Amtrak Cascades services north of Seattle affected by area mudslide

Due to an additional mudslide north of Seattle, Amtrak Cascades service between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., will be canceled on December 14 and 15. Amtrak will continue to monitor the weather conditions and will provide additional updates as necessary.

Also, Sounder commuter train riders to Edmonds, Mukilteo and Everett, Wash., will need to take special bus service from Seattle after mudslides closed northline tracks. Southline Sounder service is not affected and will operate on normal schedule.

Local media report that weekend mudslides unleashed by torrential rains in western Washington state prompted railroad officials to shut down passenger train service on several major Pacific Northwest routes. Amtrak trains were halted on Sunday as a safety precaution while crews cleared debris from tracks and inspected rain-soaked rail beds and adjacent slopes for stability, said Gus Melonas, spokesman for BNSF, which owns and operates the region’s rail lines. Except for a few brief interruptions over the weekend, BNSF managed to keep its freight traffic moving through the region by diverting those trains onto rail lines that remained unaffected by slides, he said.

Three large mudslides triggered by heavy showers struck western Washington on Saturday, one of them sweeping car-sized boulders onto a rail line in the Columbia River Gorge-area of Wishram, Wash., Melonas said. A series of smaller slides blocked rail traffic on Saturday north of Seattle and near the Skykomish River on Sunday, he said. As a result, passenger service was suspended for 48 hours on three major Amtrak routes — the Amtrak Cascades line from Portland, Ore., to Vancouver, B.C.; the Coast Starlight train between Seattle and Los Angeles and the Empire Builder connecting Portland and Seattle with Chicago, Amtrak said.

Union Pacific joins GEMI

The Global Environmental Management Initiative adds new member company, Union Pacific Railroad.

"We are pleased to welcome Union Pacific Railroad to GEMI," said GEMI Chair, Moe Bechard, vice president, Global Environment Health and Safety, Diversey, Inc. "Each GEMI member company brings an integral and unique perspective, and we look forward to the addition of Union Pacific, and the valuable insight they will bring to the organization."

Union Pacific will be represented by: Bob Grimaila, vice president – safety, security and environment; Joel Strafelda, general manager, environmental management; Robert Toy, director, environmental strategies; Mark Reimers, director, environmental operations; and, Melissa Hagan, regional environmental counsel.

"GEMI’s mission of business helping business achieve environmental sustainability excellence aligns very well with Union Pacific’s environmental management strategies and practices," said Grimaila. "We look forward to collaborating with GEMI members from other industries as we continue to improve our role as an environmentally responsible freight transportation leader."

GEMI Membership Chair, Lindell Sneed concluded, "On behalf of GEMI, I would like to welcome Union Pacific to GEMI. GEMI is an organization that is dedicated to providing strategies and solution tools to help businesses improve their environmental sustainability initiatives. Union Pacific will be an excellent addition to GEMI, and we are confident that their participation will enrich the organization as a whole."

RTD offers Army veterans guaranteed opportunities

The U.S. Army and the Regional Transportation District in Denver, Colo., are looking toward the future, offering Army veterans a foot in the door with guaranteed interview opportunities with the Partnership for Youth Success Program.

The PaYs program is a partnership between a cross section of corporations, companies and public sector agencies, which provides America’s youth with an opportunity to serve their country while they prepare for their future. It allows soldiers to reconnect with America and have employment with leading employers using skills learned in the Army. Currently there are 300-plus corporations who participate in the PaYs program.

"Army veterans are trained and dedicated with skills in not only a specific job, but leadership skills as well. These skills are an asset to many companies once they finish their commitment to the Army," said Lt. Col. Dionne Wilson, Denver Army recruiting battalion commander. "These soldiers have committed themselves to the Army, and have done service here and abroad and can adjust to many jobs, environments and situations."

 

IDOT Selects path for Amtrak service to Rockford

The Illinois Department of Transportation selected the proposed southern route for Amtrak’s new Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque service from Chicago’s Union Station to downtown Rockford. The $60 million service will create 650 construction jobs, with trains running by early 2014.

