Bull Sheet Newswire
- CSX RESPONDS TO STB OVER SERVICE COMPLAINTS: CSX has taken multiple steps to improve service
while facing substantial headwinds during the pandemic, CSX's president
and CEO James Foote wrote last week in response to the Surface Transportation
Board's letter advising of a series of service complaints. He said the
railroad is operating around the clock to facilitate traffic flow, with
other aspects of the supply chain implementing similar practices, but it
is seeing higher attrition rates during the on-boarding, training and first
year of service for conductors. He noted, though, that CSX has seen improvements
in new hire rates. [Progressive Railroading, 11-12-21]
-
- JEFFREY DAVIS NAMED DIRECTOR OF TEXAS
D.O.T. RAIL DIVISION: Jeffrey
Davis has been named director of the Texas Dept. of Transportation Rail
Division effective Nov. 15. With decades of experience in transit, passenger
and freight rail planning, maintenance, operations and leadership, he has
served in roles with South Carolina Public Railways and CSX. [Progressive
Railroading, 11-12-21]
-
- STB TO PREPARE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR CP'S KCS ACQUISITION:
The Surface Transportation Board's Office of Environmental Analysis
has issued a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement
in connection with Canadian Pacific's proposed acquisition of Kansas City
Southern. The OEA will hold six online public scoping meetings during the
comment period, Nov. 30 to Dec. 9. [Progressive Railroading, 11-12-21]
-
- AMTRAK PLANS TO ADD SECOND DAILY TRAIN
TO SERVE ROANOKE, VA.: Amtrak
plans to launch a second daily train this spring on the route between Roanoke
and points to the north and east. It could happen as early as March or
as late as June, according to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority. Amtrak
resumed service in Roanoke four years ago, after a 38-year hiatus, and
the service has generated higher than expected ridership. [Roanoke Times,
11-11-21]
-
- JAGUAR TRANSPORT TO OPERATE OKLAHOMA
CENTRAL RAIL PARK: Jaguar Transport
Holdings has agreed with Haskell Lemon Construction to operate the Oklahoma
Central Rail Park in El Reno, Oklahoma. The park provides rail service
to shippers who do not have their own site on a railroad, and the park
connects with Union Pacific and is equipped with unit-train capacity. [Progressive
Railroading, 11-11-21]
-
- NJT COMPLETES INSTALLATION OF 558
NEW TICKET MACHINES: NJ Transit
has completed installing 558 new ticket vending machines as part of the
agency's fare modernization program. They feature contactless payment options,
faster printers, audible and visual instructions, height adjustability,
and new displays for train arrival and departure information. [Railway
Age, 11-11-21]
-
- NJT AWARDS CONTRACT FOR RENOVATIONS
TO PERTH AMBOY STATION: Hall Construction
Co. has been awarded a contract for major renovations to the historic Perth
Amboy station. The project calls for two high-level platforms, four elevators,
additional ramps and stairs, upgraded security, and other repairs. [Progressive
Railroading, 11-11-21]
-
- LIRR OPENS NEWLY-RENOVATED CARLE PLACE
STATION: Long Island Rail Road's
newly-renovated Carle Place Station has opened. It is the first station
to be upgraded as part of the LIRR expansion project, and features a new
third track, platform canopies, and other improvements. [Progressive
Railroading, 11-11-21]
-
- INTEREST GROWS FOR CHICAGO-ST. LOUIS
HIGH-SPEED RAIL CORRIDOR: A project
to establish a high-seed rail corridor connecting Chicago to St. Louis
could see fresh enthusiasm following the passage of the federal infrastructure
package. Back in August, an Illinois High-Speed Railway Commission was
established to set up a task force for facilitating the 284-mile project.
Trains could depart O'Hare International Airport and arrive in St. Louis
two hours later. [Government Technology, 11-11-21]
-
- RAILROADS STRUGGLE TO REGAIN WORKFORCE
AFTER SLASHING THOUSANDS OF JOBS:
Railroads are struggling to replenish their workforces after cutting thousands
of positions at the start of the pandemic. Despite hiring efforts, employment
numbers remain below what they were last year, when many of the furloughs
and layoffs took place. Now that intermodal demand has rebounded to a record
high, the lack of labor is affecting capacity and service. CSX and Norfolk
Southern say they have gone to great lengths to expand the hiring pipeline,
and they have seen some progress after boosting pay and other incentives.
Meanwhile, Norfolk Southern is relying on bigger trains to add capacity
without the need for more crew. [Supply Chain Dive, 11-11-21]
-
- HYUNDAI ROTEN TO SUPPLY 40 LIGHT-RAIL
VEHICLES TO EDMONTON, ALBERTA:
The city of Edmonton, Alberta, has selected Hyundai Rotem to supply 40
vehicles for the 8.7-mile Valley West light-rail line project. [Railway
Age, 11-11-21]
-
- AMTRAK TO RESUME RUNNING ON PORT DEFIANCE
BYPASS IN WASHINGTON STATE: Amtrak
will resume service along the Port Defiance Bypass route in Washington
State after years of delays following the deadly 2017 derailment in Dupont.
Trains will begin using the route Nov. 18. The bypass is a portion stretching
from Tacoma to Nisqually Junction, intended to cut delays on the Seattle
to Portland Cascades route. Use of the bypass was suspended after a train
on its first paid passenger run derailed while traveling 80 MPH in a 30
MPH zone, killing three people and injuring dozens more. [KING-5, 11-10-21]
-
- WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 504,111 carloads and
intermodal units in the week ending November 6, 2021, down 3.5 percent
compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately,
carloads were up 3.1 percent, and intermodal was down 8.6 percent. [Assn.
of American Railroads, 11-10-21]
-
- NORFOLK SOUTHERN OPENS NEW HEADQUARTERS
IN ATLANTA: Norfolk Southern has
formally opened its state-of-the-art headquarters in midtown Atlanta. The
750,000-square-foot building rests on a 3.4-acre campus in Tech Square.
[Norfolk Southern, 11-10-21]
-
- UNION PACIFIC RELEASES INFO ON SEPT.
