Bull Sheet Newswire
- FORMER INTERLOCKING TOWER IN MICHIGAN
DEMOLISHED: Former Michigan Central
Botsford (BO) interlocking tower in Kalamazoo, Michigan, was demolished
Dec. 28. The tower, which was closed in 2016, had controlled crossings
of Michigan Central and PRR Grand Rapids & Indiana, plus a crossing
of Michigan Central and former LSMS line. [Bill Haines, 12-30-21]
-
- SAVAGE GULF RAIL FACILITY OPENS IN
TEXAS: The Savage Gulf Rail Facility,
being served by Union Pacific, has opened in San Patricio County, Texas.
The rail yard was built to support the Gulf Coast Growth Ventures plastics
plant, and includes 36 miles of track, rail car wash and repair facilities.
It is expected to generate about 15,000 annual carloads of plastics materials.
[Progressive Railroading, 12-30-21]
-
- METRA PLANS MAJOR HIRING EFFORT IN
JANUARY: Chicago's Metra is planning
a major hiring effort to ensure it has enough employees to respond to the
agency's schedule adjustments in first-quarter 2022. Jobs being posted
in January include locomotive engineers, conductors, coach cleaners, track
and maintenance workers, and other positions in operations and administration.
[Progressive Railroading, 12-30-21]
-
- BMWED WORKERS WITH AMTRAK VOTE TO
CONSOLIDATE FIVE FEDERATIONS INTO ONE:
Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees who work for Amtrak have voted
in favor of a proposal to consolidate five separate federations into one
Amtrak group. A 'founding convention' will be held in January for delegates
from the local lodges to forge new bylaws, elect officers and establish
finances for the new federation. [Progressive Railroading, 12-30-21]
-
- NEW CSX LOCOMOTIVE PAINT SCHEME GETS
NEW DESIGNATION ON BULL SHEET SITE:
The new CSX locomotive paint design featuring the CSX website address on
the side of the unit, just below the letters CSX, has been redesignated
YN3c on the Bull Sheet's locomotive roster pages. Earlier, the scheme had
been identified as YN3w. MORE..
-
- MBTA EXPECTS TO RESTORE SERVICE OVER
GLOUCESTER DRAWBRIDGE BY MAY 2022:
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority expects to restore commuter
rail service over the Gloucester drawbridge spanning Annisquam River on
the Rockport line by May 2022. Construction is progressing on the $100-million
bridge replacement. [Progressive Railroading, 12-29-21]
-
- BLUEJAY CAPITAL PARTNERS COMPLETES
ACQUISITION OF PACIFIC WEST: Bluejay
Capital Partners has completed its acquisition of Pacific West, a rail
and industrial services business serving the western U.S. [Progressive
Railroading, 12-29-21]
-
- WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 420,373 carloads and
intermodal units in the week ending December 25, 2021, up 3.7 percent compared
with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads
were up 8.7 percent, and intermodal was down 0.4 percent. [Assn. of
American Railroads, 12-29-21]
-
- AGREEMENT SIGNED TO COMPLETE 19-MILE
RAIL LINE CONNECTING IRAN & IRAQ:
An agreement has been signed to complete the 19-mile Shalamcheh-Basra railway
to connect the national rail networks of Iran and Iraq. [Railway Gazette,
12-29-21]
-
- NORFOLK SOUTHERN INITIATES REWARD
PROGRAM TO EASE INTERMODAL CONGESTION:
Norfolk Southern has begun a pilot incentive program at its Chicago and
Kansas City intermodal terminals in an aim to ease pandemic-related congestion.
Truck carriers and steamship lines can earn a $200 incentive when a drayage
driver both brings in and departs with a shipping container. The program
is called 'Dual Mission,' and the railroad says it will pay the reward
once the truck carrier or steamship line completes dual missions at least
half the time over a certain period. [Railway Age, 12-28-21]
-
- D.C. METRO PAUSING ITS RETURN OF ADDITIONAL
7000-SERIES RAIL CARS TO SERVICE:
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is pausing its return
of additional 7000-series rail cars to service. The agency is ordering
a new regime of daily 7000-series inspections, not over new concerns with
the cars, but in a 'abundance of caution.' [Progressive Railroading,
12-28-21]
-
- C&O STEAM LOCOMOTIVE 1309 NOW
ALIVE AND WELL: Chesapeake &
Ohio 2-6-6-2 steam locomotive 1309, built by Baldwin in 1949 and retired
in 1956, has found a new life on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad operating
out of Cumberland. The locomotive has been restored to operation, and it
made its first movements under steam almost a year ago. It has been tested
and refined during 2021, and it pulled a few excursions, including Polar
Express, during the holidays. It is the largest locomotive of its type
in the world. [Railway Track & Structures, 12-27-21]
-
- WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN
PERFORMANCE: Thirty-eight percent
of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final
destination on time or earlier in the week ending December 26, 2021. The
remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 46 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 12-27-21]
-
- WINSTON-SALEM SEEKS RETURN OF PASSENGER
RAIL SERVICE: Winston-Salem, N.C.,
leaders plan to push hard in the coming year to bring back passenger rail
service to the city. Their effort is bolstered by the infrastructure act
earmarking $66-billion for Amtrak. But city leaders know that there will
be obstacles. Amtrak's 'Corridor Vision' includes additions to the passenger
rail system in the state, but Winston-Salem is not for now included in
that plan. [Winston-Salem Journal, 12-27-21]
-
- HEDGE FUND TCI SEEKS DELAY IN CN'S CEO SEARCH: TCI Fund Management says Canadian National's
search for a new CEO should be delayed until shareholders vote on a new
search committee to elect a CEO. TCI owns a five percent stake in CN, and
has been seeking a change at the company after it entered into a failed
bidding war with Canadian Pacific for Kansas City Southern. The fallout
from the deal caused CEO Jean-Jacques Ruest to announce his retirement.