"Illinois is committed to creating jobs and promoting economic development by linking our cities, businesses and universities through passenger rail," said Governor Pat Quinn. "The selection of the southern route does the best job of accomplishing those goals safely and cost effectively."

The selection of routes was based on an independent study by the Decatur office of URS Corp., one of the country’s top engineering design firms. The analysis showed that the southern route through Genoa, Ill. will require a $26.2 million investment in upgraded infrastructure between Chicago and Rockford. Similar improvements on the proposed northern route through Belvidere, Ill. would cost $62.3 million, raising the total cost of the route to more than $96 million. The study also determined an estimated annual ridership of 76,357 on the southern route compared to 54,988 on the northern route.

Safety was another deciding factor in the study. The southern route will cross 143 roads and highways. The northern route would cross 176. The southern route also will see fewer delays using only two railroads, while the northern route would require using four railroads.

"The southern route offers the best deal for travelers and taxpayers," Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig said. "After much deliberation, we are excited to start service to an underserved part of the state."

The Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque line marks the return of passenger rail to the Rockford area for the first time since 1981. Trains will run at least one round-trip daily between Chicago’s Union Station and Dubuque, with stops in Elgin, Genoa, Rockford and Galena.

U.S. Department of Transportation redirects $1.195 billion

The $1.195 billion in high-speed rail funds, originally designated for Wisconsin and Ohio, will be redirected to other states eager to develop high-speed rail corridors across the United States.

Wisconsin has suspended work under its existing high-speed rail agreement and the incoming Governors in Wisconsin and Ohio have both indicated that they will not move forward to use high-speed rail money received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. As a result, $1.195 billion will be redirected to high-speed rail projects already underway in other states.

"High-speed rail will modernize America’s valuable transportation network, while reinvigorating the manufacturing sector and putting people back to work in good-paying jobs," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "I am pleased that so many other states are enthusiastic about the additional support they are receiving to help bring America’s high-speed rail network to life."

The Recovery Act included $8 billion to launch a national high-speed rail program that will modernize America’s transportation network, spur economic development domestically and keep the U.S. competitive with other leading nations. High-speed rail grants announced under the Recovery Act can be used only for high-speed rail projects and not for other transportation projects.

The $1.195 billion originally designated for those high-speed rail projects in Wisconsin and Ohio will now be used to support projects in the following states:

* California: up to $624 million
* Florida: up to $342.3 million
* Washington State: up to $161.5 million
* Illinois: up to $42.3 million
* New York: up to $7.3 million
* Maine: up to $3.3 million
* Massachusetts: up to $2.8 million
* Vermont: up to $2.7 million
* Missouri up to $2.2 million
* Wisconsin: up to $2 million for the Hiawatha line
* Oregon: up to $1.6 million
* North Carolina: up to $1.5 million
* Iowa: up to $309,080
* Indiana: up to $364,980

Norfolk Southern CEO Wick Moorman named Railway Age Railroader of the Year

Charles W. "Wick" Moorman, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Norfolk Southern Corporation, has been named 2011 Railroader of the Year by Railway Age.

"Wick Moorman provides the strong leadership that has enabled Norfolk Southern to make great strides in areas that are critical to the future of the railroad industry," said Railway Age Editor William C. Vantuono. "In addition to performing solidly, controlling costs, improving productivity and continuing to invest in growth capital in a recessionary economy, Norfolk Southern has excelled in technological innovation and development of public-private partnerships. Among the many examples of these accomplishments are the railroad’s building and testing of an all-electric, battery-powered yard locomotive and opening the Heartland Corridor, a major intermodal artery developed in partnership with several states. Norfolk Southern is strongly positioned for growth and is an example of why railroads are increasingly the mode of choice for the nation’s transportation needs. This is why we have chosen Wick Moorman as our 2011 Railroader of the Year."

"I am honored by this recognition. It reflects on the entire Norfolk Southern team-talented, dedicated, and committed to safety-who make our company a success. They are the very best in the business, and I’m proud to be one of them," said Moorman.

