Bull Sheet Newswire
- AT LEAST 11 DIE, SCORES INJURED IN
EGYPTIAN TRAIN DERAILMENT: A passenger
train derailed April 18 just north of Cairo, Egypt, killing at least 11
people. At least 98 others were injured. [Washington Post, 4-18-21]
-
- STB FORMS WORKING GROUP TO ENFORCE
AMTRAK ON-TIME PERFORMANCE: The
Surface Transportation Board has formed a working group that will develop
plans to enforce new on-time performance requirements for intercity passenger
rail service. The group, beginning July 1, will investigate and adjudicate
issues related to on-time performance of Amtrak's intercity service under
new metrics and standards, with quarterly reporting thereafter. The metrics
comprehend a minimum standard of 80 percent on-time arrivals for any two
consecutive calendar quarters, with a 15-minute grace allowance, but excepted
when delays are caused by issues that can be reasonably addressed by the
host carrier. The STB may award damages if the carrier fails to provide
preference to Amtrak over freight service. [Progressive Railroading,
4-16-21]
-
- KCS REPORTS 1-Q EARNINGS: Kansas City Southern reported first-quarter
2021 revenues of $706-million, a decrease of 4 percent from the same quarter
last year. Operating expenses were $453-million, operating income was $253-million,
and operating ratio was 64.2 percent. First-quarter net income was $153.4-million,
or $1.68 per diluted share. Overall carload volumes were down 1 percent
compared to the prior year. [Kansas City Southern, 4-16-21]
-
- CHESAPEAKE & DELAWARE NAMES RENEE
LOSAPIO
GENERAL MANAGER: Chesapeake &
Delaware LLC has announced that Renee LoSapio will join the organization
as general manager of railroads effective May 1. She comes to the short-line
group with experience with Norfolk Southern and Canadian Pacific. Chesapeake
& Delaware operates the Dover & Delaware and Rockaway railroads,
and affiliates Belvidere & Delaware River Railway and Black River &
Western Railroad.. [Progressive Railroading, 4-16-21]
-
- ROCKY MOUNTAINEER DELAYS START OF
CANADIAN TRAVEL SEASON UNTIL JULY 5:
Rocky Mountaineer is delaying the start of its Canadian travel season until
July 5. Customers may choose to transfer their booking to the new route
in the U.S. Rockies, or take advantage of benefits including 110 percent
credit for monies already paid, maintaining 2020 pricing levels, even if
third-party hotels and tour operators raise their prices. [Progressive
Railroading, 4-15-21]
-
- UNION PACIFIC TO CLOSE MAIN CAR REPAIR
FACILITY IN PALESTINE, TEXAS:
Union Pacific has told its employees at the main car repair facility in
Palestine, Texas, that they have 60 days until the facility closes. As
many as 57 positions will be eliminated. While the main facility is closing,
limited car repair activities will continue in the area. [Palestine
Herald-Press, 4-15-21]
-
- NJT TO REPLACE CRUMBLING RETAINING
WALL ON MORRIS & ESSEX LINE:
New Jersey Transit will be replacing a retaining wall on the Morris &
Essex line between the Morristown line and the Gladstone branch split in
Summit. The tracks are in a trench surrounded by concrete retaining walls.
The 100-year-old wall that will be replaced began to crumble in 2017, striking
a couple of trains, and another train again this past September. Moreover,
the tracks within the trench often flood, causing track and signal problems,
and this issue will also be addressed. [Railway Track & Structures,
4-15-21]
-
- CSX CLOSES ON FIRST PHASE OF RAIL
CAPACITY AGREEMENT WITH VIRGINIA:
CSX has closed the first phase of its rail agreement with Virginia for
the state's initiative to improve passenger and freight rail capacity.
It leads the way to expand Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express. Virginia
will acquire 384 miles of right-of-way and 223 miles of track paralleling
I-95, I-64 and I-85. The first phase enables separation of passenger and
freight rail between Washington DC and Petersburg, and remaining phases
relate to line segments from Petersburg into North Carolina and Doswell
to Clifton Forge. [Railway Age, 4-15-21]
-
- AMTRAK PROPOSING EXPANSION OF SERVICE
IN OHIO: Evey day, tens of thousands
of Ohioans ease their autos into traffic on I-71, traveling some portion
of the highway between Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. Amtrak believes
a small percentage of them would rather take the train. The company has
outlined a plan for an expansion featuring several new routes, including
service linking those three cities plus Dayton, also known as the 3C&D
plan. Amtrak estimates that Ohio could see as many as a million passengers
annually, up from 132,000 in 2019. [Cleveland.com, 4-15-21]
-
- POLLY TROTTENBERG CONFIRMED AS DEPUTY
TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: The
U.S. Senate has confirmed Polly Trottenberg as deputy secretary of transportation,
serving as No. 2 under Pete Buttigieg. [Railway Age, 4-14-21]
-
- SEATTLE BEGINS $6.6-M WESTLAKE MONORAIL
STATION IMPROVEMENTS: Seattle
Monorail Services has begun construction of $6.6-million in improvements
at the Westlake Monorail station. Work is expected to be completed in the
fall, and will double system capacity and provide better access and strengthen
connections to Sound Transit's Link light-rail and the regional bus network.
[Progressive Railroading, 4-14-21]
-
- BRIGHTLINE TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION ON
LAS VEGAS-SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HSR ROUTE IN 2-Q: Brightline West is on schedule to begin construction of its
high-speed rail route between Las Vegas and southern California in the
second-quarter. [Progressive Railroading, 4-14-21]
-
- WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. rail freight traffic in the week ending
April 10, 2021, was 513,724 carloads and intermodal units, up 24.5 percent
compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately,
carloads were up 17.4 percent, and intermodal was up 31.2 percent. [Assn.