[Reuters, 12-23-21]
-
- VA. BEGINS PASSENGER FEASIBILITY STUDY
FOR X-VIRGINIAN
LINE: The Virginia Passenger Rail
Authority has begun the New River Valley Passenger Rail Feasibility study,
which will examine potential rail station locations for the area. It follows
an agreement to extend passenger service along the former Virginian line
between Roanoke and New River Valley, and the state will buy nearly 30
miles of right-of-way from Norfolk Southern. [Progressive Railroading,
12-23-21]
-
- D.C. ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR FOR TRANSPORTATION
INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS: The
D.C. Dept. of Transportation will receive a $15-million federal grant to
improve pedestrian and cyclist connections, address safety and operations,
accommodate future streetcar expansions along the two-mile Benning road
NE corridor, and support the extension of its streetcar line east to the
Benning road Metrorail station. [Progressive Railroading, 12-23-21]
-
- C.P. SEALS LONG-TERM PACT WITH MAJOR
POTASH EXPORTER: Canadian Pacific
has executed a new long-term agreement with potash exporter Canpotex. The
new seven-year contract succeeds the current pact that was to expire next
year. Canadian Pacific is Canpotex's primary rail service provider for
transporting Canadian potash to overseas markets. [Progressive Railroading,
12-23-21]
-
- ELECTRIC SERVICES BEGIN OVER ENTIRE
LENGTH OF TURKEY'S ANKARA-KAYSERI RAIL LINE:
Electric rail services have begun over the entire 219-mile length of the
Ankara-Kayseri main line following completion of wiring work between Nenek
and Sefaatli. [Railway Gazette, 12-23-21]
-
- SENATORS SEEK STUDY OF EXPANDING N.W.
PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE: A bipartisan
group of U.S. senators representing the greater Northwest region have called
on the U.S. Dept. of Transportation to establish a greater Northwest working
group for the purpose of working toward expanding passenger rail service
across the region. The new Infrastructure Investment & Jobs act includes
funding to restore and enhance passenger rail routes in rural and underserved
areas. [Progressive Railroading, 12-22-21]
-
- WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 504,099 carloads and
intermodal units in the week ending Dec. 18, 2021, down 3.1 percent from
the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were
up 1.7 percent, and intermodal was down 6.9 percent. [Assn. of American
Railroads, 12-22-21]
-
- CN NETWORK RETURNS TO NORMAL AFTER
WASHOUTS IN B.C.: Canadian National's
British Columbia network productivity has returned to pre-washout levels
as crews continue to return track to service following washouts in the
province. That network was shut down between Nov. 14 and Dec. 4 as the
railroad experienced 58 outages over 150 miles. [Progressive Railroading,
12-22-21]
-
- NEW LEASE SIGNED FOR NEW HAVEN R.R.
STATIONS: Connecticut and New
Haven officials have signed a new lease establishing a partnership agreement
involving Union and State Street stations. The New Haven Union Station
Partnership's plans call for revamping the basement and first two floors
of the station to allow for new retail and additional options for commuters,
and improvements to enable future adaptive reuse of the upper station floors.
[Progressive Railroading, 12-22-21]
-
- ALSTOM TO SUPPLY SWEDEN WITH ITS FASTEST
TRAINS: Swedish national operator
SJ has confirmed that Alstom is to supply the fastest trains in the country.
They will have a maximum speed of 155 MPH for use on long-distance service,
including routes to neighboring Denmark and Norway. The initial order will
cover 25 electric train sets for service beginning in 2026, with options
for 15 more. The trains will be equipped with batteries to enable movement
if power fails. [Railway Gazette, 12-22-21]
-
- STB OK'S WATCO'S PURCHASE OF 652 MILES OF WISCONSIN CENTRAL LINES: The Surface Transportation Board has approved
Watco's acquisition of approximately 652 miles of rail line in Wisconsin
and Michigan from CN-controlled Wisconsin Central. [Railway Track &
Structures, 12-21-21]
-
- INDIANA R.R. IMPROVES ODON, INDIANA,
TRANSLOAD FACILITY: The Indiana
Rail Road has completed a project to improve its transload facility in
Odon, Indiana. The upgrades include a new 10-inch floor, a food grade rail
car dock and two truck docks. The facility features 9600 square feet of
warehouse capacity and offers services Monday through Friday. [Progressive
Railroading, 12-21-21]
-
- INVESTMENT FIRM ACQUIRES VEGETATION
MANAGEMENT FIRM FERROVIA SERVICES:
Auxo Investment Partners, a private investment firm, has acquired Ferrovia
Services, an Alabama-based provider of railroad and transportation vegetation
management services. [Progressive Railroading, 12-21-21]
-
- UNION PACIFIC TRAIN DERAILS IN MISSOURI: An investigation is underway after a Union Pacific
train derailed early Dec. 19 at a crossing in Napton, Missouri. About 40
rail cars carrying a variety of items were involved. No injuries were reported.
[KMIZ, 12-20-21]
-
- WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN
PERFORMANCE: Thirty-two percent
of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final
destination on time or earlier in the week ending December 19, 2021. The
remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 33 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 12-20-21]
-
- JIM VENA, TAPPED TO BE CEO OF CN,
DECLINES APPOINTMENT: Canadian
National said Jim Vena, a former executive favored by shareholder TCI Fund
Management to replace Jean-Jacques Ruest as chief executive officer, has
informed the board that he is no longer interested in taking the role.
The company says it expects to announce a new leader next month. [Bloomberg,
12-20-21]
-
- TEXAS SUPREME COURT TO CONSIDER STATE'S CHALLENGE TO EMINENT
DOMAIN RIGHT FOR BULLET TRAIN:
The Texas attorney general's office has put its weight behind a case against
the companies developing the Dallas-Houston bullet train, arguing they
cannot force people to sell parcels needed for the high-speed rail project
through eminent domain. At issue is whether the companies qualify as 'operating
a railroad,' as defined by the state's transportation code. [Texas Tribune,
12-20-21]
-
- AMTRAK IS CHALLENGED IN RECRUITING
NEW EMPLOYEES BY LAPSES IN THE PROCESS: Amtrak's human resources department does not have sufficient
leadership or staff to effectively recruit, screen and hire new employees,
which will likely hinder the company's plan to add up to 3,500 employees
this fiscal year, an Amtrak Office of Inspector General's report concludes.