Wick Moorman is Railway Age’s 48th Railroader of the Year. Modern Railroads magazine founded the award, one of the most prestigious in the railroad industry, in 1964 as the "Man of the Year." Railway Age acquired Modern Railroads in 1991 and has presented the award annually since then. Moorman will be honored on March 15, 2011, at Chicago’s Union League Club. He follows in the footsteps of several railroad industry icons from the Norfolk Southern, Norfolk & Western and Southern railroads: Stephen C. Tobias (2008), David R. Goode (2005 and 1998), Arnold B. McKinnon (1990), L. Stanley Crane (1974) and D. W. Brosnan (1964), the first Railroader of the Year.

Railway Age will tell the story of Wick Moorman and the remarkable, innovative organization he leads at Norfolk Southern with a cover story in the magazine’s January 2011 issue.


Railroader of the Year recipients under Modern Railroads:

1964: D. W. Brosnan, Southern Railway System
1965: Stuart T. Saunders, Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
1966: Stuart T. Saunders, Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
1967: Louis W. Menk, Northern Pacific Railway
1968: William B. Johnson, Illinois Central Railroad
1969: John W. Barriger, Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
1970: John S. Reed, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway
1971: Jervis Langdon, Jr., Penn Central Transportation Co.
1972: Charles Luna, United Transportation Union
1973: James B. Germany, Southern Pacific Transportation Co.
1974: L. Stanley Crane, Southern Railway System
1975: Frank E. Barnett, Union Pacific Railroad
1976: Dr. William J. Harris, Jr., Association of American Railroads
1977: Edward G. Jordan, Conrail
1978: Robert M. Brown, Union Pacific Railroad
1979: Theodore C. Lutz, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
1980: John G. German, Missouri Pacific Railroad Co.
1981: Lawrence Cena, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway
1982: A. Paul Funkhouser, Family Lines Rail System
1983: L. Stanley Crane, Conrail
1984: Hays T. Watkins, CSX Corp.
1985: John L. Cann, Canadian National
1986: Raymond C. Burton, Jr., Trailer Train Co.
1987: Willis B. Kyle, Kyle Railways
1988: Darius W. Gaskins, Jr., Burlington Northern
1989: W. Graham Claytor, Jr., Amtrak
1990: Arnold B. McKinnon, Norfolk Southern
1991: Mike Walsh, Union Pacific Railroad

Recipients under Railway Age:

1992: William H. Dempsey, Association of American Railroads
1993: Raymond C. Burton, Jr., TTX Co.
1994: L. S. "Jake" Jacobson, Copper Basin Railway
1995: Edwin Moyers, Southern Pacific Transportation Co.
1996: Robert D. Krebs, AT&SF, and Gerald Grinstein, Burlington Northern
1997: Paul M. Tellier, Canadian National
1998: David R. Goode, Norfolk Southern
1999: Edward A. Burkhardt, Wisconsin Central Transportation Co.
2000: The Railroad Worker (award presented as "Railroader of the Century" for 2000)
2001: Michael R. Haverty, Kansas City Southern Railway
2002: E. Hunter Harrison, Canadian National/Illinois Central
2003: Richard K. Davidson, Union Pacific Railroad
2004: Robert J. Ritchie, Canadian Pacific Railway
2005: David R. Goode, Norfolk Southern
2006: Richard F. Timmons, American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association
2007: William E. Wimmer, Union Pacific Railroad
2008: Stephen C. Tobias, Norfolk Southern
2009: Michael J. Ward, CSX
2010: Matthew K. Rose, BNSF
2011: Wick Moorman, Norfolk Southern

NCRR trains to increase speed

After months of work along the North Carolina Railroad through downtown Kinston, payoff should come to motorists after December 20 with fewer delays thanks to speedier trains through town. According to NCRR, even the slight increase in speed will make train passage through downtown more efficient and reduce delays at crossings.

"Thirty miles per hour doesn’t sound fast, but it means trains pass through three times faster than before," said Scott Saylor, NCRR president. "Thanks to this work on track realignment in Kinston over the last few months, we now have a straighter section of track with better clearance which can accommodate trains at 30 mph rather than 10 mph. Motorists should experience shorter delays at crossings in the next few weeks as train speed increases."

This project and others in the area represent improvements to enhance safety, speed and promote economic development on the NCRR and for the communities it serves. The rail line through Kinston carries three to five freight trains per day.