22 CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEE DEATH:
A Union Pacific contractor employee was struck and killed on a site near
Castorville, Texas, Sept. 22. The railroad said the employee was performing
bridge work when the incident happened. [Laredo Morning Times, 11-10-21]
-
- NTSB ISSUES REPORT ON 2018 DEATH OF
CSX WELDER IN S.C.: A series of
ill-fated decisions led to the 2018 death of a welder who was hit by a
train going 50 MPH near Estill, S.C., the National Transportation Safety
Board said in a final report. The agency found fault with CSX for using
another employee to watch for oncoming trains, fault of the workers for
not continuing to watch even though the work was done, and noted the mistake
of the welder for taking off his reflective clothing while still on the
tracks. [The State, 11-10-21]
-
- U.K. TO ACQUIRE ITS FIRST-EVER HYDROGEN
TRAIN FLEET: Alstom and British
train owner Eversholt Rail have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed
at delivering the U.K.'s first-ever hydrogen train fleet. The two companies
have agreed to share the technical and commercial information needed for
Alstom to design, build, commission and support a fleet of 10 three-car
hydrogen multiple units. [Progressive Railroading, 11-10-21]
-
- MARYLAND TRANSIT SOLUTIONS SELECTED
TO COMPLETE PURPLE LINE PROJECT:
Purple Line Transit Partners, in partnership with the Maryland Dept. of
Transportation and the Maryland Transit Administration, has selected Maryland
Transit Solutions to complete the Purple Light-Rail Line project. The Purple
Line is a 16-mile light-rail line with 21 stations to be built between
New Carrollton and Bethesda. [Progressive Railroading, 11-9-21]
-
- AMTRAK'S CEO IDENTIFIES TOP TWO PRIORITIES WITH NEW FUNDING: Amtrak is slated to receive $66-billion in federal
funding from the infrastructure bill that was passed last week. Amtrak
CEO Bill Flynn said $44-billion would go directly for state grants and
other rail projects, with a portion of the remaining $22-billion being
used for improvement projects across the system. The project getting the
largest amount of money are expected to be the Gateway Project replacing
the Hudson Tunnel, and the Connecticut River Bridge Replacement Project.
Rail officials said the $66-billion is a 'down payment' for the decades
of underinvestment by prior administrations. Flynn noted future funding
needs to happen to continue service upgrades. It cannot all stop with the
current infrastructure bill. [Railway Track & Structures, 11-9-21]
-
- FEDS PROPOSE HIATUS IN MOVEMENT OF
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS BY RAIL:
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation has published a notice of proposed rule-making
that could suspend the transportation of liquefied natural gas by rail
until more research and testing can be done to ensure the safety of moving
the commodity by rail. [Railway Track & Structures, 11-9-21]
-
- AMTRAK'S WINTER PARK EXPRESS TO RUN THIS SEASON: The Denver ski train to Colorado's Winter Park
Resort will return for weekend service beginning Jan. 14, 2022. Amtrak's
Winter Park Express will run each Friday, Saturday and Sunday through the
weekend of April 1. [Denver 9News, 11-9-21]
-
- BNSF REPORTS 3-Q RESULTS: BNSF reported third-quarter 2021 net income
rose 14 percent to $1.5-billion, and total revenue climbed 12 percent to
$5.8-billion, compared with the same quarter last year. Operating income
increased 12 percent, and operating ratio of 59.5 percent compared with
59.7 percent a year ago. [Progressive Railroading, 11-9-21]
-
- BRIGHTLINE TRAIN STRIKES VEHICLE IN
POMPANO BEACH: A Brightline train
hit a vehicle in Pompano Beach, Florida, on the rail line's first full
day of service following the pandemic shutdown. A woman and her one-year-old
grandchild were inside the vehicle when the train collided with the car.
Both were taken to a hospital, although neither complained of injuries
at the scene. [Palm Beach Post, 11-8-21]
-
- 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 November 7, 2021. The
remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 19 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 11-8-21]
-
- D.C. METRO DELAYS REOPENING OF SHADY
GROVE, ROCKVILLE STATIONS UNTIL MID-JANUARY: The Washington DC Metro has delayed the reopening of the Shady
Grove and Rockville stations on the Metrorail red line until mid-January.
The Rockville canapy replacement project was impacted by the shopping of
7000-series rail cars, necessitating the use of 32 trains of older rail
cars that were being stored in the Shady Grove rail yard. [Progressive
Railroading, 11-8-21]
-
- RAIL PASSENGERS ASSN. APPLAUDS PASSAGE
OF INFRASTRUCTURE BILL: Rail Passengers
Assn. applauds the work Congress put into the infrastructure bill, which
marks a new era for America's passenger rail network. This will modernize
vast stretches of the existing passenger rail network, undoing decades
of disinvestent. Amtrak patrons will see newly-refurbished train interiors
and brand new train sets, expanded and upgraded stations and platforms,
additional frequencies, more convenient travel options, and new engergy-efficient
locomotives. They will also benefit from upgrades to our rail infrastructure
that will eliminate delays, add capacity and reduce trip times. There will
be new bridges, rebuilt tunnels, upgraded signals, additional sidings,
crossovers and double-tracking. These upgrades will touch every part of
the existing system, and hopefully lay the foundation for dozens of new
corridors across the U.S. [Rail Passengers Assn., 11-6-21]
-
- NJT ADDS TRAINS DUE TO INCREASED DEMAND:New Jersey Transit has added 22 new weekday trains
and 14 weekend trains in response to increased demand. The additional trains
will enhance service along the Northeast corridor, New Jersey coast line,
M&E, Bergen County and Pascack Valley lines. [Progressive Railroading,
11-5-21]
-
- CHICAGO TRANSIT INTRODUCES TRAIN SCHEME
HONORING CHICAGO SKY BASKETBALL TEAM:
Chicago Transit has introduced a specially-designed scheme on a Green line
train honoring the Chicago Sky basketball team for its first championship
win. It features the team's logo and signature blue and yellow color scheme,
and will run through the end of the year. [Railway Age, 11-5-21]
-
- PASSENGER RAIL SPEEDS INCREASING IN
MICHIGAN: The Federal Railroad
Administration has approved increasing passenger train speeds up to 110
MPH on a segment of line between Albion and Kalamazoo, Michigan. Speeds
are expected to increase next between Jackson and Albion in FY-2022, followed
by Dearborn and Ypsilanti in FY-2023, and Ypsilanti and Jackson in FY-2024.
[Progressive Railroading, 11-5-21]
-
- MONTANA OFFERING GRANTS TO REPOWER
DIESEL SWITCHERS: Montana's Dept.
of Environmental Quality has announced its 'Clean Engine Project,' a program
offering grant funding to repower unregulated or Tier 0 switcher locomotive
engines with Tier 3 engines. Offering a total of $800,000, the program
aims to permanently reduce diesel emissions and diesel fuel use, as well
as nitrogen oxide emissions. [Progressive Railroading, 11-5-21]
-
- TRAIN CARS OF SMELLY TRASH PLAGUE
MECHANICVILLE, N.Y.: For months,
the stench of slowly decaying garbage has loomed over backyards in Mechanicville,
N.Y. Pan Am, which has a rail yard just outside of town, has a contract
to pick up trash from capital region companies five days a week. It is
shipped to South Carolina where it is dumped into landfills. But Pan Am
interchanges the cars with Norfolk Southern, which is badly understaffed.
Often Norfolk Southern cannot pick up the train when it is ready, and this
forces Pan Am to line up the cars in its rail yard. But when the yard gets
full, Pan Am moves the smelly cars to a siding behind West street in Mechanicville.