of American Railroads, 4-14-21]
-
- SAFETY ISSUES CONTINUE TO CONFRONT
D.C. METRO: The Washington DC
Metrorail's safety commission is not happy with the agency's efforts to
prevent train operators from running past red signals and ensuring worker
safety. The commission's chair says Metro needs to prepare a 'holistic'
plan to address these issues. Recent violations include one runaway train,
three instances of running red signals, and a pair of trains nearly colliding
when they both ended up with the identical radio-call number. ]Railway
Track & Structures, 4-14-21]
-
- WORK BEGINS ON METRA'S 2021 CONSTRUCTION
AGENDA: Chicago's Metra 2021 agenda
includes work on two completely new stations, starting the replacement
of a 122-year-old bridge spanning Milwaukee avenue, and replaceing more
than 45,000 railroad ties. Work also continues on multiyear projects to
replace aging bridges, complete the Ravenswood station on the UP North
line, and to construct new track segments on the UP West line. [Railway
Track & Structures, 4-14-21]
-
- CHEYENNE SEES OPPORTUNITY WITH AMTRAK
PARTNERSHIP: It may take many
years before passenger rail comes back to Cheyenne, Wyoming, but the city
is looking ahead at ways to make it happen. The city's chamber of commerce
has been lobbying Amtrak to include Cheyenne in its expansion plan for
several years. Passengers from Cheyenne could utilize an existing rail
line from Denver, which now carries only freight. In order for make it
operable for passengers, the city would need to renovate or build a new
station, and update some signaling. [Gillett News Record, 4-14-21]
-
- AMTRAK DOWNEASTER SERVICE TO INCREASE
IN MAY: Amtrak's Downeaster service
will be increased to five daily round-trips with its new schedule beginning
May 3. This will restore the Downeaster to its pre-pandemic service level.
[Amtrak, 4-14-21]
-
- LUMIERE TRAMWAY OPENS IN FRANCE: Alstom's 'Lumiere' tramway, from its Citadis
line, has gone into commercial service on the No. 9 line that now connects
Paris to Orly-Ville in 30 minutes. The T9 line X05 an transport up to 314
passengers, and 80,000 passengers are expected on the line beginning this
year. [Progressive Railroading, 4-14-21]
-
- U.S. JUSTICE DEPT. ASKS STB TO ADOPT
'TOUGHER STANDARD' IN CP'S REQUEST TO ACQUIRE KCS:
The U.S. Dept. of Justice has urged the Surface Transportation Board to
keep Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern from combining their shares
before their proposed merger, and to use the 'tougher standard' adopted
in 2001 for mergers in the industry. That standard requires that mergers
be in the public benefit and enhance competition. KCS was exempted from
that standard at the time, partly because it was the smallest of its class
of railroad in the U.S. The move indicates the Justice Dept. might seek
to take a more active role regarding CP's move to acquire KCS for $25-billion.
[American Journal of Transportation, 4-13-21]
-
- MBTA TO KEEP NEW ORANGE, RED LINE
CARS SIDELINED FOR AT LEAST THREE MORE WEEKS FOR TESTING: All of MBTA's new Orange and Red line cars will
remain out of service for at least three more weeks as testing continues
following the March 16 slow-speed derailment with about 100 passengers
on board. There were no injuries. [WCBV, 4-13-21]
-
- REVENUE SERVICE BEGINS AT DART'S HIDDEN RIDGE STATION
IN IRVING, TEXAS: Dallas Area
Rapid Transit's Hidden Ridge station at Carpenter Ranch in Irving, Texas,
began revenue service April 12. It is the 65th station in the agency's
network. [Progressive Railroading, 4-13-21]
-
- VIA RAIL TO RESUME CANADIAN SERVICE
BETWEEN TORONTO & WINNIPEG MAY 17:
VIA Rail Canada will resume the Toronto-Winnipeg portion of its Canadian
route starting May 17, which will enable one full round-trip per week.
[Progressive Railroading, 4-13-21]
-
- 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 April 11, 2021. The remaining
trains, on average, arrived one hour and 13 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 4-12-21]
-
- METRA'S REHAB OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS,
STATION COMPLETED: The $250,000
project to rehabilitate the Metra station in downtown Woodstock, Illinois,
has been completed. It was the first major rehab of the 2100-square-foot
building in more than 25 years. [Progressive Railroading, 4-12-21]
-
- BNSF CONDUCTOR DIES IN MISSOURI ACCIDENT: BNSF officials say a 56-year-old conductor,
with more than 24 years of service, died while working at a customer facility
on April 7 in Louisiana, Missouri. [KRCG-TV, 4-12-21]
-
- NURIA FERNANDEZ NOMINATED TO HEAD
FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION:
President Biden has nominated Nuria Fernandez to serve as Federal Transit
Administrator. She had been appointed deputy administrator on Jan. 20,
and recently was CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
in California. [Progressive Railroading, 4-12-21]
-
- FIRST VESSEL ARRIVES AT LEATHERMAN
TERMINAL IN S.C.: The Hugh K.
Leatherman Terminal in North Charleston, S.C., is the first container terminal
to open in the U.S. since 2009. On April 9, the Palmetto Railways-served
terminal, with its 1400-foot berth, received its first vessel. [Progressive
Railroading, 4-12-21]
-
- FIRE DAMAGES BNSF FACILITY IN NEBRASKA: A blaze starting on the roof of a BNSF yard
office in Alliance, Nebraska, on April 11 resulted in damage to the building
and electronic equipment. The cause is believed to have been accidental,
and no injuries were reported. [News Channel Nebraska, 4-12-21]
-
- SOUND TRANSIT'S NORTHGATE LINK TO OPEN IN OCTOBER: After 15 years of planning and construction,
Seattle's Sound Transit will officially open its Northgate Link on Oct.
2. The Northgate Extension of light-rail is 4.3 miles in length, with 3.5
miles being underground. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-12-21]
-
- NORFOLK SOUTHERN COAL TRAIN DERAILS
IN ALTOONA: Several cars of a
Norfolk Southern coal train derailed late April 9 in downtown Altoona,
Pa. There were no reported injuries. [Weare Central Pa., 4-10-21]
-
- RAIL TRAFFIC IMPACTED BY INCREASING
CONGESTION: U.S. shippers and
importers relying on rail are bracing for a long slog through a period
of congestion and delays. Some have lost patience and shifted to truck.
The Long Beach-Los Angeles port complex has become synonymous with congestion
for months, and problems are expected to continue into at least June. Other
parts of the country are also struggling with delays. Westbound containers
have been stuck at the New York-New Jersey port complex because of rail
congestion in the Chicago area. Problems began in February when terminals
in New York and New Jersey were closed for five days because of weather.
Import volumes through East Coast ports have climbed, partly because some
importers shifted traffic there to avoid the delays on the West Coast.
[Load Star, 4-9-21]
-
- SAN DIEGO APPROVES PURCHASE OF NEW
LIGHT-RAIL VEHICLES: San Diego
Metropolitan Transit System's board has approved $28.5-million, to be added
to $109-million in previous funding, for new Siemens SD100 light-rail vehicles.