KCSR/KCSM establish international rail operations support team

KCSR/KCSM have established a new international rail operations support team at corporate headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. This team will further support the one network-one team concept by managing the demurrage, waybill and Management Control System functions in support of the KCSR customer solutions, KCSM customer service and KCSR and KCSM transportation teams, sharing best practices on both sides of the border.

The new group is led by director international rail operations support Kelly King, who joins KCS following a career with the U.S. Army.

The international rail operations support group joins the service design, asset management and equipment distribution functions, which report to assistant vice president network services Greg Walling.

"The addition of this team will further improve our efficiency and effectiveness in operating as a single network and providing optimal service to our customers," said Walling.

Five-mile rail line changes ownership

The smallest railroad in Grand Island, Neb., Cornhusker Railway, has changed ownership and is now FreightCar Short Line.

The five-mile line at the former Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant runs between Union Pacific tracks at Alda, Neb., and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad near Abbott, Neb., passing along the east edge of the former ammunition plant.

The transaction took place along with the recent sale of DTE Rail Services, a railcar repair facility that has been the line’s only customer, to FreightCar Rail Services LLC.

The shortline was purchased in September from Cornhusker Railways LLC, an affiliate of DTE Rail Services, by FreightCar Short Line, created as part of the DTE-FreightCar Rail Services transaction.

Randy Quaife, vice president of marketing and sales for FreightCar Rail Services, said that major landowners in the former ammunition plant are the Grand Island Economic Development Corp. and Southern Public Power District, both of which are working to bring new industries to the area.

More than 15 miles of track in the ammunition plant area are also owned by FreightCar Short Line, said Quaife.

R.J. Corman prepares for Appalachian project

R.J. Corman Railroad Group moves forward with a railroad renovation project in three states, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.

An expected 50 jobs will be created by the project in Kentucky alone.

RJ Corman Railroad Group’s Vice President of Strategic Planning and Development Noel Rush says the Appalachian Regional Shortline project will commence within two months and include bridge repairs and replacement of thousands of ties.

The project will receive $17.5 million in federal stimulus money, with nearly $13 million being used for work in Kentucky alone. RJ Corman will contribute about $3 million, with the state supporting the endeavor with $200,000.

Oklahoma shortline eyes more repair work

An additional two locations along the Union Pacific line between Shawnee, Okla. and Oklahoma City, Okla. may be renovated. Bids for four "critical locations" along the 38-mile line cost less than what was anticipated, said Edward Landreth, a consulting civil engineer for Arkansas & Oklahoma Railroad, who leases the line.

Bids for the four locations totaled about $2.6 million, he said, adding he estimated about $3 million for the project initially.

"It’s possible to extend the contract for two or three more locations," Landreth said.
There is still about $1.5 million left from the stimulus grant, he added.

"We just started the fourth of the original four locations," he said.

With a possibility of improving more additional locations, Landreth said he would need to talk with R&R Contracting about completing more than the original four at the same contracted rate.

Last week, Landreth said the Oklahoma Department of Transportation inspected the job and authorized two other locations for possible inclusion with the rest of the money.

As the contract currently stands, the fourth location should be completed between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, Landreth said. If work continues, it would begin the first week of January and be completed by the middle of March, he said.

Florida Northern Railroad Company to file for discontinuance

The Florida Northern Railroad Company, which owns and operates 14 miles of railroad lines that run through downtown High Springs, Fla., wrote a letter earlier this year to Prime Conduit, a pipe plant in High Springs and a major user of the railroad tracks, explaining that it was going to close down the tracks due to lack of use and needed repairs.

Prime Conduit would lose its primary mode of shipping without the tracks.

High Springs decided to apply for the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) II grant. City officials believed this was the resolution to keeping the tracks open.

Because the city did not receive the grant, the Florida Northern Railroad Company will file for a discontinuance of service in the near future, according to Pete Petree, vice president and general manager of the railroad company.

"This was just the only viable option we saw," Petree said.

Discontinuance is not a permanent decision. Petree said if someone was willing to fund rehabilitation, or if a major customer lent investment back into the line, the company would consider keeping the tracks open.

