operators to provide a safe inspection area and a detailed report.

SBCTA RPRP

RailPros served as the Program Manager, working alongside SBCTA on multiple projects that included developing four new stations, renewing existing track infrastructure, reconstructing existing bridge structures, improving 22 grade roadway crossings, and creating quiet zones. Field services that RailPros is providing include procurements, operations and maintenance, design, environmental oversight, third-party agreements, regulatory compliance, risk management, systems safety, and management of funding requirements.

Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) Interconnected Hwy-Rail Grade Crossings

RailPros coordinates with public agencies that span through Union Pacific Railroad’s (UPRR) 23 state territory to help achieve and implement recommended improvements. RailPros understands each state’s laws, regulations, and standards. Some services for these projects include a review of traffic plans and interconnection circuits, on-site inspection and audit of preemption and roadway equipment and signage, orientation and training concerning preemption, and traffic engineering to UPRR personnel.

City of Santa Clarita Vista Canyon

RailPros provided engineering and architectural services for the development of the Vista Canyon Multi-Modal Transit Center project. The installation of the transit center involved the relocation of the existing Metrolink station. RailPros’ scope of work included project management and coordination, railroad design and coordination, station communications design, structural engineering, civil design, fiber optic relocation design, and quality assurance and control.

Lewis Homes Hallock Drive

RailPros has completed assistance with the design of a new At-Grade Railroad Crossing. The grade crossing has been constructed and is open, interconnected to the traffic signal at Telegraph Road and Hallock Drive and includes a presignal. RailPros is also providing railroad coordination, railroad signal design, crossing design and traffic signal, signing and striping, and track design engineering support for the new Hallock Grade Crossing.

Steve Brandt, Vice President, PM, said, “You guys are like the Google for anything rail.”

SANDAG LOSSAN Corridor PM

Since 2010, RailPros has provided ongoing design, engineering peer review, design standards development, and project management support to the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) on 21 LOSSAN Corridor rail projects. The projects focus on improvements to double-track the corridor, including installation of second main track, bridge replacements, track realignments, grade separations, crossing improvements, station expansions, and other facility projects.

SCRRA On-Call PM/CM

The RailPros team performs a variety of staff support functions to Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) on multiple projects. Tasks include planning, design, on-call project management, project controls, property negotiation, construction and maintenance agreements, permitting, design review, on-call construction management, third-party coordination, and design support during construction.

Additional Information:

RailPros’ on-call services require extensive coordination with BNSF, Union Pacific, and Amtrak, as well as coordination with FRA, CPUC, and local agencies.

SCRRA State of Good Repair

Metrolink’s State of Good Repair (SOGR) Program exists to take inventory of the entire system’s assets – such as train vehicles, tracks, systems, and facilities – and determine repairs, upgrades, and replacements as needed to ensure safe, reliable operations. SOGR projects are funded by local transit agencies, as well as by federal grants.

RailPros is currently providing Construction Management services for Metrolink SOGR projects systemwide – primarily track-related facilities. By the end of our current contract, RailPros will have overseen upwards of 60 rehabilitation projects including bridges, crossings, and station upgrades. RailPros also provides document control under this contract, handling requests for information, various reports, and public outreach.

One of RailPros’ most significant efforts under the SOGR contract was developing a comprehensive, easily accessible system to track and organize all SOGR data, which helps streamline project planning needs. Additionally, RailPros was instrumental in the development of the Metrolink Rehabilitation Plan (MRP), a comprehensive report on the state of Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) member agency assets. This report breaks down asset conditions and costs of required rehabilitation work, which guides SCRRA in prioritizing, budgeting, and scheduling each project.

The State of Good Repair (SOGR) Priority Rehabilitation. RailPros provides CM services to all SOGR projects and makes recommendations for future projects as needed. The SOGR projects constitute an overall rehabilitation of all SCRRA’s track-related facilities on the Metrolink system. RailPros also provides document control on the SOGR contract, handle requests for information, submittals review and approval, material quality and verification, inspection reports, production reports, progress reports, disturbance reports, public outreach, and communication with the public outreach department.

What the Client Had to Say

RailPros has served SCRRA for State of Good Repair (SOGR) projects from assisting to determine SCRRA’s rehabilitation backlog, to assisting in the delivery of SOGR projects through proven construction management and inspection services. I would use RailPros on future SOGR projects.”

Aaron Azevedo
Principal Engineer (Stations & Structures)
METROLINK Engineering

Double-Tracking Project for UPRR

The Sunset Route is a vital link within the main line of UPRR’s 760-mile corridor between Los Angeles and El Paso. The RailPros team provided construction management and inspection services on several double track segments of the Sunset Route Capacity Improvement Project. This work entailed construction of hundreds of miles of new second track, culverts, drainage facilities, major bridge structures, and grade separations.

I-235 Oklahoma DOT Underpass Project

The I-235 Underpass Project covered the construction of a new BNSF Steel Truss 2 Span (275', 275') rail bridge over I-235, construction of a new 4,200' track alignment across the new rail bridge, and demolition and construction for the new 50th Street Bridge over the BNSF. RailPros provided the structural reviewer for the project, coordinated inspection efforts, coordinated documentation of the steel truss field fabrication, monitored the testing of all materials, and provided construction oversight.