By 2025, 47 vehicles will need to be replaced at an estimated cost of $216-million.
[Railway Age, 4-9-21]
-
- L.A. METRO NAMES STEPHANIE WIGGINS
CEO: Stephanie Wiggins, currently
CEO of Southern California's Metrolink, will begin as CEO of Los Angeles
Metro in May, succeeding Phillip Washington, who is leaving the agency.
[Railway Track & Structures, 4-9-21]
-
- VA. PASSENGER RAIL AUTHORITY APPOINTS
DONALD STADTLER JR AS ITS FIRST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Virginia Passenger Rail Authority's board has appointed Donald
Stadtler Jr. as the authority's first executive director. Previously he
served as executive vice-president of Amtrak, and had earlier served with
the Federal Railroad Administration. [Progressive Railroading, 4-9-21]
-
- CSX, NORFOLK SOUTHERN ASK STB TO DISMISS
AMTRAK'S
DISPUTE OVER GULF COAST SERVICE:
CSX and Norfolk Southern have asked the Surface Transportation Board to
dismiss Amtrak's request that they be 'forced' to allow the operation of
daily trains between New Orleans and Mobile. The companies say that they
have not ruled out the proposed service, but Amtrak has still not submitted
an environmental and historic report, and Congress has given no 'cause
of action' that could support its demand for an interim order to make preparation
for the service prior to an STB decision to allow the new service. [Progressive
Railroading, 4-8-21]
-
- ALASKA R.R. POSTS $7.8-M NET LOSS
IN 2020: Alaska Railroad posted
a net loss of $7.8-million in 2020 as it confronted challenges caused by
the pandemic. The company was hit hard by rapidly dwindling travel in 2020,
but it continued to provide essential services. [Progressive Railroading,
4-8-21]
-
- SNCF ORDERS MORE HYDROGEN TRAIN SETS: French operator SNCF Voyageurs has placed orders
with Alstom to supply 12 hydrogen-electric multiple-units for use in four
regions, with options for a further two train sets. [Railway Gazette,
4-8-21]
-
- MARCH 2021 U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC
REPORT: U.S. railroads originated
2,586,489 carloads and intermodal units in March 2021, up 14.2 percent
from the same month last year. Calculated separately, carloads were up
4.1 percent, and intermodal was up 24.0 percent. [Assn. of American
Railroads, 4-7-21]
-
- NJT TAKES DELIVERY OF FIRST OF 25
DUAL-POWER LOCOMOTIVES FROM ALSTOM:
New Jersey Transit's initial second-generation ALP-45DPA dual-power locomotive
from Alstom has arrived, and the agency is slated to take delivery of another
24 on order by early next year. All units in the order will undergo dynamic
qualification and acceptance testing for about six weeks before being placed
into service. [Railway Age, 4-7-21]
-
- STB AMENDS REVENUE THRESHOLDS FOR
CLASSIFYING RAIL CARRIERS: The
Surface Transportation Board has adoped a 'final rule' that amends the
operating revenue thresholds for classifying rail carriers. It will raise
the Class-I threshold to $900-million and round the current Class-II/Class-III
threshold to $40.4-million. It uses 2019 dollars as the baseline for calculations
going forward. [Progressive Railroading, 4-6-21]
-
- ALABAMA GOVERNOR OPPOSES MOBILE-NEW
ORLEANS AMTRAK SERVICE WITHOUT IMPACT STUDY: Alabama's governor is opposing Amtrak's proposed restoration
of passenger rail service between New Orleans and Mobile unless the railroad
first completes a study of the impact the service would have on freight
traffic. [Progressive Railroading, 4-6-21]
-
- NIGHT TRAIN TO CONNECT BRUSSELS, AMSTERDAM,
BERLIN, PRAHA: Plans to launch
a Praha-Dresden-Berlin-Amsterdam-Brussels night train have been unveiled
by Czech open access operator RegioJet and newly-formed Dutch overnight
train cooperative European Sleeper. [Railway Gazette, 4-6-21]
-
- WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN
PERFORMANCE: Forty-two percent
of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final
destination on time or earlier in the week ending April 4, 3031. The remaining
trains, on average, arrived one hour and 15 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 4-5-21]
-
- INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN AIMS TO UPGRADE,
EXPAND AMTRAK: The $2-trillion
infrastructure plan President Biden released calls for $80-billion to improve
American train service. Amtrak has introduced plans to upgrade and expand
service, including as many as 30 new routes and more trains along 20 existing
routes. Service would begin in cities such as Nashville, Columbus, Phoenix
and Las Vegas. Also, trains would be sped up between Boston and Washington.
Amtrak has long been pushed to be profitable, a demand rail advocates say
is unreasonable, and the company is mandated by Congress to serve as much
of the nation as possible. [CNN, 4-5-21]
-
- NORTHERN CORRIDOR PROJECT TO INTEGRATE
LOGISTICS IN CANADA, U.S. & MEXICO ADVANCES: A 3.3-billion infrastructure project connecting Centerport in
Wunnipeg, Manitoba, to Mexico's Pacific Coast near Mazatlan advanced after
Caxxor Group selected Engage Construction Management & Consulting as
leader of its Canadian operations. The Northern Corridor is an infrastructure
project designed to allow Mexico to integrate into the logistics systems
of Canada and the U.S. The project calls for a new port in Mazatlan, more
than 186 miles of railway in Mexico, eight logistics and industrial centers
in Mexico, and at least four logistic centers between the U.S. and Canada.