After reducing service and downsizing its workforce due to the pandemic,
Amtrak now seeks to rebuild its workforce. However, as of October, 28 of
64 positions in the human resources department, which is tasked to process
new applicants, were vacant. [Progressive Railroading, 12-17-21]
-
- CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS, COMMUTER RAIL
STATION PROJECT COMPLETED: Massachusetts
officials have marked the completion of the multimodal Chelsea Commuter
Rail Station project. The new $37.7-million station offers riders on the
Newburyport and Rockport lines fully-accessible high-level platforms and
improved station elements. The old station was demolished. [Progressive
Railroading, 12-17-21]
-
- L.A. COUNTY METRO APPROVES CERTIFICATION
OF ANTELOPE VALLEY LINE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT: The Los Angeles County Metro's board has approved the certification
of the final environmental impact report for the Antelope Valley line capacity
and service improvements project. It aims to boost service frequency and
reliability along the 76.6-mile rail corridor between Lancaster and downtown
Los Angeles, and construction could begin as early as 2028. [Railway
Age, 12-17-21]
-
- PORT OF L.A. LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER PLEADS
GUILTY TO INTENTIONALLY RUNNING ENGINE OFF END OF TRACK: A 45-year-old locomotive engineer at the Port
of Los Angeles has pleaded guilty to a federal charge for intentionally
running a locomotive at full speed off the end of tracks near the Navy
hospital ship Mercy in March 2020. No one was injured in the incident,
and the ship itself was not damaged, but his train leaked a substantial
amount of fuel, and caused about $700,000 in damages because of the derailment.
[Railway Track & Structures, 12-17-21]
-
- WOMAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR SHUNTING
BNSF TRACKS NEAR BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON: A 28-year-old woman has been sentenced to serve a year and a
day in prison plus three years of supervised release for her role in shunting
BNSF tracks to disrupt the signaling system near Bellingham, Washington,
the night of Nov. 28, 2020. She was one of two women arrested in the incident;
the other had been sentenced in October to six months in prison, four months
of home confinement and three years of supervised release. [U.S. Justice
Dept., 12-17-21]
-
- ALSTOM CITADIS X05 TRAMS ENTER PASSENGER
SERVICE IN ATHENS, GREECE: Alstom's
latest generation of Citadis X05 has entered passenger service in Athens,
following testing. The 25 trams ordered in 2018 are the first Alstom trams
to ever circulate in Greece. [Progressive Railroading, 12-17-21]
-
- STEPHEN GARDNER TO BECOME CEO OF AMTRAK: Stephen J. Gardner, currently president of Amtrak,
will be the company's CEO on Jan. 17, 2022, succeeding William Flynn, who
is retiring. Gardner, who was named president at the end of 2020, joined
Amtrak in 2009. Flynn will remain as a senior advisor through Sept. 2022,
the end of the fiscal-year, to support the transition. [Railway Age,
12-16-21]
-
- CONTRACT AWARDED FOR N.Y.C. PENN STATION
ACCESS PROJECT: A design-build
contract for the $2.87-billion Penn Station Access Project in New York
has been awarded. When completed, it will result in direct Metro-North
service from the Bronx, Westchester and Connecticut to Penn Station and
Manhattan's West Side. [Progressive Railroading, 12-16-21]
-
- FEDS APPROVE CONSTRUCTION, OPERATION
OF NEW UINTA BASIN RAILWAY: The
Surface Transportation Board has granted final approval for an exemption
sought by the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition in Utah to construct
and operate the Uinta Basin Railway, a new rail line. The decision applies
to the Whitmore Park Alternative, subject to final environmental mitigation
measures recommended by the board's office of environmental analysis in
its final environmental impact statement, with minor changes. [Progressive
Railroading, 12-16-21]
-
- D.C. METRO TO GRADUALLY RETURN 7000-SERIES
RAIL CARS TO SERVICE: The Washington
Metrorail Safety Commission has no technical objections to Washington DC
Metro's plan to gradually return half of the 7000-series rail cars to service.
The agency's plan calls for a metered release of no more than 336 rail
cars, which will provide an additional 42 trains in operation. The agency
will pause for 90 days without releasing any more cars until all aspects
of the new inspection cycles are set and necessary adjustments are made.
All of the 7000-series cars, or about 60 percent of the Metrorail fleet,
were withdrawn from service in October as part of an investigation into
a derailment involving the cars on the Blue line in Virginia. [Progressive
Railroading, 12-15-21]
-
- PATRICK MCCRORY NAMED PRESIDENT, CEO OF PALMETTO RAILWAYS: Patrick McCrory will succeed Jeffrey McWhorter
when he retires as president and CEO of Palmetto Railways next month. McCrory
currently serves as vice-president and chief commercial officer. Prior
to joining Palmetto Railways in 2013, he served in management with CSX
Intermodal Terminals and APM Terminals. [Progressive Railroading, 12-15-21]
-
- ABDELLAH CHAJAI NAMED CEO OF KEOLIS
COMMUTER SERVICES: Keolis has
named transportation veteran Abdellah Chajai CEO of Keolis Commuter Services,
the operating partner of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's
Boston-based commuter rail system. Prior to coming to Boston, he served
as CEO of Keolis Amey Docklands since 2018. He has more than 25 years of
experience in the industry and transportation sector. [Progressive Railroading,
12-15-21]
-
- WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 513,366 carloads and
intermodal units in the week ending December 11, 2021, down 6 percent compared
with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads
were up 0.3 percent, and intermodal was down 10.9 percent. [Assn. of
American Railroads, 12-15-21]
-
- UNION PACIFIC TRAIN LEAKS 900 GALLONS
OF FUEL OVER 37 MILES IN CALIFORNIA:
About 900 gallons of fuel leaked from a train between Sacramento and Dixon,
California, along a 37-mile stretch, before it was discovered, Union Pacific
said Dec. 15. There were no reported injuries or exposures, and an environmental
response team was dispatched to assess the leak and determine what to do
next. [CBS Sacramento, 12-15-21]
-
- FORMER BNSF TRACK INSPECTOR AWARDED
$9.4-M IN DAMAGES FOR RETALIATION:
A former track inspector with BNSF has been awarded $9.4-million in damages
by a jury that found that the individual was retaliated against for reporting
hazardous safety conditions on the railroad. The award included $611,797
in lost wages, $250,000 in emotional distress, and $8,600,000 in punitive
damages. [WCCO, 12-15-21]
-
- BNSF TRAIN DERAILS IN OKLAHOMA: BNSF has confirmed that a train carrying empty
intermodal containers derailed near Enid, Oklahoma, on Dec. 15. A total
of 21 cars carrying 32 containers were involved, and high-winds may have
been the cause. No injuries were reported. [Ponca City Live, 12-15-21]
-
- AMTRAK TO CUT ONE ROUND-TRIP ST. LOUIS-KANSAS
CITY TRAIN DUE TO LACK OF STATE FUNDING: Beginning Jan. 3, 2022, Amtrak will cut one of its two round-trip
Missouri River Runner trains between St. Louis and Kansas City due to lack
of state funding. State aid for the two trains only covered the first half
of the fiscal year, and the one remaining train will run in the morning
eastbound, and in the evening westbound. Restoration of the train being
cut is dependent on the Missouri Legislature, the state department of transportation
said. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 12-15-21]
-
- PA. GRANTS $9-M TO WHEELING &
LAKE ERIE RWY FOR 19-MILE TRACK RENEWAL: Pennsylvania has approved a project grant of $9-million to Wheeling
& Lake Erie Railway to replace 19 miles of jointed rail with welded
rail on a line in Fayette and Westmoreland counties. [Pa. D.O.T., 12-15-21]
-
- AMTRAK TRAINS ON CHICAGO-ST. LOUIS
ROUTE NOW RUNNING AT UP TO 90 MPH:
After a delay of more than three years, trains on Amtrak's Chicago-St.