The delay is on Norfolk Southern, which declined to disucss what it is
doing to resolve its staffing problem. [Albany Times-Union, 11-5-21]
-
- REGIONAL RAIL TO OPERATE PORT MANATEE
SHORT LINE: Port Manatee in Tampa
Bay, Florida, and Regional Rail LLC have announced intentions for Regional
Rail to operate the Port Manatee-owened short line through 2036, with options
through 2051. Effective Dec. 1, Port Manatee Railroad will be operated
as a subsidiary of Regional Rail. Port Manatee Railroad has been operated
by the port since 1970, and encompasses seven miles of track connecting
to a CSX mainline. [Progressive Railroading, 11-5-21]
-
- MAN WHO DAMAGED RAIL SIGNAL EQUIPMENT
SPARED PRISON SENTENCE: A man
who damaged railroad signal equipment in Pennsylvania will not see time
in a federal prison. Instead, he will serve three years of probation and
pay for damages. Back in 2017, William Curry Brown took apart four railroad
signal antennas from a CSX site near Braddock, Pa., and cut signal cables.
He also cut signal wires attached to CSX tracks in McKeesport, Pa. [Railway
Track & Structures, 11-5-21]
-
- FLEET OF MONORAIL TRAINS ENTER SERVICE
IN CHINA'S
ANHUI PROVINCE: A fleet of 28
six-car Alstom Innovia monorail trains entered commercial service last
month on Wuhu Rail Transit's line 1 in Anhui Province, China. The system
enables the monorail to operate fully-autoated, without operator or attendants.
[Progressive Railroading, 11-5-21]
-
- WABTEC TO SUPPLY 100 EVOLUTION SERIES
LOCOMOTIVES TO EGYPT: Wabtec has
signed contracts with Egyptian National Railways to supply 100 ES30ACi
Evolution Series Locomotives with a multi-year service and maintenance
agreement. [Railway Age, 11-8-21]
-
- N.Y. GOVERNOR SHARES HER VISION OF
PENN STATION PROJECT: Governor
Hochul has unveiled her version of a plan to restore Pennsylvania Station
in New York City. Her plan priortizes reconstruction of the existing facility.
Key features include a single-level, double-height train hall that doubles
space on the new public level, a 450-foot-long sunlit train hall, simpler
navigation, clear sight lines to exits and entrances, 18 additional escalators
or stairs and 11 additional elevators to platforms. The plan would shave
off 1.4 million square feet of development from the previous plan, decrease
heights for proposed buildings and provide new design controls to protect
views of the Empire State Building. [Progressive Railroading, 11-4-21]
-
- CN BUYS BATTERY-POWERED FREIGHT LOCOMOTIVE: Canadian National has purchased a Wabtec FLXdrive
battery-electric freight locomotive, the first 100 percent basttery heavy-haul
locomotive for the region. [Progressive Railroading, 11-4-12]
-
- APPEALS COURT ORDERS REINSTATEMENT
OF $500,000 JURY AWARD TO TERMINATED BNSF WORKER: A federal appeals court has ordered reinstatement of a $500,000
jury award to a terminated BNSF track inspector by reversing a lower court's
ruling in favor of the railroad. The track inspector had been operating
a hi-rail vehicle upon the track, but without using a seatbelt. He claimed
that the seatbelt was unsafe, as it could potentially delay a speedy exit
from the vehicle if a train were to suddenly approach. For not wearing
his seatbelt, the employee was dismissed. [Business Insurance, 11-4-21]
-
- TEXAS CENTRAL SEEKS $12-B FEDERAL
LOAN: Texas Central, the company
planning to build a high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston, is
hoping to obtain a Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvment Financing loan
of $12-billion. Some lawmakers in Congress, however, have expressed concern
that the rail company, ultimately, will leave the American taxpayers stuck
with the bill with nothing having been accomplished. It was noted that
the railroad is not honoring Buy America rules, still lacks authority to
buld the railroad, and inflation of ridership estimates. Moreover, the
railroad has reneged on its earlier promise not to seek federal funding
for the project. [Railway Track & Structures, 11-3-21]
-
- OMNITRAX ASSUMES RAIL OPERATIONS AT
COMMERCE CENTER IN INDIANA: OmniTRAX
has officially taken over rail operations within southern Indiana's River
Ridge Commerce Center. The railroad teamed with River Ridge Development
Authority to further develop the rail infrastructure and tenant base of
the 6000-acre industrial park that connects with CSX. [Railway Age,
11-3-21]
-
- CN, PROGRESS RAIL TO TEST RENEWABLE
FUEL BLENDS: Canadian National
and Progress Rail have partnered with Renewable Energy Group to test high-level
renewable blends, including both diodiesel and renewable diesel. The program
will allow the companies to better understand the long-term durability
and operational impacts of renewable fuels on locomotives, expecially in
cold weather, and plan needed modifications to fully-leverage their usage
over the next decade, they said. [Progressive Railroading, 11-3-21]
-
- OCTOBER 2021 U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC
REPORT: U.S. freight railroads
originated 2,024,528 carloads and intermodal units in October 2021, down
2.8 percent from the same month last year. Calculated separately, carloads
were up 3.8 percent, and intermodal was down 7.9 percent. [Assn. of
American Railroads, 11-3-21]
-
- FIRST COMPLETED ACELA TRAIN ON ITS
WAY TO AMTRAK: The Acela, the
nation's first line of high-speed trains, departed from the Alstom campus
in Hornell, N.Y., early Nov. 3 bound for delivery to Amtrak. It is the
first completed train set to leave from Alstom following the deployment
earlier of two test trains. [Hornell Evening Tribune, 11-3-21]
-
- QUEENSLAND TO INVEST IN NEW PASSENGER
RAIL FLEET: Queensland in Australia
has confirmed a rollingstock expansion program to manufacture trains in
the state as it gears up to host the 2032 Olympic Games. The state announced
that 65 new six-car passenger train sets will be built at a new facility
at Torbanlea outside of Maryborough. The new trains will be used on the
southeasstern Queensland network, and the first sets are expected to enter
service in 2025. [International Railway Journal, 11-3-21]
-
- PA. AWARDS $8.7-M FOR GREEN LOCOMOTIVE
POWER: Pennsylvania's governor
has awarded $8.7-million to three entities under the Marine and Rail Freight
Movers grant program that will replace older diesel-powered switches with
'green' power. Recipients are U.S. Steel, Bessemer & Lake Erie, and
SEPTA. [Railway Age, 11-2-21]
-
- VIA RAIL TO REQUIRE PROOF OF VACCINATION
FOR PASSENGERS: In accordance
with government policy, VIA Rail Canada will require proof of COVID-19
vaccination for all passengers 12-years-old and above. The policy took
effect Oct. 30, but for the first month they will only be requred to have
a negative test within 72 hours of travel. Beginning Nov. 30, passengers
must be fully-vaccinated. Masks will still be required on VIA trains and
in stations, regardless of vaccination status, and each passenger must
also complete a pre-boarding health check. VIA employees must have had
at least their first dose by Nov. 15 or be put on administrative leave.
