Author: jrood

UP invests $6.9 million for track improvements

Union Pacific Railroad will continue improving Arizona’s transportation infrastructure with a $6.9 million investment to enhance the rail line that runs from Yuma to Welton.

The 30-mile project includes removing and installing new rail and more than 47,000 railroad ties along the railroad corridor through southern Arizona. Crews will spread 18,000 tons of rock ballast to ensure a stable roadbed.

UP plans to spend approximately $3.2 billion in 2011 to support America’s current and future freight transportation needs and enhance the safety and efficiency of the railroad’s 32,000-mile network.

 

CXT to close Grand Island plant, nearly 70 jobs in jeapardy

The Grand Island Independent reports that CXT Inc., a subsidiary of L.B. Foster Co., has informed employees that it will close the Grand Island production facility located at 710 E. Highway 30.

The plant opened in 1998 and employed 67 workers.

Grand Island Area Economic Development Corp. President Marlan Ferguson said he was contacted about the closure last week and immediately met with company officials to see "what can we do to keep them."

"We never like to see businesses close –manufacturing or anything else," Ferguson said. "But in this case the decision was made at the corporate level and that’s something we can’t do a whole lot about."

CXT had a sole contract to produce concrete railroad ties for Union Pacific. The Grand Island production plant is located on Union Pacific ground, Ferguson said.

"It was basically a decision by U.P. not to continue," Ferguson said. "There’s not much we could do to keep them here."

When it was learned no incentives or work could save the jobs, Ferguson worked with Nebraska Workforce Development to help employees in an effort to keep them in Grand Island.

The employees were told layoffs will begin in the next 10 to 14 days and be staggered over the next six months as local workers are used to dismantle the plant, Ferguson said. Employees were also told about unemployment insurance, severance, job training and possible other jobs in the Grand Island area.

"There are opportunities for all those folks to stay in the community," Ferguson said. "Other companies are hiring."

The CXT closure is disheartening on many fronts, Ferguson said.

CXT plans to take all of its equipment purchased in the upgrade and relocate it to other plants, Ferguson said. He’s not yet sure if UP will utilize the plant for another purpose.

Ferguson said the production work done by CXT in Grand Island was impressive. It’s work that affected other industries, so the shutdown now may have the same effect.

"It is unfortunate to lose the presence of a national company, but we feel confident that the employees will be well taken care of and find emplacement in the community," Ferguson said.

RJ Corman to rehabilitate railroad infrastructure in Ky, Tenn. and W.Va.

A project to improve railroads in several Appalachian states including Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia, kicked off February 14, reports Kentucky radio news Website www.wkyt.com.

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear joined officials with the R. J. Corman Railroad Group to begin the company’s Appalachian Regional Short Line Project.

The project is creating jobs by rehabilitating railroad infrastructure.

It is being funded in part with a $17.5 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"This project creates highly needed jobs and holds the promise of long-term benefits for Appalachia," Gov. Beshear said in a news release. "The Appalachian region historically has suffered from limited connections to national transportation systems. Rehabilitating shortline tracks will provide continued and much-needed access to the national rail network for customers who depend on rail freight movement."

State officials say in Kentucky, the project will improve 246 miles of aging shortline track along the Memphis, Central Kentucky, and Bardstown lines in 12 counties: Bullitt, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jefferson, Logan, Nelson, Shelby, Scott, Todd, Warren, and Woodford.

State officials say the work includes rail and grade crossings and bridge and tunnel improvements.

Dennis Bryant retires from Harsco

After 38 years of service, Dennis Bryant, service manager at Harsco Rail, will retire at the end of February.

"Dennis did a great job preparing for this day by making sure he had qualified personnel ready to step up," stated Vice President Domestic Sales and Marketing Jay Gowan. "Our field service managers, Tom Totzke and Stan Sandstrom, have been training with Dennis for several years and they are prepared to handle the service calls and needs. We are also confident in the ability of Al Christoffersen, field service representative, to handle the troubleshooting calls dealing with the Ludington product line that Dennis handled on a daily basis."

WMATA to study LRT, street car interoperability

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is studying ways to integrate the various light rail systemsplanned for the region to make it easier for people to use and more cost-effective for the entities building and running the systems.

Metro is leading the regional coordination effort to ensure that riders can readily use the light rail and streetcar projects when they open, easily move from one system to another or connect with existing Metrorail and regional bus service.