Louis route are finally running regularly at speeds of up to 90 MPH. Previously,
the maximum speed was 79 MPH. Under schedule changes effective Dec. 13,
about 15 minutes were trimmed off trips between the two cities. Amtrak
said the rail line actually began operating most trains on the route at
the higher speed last summer, but without changing the schedule. Looking
forward, Amtrak hopes to achieve speeds of up to 110 MPH on the route in
the next year and one-half. [Quad City Times, 12-14-21]
-
- CATERPILLAR, CHEVRON, BNSF PARTNER
TO TEST FEASIBILITY OF HYDROGEN FUEL FOR RAILROADS: Caterpillar, Chevron and BNSF have teamed on a locomotive pilot
to confirm the feasibility and performance of hydrogen fuel for use as
a viable alternative to traditional fuels for line-haul rail. [Railway
Age, 12-14-21]
-
- AMTRAK REVISES EMPLOYEE COVID VACCINE
POLICY; REPLACES WITH COVID TESTING:
Amtrak on Dec. 14 updated the company's COVID-19 vaccine policy by revising
the mandate that its employees needed to be vaccinated by Jan. 4, 2022.
Instead, the company will implement employee testing. Today, 95.7 percent
of its employees are either fully-vaccinated or have an accommodation,
the company said. When it includes employees who have gotten at least one
vaccine dose, the number climbs to 97.3 percent. With the change in policy,
Amtrak no longer anticipates having system-wide service impacts in January.
[Railway Age, 12-14-21]
-
- AMTRAK REPORTS FY-21 RESULTS: Amtrak reported a $1.08-billion loss in adjusted
operating earnings during fiscal-year 2021, a reflection of the pandemic's
toll on the railroad. However, Amtrak's bottom line was $400-million ahead
of plan due to strong ridership gains driven by new approaches to marketing
and pricing helping to attract new riders, Amtrak officials said. [Progressive
Railroading, 12-14-21]
-
- AMTRAK'S SIGNIFICANT SERVICE EXPANSION TO BEGIN IN ABOUT
18 MONTHS: Amtrak is expected
to expand its service and make long overdue infrastructure repairs with
its $22-billion in new federal money, but the company says it might be
18 months before any significant work begins. At present, Amtrak is more
focused on increasing ridership. Revenues and ridership are expected to
recover to about 80 percent of 2019 levels in the next year. In 2021, the
company recorded just a 37 percent ridership recovery. [Railway Track
& Structures, 12-14-21]
-
- MICHIGAN SEEKS TO BUILD NEW, LARGER
TRAIN STATION FOR DETROIT: Rail
passengers into and out of Detroit via Amtrak may see a new train station
rise in the city's New Center area in coming years. The Biden administration
has announced a $10-million grant to help Michigan build a new station,
the aim for which is to combine the facility for trains, intercity buses,
local services and bike-sharing. It would be built at the current train
station's location, and would replace the intercity bus station currently
about three miles away. [Detroit Free Press, 12-14-21]
-
- ALSTOM SIGNS AGREEMENT FOR UP TO 750
COMMUTER RAIL CARS FOR DUBLIN, IRELAND: Alstom has signed an agreement with Iarnrod Eireann/Irish Rail
for up to 750 new X-trapolis commuter rail cars for the Dublin Area Rapid
Transit network, with a firm initial order for 19 five-car trains, including
a 15-year support services contract. [Progressive Railroading, 12-14-21]
-
- WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN
PERFORMANCE: Thirty-seven percent
of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final
destination on time or earlier in the week ending December 12, 2021. The
remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 20 minutes late. MORE..
[Bull Sheet Statistical Dept.,
12-13-21]
-
- N.Y.C. R-32 SUBWAY TRAINS BEING RETIRED: New York City's Metropolitan Transportation
Authority has announced the retirement of their 1960's-era R-32 trains.
Among the oldest subway cars to operate in the world, they originally ran
on the BMT Brighton line, now known as the Q-line, and were known as Brightliners
because of their washboard-like stainless steel exteriors. [Progressive
Railroading, 12-13-21]
-
- STB SETS A HEARING ON CSX'S APPLICATION TO
CONTROL PAN AM SYSTEMS ON JAN. 13:
The Surface Transportation Board will hold a public, virtual meeting Jan.
13, 2022, on the revised application for CSX to acquire control of Pan
Am Systems and its short-line subsidiaries. [Progressive Railroading,
12-13-21]
-
- NORFOLK SOUTHERN TRAIN DERAILS NEAR
PITTSBURGH: A Norfolk Southern
train derailed early Dec. 12 in Baldwin, Pa., near Pittsburgh. There were
no injuries, and no hazardous threats to the public. Cleanup is expected
to take 24 hours. (A photo accompanying the story showed Norfolk Southern's
locomotive commemorating the Southern Railway over on its side at the accident
site.) [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 12-12-21]
-
- KCS SHAREHOLDERS VOTE TO APPROVE PROPOSED
MERGER WITH CP: Kansas City Southern
shareholders have voted to approve the proposed merger with Canadian Pacific.