[Progressive Railroading, 11-2-21]
-
- GROUND BROKEN FOR CONSTRUCTION OF
METRA'S
PETERSON RIDGE STATION: Ground
has been broken on construction of a $19-million Peterson Ridge Metra station
in Edgewater, Illinois. It is along the Union Pacific North line, and will
take about 18 months to complete. Renovation work on nearby bridges over
Peterson and Ridge avenues will cost another $3-million. [Progressive
Railroading, 11-2-21]
-
- RHOMBERG SERSA ACQIRES TRACK SOLUTIONS
OPERATIONS FROM BALFOUR BEATTY:
Balfour Beatty has sold its U.S. track solutions operations to Rhomberg
Sersa Rail Group for $7.25-million. The track solutions operations provide
niche services for the rail sector. [Progressive Railroading, 11-2-21]
-
- METRO-NORTH COMPLETES $95-M RENEWAL
OF WHITE PLAINS STATION: Metro-North
has completed a $95-million renewal of its Harlem line station in White
Plains, N.Y., the railroad's third largest station. In addition to numerous
station upgrades, the side and island platforms have been extended to increase
capacity. [Railway Age, 11-2-21]
-
- UNION PACIFIC TRAIN DERAILS IN IOWA: About 20 cars of a Union Pacific train derailed
late Oct 29 where the line crosses Middle River about a mile east of Carlisle,
Iowa. One car went down the riverbank and leaked polyethylene pellets into
the river. Hazardous materials crews were continuing to clean up the area
as of Nov. 2. [Des Moines Register, 11-2-21]
-
- CP SUES SASKACHEWAN TO RECOVER $341-M
IN PROVINCIAL TAXES: Canadian
Pacific is suing the Saskatchewan government for $341-million (C), arguing
it does not have to pay provincial taxes due to a 141-year-old contract
exempting it from taxation of its historic main line. In fact, the railroad
has paid those taxes for a century, but is seeking to recover what it calls
unconstitutional taxes going back to 2002. The province claims the railroad
gave up its exemption decades ago, but the railroad says it only agreed
to forgo the exemption from municipal taxation, which it did in 1966, voluntarily,
and not provincial taxes. [Regina Leader-Post, 11-2-21]
-
- BRITISH TRAIN COLLISION INJURES 14: British authorities on Nov. 1 were investigating
the crash of two passenger trains that left 14 injured, including a train
operator who was seriously hurt. The rear car of a train derailed Sept.
31 as it approached the station in Salisbury, and a second train crashed
into the derailed train. [Washington Post, 11-1-21]
-
- OCTOBER 2021 AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE
TRAIN PERFORMANCE REPORT: Thirty-nine
percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled
final destination on time or earlier in October 2021. The remaining trains,
on average, arrived one hour and 24 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull
Sheet Statistical Dept., 11-1-21]
-
- AMTRAK ROLLING OUT NEW TICKET KIOSKS: Amtrak is introducing more than 200 new ticket
kiosks in over 150 stations across the system. They feaure an updated user
interface that will require only minimum touch, and can be activated by
touch, card swipe, barcode scan or headset insertion. Updates enable riders
to pick their departure from any station and pick reserved space. Future
updates will include contactless payment and sending tickets to E-mail
addresses. Existing Quik-Trak kiosks, which have been in service for nearly
20 years, will be retired by the end of this year. [Progressive Railroading,
11-1-21]
-
- SEPTA, TRANSIT WORKERS UNION REACH
TENTATIVE AGREEMENT: SEPTA has
reached a tentative contract agreement with Transit Workers Union Local
234, one of the largest unions representing the rail agency's employees.
The agreement, which is pending ratification, includes wage increases,
a pandemic payment, paid parental leave, and Juneteenth as a new paid holiday.
[Progressive Railroading, 11-1-21]
-
- LEGISLATION INTRODUCED TO END PASSENGER
RAIL FORCED ARBITRATION: Three
Congressional representatives have introduced the 'Ending Passenger Rail
Forced Arbitration Act,' the purpose of which is to give customers the
right to sue Amtrak to resolve disputes by eliminating the current arbitration
clause for dispute resolution that passengers are forced to accept when
purchasing an Amtrak ticket. [Railway Age, 11-1-21]
-
- NORFOLK SOUTHERN SUED BY TWO UNIONS
OVER VACCINE POLICY: Two unions
have responded to the suit Norfolk Southern filed against them on Oct.
21. The unions responded to the railroad's claims and filed counterclaims
challenging the railroad's action in implementing its vaccine policy. The
unions claim a mandatory vaccine must be negotiated under the Railway Labor
Act. [Progressive Railroading, 11-1-21]
-
- CP EXPANDS HYDROGEN LOCOMOTIVE PROGRAM: Canadian Pacific will expand the scope of its
hydrogen locomotive program with a $15-million grant announced by Emissions
Reduction Alberta. The grant enables CP to increase the number of hydrogen
locomotive conversions in the project from one to three, and add hydrogen
production and fueling facilites. CP is receiving a 50-50 matching grant
from ERA's shovel-ready challenge program. [CP, 11-1-21]
-
- CLASS I RAIL EMPLOYMENT FELL IN SEPT.: U.S. class I railroads employed a total of 114,218
people in mid-September, down 0.19 percent compared to mid-August's employment
level, and down 3.31 percent year-over-year, according to Surface Transportation
Board data. [Progressive Railroading, 11-1-21]
-
- CP, KCS FILE MERGER APPLICATION: Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern have
jointly filed a railroad control application with the Surface Transportation
Board regarding their proposed merger. The new entity would be called Canadian
Pacific Kansas City. The application provides an overview of the proposed
operational integration, the impact of the consolidation on the companies'
finances and labor needs, and other benefits. [Progressive Railroading,
11-1-21]
-
- SHORTAGE OF EMPLOYEES RISK CUTS IN
AMTRAK SERVICE: Amtrak is acknowledging
that there is a shortage of personnel to run its trains, and it is likely
to get worse. The 'Date of Doom,' previously Nov. 22, had been when Amtrak
intended to remove from service any staff who are not vaccinated against
the COVID virus (or who do not have an acceptable exemption). This deadline
has since been extended to Dec. 8. This buys some time to get past the
Thanksgiving period, and it also buys time to increase the pace of hiring
and training. But another problem is that the company in 2020 furloughed
staff to cope with decreased passenger volumes in the wake of cutting trains
to three times a week, and at the same time shut down the recruitment pipeline
for new staff. Amtrak did this not knowing whether the COVID crisis would
abate, and not knowing where or what its next appropriation was coming
from. New employees (if they can be found) will need to be trained, and
this will take time. Meanwhile, Amtrak is warning that a staff shortage
could lead to more service cuts in the next few weeks. [Rail Passengers
Assn. hotline, 10-30-21]
-
- AMTRAK TRAIN STIKES VEHICLE IN S.C.,
THREE KILLED, ONE INJURED: Authorities
say three people were killed and a fourth person was injured after a vehicle
was struck by an Amtrak train early Oct. 30 in North Charleston, S.C. The
train was carrying 500 passengers, none of whom were injured. Damage to
the train is being assesed by Amtrak. [WCSC, 10-30-21]
-
- AMTRAK, NABTU SIGN WORKFORCE MOU: Amtrak and North America's Building Trades Unions
have signed a workforce memorandum of understanding that promotes a 'pipeline
of U.S. union construction workers to build and expand passenger rail.'
