Zephyr Rail

As part of Zephyr Rail’s General Engineering Consulting Services Agreement with CSX, Zephyr Rail is providing engineering design services and aerial imagery for the 95-acre, 3.5 mile long Cumberland Yard in Cumberland, MD. CSX is reconfiguring and upgrading the previous “hump” facility in the Cumberland train yard. The Hump was removed in 2017. The project involves removing the existing hump terminal and installing new switching capabilities, which will enhance the yard’s capacity to handle more cars. These improvements will optimize operations and increase efficiency at the Cumberland yard and across CSX’s New England operations, eliminating 29 million out-of-route miles per year, reducing car handlings by 59,000 annually, cutting transit time, and producing $15 million in direct operational cost savings. Zephyr Rail designed three new switching leads and 4,600 feet of classification track. The switching leads, equipped with automated hydraulic switches, access 30 classification tracks. Cumberland switching capacity will increase from 350 cars per day to more than 850 cars per day with the newly designed yard. RT&S June 2025 Issue

ZUI’s involvement in this high-profile project will be critical in achieving full consensus among railroad stakeholders such as BNSF Railway and Metrolink. The overpass will be replaced without affecting railroad operations! The Mount Vernon Avenue Viaduct is a 1,016 foot bridge that spans the BNSF Intermodal Yard as well as BNSF and Metrolink main tracks in the City of San Bernardino. Constructed in 1934, a Caltrans inspection in 1997 determined it to be structurally deficient and functionally obsolete. Since 2004, the bridge has been closed to traffic twice to shore up support columns. This high-profile project will replace the existing Mount Vernon Avenue Viaduct. Construction is anticipated to cost approximately $151 million. As a subconsultant to Biggs Cardosa Associates, Inc., Zephyr UAS, Inc. (ZUI) is participating on the Program Management and Construction Management (PM/CM) Team. With several project stakeholders requiring multi-faceted coordination, ZUI leads the effort and builds consensus with BNSF Railway and SCRRA. ZUI coordinated with CPUC, BNSF, SCRRA, SBCTA, and the City of San Bernardino to process GO 88 B Application for the new bridge, and performs safety oversight services for all work affecting BNSF and Metrolink infrastructure, ensuring the contractor’s compliance with railroad safety standards during construction.

The Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project will create a high-quality, reliable transit service option connecting the San Fernando Valley and the Westside. In addition to providing local and regional connections to the existing and future Metro rail and bus network, the Project aims to improve access to major employment, educational and cultural centers in the greater Los Angeles area, and relieve congestion on the 405. The Sepulveda Pass weaves through the Santa Monica Mountains, providing passage to over 300,000 vehicles daily, making the project complex and challenging. Metro is evaluating a variety of multimodal mobility options to address existing and future transportation needs. The projects options are closely coordinated, with unique processes and distinct schedules. Zephyr Rail is providing program management services overseeing the preliminary concept of the heavy rail/autonomous option. As part of Zephyr’s scope, we are participating in the program management of two options: a monorail option which has three alternative alignments, and a heavy rail option. The latter has two alignments: one is a combination of tunnel and aerial system; and the second is 100% underground. In parallel, Metro is performing the environmental documentation for the project. Following public hearings, Metro anticipates that the Metro Board will vote to select a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) in late 2024.

Metro plans to connect more of the South Bay by extending the Green (C) Line from the Redondo Beach (Marine) Station to the new Torrance Transit Center, bringing light rail to the area. The extension provides an alternative to congestion along the busy I-405 corridor and expands access to the region by connecting to the existing Metro Rail K (Crenshaw), J (Silver) and A (Blue) Lines, providing increased transit opportunities to the Cities of Lawndale, Redondo Beach and Torrance. The Project analyzed two proposed corridors: one along the freight railroad right-of-way, and the other with a section of street running mode. Zephyr Rail provided Program Management support, including: coordination and review of section designer submittals; coordination with Metro Systems team to locate interlockings to meet headway requirements; value engineering corridor options to minimize project cost; new bridge structures; noise/vibration impacts to surrounding residential neighborhoods; compliance with Metro Rail Design Criteria; coordination with BNSF Railway to modify, relocate and reconfigure existing storage tracks along the corridor, including evaluation of BSNF operations and alternative storage yard locations to support capacity shifts to maintain connections and service to existing rail served industries.

This 33.9-mile section of the California High Speed Rail includes 40 structures and is targeted for completion in two years. The northern-most section of the Merced-Bakersfield segment, it was identified as the top priority by Governor Gavin Newsom. California High Speed Rail is an ambitious project approved by voters in 2008 connecting Southern and Northern California. The Initial Operating Segment runs from Bakersfield to Merced. Madera to Merced is the northern segment of the IOS, and will connect with Sacramento to the north and San Jose to the west in future developments. Maximum train speeds will be about 220 miles per hour (350 km/h) in the dedicated HSR segments. Once the full Phase 1 system opens, the nonstop trains between San Francisco and Los Angeles – which are about 350 miles (560 km) apart by air – must not exceed 2 hours and 40 minutes travel time. The high-speed rail system is anticipated to provide environmental benefits by reducing pollution and carbon emissions, traffic benefits by improving passenger travel, and reducing vehicular traffic and air travel congestion, and economic benefits, especially in the Central Valley. Zephyr Rail is providing engineering design including roadway design, grade separations, and CADD services using the latest OpenRail software by Bentley.

The ambitious CHSR is the first of its kind in the US. Zephyr Rail tripled utility conflict resolution on CP1 in the first nine months of Zephyr Rail’s participation. Construction Package 1 (CP1) is the first significant construction contract on the California High Speed Rail, executed on the Initial Operating Section and valued at $4 Billion. The CP1 construction area is a 32-mile stretch between Avenue 19 in Madera County to East American Avenue in Fresno County. It includes 12 grade separations, 2 viaducts, 1 tunnel and a major river crossing over the San Joaquin River. CHSR is among the most complicated projects in rail today because of its sheer size and scope. Zephyr Rail prides itself on our ability to identify the needs of conflicting stakeholders and resolve railroad design issues quickly. Zephyr Rail helped the Client mitigate potential construction delays by leveraging their relationships with Union Pacific, SJVR and BNSF, and assisted the design-build team in drafting railroad submittals and obtain over 182 approvals quickly. By reviewing all submittals and providing comments prior to formal submission, Zephyr Rail reduced the average railroad review time (UPRR and BNSF) from 42 days to 31 days.