The transit agency is working with project sponsors, including the District of Columbia, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Maryland and other jurisdictional partners on the LRT and Streetcar Interoperability Study. 



The interoperability study aims to identify ways to integrate the light rail and streetcar systems planned for the region, such as the H Street/Benning Road streetcar project in the District of Columbia and the Columbia Pike Streetcar in Arlington. Goals include identifying ways to achieve capital cost savings for the region and efficiencies in maintenance and operations through shared design standards for vehicles, track and structures and traction power, shared maintenance facilities and practices. The study also will encourage flexibility to support future regional network expansion and ensure customer convenience, including uniform signs, common fare collection methods and fare media.

The $250,000 regional study will be paid for by the jurisdictions that fund Metro. The study is scheduled for completion in the fall.

TCRY to provide Mare Island rail service

Lennar Mare Island has stepped in to provide rail service to Mare Island following last year’s withdrawal by San Francisco Bay Railroad, the Times-Herald reports.

Tri City & Olympia Railroad Company, doing business as Mare Island Rail Service, has entered into short-term agreements of about a year with developer Lennar Mare Island and the city of Vallejo, said developer spokesman Jason Keadjian.

In the meantime, officials will assess the long-term viability of Mare Island rail, Keadjian said.

San Francisco Bay Railroad severed its ties to Vallejo and rail car refurbishers Alstom, on Mare Island, following a ruling by a federal railroad oversight board in late December. During the prior year, the rail company had cleared and improved tracks in Vallejo and just over the Wichels Causeway to Mare Island.

The company had sought the right to provide freight shipping for all businesses on Mare Island — not just Alstom. However, Lennar Mare Island, track owners on the former military base, said the company was not the right fit, and the oversight entity, the Surface Transportation Board, ruled in the developer’s favor.

Mare Island Rail Service is bringing Amtrak rail cars to Alstom’s warehouse from nearby Flosden Acres, where existing rail service takes over, said Telly Sionides, Alstom’s Mare Island site manager.

Lennar Mare Island managed Mare Island rail service from 2002 to March 2008, until ceasing operations due to economic difficulties.

"LMI (Lennar Mare Island) is hopeful that other Mare Island businesses will take advantage of this service in the future, however truck transport is expected to remain a competitive alternative," Keadjian wrote.

 

CTA

The prototype 5000-series rail cars will return on CTA’s Red Line beginning Monday, February 14. The rail cars most recently operated on the Yellow and Purple lines and have been previously tested on all other lines.

CTA is testing the 10 prototype rail cars to ascertain how they perform when operating in the conditions that CTA’s rail fleet is subjected to throughout the year. The prototypes were tested on the Red Line in spring 2010. CTA is running the trains on the Red Line again because it is the rail system’s busiest line and the agency wants to test the cars during winter conditions under heavy ridership.

The prototypes must successfully complete testing before the agency gives approval for the full order to be manufactured.

The rail cars offer a variety of new features and state-of-the art technologies designed to benefit CTA customers. Each car will have seven networked security cameras, an event recorder system similar to a black box on an airplane and door sensors that will detect obstructions better than CTA’s current rail fleet.

The trains will accommodate more customers per car and provide more room for customers carrying backpacks, packages, luggage, strollers and bikes because of an aisle-facing seating configuration. The cars have 38 seats and space for two wheelchair positions and added support poles and hand straps in the center of the car for standing customers. Other amenities include:

– An LED station indicator map with lights that move in conjunction with the train’s location and electronic destination signs – widened to increase the size of the text that improves readability – both inside and outside of the rail car.
– Interior electronic destination signs showing the next stop, date and time, and can be used to display a text version of stored audible announcements made to customers – for example, when a train is delayed waiting for signal clearance.
– Regenerative braking that returns braking energy to the third rail for reuse to help power other trains and on-board electrical systems.

An alternating current propulsion system that converts the direct current energy in the third rail to AC for the traction motors. AC propulsion systems provide a smoother ride.

JL Patterson acquires Intermountain Resources

J.L. Patterson & Associates, Inc., a civil/trackwork/structural engineering firm headquartered in Orange, Calif., has acquired Idaho-based Intermountain Resources, which provides comprehensive environmental services throughout the Pacific Northwest. All earth and natural science disciplines are represented through IMR, with special emphasis on soil and water interactions.

"Combining forces with IMR will strengthen our presence in the West Coast and across the Mountain States, while allowing us to serve our rail clientele with pivotal environmental services," said Jacqueline Patterson, JLP president.