NABTU represents more than three million skilled craft professionals. Amtrak
and its construction partners will work with NABTU to accelerate apprenticeship
readiness programs, promote diversity, and ensure fair wages and benefits
for the construction workforce on their projects. [Railway Age, 10-29-21]
-
- LIRR COMPLETES REPLACEMENT OF ELECTRICAL
SUSTATION IN NEW CASSEL: Replacement
of a 40-year-old electrical substation in New Cassel has been completed,
one of eight along the Long Island Rail Road main line corridor being replaced
or upgraded as part of the LIRR expansion project between Floral Park and
Hicksville, N.Y. [Railway Track & Structures, 10-29-21]
-
- SEPTA LAUNCHES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
FOR RAIL TRANSIT: SEPTA has launched
its new Transit Supportive Community Development program. Part of the agency's
Forward Strategic Plan, the program is designed to improve access to public
transit, increase equity and ridership, enhance local economies and reduce
reliance on personal vehicles. [Progressive Railroading, 10-29-21]
-
- OMNITRAX PROMOTES TWO KEY OFFICERS: OmniTRAX on Oct. 28 reported that its president
Sergio Sabatini will be taking on the additional role of chief operating
officer, replacing Gord Anutooshkin, who is leaving the company at the
end of the year. In addition, John Bradley is assuming an expanded role
as a senior vice-president. [Railway Age, 10-29-21]
-
- RAILROAD RETIREMENT ANNUITIES TO INCREASE: Most railroad retirement annuities will increase
in Jan. 2022 due to a rise in the consumer price index from the third-quarter
of 2020 to the corresponding period of the current year. Tier I benefits
will increase by 5.9 percent. This is the first time the tier I increase
has been over 5 percent since Jan. 2009, when it was 5.8 percent. [Railroad
Retirement Board, 10-29-21]
-
- ONE INJURED AS AMTRAK TRAIN STRIKES
GARBAGE TRUCK IN IOWA: The driver
of a garbage truck was in serions condition after his truck was struck
by an Amtrak train near Albia, Iowa, Oct. 27. The train's engineer had
minor injuries, but did not go to a hospital. The train was delayed for
several hours. [WeAreIowa.com, 10-28-21]
-
- D.C. METRORAIL NEEDS IMPROVED TRACTION
POWER PROGRAMS, AUDIT FINDS: AWashington
DC Metrorail Safety Commission audit of the area transit authority's Metrorail
high-voltage and traction programs uncovered several areas in which the
agency must develop corrective action plans to improve safety. While the
agency did make significant improvements since 2016, there are additional
areas where it is not meeting its own written requirements, does not have
adequate procedures, processes or requirements, or does not have adequate
training, coordination and supervision, the safety commission said. A corrective
action plan is required in response to each finding by Nov. 26. [Progressive
Railroading, 10-28-21]
-
- VIETNAM APPROVES PLANS FOR NINE NEW
RAIL LINES: Vietnam has signed
its formal approval for plans to be drawn up for nine new railway lines
totaling over 1460 miles. Design work is scheduled to be completed by 2030,
with opening by 2050. [Railway Gazette, 10-28-21]
-
- NORFOLK SOUTHERN REPORTS 3-Q EARNINGS: Norfolk Southern reported third-quarter net
income of $753-million, diluted earnings per share of $3.06, income from
railway operations of $1.1-billion, and an operating ratio of 60.2 percent.
Railway operating revenues of $2.85-billion increased 14 percent compared
with the same quarter last year, driven by a 14 percent increase in revenue
per unit. [Norfolk Southern, 10-27-21]
-
- TOM DAVIS DIES, OWNER OF RAILFAN-STYLE
B&B IN CRESSON, PA.: Thomas
A. Davis, a retired educator who opened a bed-and-breakfast facility catering
to railroad fans next to the x-PRR (now Norfolk Southern) line in Cresson,
Pa., in 1993, died Oct. 5, 2021. Known as the Station Inn, the 1860's-era
railroad hotel became a go-to place for railroad fans from around the world.
While anyone could stay there, the proprietor made no secret of the need
to enjoy the numerous passing of trains throughout the day and night as
his preferred clientele. Sleeping was optional, as some of his guests were
known to remain on the inn's spacious front porch throughout the night
to avail of the splendor of the many trains. His father was a B&O dining-car
steward, and this helped sow the seeds of his lifelong interest in trains.
Tom Davis will be remembered in a memorial service in his honor sometime
in April 2022, according to his family. The intent is to hopefully sell
the establishment to someone with similar interests to continue the inn's
legacy as a haven for railfans.
-
- FEDS REPORT 'STEADY STREAM OF COMPLAINTS'
ABOUT CSX'S
SERVICE LEVEL: Before CSX reported
third-quarter earnings, its CEO received a letter from the Surface Transportation
Board questioning its service level for customers. Over the past several
months the board had continued to receive a 'steady stream' of complaints
about the adequacy of rail service provided by the carrier. The complaints
were not limited to any particular region or confined to a specific commodity
group, and some customers said that service problems were sometimes resolved,
only to recur later. CEO James Foote said it was 'unfortunate' to get the
letter, but said his company will deal with it, and try and address any
customer issues. [Jacksonville Daily Record, 10-27-21]
-
- WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 510,762 carloads and
intermodal units in the week ending October 23, 2021, down 2.3 percent
compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately,
carloads were up 5.1 percent, and intermodal was down 8 percent. [Assn.
of American Railroads, 10-27-21]
-
- BRIGHTLINE UNVEILS DOOR-TO-DOOR TRANSIT
BOOKING SERVICE: Brightline has
announced its new Brightline+ app, which will include a fully-electric
mobility fleet that offers door-to-door transit service. The app will enable
riders to book multiple modes of transportation for every step of their
rail journey, and will focus on eco-friendly modes of private and public
transit, including a fleet of Tesla cars and electric shared shuttles.
[Progressive Railroading, 10-27-21]
-
- AUXO ACQUIRES GENESIS RAIL SERVICES: Auxo Investment Partners has acquired Genesis
Rail Services, a full-service railroad maintenance company based in Bluefield,
W.Va., and Roanoke, Va. Cody Harman, son of the company founder, will retain
a minority ownership stake in the company and continuye in his rule of
running day-to-day operations. [Progressive Railroading, 10-27-21]
-
- TREX TO BUILD RAIL-SERVED PLANT AT
LITTLE ROCK PORT: Trex, a wood-alternative
decking company, has announced plans to build a new factory at the Port
of Little Rock. The port will convey 290 acres to Trex to build the facility,
and Trex must meet certain benchmarks regarding construction timeline,
total employment and the usage of rail cars. The port's rail service is
provided by the Port of Little Rock Railroad, which has the ability to
switch between BNSF and Union Pacific. [Progressive Railroading, 10-27-21]
-
- NORFOLK SOUTHERN DONATES SOUTHERN
RAILWAY ARCHIVES TO ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER: Norfolk Southern has donated the full Southern Railway archives
- hundreds of thousands of pages of documents - from photos to construction
plans and reports - to the Atlanta History Center. Norfolk Southern has
also donated $500,000 to help the center digitize and preserve the collection.