The transaction is expected to close into a trust on Dec. 14. KCS shareholders
will receive $90 in cash and 2.884 CP shares for each of their KCS common
shares held, and $37.50 for each KCS preferred share held. Ownership of
KCS will be held in a voting trust pending Surface Transportation Board
review and approval of CP's proposed control of KCS, which is expected
to occur in the fourth-quarter of 2022. [Progressive Railroading, 12-10-21]
-
- CSX TRAIN, SEPTA TROLLEY COLLIDE,
SEVEN INJURED: A Dec. 9 collision
between a CSX train and a SEPTA route 11 trolley in Darby, Pa., injured
seven people, one critically. Six of those who were injured were treated
and released. None of the CSX crew members were hurt. The accident is under
investigation. [Akron RR Club Wordpress, 12-10-21]
-
- MBTA GREEN LINE D BRANCH TRACK, SIGNAL
PROJECT COMPLETED: MBTA has announced
the completion of its Green line D branch track & signal replacement
project, which began in June 2018. [Railway Track & Structures,
12-10-21]
-
- MICHAEL MILLER NAMED TO SERVE AS UNION
PACIFIC'S
V.P., TREASURER: Michael Miller,
a 28-year Union Pacific veteran, has been appointed vice-president and
treasurer of the company, effective Febr. 1, 2022. He will succeed Gary
Grosz, who is retiring. [Railway Age, 12-10-21]
-
- GLENN HULCHER DIES, FOUNDER OF HULCHER
SERVICES: Glenn Hulcher, founder
of Hulcher Services Inc., died Nov. 23. He was 85. [Progressive Railroading,
12-10-21]
-
- BRIDGE REPLACEMENT TO IMPACT CITY
OF NEW ORLEANS TRAIN: Amtrak train
City of New Orleans will be annulled in both directions between Memphis
and New Orleans December 13, 2021, because of bridge replacement work.
The train will still operate between Chicago and Memphis, but not south
of Memphis. [Amtrak]
-
- UNION PACIFIC HIKES COMMON STOCK DIVIDEND
10 PCT: The board of Union Pacific
has voted to increase the quarterly common stock dividend by 10 percent.
[Union Pacific, 12-10-21]
-
- THREE CLASS I RAILROADS SUSPEND COVID-19
VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS: BNSF,
Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific have each put on hold requirements that
all of their employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. A federal court
decision called for a stay of the vaccine mandate for federal contractors,
putting on hold such mandates until legal challenges work themselves through
the court process. [Freight Waves, 12-9-21]
-
- NORFOLK SOUTHERN TO ACQUIRE NEW, MORE
SUSTAINABLE STEEL GONDOLA RAIL CARS:
Norfolk Southern, U.S. Steel and The Greenbrier Companies have jointly
announced a new, more sustainable steel gondola rail car. Norfolk Southern
will initially acquire 800 of the Greenbrier-engineered gondolas, which
can transport loose bulk material such as metal scraps, coils, wood chips,
steel slabs and ore. The cars feature an extended lifecycle by using new
steel that is two times as strong as traditional steel used in rail car
manufacturing. Norfolk Southern plans to recycle their old gondolas once
the new ones are in service. [Progressive Railroading, 12-9-21]
-
- DICK HASSELMAN DIES, FORMER CONRAIL
SENIOR V.P. OPERATIONS: Richard
B. Hasselman, former senior vice-president of operations for Conrail, died
Dec. 5 at the age of 95. As a teen he was a member of a model railroad
club where his passion for railroading and trolleys was spawned. He began
his railroading career in 1947 with the New York Central, and he worked
in many capacities, including that of interlocking tower operator. He was
still with NYC when it merged with PRR to become Penn Central, and later
Conrail. He became senior vice-president operations, where he remained
for 13 years until his retirement at the end of 1989. [Railway Age,
12-9-21]
-
- JACKSON STREET INTERLOCKING TOWER
IN OHIO DEMOLISHED: CSX has demolished
the former New York Central Jackson Street interlocking tower in Fostoria,
Ohio. The tower had housed the nation's first centralized traffic control
system. [Bill Haines, 12-9-21]
-
- FEDS AWARD $285.7-M COVID-19 RESPONSE
GRANT TO METROPOLITAN ATLANTA TRANSIT:
The Federal Transit Administration has awarded the Metropolitan Atlanta
Transit Administration a $285.7-million grant for COVID-19 response under
the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. [Railway Age, 12-9-21]
-
- AMTRAK TRAINS TO INCREASE SPEED ON
CHICAGO-ST. LOUIS CORRIDOR: Trains
operating on the corridor between Chicago and St. Louis will have faster
schedules by about 15 minutes effective Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, due to an
increase in maximum speed to 90 MPH. This is a step toward 110 MPH schedules
planned for the next 12 to 18 months. [Amtrak]
-
- CP SHAREHOLDERS VOTE TO APPROVE PROPOSED
MERGER WITH KCS: Canadian Pacific
shareholders have voted in favor of the issuance of CP common shares to
Kansas City Southern common stockholders in connection with the proposed
CP-KCS combination. [CP, 12-8-21]
-
- JUDGE BLOCKS COVID-19 VACCINE MANDATE
FOR EMPLOYEES OF FEDERAL CONTRACTS:
A federal judge on Dec. 7 blocked the Biden Administration from enforcing
a COVID-19 vaccine for employees of federal contractors. The mandate affects
railroads that do business with the federal government, including Amtrak
and some Class I carriers. In recent months, Amtrak, BNSF, Union Pacific
and Norfolk Southern have been embroiled in lawsuits filed by unions which
argue the mandates have to be considered part of the collective bargaining
process. [Progressive Railroading, 12-8-21]
-
- D.C. METRO SETS TO REOPEN SHADY GROVE,
ROCKVILLE STATIONS ON JAN. 16:
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority will reopen the Shady
Grove and Rockville stations on Jan. 16, 2021, after a four-month shutdown
to complete track repairs and to install fiber optic cable for radio communication.
[Progressive Railroading, 12-8-21]
-
- CP COMMITS TO BATON ROUGE-NEW ORLEANS
PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE: Canadian
Pacific, which is close to gaining ownership of the tracks between Baton
Rouge and New Orleans, has committed to reintroducing passenger rail service
on the line. The railroad says it will work with state and local officials,
Amtrak and other interested parties to restart local passenger service,
and freeing up capacity for one round-trip per day between the cities.