IMR President and CEO Pierre Bordenave commented, "Our merger with J.L. Patterson will allow us to offer clients an expanded range of services in more geographical areas while creating new opportunities for our talented professionals."

 

Proposed House bill would cut HSR, Amtrak funds

House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers has announced a partial list of 70 spending cuts that will be included in an upcoming Continuing Resolution (CR) bill. The CR legislation will fund the federal government for the seven months remaining in the fiscal year and prevent a government wide shut-down, while significantly reducing the massive increases in discretionary spending enacted in the last several years by a Democrat majority.

The total spending cuts in the CR will exceed $74 billion, including $58 billion in non-security discretionary spending reductions.

“Never before has Congress undertaken a task of this magnitude,” said Chairman Rogers. “The cuts in this CR will represent the largest reduction in discretionary spending in the history of our nation.”  

Railway-impacted spending cuts include:
 
·         Clean Coal Technology   -$18M
·         High Speed Rail   -$1B
·         Amtrak   -$224M

Rogoff tours Cleveland transit station as part of

Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff toured the construction site for the new Puritas Rapid Transit station, a high-capacity rail station that will replace the original one built in 1966.  Puritas is one of the busiest stations along Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s Rapid Red Line.

“The Obama Administration’s commitment to projects like the Puritas station will help ensure that Cleveland has access to safe, economical and efficient transportation while reducing America’s dependence on fossil fuels,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Investing in Cleveland’s transportation infrastructure continues to keep construction workers on the job and the city’s economy moving forward.”

The $11.6 million station, built with $10.3 million from the FTA and including $5.3 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars, is one of several federally-funded projects around the nation.

“These investments are going to mean good jobs right here in Cleveland," Administrator Rogoff said. "Building brand new rail stations like the Puritas station will allow us to revive construction jobs while improving the daily commute for thousands of Cleveland residents for generations to come. This is the way we are going to keep our economy and the RTA moving forward."

The project includes a 2,500-square foot main entrance building with a brick grand foyer and a rounded portico outlined in sandstone, a 30-foot tower that houses two elevators that provide access for persons with disabilities and a 130-foot bridge that brings passengers over the Rapid tracks to the boarding platform, and a new 486-space parking lot. The Puritas station project broke ground in May 2009, and is expected to be completed this spring.

As part of the kick-off of President Obama’s “Build Week,” Secretary LaHood and Administrator Rogoff announced a $3 billion infusion of formula funds to states, local communities and transit agencies nationwide. The funds provide a boost to communities seeking to build more transit, make repairs to existing bus and rail lines and other capital equipment and ensure transit serving rural areas receives much needed operating funds.

Canadian transport minister recognizes importance of rail in country

Chuck Strahl, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, was part of a roundtable discussion in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Rail 2030, the Railway Association of Canada’s project to develop a common industry vision for the future of rail.

In his lunchtime address to public and private sector partners in the rail industry, Minister Strahl recognized the continuing importance of rail to Canada’s economic future. Rail is, he said, a key part of the North American supply chain and global trading network that stretches to and from Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. Minister Strahl also underlined the value of partnerships and collaboration in fostering transportation research for an increasingly knowledge-driven sector.

"Our vision is of a future integrated transportation system that is sustainable, competitive, safe and secure, serving the needs of shippers, passengers and all Canadians," said Minister Strahl. "Our government will be working in partnership with you, your colleagues in other modes and your stakeholders to remove barriers, find solutions and encourage cooperation."

Minister Strahl highlighted the collaborative work being done by industry, government and academic researchers through Transport Canada’s Railway Research Advisory Board. The board is actively examining new approaches and seeking solutions to address transportation challenges such as infrastructure renewal, congestion, rising energy costs, environmental concerns and mobility.

"When we talk about preparing for Canada’s future prosperity, we know innovation must play a role," said Minister Strahl. "Investing in the right technologies, research and business strategies will provide a competitive edge by improving efficiency, reliability and sustainability.”

TTC issues statement regarding safety concerns

Recent reports have highlighted unsafe actions by individual Toronto Transit Commission employees. The management of the TTC has said they take these allegations seriously and have taken action to deal with individual incidents. Like many organizations, there is an employee discipline process that must be followed and respected.