Southern Railway merged with Norfolk & Western in 1982 to create the
present-day Norfolk Southern. [Progressive Railroading, 10-26-21]
-
- MADISON, WISCONSIN, 'CRITICAL MARKET'
FOR CHICAGO-TWIN CITIES HSR, FEDS SAY:
Madison, Wisconsin, will be a 'critical market' in any high-speed passenger
rail corridor between Chicago and the Twin Cities via Milwaukee should
the project go forward, a new federal study says. The corridor could see
train speeds of at least 125 MPH, electric-powered engines, and dedicated
tracks, the Federal Railroad Administration says in its long-term plan
for the Midwest through 2055. [Wisconsin State Journal, 10-26-21]
-
- KCS TO SERVE MAJOR MEXICAN VEHICLE
DISTRIBUTION CENTER: Kansas City
Southern has announced a collaboration with two partners to develop the
Central Bajio Vehicle Distribution Center in Mexico, an origin and destination
terminal for the shipment of finished vehicles. Strategically located on
a KCS mainline, the center, with a capacity for up to 10,000 vehicles,
will serve the rapidly-growing Bajio region and strong Mexico City area
demand, KCS says. [Progressive Railroading, 10-26-21]
-
- UNION PACIFIC TAKES STEPS TO STEM
SUPPLY CHAIN BACKLOG AT WEST COAST PORTS: Union Pacific is taking added steps aimed at reducing the supply
chain backlog and speeding up the flow of goods to and from West Coast
ports. It will run a pilot program through the end of the year offering
a $60 per container refund to its ocean carrier customers for each container
in-gated on Saturdays and Sundays at its transfer facility in Long Beach.
The refund will apply to containers in-gated incremental to each customer's
current 2021 weekend average. [Progressive Railroading, 10-26-21]
-
- NTSB ISSUES PRELIMINARY REPORT ON
EMPIRE BUILDER DERAILMENT IN MONTANA:
A preliminary report on the Amtrak Empire Builder derailment in Montana
last month that killed three and injured dozens more offered no clues as
to what triggered the accident. Amtrak estimated damage at more than $22-million.
There were 154 people on board and 44 passengers and crew were taken to
hospitals with injuries. Passengers without serious injuries wee bused
to the nearby town of Chester, where residents provided food and other
aid. The train was traveling at between 75 and 78 MPH, just below the 79
MPH speed limit. The two locomotives and two rail cars remained on the
rails, and eight cars derailed. NTSB said it was still very early in the
investigation, and the agency typically takes one to two years to determine
accident causes. [Seattle Times, 10-26-21]
-
- GROUND BROKEN ON $65-M COATESVILLE,
PA., RAIL STATION PROJECT: Ground
was broken Oct. 22 on a $65-million Coatesville, Pa., passenger rail project.
The new station will be built just east of the existing historic depot,
which has been closed for more than 25 years and is located on a curve
preventing construction of ADA-accessible platforms. The project will include
530-foot-long high-level platforms with canapies, elevators, ramps, lighting,
parking, and a bypass track to facilitate freight trains passing the new
platforms. [Railway Age, 10-25-21]
-
- TRAX GREEN LINE STATION OPENED AT
SALT LAKE CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT:
Grand opening of the UTA's Green line TRAX station at the Salt Lake City
International Airport took place Oct. 25. [Railway Age, 10-25-21]
-
- TTCI TO ESTABLISH TRAINING, TESTING
FACILITY IN PUEBLO, COLORADO:
Transportation Technology Center Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the
Association of American Railroads, has announced it is establishing an
independent training and on-track testing facility in Pueblo, Colorado,
to be operational in 2022. It will be capable of meeting the needs of today's
rail industry and testing tomorrow's solutions, TTCI officials said. [Progressive
Railroading, 10-25-21]
-
- WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN
PERFORMANCE: Thirty-six percent
of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final
destination on time or earlier in the week ending October 24, 2021. The
remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 16 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 10-25-21]
-
- METRA ASKS JUDGE TO RECONSIDER UNION
PACIFIC COMMUTER SERVICE RULING:
Metra has asked the judge who ruled last month that Union Pacific is not
mandated to operate Metra trains on its lines in the Chicago area to reconsider
that ruling on grounds he 'overlooked or misapplied certain key factual
allegations and exhibits.' Metra maintains that a 2017 agreement created
an obligation independent of any common carrier obligation and which remains
in place despite having expired. Metra asserted the agreement bound Union
Pacific to keep up service for the 'useful life of the improvements,' paid
for by Metra, made to the freight and commuter services on one of the lines
in question. Metra said it paid $45-million to Union Pacific for the improvements.
[Cook County Record, 10-25-21]
-
- AMTRAK'S PACIFIC SURFLINER SERVICE EXPANDING: Beginning October 25, one additional round-trip
will be added to the length of the San Diego-San Luis Obispo rail corridor.
Amtrak touts this and other schedule changes to its Pacific Surfliner service
as one of the largest schedule changes in years. The schedule builds on
the partial service restoration that was implemented back in June. Also,
it moves towards 'pulsed' schedules, which more evenly distributes trains
to provide maximum service coverage. [Amtrak]
-
- GROUND BROKEN ON BALTIMORE PENN STATION
PROJECT: Ground was broken Oct.
22 for the redevelopment and expansion of the historic Penn Station in
Baltimore. Amtrak, which is investing $150-million in the project, executed
a master development agreement with Penn Station Partners in 2019. The
master conceptual plan first calls for the full historic preservation of
the station, which was built in 1911. The development team will make vital
core and shell improvements. Meanwhile, Amtrak is making platform improvements
to accommodate its new Acela trains, which are scheduled to be put into
service next year. A low-level platform is being rebuilt into a high-level
one, and another platform is being built. This work, along with a renewed
overhead electrical system and an upgraded 30-mile stretch of track between
Baltimore and Washington, will enable operation at higher speeds. [Railway
Age, 10-22-21]
-
- BRIGHTLINE WEST PROJECT MOVES FORWARD: The planned $8-billion Brightline West high-speed
rail line is another step closer to connecting Las Vegas with soouthern
California. Brightline reported that it had signed a memorandum of understanding
with the California State Transportation Agency, California Dept. of Transportation,
and California High-Speed Rail Authority, setting the framework for using
48 miles within Interstate 15 to link its Victor Valley station and its
newly-planned Cucamonga station. The city of Rancho Cucamonga is currently
designing a multi-modal station as part of a new transit district to include
existing Metrolink platforms and a planned underground tunnel to Ontario
International Airport. [Railway Age, 10-22-21]
-
- TEXAS CENTRAL GETS TO PRESENT ITS
EMINENT DOMAIN CASE IN JANUARY:
The Texas Supreme Court has changed course on a case involving the Texas
Central high-speed rail project. After earlier declining the case, the
court has decided to take it on after reviewing a petition from a landowner.