[Progressive Railroading, 4-5-21]
-
- ALSTOM ACQUIRES TWO COMPANIES: Helion Hydrogen Power and Flertex have both
been acquired by Alstom, which it says will enchance its initiatives in
hydrogen fuel cell power and braking systems, respectively. [Railway
Age, 4-5-21]
-
- FATAL TRAIN ACCIDENT IN TAIWAN: At least 50 people have been killed and dozens
more injured after a passenger train crashed into a construction vehicle
at the mouth of a tunnel April 2 in Taiwan. Rescuers combed damaged rail
cars inside the tunnel to find survivors, some of whom smashed windows
to flee. The crash is Taiwan's worst rail disaster in decades. [BBC
News, 4-2-21]
-
- MARCH 2021 AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN
PERFORMANCE: Forty-two percent
of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final
destination on time or earlier in March 2021. The average arrival of all
long-distance trains in the survey period was 50 minutes late, and the
average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one
hour and 26 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 4-1-21]
-
- BELT RWY OF CHICAGO TO EQUIP LOCOMOTIVES
WITH IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY: Belt
Railway of Chicago will equip its locomotive fleet with Wi-Tronix's Violet
Edge loT Systems. Full deployment of the technology will include fuel-consumption
and idle-reduction monitoring, incident investigation and mechanical-health
status and alerts for high coupling forces. With a connected solution,
those features enable fast, efficient response to emergency situations
or incident investigations. [Progressive Railroading, 4-1-21]
-
- METROLINK UNVEILS PLAN TO SUPPORT
ZERO EMISSIONS BY 2028: Southern
California's Metrolink has unveiled an action plan that addresses climate
change, air quality and other sustainability issues to support a goal of
zero emissions by 2028. A pilot program is currently underway using a single
Tier-2 locomotive to test renewable plant-based diesel fuel that is 100
percent renewable and sustainable. If successful, testing will then begin
on a new Tier-4 locomotive, If that is also successful, the goal is transitioning
its entire fleet to renewable diesel fuel. [Progressive Railroading,
4-1-21]
-
- AAR EXPRESSES CONCERNS OVER ADMINISTRATION'S INFRASTRUCTURE
PROPOSAL: Association of American
Railroads officials say they have 'serious concerns' about how President
Biden's infrastructure proposal will be paid for. Referring to the priorities
for improvements to restore highways, bridges, roads and ports, the association
said railroads would urge the administration and Congress to abandon these
divisive, unrelaed funding sources, and instead work toward solutions to
restore the Highway Trust Fund to a true 'user-pays' system. [Progressive
Railroading, 4-1-21]
-
- INDIA ADVANCES RAIL ELECTRIFICATION
INITIATIVE: Despite the constraints
imposed by the pandemic, Indian Railways has been pushing ahead to meet
the government's target of electrifying the country's entire broad-gauge
network by December 2023. The Indian Railway board reported tha a record
3,737 route miles of electrification had been commissioned during the 12-month
period ending March 31. [Railway Gazette, 4-1-21]
-
- WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. rail freight traffic in the week ending
March 27, 2021, was 521,731 carloads and intermodal units, up 16.1 percent
compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately,
carloads were up 6.0 percent, and intermodal was up 25.8 percent. Comparisons
are inflated because of the widespead shutdowns and reduction in rail volumes
because of the virus at this time last year. [Assn. of American Railroads,
3-31-21]
-
- STADLER COMPLETES THREE-YEAR TEST
OF BATTERY-OPERATED FLIRT TRAIN:
Stadler has successfully completed a three-year research project to test
battery operation of a Flirt Akku multiple-unit, with the train operating
in battery mode continuously for 115 miles, without recharge, during the
tests. The train covered over 9300 miles in battery operation, including
various scenarios of unplanned delays and extreme weather conditions. [International
Railway Journal, 3-31-21]
-
- SEPTA TO DISCONTINUE ACCEPTANCE OF
PAPER TICKETS: SEPTA will no longer
accept paper tickets for regional rail service, effective April 2. Instead,
the Key Card Travel Wallet will be available. Those with existing paper
tickets may return them for a refund. [Progressive Railroading, 3-31-21]
-
- FINAL N.Y. MTA TUNNEL DAMAGED BY SUPERSTORM
SANDY REPAIRED: New York MTA's
F-Line tunnel under the East River has had its repair project completed
from damage caused by superstorm Sandy. This is the last of 11 tunnels
that needed such repair to be completed and made more resilient against
future storms. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-31-21]
-
- CN AGREES TO SELL 900 MILES OF LINE
TO WATCO: CN and Watco have reached
agreement for the sale of 250 miles of non-core lines and assets on the
Soo subdivision between Sault Ste. Marie and Oba, Ontario, and 650 miles
of branch lines of Wisconsin Central in Michigan and Wisconsin. Watco will
continue freight operations as well as the Agawa Canyon Train Tour in Ontario,
and has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Missanabie Cree Nation
regarding partnership opportunities for the Algoma Central Railway. [CN,
3-30-21]
-
- VIRGINIA FINALIZES PASSENGER RAIL
EXPANSION PACT: Virginia has finalized
agreements with CSX, Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express as part of the
state's $3.7-billion passenger rail expansion program that seeks to relieve
a rail bottlenect and get more passengers onto trains. It comprehends building
a new rail bridge parallel to the existing Long Bridge spanning the Potomac
River, adding new track in the Washington-Richmond corridor, and buying
hundreds of miles of passenger right-of-way from CSX. Amtrak will contribute
$944-million toward improvements, and has committed to operating in the
state for at least 30 years. [Washington Post, 3-30-21]
-
- BLET, ST. LAWRENCE & ATLANTIC
SIGN TENTATIVE AGREEMENT: The
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen has tentatively agreed
to a new contract with the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad. Ratification
ballots are due April 28. [Progressive Railroading, 3-30-21]
-
- U.S. CLASS-I RAIL HEADCOUNT DOWN YEAR-OVER-YEAR: Headcount among the U.S. Class-I railroads rose
nominally between January and February, but declined nearly 11 percent
year-over-year, according to the Surface Transportation Board. The train-and-engine
category rose 0.6 percent between January and February to 45,794, but year-over-year
was down 11 percent. [Freight Waves, 3-30-21]
-
- AMTRAK WORKER INJURED IN DELAWARE
MAINTENANCE YARD: A 62-year-old
Amtrak employee was injured March 30 in the maintenance yard in Wilmington,
Delaware, and transported to a hospital. Initial reports indicate that
the worker was trapped by the wheel of a train. [First State News, 3-30-21]