The TTC  said it demands, at a minimum, that its 12,000 employees conduct themselves with professionalism and treat all customers and the public-at-large with courtesy and respect. Not doing so can result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. The TTC said that individuals will be held accountable for their actions.

The TTC states: “while the vast majority of our employees are professional and courteous, often going above and beyond the call of duty, there are incidents where the TTC and the public are let down by the behavior of individuals. These behaviors cannot be tolerated.”

The TTC convened a Customer Service Advisory Panel last year to help address customer service concerns. The TTC and its Board are taking action to improve customer service and instill a culture throughout the organization that places customer service as a priority along with safety.

Amtrak ridership up

There has been 15 straight months of ridership growth for Amtrak. This strong performance is part of a long-term trend that has seen America’s Railroads set annual ridership records in seven of the last eight fiscal years, including more than 28.7 million passengers in FY 2010.

“The steady rise in ridership demonstrates a growing demand and the ongoing need for a national intercity passenger rail system,” said Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman. “With oil approaching $100 a barrel, we expect to continue to post strong ridership numbers as more and more people choose Amtrak to meet their transportation needs.”

There was a 4.6 percent increase in riders in January 2011 vs. January 2010, or nearly 94,000 more passengers. The 15 straight months of ridership growth spans from November 2009 to January 2011 which averages a six percent growth rate over this period.

Factors that have contributed to an increase in passengers include a moderately improved economic environment allowing some recovery of business travel along the Northeast Corridor, sustained high gasoline prices, the increased appeal and popularity of rail travel, effective marketing campaigns and the introduction of Wi-Fi on the high-speed Acela Express trains.

The highlights below compare the first four months of current FY to the same period during FY 2010 and show increased Amtrak ridership across the country from coast to coast.

East Highlights:
The high-speed Acela Express service continued its popularity with a ridership increase of 9.2 percent. Piedmont Service (Charlotte – Raleigh) experienced a significant gain of 110.8 percent following the introduction of an additional round-trip frequency last summer. In
addition, Virginia routes had sizable gains with Washington –Lynchburg at 26.7 percent and Washington – Newport News at 12.8 percent.

Central Highlights:
The Chicago hub experienced steep ridership gains as led by the Blue Water (Chicago – Port Huron) at 27.7 percent. In addition, the Chicago – Pontiac Wolverine Service was up 21 percent, the Chicago – Carbondale Illini/Saluki route up 15.1 percent, the Chicago – Indianapolis Hoosier State up 13.3 percent and the Chicago – St. Louis Lincoln Service was up 11.7 percent. Also, the Missouri River Runner (Kansas City – St. Louis) experienced a 17.2 percent gain.

West Highlights:
In California, routes experienced gains including the Capitol Corridor Service (San Jose – Auburn) with 7.3 percent and the Pacific Surfliner Service (San Luis Obispo – San Diego) with 5 percent growth.

National Highlights:
Among the long distance Amtrak trains, the Cardinal (New York – Chicago) had the largest increase of 15.9 percent. Other long distance trains with strong gains were the Sunset Limited (Orlando – Los Angeles) at 13.8 percent, the City of New Orleans (Chicago – New Orleans) at 13.1 percent, the Palmetto (New York – Savannah) at 12.8 percent and the Lake Shore Limited (New York – Chicago) at 12.7 percent.

New MapQuest routing includes transit option

MapQuest, Inc., has released a new rail transit option that links the pedestrian mode with public rail transportation routing in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Boston, reaching roughly 90 percent of the nation’s rail ridership.

With more U.S. individuals now residing in urban settings rather than suburban or rural, there is an even greater need to provide relevant information and routing to MapQuest’s growing city contingency. The new transit routing option provides departure and arrival information, helpful hints to alert train passengers and station search information in designated cities.

“MapQuest is in the business of getting people where they need to go,” said Christian Dwyer, senior vice president and general manager, MapQuest. “We are excited to launch the new transit routing option on MapQuest.com to reach urban commuters who rely on alternative modes of transportation.”

On average, some 14.7 million people use metro public rail options in the six launch cities.

“MapQuest has always listened to our customer needs. The rail transit option is a direct response to one of the top requested features from our customers, and help us continue to be the trusted source for all types of maps and directions.”

MapQuest worked with San Francisco-based, geospatial data and mapping company, Urban Mapping, to develop its transit option, and has plans for additional city content is 2011.

CN targets C$1.7 billion capex 2011

CN plans to invest C$1.7 billion in 2011 to maintain a safe and fluid railway network, to grow the business efficiently and to continue to provide customers with a high level of service.