The case centers around whether or not Texas Central is legally a 'railroad
company.' If it is, then it has eminent domain authority to acquire property
for the rail line to connect Dallas with Houston. Oral arguments are set
to take place Jan. 11, 2022. [Railway Track & Structures, 10-22-21]
-
- NORFOLK SOUTHERN SUES TO PREVENT UNIONS
FROM SUING, PICKETING OVER COVID VACCINE MANDATE: Norfolk Southern has filed a lawsuit seeking to block its employees'
unions from suing over a COVID-19 vaccine mandate and to prevent its workers
from striking or picketing in protest of the requirement. The railroad
says President Biden's executive order requiring federal contractors to
mandate vaccines for workers requires the company's obligation to impose
its vaccine order. [Reuters, 10-22-21]
-
- UNION PACIFIC REPORTS 3-Q EARNINGS: Union Pacific reported third-quarter 2021 net
income of $1.7-billion or $2.57 per diluted share, compared with $1.46-billion
or $2.01 per diluted share in the same quarter last year. Operating revenue
of $5.6-billion was up 13 percent. Operating income of $2.4-billion was
up 20 percent. Operating ratio was 56.3 percent. [Union Pacific, 10-21-21]
-
- BRIGHTLINE TO RESTORE SERVICE NOV.
8: Brightline will restore service
on its 67-mile line between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach
on Nov. 8, offering new fare options and amenities. Service had been suspended
March 25 of last year due to the pandemic. [Railway Age, 10-21-21]
-
- VANCOUVER'S TRANSLINK PROPOSES QUADRUPLING ITS RAPID TRANSIT
NETWORK: Translink has proposed
quadrupling the size of its existing 62-mile Vancouver, B.C., rapid transit
network by an additional 193 miles outlined in a regional transportation
strategy. It envisages the construction of additional SkyTrain, metro,
light-rail or bus rapid transit routes. [International Railway Journal,
10-21-21]
-
- UNION PACIFIC, UNIONS SUE EACH OTHER
OVER CORONAVIRUS VACCINE REQUIREMENT:
Union Pacific and its labor unions are suing each other to determine whether
the railroad has the authority to require its employees to get COVID vaccinations.
The unions argue that the company should have negotiated with them before
announcing it would require all workers to get the shots. The railroad
contends that it has the authority under its existing contracts because
it can set standards for when employees are fit for duty. Union Pacific
announced this month that it would require all workers to be vaccinated
by Dec. 8 to comply with President Biden's executive order requiring all
federal contractors to have their employees vaccinated. [AP News 10-20-21]
-
- CP REPORTS 3-Q EARNINGS: Canadian Pacific reported its third-quarter
2021 revenue rose 4 percent to $1.94-billion (C) and net income fell 21
percent to $472-million compared to the same period last year. The company
posted diluted EPS of 70 cents, down 20 percent, and adjusted diluted EPS
of 88 cents, up 7 percent. Operating ratio, which includes KCS acquisition-related
costs, rose from 58.2 percent to 60.2 percent. [Progressive Railroading,
10-20-21]
-
- WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 496,983 carloads and
intermodal units in the week ending October 16, 2021, down 4.2 percent
compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately,
carloads were up 1.2 percent, and intermodal was down 8.5 percent. [Assn.
of American Railroads, 10-20-21]
-
- CSX REPORTS 3-Q RESULTS: CSX reported third-quarter 2021 net earnings
of $968-million or 43 cents per share, compared with the same quarter last
year of $736-million or 32 cents per share. Operating ratio of 56.4 percent
compared with 56.9 percent. Revenue increased 24 percent to $3.29-billion.
[CSX, 10-20-21]
-
- NORFOLK SOUTHERN TO REQUIRE EMPLOYEES
TO GET COVID VACCINE: Norfolk
Southern has notified its workers that it will require them to receive
the COVID-19 vaccination by Dec. 8. The company follows Union Pacific in
taking similar action. [Railway Age, 10-20-21]
-
- CONGESTION INCREASES AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
PORTS: The Port of Los Angeles
hit another record cargo month in September 2021, bringing the port's year-to-date
growth to 26 percent over the previous year. On Oct. 19, there were 159
vessels in port for both the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Ninety-six
of these vessels were at anchor outside the ports where they may wait for
days before being called in for processing. [Daily Breeze, 10-20-21]
-
- KCS REPORTS 3-Q RESULTS: Kansas City Southern reported third-quarter
2021 revenues of $744.0-million, an increase of 13 percent from the third-quarter
2020. Overall, carload volumes were down 3 percent compared to the prior
year. Operating expenses were $492.1-million, including $36.5-million in
merger costs. Net income was $156.5-million or $1.71 per diluted share.
Operating ratio was 66.1 percent. [Kansas City Southern, 10-19-21]
-
- METRO NORTH TO INTRODUCE BICYCLE-STORAGE
AT GCT: Metro-North will launch
a pilot bicycle-storage program at Grand Central Terminal in New York beginning
in November. Installed will be a six-space secure biking storage unit at
the terminal's former taxiway space, which has not been used by taxis since
2001. The pilot program will run for a year. Use of the pad will requre
a reservation through membership with Oonee, a Brooklyn-based startup.
[Progressive Railroading, 10-19-21]
-
- VIA RAIL ANNOUNCES FINAL PHASE OF
GRADUAL SERVICE RESUMPTION PLAN:
VIA Rail Canada has announced the final phase of its gradual service resumption
plan with new frequencies being added in December and full operations across
the country to return by the end of June 2022. VIA is finalizing details,
including access to the infrastructure. [Progressive Railroading, 10-19-21]
-
- SEPTA TO STUDY REGIONAL RAIL MASTERPLAN: SEPTA has selected Huitt-Zollers to conduct
an 18-month study to create a regional rail network masterplan as part
of the three-year general planning contract. Examined will be service patterns,
fares, equipment, stations, infrastructure and operations for ways to integrate
commuter rail, heavy-rail, light-rail and bus networks. [Progressive
Railroading, 10-19-21]
-
- CN'S CEO TO RETIRE: Canadian National's CEO J.J. Ruest is retiring rather than stay
to fight against an investor who has been pushing for his outser. His retirement
is at the end of January, and the company's announcement did not mention
the pressure it is facing from the London-based investment firm TCI Fund.
[AP News, 10-19-21]
-
- CN REPORTS 3-Q RESULTS: Canadian National reported its third-quarter
earnings showing strong performance across nearly all key metrics, with
adjusted diluted EPS of $1.52 (C), up 10 percent, adjusted operating ratio
of 59 percent, and revenues of $3.6-billion, up 5 percent over the same
quarter last year. Operating income of $1.34-billion was an increase of
8 percent on an adjusted basis. [CN. 10-19-21]
-
- WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN
PERFORMANCE: Forty-four percent
of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final
destination on time or earlier in the week ending October 17, 2021. The
remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 10 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 10-18-21]
-
- D.C. METRO REMOVES ALL 7000-SERIES
RAILCARS FROM SERVICE: Washington
DC Metro removed all of its 7000-series railcars from service Oct. 17 following
a safety commission order in response to the Oct. 12 derailment in Virginia.