-
- MUMBAI TO ACQUIRE 234 METRO CARS: Mumbai has awarded Alstom a contract to design,
build, supply, test and commission 234 metro cars for Line 4 and the extension
corridor, and provide employee training. [Railway Pro, 3-30-21]
-
- 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 March 28, 2021. The remaining
trains, on average, arrived one hour and 26 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 3-29-21]
-
- DALLAS CITY COUNCIL SUPPORTS D2 SUBWAY
PROJECT: The city council of Dallas
has approved a resolution supporting the Dallas Area Rapid Transit's D2
subway project, a below-ground light-rail line through downtown that will
extend from Victory Park to Deep Ellum. [Railway Age, 3-29-21]
-
- LEGISLATION SIGNED TO CREATE NEW RIVER
VALLEY RAIL AUTHORITY IN VIRGINIA:
Virginia's govenor has signed legislation that will create a rail authority
in the New River Valley. It would be authorized to enter into revenue-sharing
agreements and to issue revenue bonds. Valley officials have been working
for more than six years to bring passenger rail to the area. [Progressive
Railroading, 3-29-21]
-
- CALIFORNIA HSR PROJECT GETS FURTHER
DELAY: Delays in securing land
for California's high-speed rail project will push completion of a 65-mile
section of the line in Kings County until at least April 2025, according
to a report, nearly two years after the date the state included in a business
plan adopted last week. [NBC Los Angeles, 3-29-21]
-
- ALSTOM TO SUPPLY 152 HIGH-CAPACITY
TRAINS FOR SPAIN: Alstom has won
a $1.6-billion contract to supply Spain's national railway operator Renfe
with 152 high-capacity trains. They will come from Alstom's X-Trapolis
range of suburban trains. [Progressive Railroading, 3-29-21]
-
- CSX TRAIN DERAILS IN TENNESSEE: Sixteen cars of a CSX train derailed early March
27 in Madison, Tennessee. There were no injuries, leaks or spills, but
one of the cars carried ethanol. Those in the area were briefly advised
to shelter in place until it was confirmed that there was no danger. [Tennessean,
3-27-21]
-
- LORAM TECHNOLOGIES TO BUILD FACILITY
IN GEORGETOWN, TEXAS: Loram Technologies,
formerly GREX, is planning to build a rail research and development facility
in Georgetown, Texas. GREX had been headquartered in Georgetown, and Loram
Technologies also calls the city home. Construction will begin this year,
and the facility will employ 310 people. [Railway Track & Structures,
3-26-21]
-
- STB REJECTS 'EXPEDITED' APPROVAL OF
TENNESSEE PASS PROPOSAL: The Surface
Transportation Board has rejected the Colorado Midland & Pacific Railway's
request to 'expedite' its proposal to begin operating trains on the Tennessee
Pass line in Colorado. The plan involved leasing the line from Union Pacific
and operate 163 miles between Parkdale and Sage. But STB called the proposal
'highly controversal,' and not one that should be handled in a routine,
expedited manner. [Progressive Railroading, 3-26-21]
-
- AT LEAST 32 KILLED, MORE THAN 160
INJURED IN EGYPTIAN TRAIL COLLISION:
Two trains collided in southern Egypt on March 26, killing at least 32
people, and injuring more than 160 others. Officials say the emergency
brakes of one train were activated, by persons unknown, and a following
train plowed into the first train, overturning two of the passenger cars.
The incident happened near the city of Sohag on the Nile. [N.Y. Times,
3-26-21]
-
- TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY PROMISES
FULL SUPPORT OF HUDSON RIVER TUNNEL PROJECT: Transportation Secretary Bittigieg told a House committee on
March 25 that the Biden Administration is committed to moving quickly on
passenger rail. He specifically highlighted the new Hudson River rail tunnels
as a project of national significance, affirming that the administration
is taking all possible steps to move the project forward. [Rail Passengers
Assn. hotline, 3-26-21]
-
- MAJOR LIGHT-RAIL TRACK WORK SET TO
BEGIN IN BALTIMORE: RailWorks
is set to kick off a significant track maintenance and upgrade project
for the Maryland Transit Administration in and around Baltimore's Penn
Station. RailWorks will reconstruct three interlockings and install new
restraining rail, replace concrete ties, and perform track work along segments
of curved track on the Central light-rail line and Penn Station extension.
Also included are the replacement of ties, turnout sets and switch machines
at the North Avenue and Mount Royal stations. [Railway Track & Structures,
3-25-21]
-
- BRIGHTLINE TRACKS CHOSEN FOR MIAMI-DADE
COMMUTER ROUTE: The transportation
planning organization governing board for Miami-Dade has settled on commuter
rail to run on Brightline tracks from Miami Central in downtown to Aventura,
nearly 20 miles to the north. The amount of funding required is $345-million,
and $16-million for annual maintenance. There will be seven possible stations
along the route. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-25-21]
-
- STB ASKS CSX TO RESUBMIT ITS PAN AM
ACQUISITION APPLICATION: The Surface
Transportation Board has asked CSX to resubmit its application seeking
to acquire Pan Am Railways, and to file it as a 'significant transaction.'
This will enable the board to have more time to consider it and to determine
whether any market competition would be lost. [Freight Waves, 3-25-21]
-
- EXPORT AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY TERMINAL
TO BE BUILT AT UNION PACIFIC YARD IN IDAHO: Savage and Union Pacific will open the Savage Railport terminal
for the export of containerized hay and other agricultural commodities
at Union Pacific's rail yard in Pocatello, Idaho, expected to be ready
by mid-year. Union Pacific will haul the containers to Northwest Seaport
Alliance ports in Tacoma and Seattle, Washington. [Progressive Railroading,
3-25-21]
-
- FIRST VEHICLE ARRIVES FOR TEMPE, ARIZONA,
STREETCAR FLEET: Valley Metro
has received the first vehicle in the Tempe Streetcar fleet. It can transport
up to 120 passengers, and will operate individually, not in multiple as
in traditional light-rail vehicles. A total of six cars will ultimately
make up the fleet, and they will be capable of traveling off-wire using
reserve power stored in its lithium-ion battery. [Progressive Railroading,
3-25-21]
-
- NEW DAILY INTERMODAL RAIL SERVICE
PLANNED BETWEEN PORTUGAL AND GERMANY:
Private freight operator Medway plans to begin a direct, daily intermodal
train, branded 'Vasco de Gama,' from terminals to Portugal to Stuttgart
in Germany, in the fourth-quarter this year. [Railway Gazette, 3-25-21]
-
- CAPITOL CORRIDOR ISSUES NEW SCHEDULE
TO REFLECT INCREASED DEMAND: Northern
California's Capitol Corridor will introduce a new schedule March 29 that
reflects current, increased ridership demand. The biggest change is the
addition of a direct round-trip train on weekdays between Auburn and San
Jose, allowing riders to travel the entire route without a transfer. Also
added is the return of a sixth round-trip between San Jose and Oakland.