Additional Information:

This was the largest construction project in the Oklahoma DOT history.

Montana Connection Business Park – Port of Montana

RailPros was selected by the Butte-Silver Bow Community and Economic Development Department to develop rail services in the business park and to help optimize the existing operations with possible additions and modifications to track and operations in the Port of Montana’s 55 acres. RailPros designed two conceptual options for rail service including construction cost estimating and providing coordination with UPRR and BNSF.

RailPros created a project map of the area, outlining where improvements could be made to ensure continued growth- a desire from the client. Additionally, RailPros conducted an operational analysis of the existing Port operations including using a track mobile (being purchased by the Port) and UPRR / BNSF operations to develop concepts for the proposed industrial park that complemented the business park and Port. RailPros successfully worked with the goal of increasing rail volume throughout the entirety of the project.

WMATA AMF ( Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Advanced Mobile Flagging )

RailPros began a relationship with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) by providing track inspection services. The exceptional work performed by the RailPros team prompted WMATA to extend the contract and request additional track inspectors as well as administration support. Later, when WMATA required flagging services, the organization chose RailPros to provide Advanced Mobile Flagging (AMF) for track workers and maintenance activities in close proximity to the railroad right-of-way throughout their system.

Additional Information:

WMATA is America’s third-largest heavy rail transit system and provides over 174 million rides to rail passengers each year.

BNSF Construction Management

RailPros is providing BNSF Railway with plan and specification review, utility relocations, and construction oversight for four CHSRA Construction packages. These packages involve grade separations over BNSF Railway, including rail-over-rail separations, overpasses, underpasses, track relocations, and utility relocations.

BNSF HSR & LA to Fullerton

RailPros provided lead engineering serices for the Los Angeles to Esperanza 15-mile rail corridor for BNSF Railway. The complexity of this highly utilized corridor presented many phasing challenges that were worked through to meet project requirements, stakeholder needs, and funding requirements while maintaining continuous operations of rail services. Our team members performed numerous design and project management tasks for this project, some involving custom structural designs.

Additional Information:

During this project, RailPros coordinated extensively with multiple cities and counties, the State of California, Caltrans, the Army Corps of Engineers, FRA, CPUC, city utilities, and the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

BNSF Public Projects

RailPros was awarded a ten-year contract from BNSF Railway to provide inspection, Resident Engineer, and engineering review for public projects. We provided inspection, shoring review, lift plan review, plan, and specification review. Projects ranged from new grade separations and existing grade separation widening to county drainage channel modifications, grade separation removals, and work by others being performed along the BNSF Railway right-of-way.

G&W Roadway Worker Protection for Contractors and Turn-out Inspection Procedures Training

As Genesee & Wyoming was becoming the world’s largest owner of regional rail properties in the 2010s, they also faced a growing challenge – how to ensure all third-party contractors working across their growing rail system were properly credentialed and trained. So, in 2011, Roadway Worker Training approached G&W with a solution, a company-wide online contractor training course, and a recordkeeping program. Within three months of initiation, RWT designed developed, and deployed the G&W-branded program that featured G&W employees, properties and was specific to their rules and operating procedures. All contractors needing access to work on G&W right-of-way are now directed to this RWT-hosted online course; and, upon successful completion of the self-led training, are provided a photo ID badge. Today, RWT remains the sole provider of Roadway Worker Protection Training for G&W contractors. The program has been so successful, RWT was asked to develop a similar program for G&W employees’ annual certification in RWP. From there, RWT continues to help develop solutions for G&W safety and protection challenges.

Situational Awareness Training and Roadway Worker Protection Training

RailPros Training Division (RWT) provides RWP Training for Contractors for several railroads, including Kansas City Southern. The KCS Contractor Training is designed to be both instructor-led and online. It was important to KCS to take the critical and complicated regulations that make up 49 CFR 214 subpart C and deliver the information in a way that is engaging, understandable and master-able – even for contractors with no railroad experience. To that end, the KCS RWP training makes heavy use of video, illustrations, and animations to teach contractors of all experience-levels how to stay protected and safe while on railroad property. RWT also worked with KCS’ Assistant VP of Health & Safety to introduce a new behavior-based safety campaign for employees to address Situational (Attentional) Awareness. The campaign teaches employees the indicators that signal a loss of awareness and what to do if and when you recognize these signs in yourself or others. RWT believes strongly in our training, but we also believe in helping our customers solve problems. That approach gives us the freedom to acknowledge that training is just one component of a company’s safety culture. While much of our training is regulatory, we also like to work with customers to identify and address the CAUSE of safety failures, not just cope with the symptoms. In this way, we are able to determine the best solutions. And, when solutions help eliminate root causes (key factors) – such as process, systems, communication or training failures – then railroaders are more likely to choose safe work behaviors. In both of these KCS training examples, RWT worked with our customers to identify the precise goals of each program and develop the best approach to achieve those goals and help KCS ensure compliance and safety at their company.