An investigation determined that an axle of one of those cars was out of
compliance with 7000-series specifications, and further that some other
7000-series cars not involved in the incident had similar defects. The
agency estimates that the 7000-series cars will remain out of service until
at least Oct. 24, and reduced service will result. [Railway Age, 10-18-21]
-
- UNION PACIFIC MOVES HISTORIC MILITARY
VEHICLE: Union Pacific recently
shipped the military vehicle that had pulled down the statue of Saddam
Hussein during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Subsidiary Loop Logistics provided
a first and final mile transportation solution of the 140,000-pound M88A2
Hercules. The Army had solicited bids to move the vehicle from Blount Island,
Florida, to the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona. [Progressive
Railroading, 10-18-21]
-
- TEXAS INVESTORS PLAN DEVELOPMENT OF
STATIONS FOR DALLAS-HOUSTON HSR:
Texas investors intend to form an entity to develop train stations in the
planned Dallas-Houston high-speed rail corridor. To be known as the Texas
High-Speed Rail Station Development Corp., the entity will be independently
owned and separate from Texas Central, the company pursuing the project
to build and operate the high-speed rail line. [Progressive Railroading,
10-15-21]
-
- EXPANSION OF TRANSIT IN UTAH BEING
STUDIED: The Utah cities of Provo,
Springville, Mapleton, Spanish Fork, Salem, Payson and Santaquin, in collaboration
with the Mountainland Assn. of Governments and Utah Dept. of Transportation,
have been conducting the South Valley Transit study to evaluate options
for providing high-capacity transit service in the southern part o Utah
County, Utah. [Railway Age, 10-15-21]
-
- TIGER COOL EXPRESS TO PURCHASE FORMER
UNION PACIFIC WAREHOUSE IN KANSAS:
Tiger Cool Express in Overland Park, Kansas, has signed a letter of intent
to purchase the former Union Pacific Cold Connect warehouse and develop
an adjacent intermodal ramp. The new Tiger Tri-Cities Logistics Center
will initially offer service between Wallula and the Northwest Seaport
Alliance on-dock facilities for dry and reefer exports, as well as between
Wallula and Chicago. Service is expected to eventually expand into other
markets, such as the Interstate 5 corridor and Mexico, according to the
company. [Railway Age, 10-15-21]
-
- WABTEC OPENS RAIL ENGINEERING LAB
IN INDIA: Wabtec has inaugurated
a global engineering lab in Bengaluru, India, to enable rail component
design and performance. The objective of the facility is to characterize
the performance, understand the failures, predict the service life of components,
and validate design improvements. [Progressive Railroading, 10-15-21]
-
- FEDS RELEASE MIDWEST REGIONAL RAIL
PLAN: Federal Railroad Administration
officials have released its 'Midwest Regional Rail Plan,' a 40-year framework
for restoring, modernizing and expanding the existing intercity passenger
rail network in 12 midwest states. It examines the potential for developing
and optimizing intercity passenger rail connections through 2055, priortizing
corridors and investment projects, funding strategies and governance structures.
[Progressive Railroading, 10-14-21]
-
- D.C. METRO TRAIN DERAILS IN VIRGINIA: A Washington DC Metro Blue line train derailed
late Oct. 12 in a tunnel between the Arlington Cemetery and Rosslyn stations
in Virginia. Officials said 187 passengers were evacuated by walking one-quarter
of a mile to the Arlington Cemetery station. One passenger was hospitalized
due to anxiety. Service was then suspended between the Pentagon and Rosslyn.
[Railway Track & Structures, 10-14-21]
-
- NJT APPROVES CONTRACT FOR NEW PORTAL
NORTH BRIDGE: New Jersey Transit's
board has approved a $1.56-billion contract with a joint venture for the
constructin of a new Portal North Bridge. It will be a two-track, fixed-span
structure 50 feet above the Hackensack River allowing marine traffic to
pass underneath without interrupting Northeast corridor rail traffic. Work
is expected to take about five and one-half years to complete. [Progressive
Railroading, 10-13-21]
-
- SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS BEGIN ON METRO-NORTH'S BREAKNECK RIDGE
STATION: Metro-North has begun
making safety improvements on its Breakneck Ridge station in Fishkill,
N.Y. When completed by year's end, the station will be able to reopen as
a weekend stop on the Hudson line. The work is a step toward the redesign
of the Route 9D corridor known as the 'Breakneck Connector.' That segment
will mark the first mile of the planned 7.5-mile Hudson Highlands Fjord
Trail Linear Park when it undergoes construction next year. [Progressive
Railroading, 10-13-21]
-
- GREENBRIER COMPANIES ACQUIRE MORE
THAN 3,600 RAIL CARS: The Greenbrier
Companies has acqured more than 3600 rail cars, a portion of which will
be held by subsidiary GBX Leasing. The acquisition advances Greenbrier's
strategy to increase the scale of its lease fleet assets. [Railway Age,
10-13-21]
-
- SEPTA'S KING OF PRUSSIA RAIL PROJECT ADVANCES: SEPTA's King of Prussia Rail project has been
admitted to the project development phase under the Federal Transit Administration's
Capital Investment Grant program. The project calls for extending the existing
Norristown High Speed line four miles into King of Prussia. [Progressive
Railroading, 10-13-21]
-
- WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. freight railroads originated 506,642 carloads
and intermodal units in the week ending October 9, 2021, down 2.6 percent
compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately,
carloads were up 4 percent, and intermodal was down 7.8 percent. [Assn.
of American Railroads, 10-13-21]
-
- DEBATE EMERGES OVER ELECTRIFYING CALIFORNIA'S HIGH-SPEED RAIL
ROUTE: A new and fundamental debate
has emerged in the battle over California's high-speed rail project and
whether the trains will even be high-speed at all. At the center of the
dispute is how soon to electrify the line, which officials say is necessary
to make the trains 'high-speed.' The governor has included the funding
in his state budget, but negotiations between the administration and the
state legislature have stalled. [AP Mews, 10-13-21]
-
- FLORIDA GRANTS $9.4-M FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
AT CSX-SERVED INTERMODAL CENTER:
The city of Winter Haven, Florida, will receive $9.4-million in state grants
for road improvements at the CSX-served Intermodal Logistics Center. [Progressive
Railroading, 10-12-21]
-
- AMTRAK TRAIN IN WASHINGTON STATE DERAILS,
NO INJURIES: A wheel of a slow-traveling
(15 MPH at the time) Amtrak train came off the track Oct. 11 near Woodland,
Washington, between Vancouver and Kelso. No passengers were injured. The
train was en route to Seattle. [AP News, 10-12-21]
-
- THE ANDERSONS TO LEASE GRAIN STORAGE
FACILITY AT PORT OF OSWEGO, N.Y.:
The Andersons Inc. has entered into an agreement with the CSX-served Port
of Oswego, N.Y., to lease a 780,000-bushel grain storage facility at the
port's Grain Export Center. The port is the state's only port on Lake Ontario.
[Progressive Railroading, 10-12-21]
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- TOURIST TRAIN DERAILS IN N.C.: A Great Smoky Mountains Railroad tourist train
left the tracks Oct. 9 as it was making its way to the Bryson City depot
from the Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina. Several cars derailed,
with at least one of them leaning over Lake Fontana. Heavy rain in the
region might have led to rails folding over, causing the derailment. No
one was injured. [Railway Track & Structures, 10-12-21]
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