Frequency could even be increased depending upon upgrades to the line.
[NOLA.com, 12-8-21]
-
- WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 527,406 carloads and
intermodal units in the week ending December 4, 2021, down 2.8 percent
compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately,
carloads were up 3.9 percent, and intermodal was down 8.4 percent. [Assn.
of American Railroads, 12-8-21]
-
- CALTRAIN'S ELECTRIFICATION PROJECT TO COST $462-M MORE THAN
ORIGINAL ESTIMATE: Caltrain says
its electrification project will require an additional $462-million over
the original estimate, bringing the total cost to $2.44-billion. The increase
is a result of negotiations and settlement with the contractor resolving
commercial issues and costs related to the extended 2024 completion deadline.
[Progressive Railroading, 12-7-21]
-
- GA. PORTS AUTHORITY TO EXPEDITE COMPLETION
OF TERMINAL EXPANSION: The Georgia
Ports Authority intends to expedite the completion of 1.6 million 20-foot
equivalent container units in additional annual terminal capacity at the
Garden City terminal. Capacity will increase by 670,000 units by January,
155,000 units in March, and the remainder in June. [Progressive Railroading,
12-7-21]
-
- UNION PACIFIC COMMITS TO NET ZERO
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 2050:
Union Pacific has published its first comprehensive climate action plan
to driving climate action and responding to emerging risks affecting the
rail industry. The company is committed to achieve net zero greenhouse
gas emissions by 2050. [Progressive Railroading, 12-7-21]
-
- FEDS ANNOUNCE $198-M AVAILABILITY
FOR INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL PROJECTS:
The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a notice of funding opportunity
for Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair program of $198-million
to repair and rehabilitate qualified intercity passenger rail infrastructure
and assets. It will also provide an opportunity to jumpstart investments
in eligible projects under the recently enacted Infrastructure Law. [Railway
Track & Structures, 12-7-21]
-
- FIRST FLIRTS DELIVERED TO WALES: The first two of the 35 Flirt multiple-units
which Stadler is supplying to Wales have been delivered, ready for testing
and commissioning ahead of entry into service next year. [Railway Gazette,
12-7-21]
-
- WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN
PERFORMANCE: Forty-seven percent
of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final
destination on time or earlier in the week ending December 5, 2021. The
remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and eight minutes behind
schedule. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 12-6-21]
-
- EXPANDED RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE BUSINESS
PARK OPENS IN MONTANA: The Port
of Montana and Union Pacific have opened an $8-million infrastructure expansion
at Butte's Montana Connections Development Park. The project adds more
than 20,000 track feet, increasing the facility's capacity for more and
longer trains. [Progressive Railroading, 12-6-21]
-
- METROLINK HOSTS FUTURE SERVICE DOGS: Southern California's Metrolink recently hosted
a training exercise for a dozen puppies set to become working guide dogs
and service on public transportation. The puppies are being trained for
visually impaired persons. The day began at the Sylmar-San Fernando station
where the puppies and handlers boarded the Antelope Valley line to Los
Angeles Union Station. The puppies practiced sitting at handlers' feet,
out of the way of other passengers, and once at Union Station they practiced
basic obedience skills amid the hustle of commuters. [Progressive Railroading,
12-6-21]
-
- CN LINE IN B.C. REOPENS FOLLOWING
MUDSLIDE REPAIRS: Canadian National
crews worked around the clock to repair rail infrastructure on the Vancouver-Kamloops
corridor in British Columbia, and train activity resumed Dec. 5. The segment
had been disabled in late November due to mudslides and heavy rain. Limited
activity was restored in late November, but the line was shut down again
after more severe weather. The railroad said crews would continue to monitor
the territory over the coming weeks. [Railway Track & Structures,
12-6-21]
-
- HUNGARY TO EXAMINE USE OF HYDROGEN
TECHNOLOGY IN RAIL TRANSPORTATION:
Alstom and Hungarian oil & gas company MOL have signed an agreement
to structure cooperation in examining the use of hydrogen technology in
rail transportation. [Progressive Railroading, 12-6-21]
-
- METRO-NORTH SEATING INFO EXPANDS TO
GOOGLE MAPS: Metro-North's seating
availability feature on its 'Train Time' app, which shows riders the percentage
of full seats in each train car, is expanding to Google Maps. [Progressive
Railroading, 12-6-21]
-
- CANADA APPROVES CN'S PROPOSED INTERMODAL FACILITY IN MILTON, ONTARIO: The Canadian Transportation Agency has approved
Canadian National's proposed $250-million logistics hub and intermodal
facility to be built in Milton, Ontario. The facility will include a rail
yard with more than 12 miles of track, and is projected to handle four
intermodal trains per day. [Railway Age, 12-6-21]
-
- KCS SETS GRAIN CARLOAD RECORD IN NOV.
2021: Kansas City Southern
set a record daily average grain carload record in November 2021, exceeding
the previous record set in October 2021. KCS's rail lines receive and originate
shipments of grain and grain products for delivery to consumers in the
U.S. and Mexico, and its cross-border grain shipments represent some of
the longest lengths of haul on the railroad originating in Illinois, Iowa,
Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, and moving into central and southern Mexico.
[Railway Age, 12-3-21]
-
- BNSF TRAIN COLLIDES WITH ANOTHER IN
OMAHA: There was a BNSF derailment
south of the Omaha, Nebraska, area early Dec. 3. An empty coal train hit
the rear of a mixed-freight train; two locomotives and 16 cars were involved.
As a precaution, a conductor and engineer aboard the empty coal train were
hospitalized. [WOWT, 12-3-21]
-
- JAMES SQUIRES, NORFOLK SOUTHERN CHAIRMAN,
TO RETIRE: James A. Squires, chairman
& CEO of Norfolk Southern, plans to retire on May 1, 2022. Alan H.