[Railway Age, 3-24-21]
-
- AMTRAK LIABLE FOR ENGINEER'S INJURIES IN 2017
FATAL WASHINGTON STATE CRASH:
A Pierce County, Washington, judge has ruled that Amtrak is 'strictly liable'
for the claim of its engineer who sued for his injuries after the deadly
2017 derailment south of Tacoma. The engineer alleged he was not properly
trained, and that technology that could have prevented the accident had
not been installed. Amtrak had argued that the engineer's negligence had
caused the accident. The train was traveling at 80 MPH in a 30 MPH zone
when the accident occurred. [KOPN, 3-24-21]
-
- SIEMENS, VTG RAIL TO TEST FREIGHT
RAIL BRAKE MONITORING SYSTEM:
Siemens Mobility and VTG Rail Europe have signed a contract to test the
brake monitoring system for automated brake testing of freight trains to
prove the system's operational capability. The system ensures an automatic
brake test on each rail-car side of a train and provides staff with status
data visible on each side of the car along with status and live updates
on rail car settings on display in the locomotive. [Progressive Railroading,
3-24-21]
-
- TWO SEPTA POLICE SERGEANTS SUSPENDED
OVER SOCIAL-MEDIA POSTS: Two SEPTA
police sergeants have been suspended without pay for 'inappropriate' social
media posts related to the January 6 riots in Washington DC. They were
two of seven officers who traveled to Washington that day, but none were
involved in the storming of the Capitol or other ilegal activity, according
to an investigation. [Progressive Railroading, 3-24-21]
-
- WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. rail freight traffic in the week ending
March 20, 2021, was 513,325 carloads and intermodal units, up 11.6 percent
compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately,
carloads were up 2.9 percent, and intermodal was up 19.8 percent. [Assn.
of American Railroads, 3-24-21]
-
- VERMONT AMTRAK SERVICE MAY RETURN
IN 'NEXT FEW MONTHS': Amtrak passenger
rail service could be back on track in Vermont within the next few months,
officials said. The Vermonter, from Washington DC up the eastern side of
Vermont before crossing the state, ending up in St. Albans, and the Ethan
Allen Express, between New York City and Rutland, were both suspended within
the state last year due to the pandemic. Despite the suspension, though,
Amtrak trains have been operating on the Vermont lines to train crews.
[Burlington Free Press, 3-24-21]
-
- INDIA 'REFRESHING' SLEEPING CAR SERVICE: A fleet of 500 sleeping cars is to be rolled
out to 'refresh' Indian Railways' premium long-distance trains during the
financial year beginning April 1. [Railway Gazette, 3-24-21]
-
- CANADIAN AUTO INDUSTRY EXECS SUPPORT
CP'S
ACQUISITION OF KCS: Some Canadian
auto industry executives support Canadian Pacific's agreement to buy Kansas
City Southern, believing the transaction will lead to a more efficient
and cost-effective delivery of new vehicles throughout North America. If
the deal comes to fruition, it could make North America more competitive
as a region, and lower the cost of new vehicles, the executives say. [Automotive
News Canada, 3-23-21]
-
- WABTEC TO ACQUIRE NORDCO: Wabec has signed an agreement to acqure Nordco,
a leading North American supplier of new, rebuilt and used maintenance
of way equipment, from Greenbriar Equity Group. [Railway Track &
Structures, 3-23-21]
-
- NORFOLK SOUTHERN RESOLVES CONCERNS
OVER CSX ACQUISITION OF PAN AM SYSTEMS: Norfolk Southern has informed the Surface Transportation Board
that it has worked through its initial concerns over CSX's proposed acquisition
of Pan Am Systems and related rail lines, now supports it, and disagrees
with opponents who say the matter should be reviewed as a 'significant
transaction.' [Progressive Railroading, 3-23-21]
-
- HILLTOP TACOMA LINK EXTENSION PROJECT
ON HOME STRETCH: Crews have completed
track work on Martin Luther King Jr. Way for the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension,
marking 75 percent completion of the project. More than 22,000 linear feet
of track is now installed. Work continues on seven new stations and five
electrical substations. Five new cars will be added to the existing fleet,
and the extension is scheduled to open for service next year. [Railway
Track & Structures, 3-23-21]
-
- RAIL CAR CONTAINING MOLASSES EXPLODES
IN MINNESOTA: A rail car holding
molasses exploded March 23 in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, spewing a 'sticky
mess' and sending a plume cloud about 400 feet into the air, damaging property
at Progressive Rail. The molasses traveled over a mile and one-half. There
were no injuries. [RiverTowns website, 3-23-21]
-
- CP AGREES TO ACQUIRE KCS: Canadian Pacific has agreed to acquire Kansas
City Southern in a cash and stock transaction worth $29-billion. The combined
entity will be named Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). The companies
informally notified the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, which will need
to approve the transaction, of the deal on March 20. If approved, it will
be the first Class-I transaction of its type since the late 1990's when
Norfolk Southern and CSX acquired the assets of Conrail. [Railway Age,
2-22-21]
-
- MBTA BEGINS CONSTRUCTION ON GREEN
LINE D TRACK, SIGNAL REPLACEMENT PROJECT: Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority has begun construction on
the Green line D track and signal replacement project. The project involves
replacing 25,000 feet of track and 6.5 miles of signals, specifically between
Beaconsfield and Riverside. [Progressive Railroading, 2-22-21]
-
- BNSF CONDUCTOR DIES IN CREW VAN ACCIDENT
IN NEBRASKA: Curtis Deines, 52,
a BNSF conductor, was killed early March 19 after the SUV he was being
transported in was in a head-on collision with another vehicle near Ravenna,
Nebraska. Three other rail workers in the SUV, along with the driver, and
the driver of the other vehicle involved, were transported for treatment.
[SMART Transportation Divn., 3-22-21]
-
- 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 March 21, 2021. The remaining
trains, on average, arrived one hour and 28 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 3-22-21]
-
- METRA PROMOTING KEVIN MCCANN TO CHIEF OPERATING
OFFICER: Chicago's Metra has named
Kevin McCann, currently chief mechanical officer, to the position of chief
operating officer, effective July 1. He replaces the retiring Bruce Marcheschi.
