Delivering safe and cost-effective freight rail solutions across North America
Working with the railroad industry requires technical and operational knowledge, practical experience, and a proven track record to deliver quality and timely services safely and within budget. RINA has extensive experience in the engineering design and construction of railroad facilities, including track, sidings, yards, intermodal facilities, quiet zones, and design-build of rail spurs for rail service provided to industrial developments. Boasting strong client relationships and a reputation of repeat work with these clients, RINA is proud of our history of providing comprehensive solutions to the nation’s freight rail providers, including many Class 1 railroads. With a commitment to safety and schedule and a focus on function and lifecycle cost, RINA is proud to provide value-driven solutions to freight rail providers nationwide.
CREATE Project P3/GS19 is part of the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project, one of the largest and most complex rail improvement efforts in the CREATE program.
As part of the design team, we provided preliminary site investigation, railroad bridge design, track and civil design, constructability reviews, cost estimating, and engineering during construction services. The work included the Forest Hill Junction project and the 71st Street Grade Separation.
These improvements help separate freight and passenger rail conflicts, reduce delays, and improve movement through Chicago neighborhoods served by two passenger and four freight rail lines.
Strategically located 15-miles northwest of Chicago is this Class I railroad's largest freight and classification yard in the United States.
As part of this multi-phase project, we provided final engineering design for the reconfiguration of the existing classification yard to accommodate the expansion of the intermodal terminal. Detailed staging/phasing plans were developed, and extensive coordination required with the client to ensure that yard operations were not impacted by construction.
Phase two lowered the crest of the existing gravity hump by approximately ten feet and converted the hump yard to a state-of-the-art mini-hump with Dowty™ retarders.
During Phase three, we designed a new yard office tower complex for the railroad’s Division Headquarters, as well as other facility buildings, including a switch control booth, and three intermodal yard office buildings. Various disciplines contributed to this effort, including survey, drainage/hydraulics, environmental permitting, civil, track, structures, geotechnical, and lighting.
Approximately 1.5 miles east of Dubuque, Iowa, we provided both preliminary and final design, as well as construction management services, for the realignment of the existing mainline tracks and extension of the existing center siding track.
Our team initially provided an alternatives analysis, which helped the owner (a Class 1 railroad) understand the operational benefits, costs, and environmental impacts associated with each alternate.
Following selection of a preferred alternate, we served as the lead designer for the track, five (5) box culvert extensions, at-grade crossings improvements, electric to signal systems, permitting, and utility coordination services. Early and proactive communication by our team of environmental specialist enable the project to be surveyed, designed, and permitted in just two and a half months.
The nearly $400 million expansion of the Subaru Assembly Plant nearby Norfolk Southern’s Lafayette Yard will produce an additional 100,000 vehicles per year.
To support this increase in rail traffic, Norfolk Southern retained us to design the required yard expansion project. Improvements included five (5) additional support tracks, access roads, yard crossings, drainage improvements, and new yard lighting.
We utilized 3D design tools to optimize earthwork and avoid the need to source borrow materials offsite. The project team completed the design on an accelerated schedule to ensure that construction was complete in advance of the increased capacity needs from the railroad’s customer.
For the Santa Barbara Bridge Replacement Project in Narlon, California, Union Pacific Railroad retained us to provide Independent Cost Estimating (ICE), risk analysis, and schedule support.
The project included replacement of existing bridge superstructure spans and structural steel tower foundations, temporary trestle work platforms, shoring and falsework, access roads into a remote site, staging areas, crane pads, and utility relocation. Demolition and construction work were planned around nine 24-hour shutdown periods.
Our role supported the Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) delivery process by helping evaluate cost, sequencing, and constructability for a complex remote bridge replacement. .