Prime Conduit says they will seek other modes of transportation and will not be closing.

Koppers signs asset purchase agreement

Koppers Inc. signed an Asset Purchase Agreement to acquire the Rail Joint business product line and related manufacturing facility of Portec Rail Products, Inc. for an undisclosed purchase price. The proposed transaction between Koppers and Portec is subject to certain regulatory approvals, including approval by the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, and other closing conditions.

Although there is no guarantee that the required approvals will be obtained or that the conditions will be satisfied, Koppers fully expects the acquisition to close by December 31, 2010, with the purchase price being funded by cash on hand.

The Portec Rail Joint business serves the domestic and international railroad markets with a variety of specialty rail products out of one location in Huntington, W. Va.; revenues for the business in 2010 are estimated at approximately $22 million.

Walt Turner, president of Koppers, said, "The acquisition of Portec’s Rail Joint business will strengthen our presence in the railroad industry, further enhancing our relationships and scope of products and services that we provide. We view this transaction as part of our continuing process and commitment to provide quality products and services to the railroad industry."

Arup North America to present design work for rail through South Bellevue

Arup North America Ltd. will present design work for the Bellevue City Council’s preferred alternative (B7) rail through South Bellevue, Wash., that runs along the BNSF rail corridor.

The $670,723 contract is a result of a council vote last month to embark upon the first of a three-phase design project to bring plans for the B7 up to a higher level for the consideration of Sound Transit.

Arup’s analysis and concept report will take approximately six to seven months to complete, which doesn’t coincide with Sound Transit’s plan to make a decision by next spring.

Timing issues aside, council members are worried about funding the study. It will use $270,000 of existing funds from the 2010 budget and the rest, about $400,000, will be paid out of the 2011-2012 budget.

"Getting this segment right is worth the investment of that amount," said Jennifer Robertson, council member.

At the halfway point of the study the council can cut the project and stop funding. This time coincides with Sound Transit’s decision, which has final say over the placement of light-rail tracks.

Former factory to serve as Central Corridor LRT facility

PCL Construction Services Inc. of Burnsville, Minn., will be converting a vacant former factory in St. Paul into the operations and maintenance facility for the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit Project, a $43.1 million contract from the Metropolitan Council.

The contract includes $1.2 million for PCL to install a vehicle hoist at the Hiawatha LRT’s Franklin facility, also requested and funded by Metro Transit. It also includes work necessary for systems testing by the summer of 2013 in order to maintain the start of revenue service in 2014 and avoid a construction delay and cost escalation impacts.

The Central Corridor LRT Project will link downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis along Washington and University avenues via the state Capitol and University of Minnesota. Construction began this year on the planned 11-mile line, and service will begin in 2014. The line will connect with the Hiawatha LRT line at the Metrodome station in Minneapolis and the Northstar commuter rail line at the new Target Field Station.

The Federal Transit Administration, Counties Transit Improvement Board, state of Minnesota, Ramsey and Hennepin counties’ regional railroad authorities, city of St. Paul, Metropolitan Council and the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative, will provide funding.

FEC names new V.P., chief engineering officer

Florida East Coast Railway named Robert Stevens to the position of vice president, chief engineering officer effective December 1, 2010.

Bob joined the Florida East Coast Railway in 2007 as the general director, roadway maintenance and was later promoted to chief engineer in 2008. Prior to joining FECR, Bob received his Bachelor’s degree from Eastern University in Philadelphia, Penn., served in the United States Navy and worked for CSXT and Consolidated Rail Corp. Bob has more than 35 years of experience within the rail industry.

Port Authority of NY and NJ approves budget, reduces headcount by 200

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Board of Commissioners approved a $7.2 billion budget for 2011 that calls for a third consecutive year of zero growth in operating expenses and reduces headcount by 200 positions to the lowest level in 40 years.

The fiscal discipline on the operating side of the budget has allowed for $3.9 billion in capital spending, enough to continue the agency’s safety and security programs, to move priority projects forward and to maintain the agency’s facilities in a state of good repair.