[Railway Age, 3-19-21]
-
- ONTARIO ADVANCES YONGE NORTH SUBWAY
EXTENSION: Ontario is moving to
the next stage of planning for the Yonge subway extension with further
analysis on a route to provide access to transit within walking distance
of 26,000 more people, and reduce commute time to downtown Toronto by up
to 22 minutes. [Progressive Railroading, 3-19-21]
-
- AMTRAK UNVEILS FIRST OF SIX 'CONNECTING
AMERICA FOR 50 YEARS' LOCOMOTIVE:
Amtrak has introduced Genesis P42 locomotive 46 wearing a graphic scheme
reading 'Connecting America for 50 Years' upon its sides. Four other P42
units will follow with the same scheme, plus a Siemens Charger ALC-42,
which is currently being built. [Railway Age, 3-18-21]
-
- VERMONT RAIL SYSTEM CONTESTS PAN AM,
CSX DEAL: The Vermont Rail System,
in a filing with the Surface Transportation Board, has opposed CSX's acquisition
of the Pan Am system. As part of the acquisition, CSX and Norfolk Southern
agreed both companies would retain Pan Am System joint ownership, and a
Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary will operate the line, the current role
of Springfield Terminal Railway. Vermont Rail says its three short lines
- Vermont Railway, Washington County Railroad, and Green Mountain Railroad
- would be 'adversely impacted' by the deal. [Railway Age, 3-18-21]
-
- SIERRA NORTHERN RWY TO BUILD, TEST
HYDROGEN SWITCHING LOCOMOTIVE:
Sierra Northern Railway and GTI have been awarded nearly $4-million by
the California Energy Commission to built and test a hydrogen fuel-cell
switching locomotive. The funds will be used to retire a Tier-0 diesel
locomotive, and replace it with a zero-emission switching locomotive using
advanced hydrogen technology. [Progressive Railroading, 3-18-21]
-
- AMTRAK TRAIN SMASHES INTO TRUCK IN
CALIFORNIA: There were no injuries
when Amtrak's southbound Coast Starlight smashed into a truck that was
stuck on a crossing early March 18 in Oakland, California. The driver of
the truck had exited the vehicle prior to impact, which resulted in a fiery
collision. [ABC-11 Eyewitness News, 3-18-21]
-
- FUNDING ANNOUNCED FOR TRANSLINK LOCOMOTIVE
PROJECT: TransLink in British
Columbia will receive federal and provincial funding to modernize seven
West Coast Express locomotives. The project calls for refurbishing the
engines of six locomotives to expand their lifespan by 15 years. In addition,
all headend power units will be replaced to reduce emissions, improve energy
efficiency, and allow for operation of longer trains. [Progressive Railroading,
3-18-21]
-
- METRA ORDERS MULTILEVEL CARS FROM
ALSTOM: Chicago's Metra has awarded
Alstom a $775.4-million order for an initial 200 multilevel cars from Alstom,
the first to be delivered 42 months after the contract is finalized. It
is part of potential order for up to 500 cars worth $1.8-billion. The new
cars will allow the agency to retire aging gallery cars. [Railway Age,
3-18-21]
-
- MBTA PULLS NEW TRAINS FROM SERVICE
FOLLOWING DERAILMENT: Massachusetts
Bay Transportation Authority has pulled all of its new six-car subway trains
for inspection following a March 16 derailment. The accident happened at
slow speed through a work zone on the Orange line at Wellington Station.
There were no injuries. The Orange line will be closed for about three
weeks between Oak Grove and Sullivan Square for the repair of damages,
along with other infrastructure work. [Railway Track & Structures,
3-17-21]
-
- HITACHI SELECTED TO BUILD D.C. METRO'S
8000-SERIES CARS: Washington DC
Metro has selected Hitachi to build the system's 8000-series rail cars.
The contract includes a base order of 256 cars, with options to build up
to 800 in the fleet. The base order will replace 2000- and 3000-series
cars, which were built in the 1980's. [Progressive Railroading, 3-17-21]
-
- NORFOLK SOUTHERN PROPOSES RUNNING
DAILY 9000-FOOT TRAIN THROUGH CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS: A proposal current being reviewed by federal regulators would
allow Norfolk Southern the right to use CSX tracks between Voorheesville
and central Massachusetts to move 'one' 9000-foot-long double-stack container
train per day traveling to and from Massachusetts. [Altamont Express,
3-17-21]
-
- WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads moved 520,735 carloads and intermodal
units in the week ending March 13, 2021, up 12.5 percent compared with
the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were
up 2.1 percent, and intermodal was up 22.4 percent. [Assn. of American
Railroads, 3-17-21]
-
- AMTRAK ASKS STB TO INTERVENE IN EFFORT
TO ALLOW GULF COAST PASSENGER SERVICE:
Amtrak has asked the Surface Transportation Board to intervene on its behalf
if CSX and Norfolk Southern do not cooperate on hosting proposed new service
between New Orleans and Mobile. [Railway Age, 3-16-21]
-
- BMWED SUING CSX OVER PAYROLL ERRORS: The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way has filed
suit against CSX over payroll errors resulting from the railroad's 'TimeTrax'
program, which union's members allege is flawed and has been shorting or
mistakenly paying employees over a number of months without corrccting
the process. TimeTrax began on CSX in November 2020, and without effective
consultation with the union. The suit asks that the company be required
suspend its use of TimeTrax, to negotiate with the union on how iy should
work, and to fix the problems that have occurred. [BMWED, 3-16-21]
-
- R.J. CORMAN NAMES ERIC HOSEY V.P.-OPERATIONS: R.J. Corman Railroad has named Eric Hosey vice-president
of operations. With 27 years of railroad experience, he has worked with
Norfolk Southern, Genesee & Wyoming, Amtrak and Metrolink. [Progressive
Railroading, 3-15-21]
-
- FRA PROPOSES COLLECTING TRESPASSING
DATA FROM LAW-ENFORCEMENT: The
Federal Railroad Administration has proposed collecting trespassing data
from law-enforcement agencies to help determine root causes and reduce
the number of fatalities and injuries on railroad property. The process
will allow interested parties to learn more about individuals who trespass,
and develop education and enforcement programs. [Railway Age, 3-15-21]
-
- AMTRAK IMPROVEMENTS ON TRACK FOR RHINECLIFF,
N.Y., STATION: A new high-level
platform, accessible restrooms, two new elevators, repairs and upgrades
to the station and ticket counter are now planned for Rhinecliff, New York,
set for construction in FY-2023. [Albany Times Union, 3-15-21]
-
- VIA RAIL, UNIFOR RATIFY AGREEMENTS
FOR 1,600 EMPLOYEES: VIA Rail
Canada and members of Unifor Council 4000 have ratified collective agreements
for more than 1,600 VIA employees in stations, on board trains, in call
centers and administrative offices. The agreements include a 2 percent
wage increase, benefits improvements and review of several work rules.
