With Canadian National (CN) and Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) locked in a dispute, the industries that rely on the railway to ship products will be stuck with significantly fewer options if they go to a strike after the cooling off period.
Editor’s note: The Association of American Railroads submitted the following commentary following the report “Industry leaders discuss PTC progress” RT&S posted earlier this month.
There has been debate about the railroad industry’s ability to meet the federal mandate for interoperable positive train control (PTC) technology across huge swaths of the U.S. rail network by 2015. There also have been some critics who have inferred that by seeking an extension of the 2015 deadline set by Congress for implementing PTC, the railroad industry is looking to dodge its commitment to safety. Nothing could be further from the truth and I would like to address this issue and hopefully provide some clarity for RT&S readers.
BNSF plans to develop a $28-million logistics center and make improvements to an existing rail yard and mainline infrastructure in Sweetwater, Texas.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Indiana Rail Road Company (INRD) President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Hoback opened Indianapolis’ new intermodal freight terminal October 10 by driving a 200-ton INRD locomotive through a ribbon.
From June to September, Kansas City Southern‘s U.S. production gangs installed more than 150,000 crossties, 2,450 switch ties and renewed 94 road crossings between Spiro, Okla., and De Queen, Ark., on the Heavener and Shreveport Subdivisions.
HDR Corporation hired Stephen Lipkus, P.E., as managing director for Canada, responsible for overseeing and growing HDR’s Canadian operations in transportation, natural resources and water.
BNSF opened its new Logistics Park Kansas City (LPKC) Intermodal Facility in Edgerton, Kan., to customers, business and elected officials October 17.
CSX and its transportation and intermodal terminals subsidiaries plan to design and build a new intermodal facility in McKees Rocks and Stowe Township, Pa., near Pittsburgh.
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) allocated $359 million to 36 projects. The CTC says the funds represent an investment that will create jobs bolstering the state’s economy, reduce traffic congestion, repair highways and bridges and improve rail service.
Indiana assembled a Blue Ribbon Panel to plan the next generation of transportation infrastructure in the state. Gov. Mike Pence made this announcement at the 2013 Indiana Logistics Summit recently.
Union Pacific received an appreciation award for its responsiveness and outstanding partnership with ConAgra Mills.
BNSF plans to invest an estimated $100 million on maintenance and rail capacity expansion projects in California this year.
Six industry leaders representing five Class 1 railroads and Amtrak participated in a panel discussion updating attendees of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) Annual Conference on their progress toward PTC implementation.
BNSF plans to invest an estimated $90 million on track and rail capacity improvement projects in New Mexico this year.
The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) presented the 2013 Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence to Utah Transit Authority (UTA) for its FrontRunner South Commuter Rail Project.
CN plans to start freight service on approximately 75 percent of the rail network operated by bankrupt shortline Kelowna Pacific Railway Ltd. (KPR) in southern British Columbia after reaching trustee, customer and labor agreements that support resumption of operations.
Union Pacific will strengthen Illinois’ and Iowa’s transportation infrastructures by investing nearly $11 million in the rail line between La Fox, Ill., and Clinton, Iowa.
Twelve grants totaling more than $12 million have been awarded through the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s (NJDOT) Fiscal Year 2013 Rail Freight Assistance Program, which helps support economic activity by preserving and improving the existing freight transportation system and by making freight rail service more widely available for businesses throughout the state.
Union Pacific will strengthen Iowa’s transportation infrastructure by investing $8 million in the rail line between Lowden and near Blairstown.
CSX has named Bob Frulla vice president of transportation for the Northern Region. Frulla succeeds Gary Bethel, who is retiring after 43 years with CSX.