CCT spotlights Railroad Construction Co. on Purple Line tunnel work

The Carpenter Contractor Trust released a new Contractor Spotlight video on July 21, 2026, featuring Railroad Construction Co. inside the Purple Line transit project in Silver Spring, Maryland. The video highlights a century-old union contractor, a complex rail junction and the apprenticeship pipeline behind the work.

Why it matters: - The video spotlights how union contractors and union carpenters help build major transit infrastructure. - Railroad Construction Co. is working on one of the Purple Line project’s most complex sections, the Manchester interlocking. - The project also serves as hands-on training for first-year carpenter apprentices. - Safety is presented as a core value on the jobsite.

What happened: - The Carpenter Contractor Trust released its latest Contractor Spotlight video on July 21, 2026. - The feature profiles Railroad Construction Co., a union signatory general contractor based in Paterson, New Jersey. - The video takes viewers underground on the Purple Line rail tunnel in Silver Spring, Maryland. - CCT said the spotlight shows Railroad Construction Co.’s union workforce performing some of the project’s most complex work.

The details: - The Purple Line is a 16-mile light rail system being built by the Maryland Transit Administration. - The line will connect Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park and New Carrollton. - The Purple Line is not part of the Washington, D.C. Metro system. - The new line will connect to Metro’s Red, Green and Orange lines, plus MARC and Amtrak. - Railroad Construction Company was founded in 1926. - The company now has more than 155 co-workers who are also co-owners. - Railroad Construction Co. specializes in railroad, civil and infrastructure construction. - The company delivers rail, transit, transportation, utility and public infrastructure projects. - The video shows union carpenters and heavy equipment operators pouring concrete for the Manchester interlocking. - The Manchester interlocking is described as the most intricate section of track on the entire Purple Line project. - Workers are embedding rails in concrete and using surveyors to keep the track level and aligned. - First-year carpenter apprentices are gaining experience in formwork and heavy highway construction. - The Contractor Spotlight series is produced by CCT and features union signatory contractors and skilled tradespeople. - The Railroad Construction Company spotlight is available through CCT’s Contractor Spotlight page.

Between the lines: - CCT is using the video series to frame union construction as both a workforce development pipeline and a public-infrastructure story. - Railroad Construction Co.’s employee-ownership model is presented as part of the company’s century-long culture. - The emphasis on safety and apprenticeship suggests the project is being used to showcase both craft labor and training. - Cyndie Williams, executive director of CCT, said the relationship between the union contractor and the carpenters helps build safe, durable infrastructure that benefits taxpayers.

What's next: - CCT is expected to continue publishing Contractor Spotlight videos featuring union signatory contractors. - Railroad Construction Co. will keep advancing work on the Purple Line rail tunnel and the Manchester interlocking. - Apprentices on the jobsite are expected to continue building experience they can carry into future projects.

The bottom line: - The spotlight ties a century-old union contractor, a major transit buildout and apprenticeship training into one example of how public infrastructure gets built.