[VIA Rail, 3-15-21]
-
- WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN
PERFORMANCE: Forty-six percent
of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final
destination on time or earlier in the week ending March 14, 2021. The remaining
trains, on average, arrived one hour and 20 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 3-15-21]
-
- RAIL WORKER INJURED ON THIRD-TRACK
EXPANSION PROJECT: An ironworker
involved in the Long Island Rail Road's third-track expansion project was
electrocuted and in critical condition March 14 while working in the erection
of a pedestrian bridge at the Mineola station. [Railway Track &
Structures, 3-15-21]
-
- OLD WIND TURBINE BLADES FIND USE ON
BRITAIN'S HIGH-SPEED RAIL NETWORK:
Worn out wind turbine blades will be recycled to create carbon-friendly
reinforced concrete on Britain's new high-speed rail network, The project
will swap steel rebar, used to reinforce concrete, with sections of glass
fibre reinforced polymer turbine blades. [Rail Business Daily, 3-15-21]
-
- NEW EMD POWER FOR MONGOLIA: Progress Rail will supply 16 EMD SD70ACE/LW
locomotives for use on a 155-mile Tavan Tolgoi Railway expected to be finished
next year. [Railway Age, 3-15-21]
-
- POSITIVE TRAIN-CONTROL EXPLAINED: Positive train-control (or 'PTC') is a method
to automatically stop a train before a collision. PTC was designed as the
'last line of defense' to prevent collisions or derailments caused by human
error, such as excessive speed, misaligned switches or unauthorized entry
into work zones. PTC systems are on Class-I main lines over which five
million or more gross tons of annual traffic, or certain hazardous materials
are transported, or on any main lines over which intercity or commuter
passenger transportation is regularly provided. The systems are interoperable,
meaning the locomotives of any host or tenant railroads operating on the
same PTC-equipped main line communicate with and respond to the PTC system,
including during uninterrupted movements over property boundaries. The
speed and location of trains are tracked through a combination of global-positioning
systems, computers on board the locomotives, and wayside radio equipment.
PTC systems overlay existing railroad hardware and software. When a train
is running at a speed or in an area where it ought not be, a warning signal
is first sent to the engineer. If the engineer does not respond, the train
brakes function automatically. [Freight Waves, 3-13-21]
-
- AMTRAK PLANNING TO RESTORE DAILY SERVICE
TO LONG-DISTANCE TRAINS: Just
hours after the House of Representatives sent a COVID-19 relief package,
with emergency funds included for intercity rail, to President Biden, Amtrak
announced that it will restore 12 long-distance routes to daily service
between May 24 and June 7. First to be restored are California Zephyr,
Coast Starlight, Empire Buiilder and Texas Eagle, on May 24. Next are Capitol
Limited, City of New Orleans, Lake Shore Limited and Southwest Chief, on
May 31. Finally, Crescent, Palmetto, Silver Meteor and Silver Star, on
June 7. Unless unforeseen coronavirus problems intervene, Amtrak expects
to bring back full-service dining on the six Western routes that lost it
last year, once those trains return to daily service. [Rail Passengers
Assn., 3-12-21]
-
- STRASBURG R.R. ASSIGNS ALL-FEMALE
STEAM LOCOMOTIVE CREW: On March
6, the Strasburg Rail Road assigned its first-ever all-female steam locomotive
crew. Andrea Biesecker and Shelley Hall ran all five round-trips on No.
475 over the 4.5-mile line in southeastern Pennsylvania. [Railway Age,
3-12-21]
-
- MINNEAPOLIS EXPLORING ALTERNATE ROUTE
OPTIONS FOR BOTTINEAU LIGHT-RAIL PROJECT: After failing to come to terms with BNSF for use of an eight-mile
track segment, Minneapolis officials are breaking off on their own for
alternate route options for the Bottineau Blue Line light-rail project.
The line had been planned to connect downtown with Brooklyn Park via Golden
Valley, Robbinsdale and Crystal. Two alternate routes are now being explored,
but Golden Valley will be left out. [Railway Track & Structures,
3-12-21]
-
- FIRST OF TWO NEW RAIL FERRIES FOR
CG RAILWAY LAUNCHED: CG Railway,
which transports 10,000 carloads each year across the Gulf of Mexico, has
announced the launching of the first of two new rail ferries to replace
their two existing ferries. The new ferry is expected to begin operations
in the second-quarter, with the second ferry in the third-quarter. [Progressive
Railroading, 3-12-21]
-
- BIKE THROUGH HISTORY SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED: NCR-Hereford Volunteers Association has announced
its 2021 Bike Through History program schedule on the Torrey C. Brown Rail
Trail in northern Baltimore County, Md. After canceling its program last
year, due to the pandemic, this year's schedule includes eight Wednesday
evening rides, each from a different location, beginning at 6:30 p.m. They
are June 2 from Paper Mill road, June 9 from Bentley Springs, June 16 from
Monkton, June 23 from White Hall, June 30 from Sparks, July 7 from Freeland,
July 14 from Parkton, and July 21 from Phoenix. For further information,
call 410-592-2897. [NCR-Hereford Volunteers, 3-12-21]
-
- AMSTED DIGITAL SOLUTIONS ACQUIRES
GEOMETRIX RAIL LOGISTICS: Amsted
Digital Solutions has acquired the assets of Calgary-based rail car fleet
management software company GeoMetrix Rail Logistics, as the first milestone
toward expanding the company's digital footprint. [Progressive Railroading,
3-11-21]
-
- WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. rail freight traffic in the week ending
March 6, 2021, was 515,135 carloads and intermodal units, up 11.4 percent
compared with the corresponding week last year. Calulated separately, carloads
were up 1.1 percent, and intermodal was up 21.5 percent. [Assn. of American
Railroads, 3-10-21]
-
- AMTRAK TO COMPLETE PLATFORM REPAIRS
AT GULF COAST STATIONS: Amtrak
has sent a team to assess the remaining work underway on stations along
its route from Mobile to New Orleans to ensure the line is ready for passenger
rail service to begin next year. Amtrak plans to pay for the repairs, subject
to federal approval, and construct new accessible platforms in the second
phase of work. [Progressive Railroading, 3-10-21]
-
- VIRGIN SUES BRIGHTLINE OVER CONTRACT
TERMINATION: Virgin Enterprises
has launched legal proceedings against Brightline to recoup $251.3-million
it says it is owed after Brightline pulled out of a 20-year deal to use
the Virgin brand. The amount being sought includes what Virgin says it
would have collected if the agreement had continued through to 2023, the
earliest the deal could have been canceled, with a termination fee included.
[Railway Age, 3-10-21]
-