Author: jrood

KCS appoints new senior vice president and chief information officer

Kansas City Southern appointed Michael Naatz as senior vice president and chief information officer with responsibility for information technology and business planning. Naatz will report to KCS president and chief executive officer David Starling.

“Mike is a great addition to the KCS team,” said Starling. “His extensive transportation leadership experience will enhance our information technology efforts and business planning capabilities.”

Naatz has 18 years of transportation experience. He joins KCS from USF Holland, a YRCW company, where he served as president for the past year. Since USF was acquired by YRCW in 2005, he held the position of chief information and service officer, as well as a variety of other leadership positions for YRCW, including customer service and enterprise management. Prior to the acquisition, he held similar positions with USF for 11 years.

Axion receives first order from New Zealand

Axion International Holdings, Inc., has received its first purchase order being shipped to New Zealand’s Kiwi Rail. The railroad ties are the rail line’s first such order of Axion’s recycled ECOTRAX products and are being installed in critical application areas such as turnout switch-sets and transoms.

Massachusetts intermodal center opens

Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff and other dignitaries dedicated the The John W. Olver Intermodal Center in Greenfield, Mass., which will serve as a central hub for transportation in the heart of the northwest community’s urban renewal zone.

HART CEO proposes reduction in budget

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dan Grabauskas, recommended reducing the agency’s budget for next year by $1.57 million. He suggested lowering HART’s fiscal year 2013 operating budget by nearly sevent percent to $21.3 million.

HDR acquires Stetson Engineering, Inc.

HDR, Inc., has acquired the business of Stetson Engineering, Inc., a Wyoming-based firm with offices in Gillette and Riverton. Stetson Engineering, Inc., specializes in design, engineering and consulting services related to water, sewer, storm sewer, hydrology and transportation.

CSX honors Gannett Fleming’s El-Aassar

Ahmed El-Aassar, Ph.D., INCE, ASA, a vice president with Environmental Acoustics, Inc., an affiliate firm of Gannett Fleming specializing in noise and air quality, has been recognized by CSX Transportation with an Outstanding Service Award in the Environmental Services Category. Based in the firm’s Lemoyne, Pa., office, El-Aassar serves as a project manager for noise and air quality projects.

Lilee Systems earns Red Hat Hardware Certification

Lilee Systems, provider of communication systems designed exclusively for the railroad industry, has achieved Red Hat Hardware Certification for the company’s WMS-2000 wayside messaging server, making it the first wayside messaging server with internal 3G, GPS and IP KVM options to achieve Red Hat certification. Now, Lilee says customers deploying WMS-2000 with embedded Red Hat Enterprise Linux are offered proven performance and reliability.

CHSRA finalizes EIR/EIS for Merced to Fresno HSR

The California High-Speed Rail Authority Board certified the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for the Merced to Fresno section of the high-speed project, allowing the Authority to take additional steps toward starting construction in late 2012 or early 2013. The Authority also chose a north-south route and station locations for Merced and Fresno.