Shaw, executive vice-president & chief marketing officer, will take
over as CEO, and the board of directors has elected him president, effective
immediately. [Norfolk Southern, 12-2-21]
-
- R.J. CORMAN RAILROAD REBRANDS ITS
TRANSLOADING BUSINESS: R.J. Corman
Railroad is rebranding its transloading business as 'Transload Connect,'
and has signed on RSI Logistics to market the service and serve as a third-party
operator at select locations. [Railway Age, 12-2-21]
-
- COURT RULES USE OF BOND FUNDS ARE
ALLOWABLE FOR SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY HSR PROJECT: A California court has ruled that the current use of bond funds
for high-speed rail construction in the central San Joaquin Valley does
not violate the state constitution. The court said using funds on a project
that has had some modifications was still constitutional. [Railway Age,
12-2-21]
-
- NTSB ISSUES SAFETY ALERT OVER WHEELSET
GAUGE ISSUE: The National Transportation
Safety Board has issued a safety alert calling on transit rail agencies
and commuter railroads to assess their fleets for wheelsets that do not
meet gauge specifications, and to correct any problems. A wheelset movement
issue was identified during an investigation of an October 12 derailment
involving a D.C. Metro train on the Blue line in Virginia. [Progressive
Railroading, 12-2-21]
-
- NEW PRESIDENT ELECTED TO RAIL SIGNAL
WORKERS UNION: The Brotherhood
of Railroad Signalmen has announced the election of Michael Baldwin as
the organization's new president following the retirement of Jerry Boles.
Baldwin most recently served as the union's secretary-treasurer from 2019,
and had served as vice-president West from 2015. [Progressive Railroading,
12-2-21]
-
- ALTOM LANDS CONTRACT TO OVERHAUL 94
GO TRANSIT BI-LEVEL RAILCARS:
Alstom has won a $171-million contract from Metrolinx to overhaul 94 bi-level
commuter railcars for GO Transit. The cars were built 2003-2008, and their
overhaul and upgrade work will be performed over a two-year period in Thunder
Bay, Ontario. [Progressive Railroading, 12-1-21]
-
- NOVEMBER 2021 AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE
TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Forty-three
percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled
final destination on time or earlier in November 2021. The average arrival
of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 43 minutes late. The
average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one
hour and 15 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 12-1-21]
-
- ITE MANAGEMENT ACQUIRES C.K. INDUSTRIES: ITE Management, in partnership with RESIDCO,
has acquired C.K. Industries' North American Railcar and related assets.
C.K. Industries is a railcar owner and lessor based in Illinois with affiliates
elsewhere in North America and in Europe. [Railway Track & Structures,
12-1-21]
-
- VIA RAIL UNVEILS FIRST NEW TRAIN SET
FOR QUEBEC CITY-WINDSOR CORRIDOR:
VIA Rail Canada on Nov. 30 unveiled the first new train set for its upcoming
state-of-the-art fleet. The company plans to acquire 32 of the new Siemens
trains as part of its program aimed at creating a 'VIA Rail of Tomorrow.'
The nearly $1-billion in funding for the trains comes from the Canadian
government's 2018 federal budget, and the trains will be used on the Quebec
City-Windsor corridor. [Progressive Railroading, 12-1-21]
-
- NOVEMBER 2021 U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC
REPORT: U.S. railroads originated
1,945,826 carloads and intermodal units in November 2021, down 4.5 percent
compared with the same month last year. Calculated separately, carloads
were up 2 percent, and intermodal was down 9.6 percent. [Assn. of American
Railroads, 12-1-21]
-
- UNION PACIFIC CUTS FULL-YEAR FORECAST
FOR VOLUME, OPERATING RATIO: Union
Pacific has cut its full-year forecast for volume and operating ratio growth
as supply chain logjams persist. The company said it expects 2021 volumes
to grow about 4 percent from around the 5 percent growth it had forecast
in October. Earlier in the year it had expected a volume growth of about
7 percent. [Reuters, 12-1-21]
-
- STB ORDERS CSX TO ALLOW AMTRAK ACCESS
TO CHOCTAW YARD: CSX must permit
Amtrak access to the Choctaw Yard to conduct an engineering survey related
to the potential location of a layover track, the Surface Transportation
Board ruled on Nov. 29. The ruling is related to the ongoing dispute over
Amtrak's plans to offer service between New Orleans and Mobile. [Progressive
Railroading, 11-30-21]
-
- MARK WALLACE DIES, CSX EXEC. V.P.: Mark Wallace, executive vice-president of CSX,
died Nov. 28. He joined CSX in 2017 as EVP of corporate affairs and chief
of staff, and later named EVP of sales and marketing the following year.
Prior to joining CSX, he held positions at Canadian National and Canadian
Pacific. He was 52. [Progressive Railroading, 11-30-21]
-
- FEDS TO ADD UP TO $80.5-M TO EARLIER
LOAN FOR MOYNIHAN TRAIN HALL IN N.Y.:
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation's Build America Bureau has added up to
$80.5-million to the $526.5-million loan that closed in 2017 toward construction
of the Moynihan Train Hall in New York City. The additional loan capacity
will ensure completion of security and passenger safety initiatives, officials
said. [Progressive Railroading, 11-30-21]
-
- RAILS COULD SEE HUGE SAVINGS SWITCHING
FROM DIESEL TO BATTERY POWER, STUDY SAYS: If U.S. Class I railroads convert from diesel locomotives to
battery power, they can save $94-billion over 20 years while consuming
half the energy consumed by diesel, according to a Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory report published in the Nov. 2021 issue of Nature Energy. [American
Journal of Transportation, 11-30-21]
-
- HOWARD STREET TUNNEL PROJECT BEGINS: Ground has been broken on the $466-million project
calling for expansion of the 126-year-old CSX-owned Howard Street Tunnel
in Baltimore along with work at 21 other locations to enable trains to
carry double-stacked containers to and from the Port of Baltimore. The
project is expected to increase the port's annual volume by about 160,000
containers and generate more than 14,000 jobs. [Progressive Railroading,
11-29-21]
-
- WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN
PERFORMANCE: Thirty-nine percent
of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final
destination on time or earlier in the week ending November 28, 2021. The
remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 12 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 11-29-21]
-
- NORFOLK SOUTHERN TRAIN DERAILS IN
GEORGIA, TWO CREW MEMBERS SLIGHTLY INJURED: A late Nov. 27 derailment in downtown Hiram, Ga., shut down
one of the city's main arteries. According to Norfolk Southern, two crew
members riding in the lead locomotive, which overturned along with seven
train cars, were taken to a hospital with minor injuries before being released
the following morning. [WSB-TV, 11-28-21]
-
- OHIO APPROVES GRANT FOR EMBANKMENT
STABILIZATION ON SHORT LINE: The
Ohio Rail Development Commission has approved a $130,000 grant to Youngstown
& Southeastern Railroad to stabilize an embankment adjacent to Little
Bull Creek in Columbiana County where the stream had changed course and
begun to erode. [The Review, 11-27-21]
-
- MEXICO ENDORSES CP-KCS MERGER PROPOSAL: Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern have
received the required regulatory pre-transaction control approvals from
the Mexican Federal Economic Competition Commission and the Mexican Federal
Telecommunications Institute for the proposed combination of the two railroads.