Senate bill introduced to reduce miles covered by PTC

The senior Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, introduced legislation February 8, to reduce the rail route miles over which positive Train Control must be implemented before January 2016.

Senate co-sponsors include John Thune (R-S.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).

The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 mandated PTC be installed, and the Federal Railroad Administration followed with a regulation ordering PTC to be installed on some 73,000 miles of track — those carrying passengers and freight cars containing toxic inhalation hazard chemicals — by December 31, 2015.

"As lawmakers, it is our responsibility to strike a careful balance between oversight and free enterprise, or we risk stifling economic competitiveness,” said Senator Hutchison.  “By requiring the use of the 2015 traffic patterns, this bill will do much to address the mistakes made by the FRA in implementing this mandate, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.”

In a January 8 press release, Hutchison said her legislation is not intended to roll back the congressional mandate, but rather reduce the number of track miles on which PTC must be installed.

"Traffic patterns for shipping toxic chemicals are changing," Hutchison said. "This means that at least 10,000 route miles used to move chemicals in 2008 are no longer expected to transport these products in 2015."

The proposed legislation follows a visit by railroad CEOs in late January to officials of the Obama administration, in which they reportedly said they are in the process of concentrating toxic inhalation hazards on fewer miles of track, and that the PTC mandate should affect traffic patterns expected in 2015 rather than traffic patterns in 2008.

Hutchison called the FRA’s PTC mandate "an example of regulatory excess that is costing America’s businesses billions of dollars with no obvious benefits. We must rein in the regulatory bureaucracy in order to unleash innovation and investment and spur job growth," Hutchison said. "This commonsense bill would reduce compliance costs without impacting the safety or security of our country’s rail lines.

$53B HSR reaction: California High-Speed Rail Authority

“This is the kind of bold investment in the future of our nation’s infrastructure that will get the attention of the private sector and make high-speed travel a reality in the United States,” said Roelof van Ark, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority. “Californians are already doing their part to invest in and develop a fast, clean and low-cost transportation system, and we are pleased to have the partnership of our federal government.”

Construction will begin on California’s high-speed rail system in 2012, creating nearly 100,000 jobs over five years with the federal funding already awarded. In December of 2010, the Authority Board selected a 120-mile initial construction segment, which spans an area 20 miles north of Fresno south to Bakersfield. 


“True high-speed rail that travels faster than 200 miles per hour over long distances between California’s major metropolitan centers will mean strengthening our state’s economy in the long term,” said van Ark. “In the near term, development of this system will mean tens of thousands of jobs at a time when we need them the most and a huge boost that will assist our state’s economy.”  
 

$53B HSR reaction: Rep. Mica and Rep. Shuster

House Transportation Committee Chairman John L. Mica (R-FL) and Railroads Subcommittee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) have expressed extreme reservations regarding the Obama Administration’s plan to spend $53 billion over the next six years on rail infrastructure projects.

“With the first $10.5 billion in Administration rail grants, we found that 1) the Federal Railroad Administration is neither a capable grant agency, nor should it be involved in the selection of projects, 2) what the Administration touted as high-speed rail ended up as embarrassing snail-speed trains to nowhere, and 3) Amtrak hijacked 76 of the 78 projects, most of them costly and some already rejected by state agencies,” Mica added. “Amtrak’s Soviet-style train system is not the way to provide modern and efficient passenger rail service.

“Rather than focusing on the Northeast Corridor, the most congested corridor in the nation and the only corridor owned by the federal government, the Administration continues to squander limited taxpayer dollars on marginal projects,” Mica concluded.

Shuster said, “The Administration continues to fail in attracting private investment, capital and the experience to properly develop and cost-effectively operate true high-speed rail. They have also ignored my provision in law that calls for competition on money-losing Amtrak routes.

“The Committee plans to investigate how previous funding decisions were made. I have no problem with sound investments in alternative transportation projects, but selecting routes behind closed doors runs counter to the Administration’s pledges of transparency. I am concerned that without appropriate controls to ensure the most worthy projects are the ones that receive funding, high-speed rail funding could become another political grab bag for the President.”

Shuster continued, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result and that is exactly what Vice President Biden offered today. If the Obama Administration is serious about high-speed rail, they should stop throwing money at projects in the same failed manner.