The 2011 budget provides $2.5 billion in operating expenses, $3.9 billion in capital expenses, $701 million for debt service and $47 million for other expenses, which include purchases of snow equipment and other agency vehicles and major technology equipment.

Port Authority Chairman Anthony Coscia said, "In these tough economic times, we must be diligent in how we spend the public’s money. That’s why we’ve developed a zero growth operating budget, and taken great care to identify capital projects in the region’s best interests."

High-speed rail project to continue through December 23

Improvements supporting future high-speed rail on the Chicago-St. Louis corridor north of Springfield will continue to cause the daily Amtrak Lincoln Service trains to originate and terminate in Bloomington/Normal through December 10 and again December 16 to December 23. The work on the Chicago-St. Louis route will also cause the Chicago-San Antonio Amtrak Texas Eagle to detour without other scheduled stops between Chicago and St. Louis.

In most cases alternate transportation will be provided.

Despite the detours, ridership on the corridor has continued to be strong. During October and November, 97,407 passengers rode Lincoln Service trains, an increase of almost 14 percent from the same time in 2009.

Union Pacific will be installing concrete ties and track switches related to this high-speed rail endeavor. The Chicago to St. Louis high-speed rail corridor is the first high-speed rail project in the country to begin construction.

After decade passes contractor is hired for West Rail Relocation project

Cameron County officials have hired a contractor for the $26.5 million West Rail Relocation project after more than a decade passed upon the project’s proposal. McCarthy Building Companies Inc., Texas division, will construct about six miles of new track and new international rail bridge between River Bend and San Pedro, Tex.

Once the project is complete the B&M International Bridge will no longer carry rail traffic; the West Rail development is projected to begin in December and be complete by early 2012.

Most of the funding is being provided by the federal government and the state; however, Cameron County is paying 10 percent.

Cameron County Administrator Pete Sepulveda said early projections that construction would begin in 2003 and finish in 2005 were overly optimistic and that they didn’t take into account coordinating and scheduling issues with Mexico.

The West Rail Relocation Project is one of seven projects nationwide being funded through the Federal Railroad Administration’s Rail Line Relocation and Improvement Program.

MTA awards two contracts under new small business program

Metropolitan Transportation Authority awarded voucher-based car service contracts to eight minority-owned or women-owned companies based in New York City. The awards, estimated to be worth $26.6 million over three years, dramatically increase the proportion of minority-owned and women-owned firms that are providing this service to the MTA customers.

The awards result from a period of concerted outreach to small businesses that had not previously done business with the MTA. Over the past several months, MTA officials called companies that are or are expected to be State-certified as being minority- or woman-owned and invited them to a special pre-bid conference.

"One of my priorities when I returned to the MTA last year was to increase contract awards to minority-owned and women-owned firms and disadvantaged small businesses. These recent awards send a clear signal to the vendor community that the staff of our Department of Diversity and Civil Rights and I are working hard to do that," said MTA Chairman Jay H. Walder. "As we continue to transform the MTA into an organization that makes every dollar count, we have to be as proactive as possible in assisting small businesses, which account for nearly half of all private sector jobs in New York City and beyond, become viable vendors."

A second contract was awarded to a Brooklyn construction firm; the first contract under a new program created to help small businesses win MTA construction contracts. Under the MTA’s new Small Business Mentoring Program, Arch Builders & Developers, Inc., of Brooklyn, will replace the badly deteriorated stairway canopy at MTA New York City Transit’s Junius Street 3 station in Brooklyn.

The program was created in June under New York State authorizing legislation sponsored by Senator John Sampson and Assemblyman Keith Wright. The program matches emerging small businesses with a larger construction management firm, TDX Construction Corp., to facilitate a transfer of knowledge that will enable the participants to become regular MTA contractors and larger subcontractors.

"I am delighted that this program is now enabling the MTA to expand the pool of qualified contractors who can complete MTA projects successfully, on time and within budget," said MTA Chairman Jay H. Walder. "The more construction firms we have bidding on our projects, the easier it will be for us to reduce our construction expenses as we fundamentally overhaul the MTA’s cost structure. This program has been especially helpful in allowing us to engage more small businesses, including minority-owned, women-owned and disadvantaged businesses."

 

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