[CP & KCS 11-26-21]
-
- STB ASKS NORFOLK SOUTHERN TO EXPLAIN
DETERIORATING PERFORMANCE METRICS, COMPLAINTS: In a letter to Norfolk Southern, the Surface Transportation
Board has called for Norfolk Southern to provide a review of the state
of its network, including an assessment of why its service metrics are
not near 2019 levels. The board has received an increasing number of complaints
over poor performance, missed switches, stranded cars, longer transit times,
operating plan changes without notice and lack of communication. [Freight
Waves, 11-26-21]
-
- STB ACCEPTS FOR CONSIDERATION CP-KCS
MERGER APPLICATION: The Surface
Transportation Board has accepted for consideration the application filed
Oct. 29 for the proposed merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern.
The board determined the application is complete, as it contains all information
required by the board's regulations. In its decision, following public
comment, the board has adopted a procedural schedule that sets deadlines
for comments, responsive applications, final briefs and other filings.
[Progressive Railroading, 11-24-21]
-
- UNIONS FILE SUIT OVER AMTRAK'S COVID-19
VACCINE MANDATE: Two unions representing
Amtrak workers are challenging Amtrak over its actions in implementing
a COVID-19 vaccine policy. Their position is that Amtrak has no authority
to unilaterally implement and enforce a vaccination mandate among its employees,
and that its actions in failing to negotiate terms of implementation violate
the status quo requirement of the Railway Labor Act, thus engendering a
major dispute. [Progressive Railroading, 11-24-21]
-
- D.C. METRO TO MAINTAIN REDUCED RAIL
SERVICE THROUGH DEC. 31: The Washington
Area Transit Authority says it will maintain reduced rail service through
Dec. 31. The agency has yet to determine a timeline to return its 7000-series
rail car fleet to service. The cars were shopped in October due to safety
concerns. Meanwhile, the 6000-series cars are awaiting repairs, and parts
are delayed by supply-chain disruptions. [Progressive Railroading, 11-24-21]
-
- SOUND TRANSIT'S LYNNWOOD LINK EXTENSION
PROJECT REACHES 50 PCT OF COMPLETION:
Two years after groundbreaking, civil construction on Seattle's Sound Transit
light-rail Link extension has reached the 50 percent completion mark. Scheduled
opening is in 2024. [Railway Track & Structures, 11-24-21]
-
- WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 508,309 carloads and
intermodal units in the week ending November 20, 2021, down 4.9 percent
compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately,
carloads were up 1.6 percent, and intermodal was down 10 percent. [Assn.
of American Railroads, 11-24-21]
-
- TRAIN, SEMI COLLIDE IN HOUSTON, UNION
PACIFIC EMPLOYEE INJURED: There
was a collision Nov. 23 in Houston, Texas, between a semi-trailer truck
and a train. A Union Pacific employee on board the train was injured and
taken to a hospital. The incident is under investigation. [KYRK, 11-24-21]
-
- AMTRAK PLANS MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO
JOHNSTOWN, PA., STATION: Amtrak
plans to invest more than $16-million into its Johnstown, Pa., station
as part of the Johnstown Iron-to-Arts Corridor project. The improvements
are mostly related to ADA compliance, and will include replacement of the
current platform, headhhouse, elevator and stairway, improved heat and
air-conditioning. [Progressive Railroading, 11-23-21]
-
- WILMINGTON, N.C., SELECTS PREFERRED
RAILROAD REALIGNMENT ROUTE: Wilmington,
N.C. will be getting a rail line out of the way. Officials have decided
to go with a billion-dollar alternative to avoid at-grade crossings and
provide a more direct access to rail involving tying into the Wilmington
Terminal Railroad, cross a bridge spanning Cape Fear River, and connect
to a CSX line en route to Davis Yard. [Railway Track & Structures,
11-23-21]
-
- STACEY POSEY NAMED PRESIDENT OF WINCHESTER
& WESTERN: OmniTRAX has named
Stacey Posey to serve as president of Winchester & Western, which covers
100 miles of track in Virginia and New Jersey. He will also serve as regional
engineer for OmniTRAX's Central Region. With 19 years of railroad experience,
he has held leadership positions at Montana Rail Link and CSX. [Railway
Age, 11-23-21]
-
- METRA, UNIONS REACH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT: A coalition of nine labor unions have reached
a tentative agreement, subject to vote by the membership, on a new contract
with Chicago's Metra. [Progressive Railroading, 11-23-21]
-
- SHORT LINE IN S.D. AWARDED $22-M FEDERAL
GRANT FOR TRACK UPGRADING: The
U.S. Dept. of Transportation has awarded a $22-million grant toward upgrading
163 miles of main line on Genesee & Wyoming's Rapid City, Pierre &
Eastern Railroad in South Dakota. [Progressive Railroading, 11-23-21]
-
- SERVICE BEGINS ON SAN DIEGO'S 11-MILE BLUE LINE
TROLLEY EXTENSION: The $2.1-billion,
11-mile Mid-Coast extension of the UC San Diego Blue line trolley began
operating Nov. 21. The extension includes eight bridge crossings, more
than four miles of aerial viaduct structures, and nine stations. [Railway
Age, 11-23-21]
-
- INFRASTRUCTURE LAW INCLUDES NEW SAFETY
MEASURES FOR RAILROADS: New safety
measures included in the Infrastructure law are aimed at passenger rail
safety and certain changes in passenger rail car interior standards. Included
are standards requiring passenger trains to have emergency lighting systems,
occupant restraint systems such as air bags and emergency window retention
systems, drug and alcohol testing for mechanical employees, and identification
of stretches of track where trains must reduce speed by more than 20 MPH.
[JdSupra, 11-23-21]
-