“Rail projects that are not economically sound will not ‘win the future.’ It just prolongs the inevitable by subsidizing a failed Amtrak monopoly that has never made a profit or even broken even. Government won’t develop American high-speed rail. Private investment and a competitive market will,” Shuster said.

$53B HSR reaction: HNTB and Bombardier

Peter Gertler, chair high-speed rail services for HNTB Corporation, has issued a statement on Vice President Joe Biden’s announcement of a comprehensive plan to provide 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years:

“We welcome the administration’s leadership and participation in the national conversation. This plan is a timely opportunity to engage the public and policy makers in a discussion about the future of America’s transportation system. Beyond initial investments – totaling more than $10.5 billion in the last two years – we need a vision and a long-term financing plan that supports a program as powerful as the Interstate Highway System was more than 50 years ago.

The announcement calls for a $56 billion investment, over six years. This funding provides a real opportunity to build on the country’s down payment, continue work already begun as well as design and build for the future.

While there will be disagreements about the scope, timing and financing of the president’s proposal, that debate should be encouraged. Finding common ground will allow our country to benefit from a modern rail system that will generate jobs, ease congestion and encourage economic development.”

The announcement prompted another statement by Robert E. Furniss, U.S. vice president, Business Development and Sales, Rolling Stock, Locomotives and High Speed Rail, Bombardier Transportation: 


“As a global leader in rail equipment manufacturing and servicing, Bombardier Transportation understands the important contributions that an improved rail infrastructure can provide. The U.S. investment in passenger rail initiatives promotes economic expansion in construction and manufacturing, creates new choices for travelers, reduces national dependence on foreign oil and fosters community development. Increased focus on integrating intermodal options, including an intercity and high-speed rail network, in the U.S. is crucial to keep up with a competitive global economy.

Rail networks can act as an economic engine to promote good jobs and enhanced quality of life.  However, the key to creating a sustainable U.S. rail business will be consistent and long-term investment to draw serious players and establish a viable domestic supply chain. Other leading nations are investing and improving their rail systems and without consistent investment the U.S. will be left behind.
 


The development of additional rail systems throughout the U.S. also is essential to developing cleaner, more efficient transportation systems. Passenger rail corridors will take cars off the roads, reduce dependence on foreign oil and diminish CO2 emissions.
 


Bombardier Transportation is well-positioned to help the U.S. develop this vital transportation option, and is excited to explore the opportunities to help improve the infrastructure of America’s passenger railways.”

New hire at Axion, promotion at NJ Transit

Axion International, producer of recycled composite plastic industrial building products and railroad ties, has hired Cory Burdick as its new sales representative after more than three years at TieTek, LLC, a Dallas-based competitor in the composite railroad tie industry.

“We are pleased to bring Cory on board to help strengthen our business development initiatives,” stated Steve Silverman, Axion’s CEO. “Cory is an excellent addition to our organization. Not only is he very knowledgeable about the composite railroad tie industry, he has a proven track record of solving customer problems and providing personalized solutions to fit their needs. We are excited to benefit from his highly tuned skill-set and believe his level of expertise supports our stated strategy of expanding our sales efforts in 2011 and beyond.”

"I am extremely honored and excited to be a part of such a dynamic and growing company as Axion International,” said Burdick. “My previous experience in the composite railroad tie industry has taught me to believe quality control is the single most important aspect in the manufacturing process of a composite railroad tie. Axion shares this same commitment and I look forward to utilizing my knowledge and experience to help broaden the acceptance of such a quality product to the railroad industry."

The N.J. Transit Board of Directors has appointed Kevin O’Connor as the new vice president and general manager of N.J. Transit Rail Operations.

O’Connor has served as NJ Transit’s acting vice president and general manager of Rail Operations since July 2010, managing a complex system of 12 commuter rail lines and 165 stations that serves more than 270,000 passenger trips on a typical weekday.

“As a professional with more than 33 years of railroad operating experience, the depth of Kevin’s knowledge and his focus on safety, fiscal responsibility and on-time performance will serve the agency, our employees and our customers well,” said N.J. Transit Executive Director James Weinstein.  “With his extensive background in rail operations, I’m confident that he will continue to rise to the challenges associated with keeping New Jersey’s rail system moving day in and day out.”

“Robust and reliable rail transportation is vital to both the State and the region,” said O’Connor.  “I’m committed to ensuring the safe, efficient operation of rail service for the customers who depend on our trains every day to conduct life’s daily business.”