SEDA-COG JRA helps fund flood protection project
A nearly $30-million flood management project that will protect one of the largest employers in Columbia County, Penn., was dedicated on Oct. 11.
Freight
OmniTRAX Sand Holdings, Arrows Up partnering on joint venture
OmniTRAX Sand Holdings LLC, an affiliate of OmniTRAX, Inc., is entering into a joint venture with Arrows Up, LLC, a provider of bulk storage and transportation solutions based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Terms were not disclosed.
Bay Line Railroad to operate bulk transload facility for Panama City Port Authority
The Bay Line Railroad, L.L.C., and the Panama City Port Authority have established an agreement allowing the railroad to run a Choice Terminal™ bulk transload facility out of the port’s Intermodal Distribution Center (IDC).
R.J. Corman names Quinn president and CEO
Edward Quinn III has been appointed president and CEO of R.J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC, effective Oct. 24, 2016.
Southeast rail operators working to restore service
Multiple washouts caused by Hurricane Matthew along Norfolk Southern and CSX lines have suspended services of both freight and passenger trains as rail operators in the southeast hustle to assess damage and fix infrastructure.
RailWorks names Riddett president, CEO
Kevin Riddett has been appointed president and CEO of RailWorks Corporation effective Oct. 10.
Shell shelves rail unloading facility in Washington state
Shell has pulled plans to develop a crude-by-rail facility at its Puget Sound Refinery just two days after releasing the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project.
KCS opens new Zacha terminal, names Watco operator
Kansas City Southern opened a new terminal with a familiar name and said Watco Transloading, L.L.C., will operate the new facility.
Chicago Rail Link testing grade-crossing safety pilot project
OmniTRAX’s Chicago Rail Link (CRL), a 72-mile shortline railroad on Chicago’s South Side, may soon have a remedy for its current local grade-crossing that can no longer withstand harsh conditions with traditional track circuits for its signal system.
Ready the ballast trains: Railroads prepare for Hurricane Matthew
Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm, is making its way to the southeast of the U.S. and is expected to bring torrential rain, damaging wind and potential devastation. The Weather Channel said the storm could strengthen to a Category 5 and is the strongest hurricane to hit Florida’s east coast in 24 years.
EDA grants to fund rail projects in Illinois, South Dakota
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded $5.1 million to two rail projects in Illinois and South Dakota.
Sec. Foxx tours federally funded Maine rail projects
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx joined Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) for a tour of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge and the Port of Portland on Oct. 3.
Majority of elected officials support legislation to make 45G tax credit permanent
Legislation that would make the shortline tax credit, also referred to as 45G, permanent, has reached a milestone in its quest for cosponsors.
Florida East Coast Railway wins 2016 Quest for Quality award
Florida East Coast Railway (FECR) has been named the highest valued rail service provider in the U.S. by Logistics Management magazine, winning the magazine’s 2016 Quest for Quality award.
Union Pacific’s ‘Living Legend’ to take first multi-state trip since restoration
The “Living Legend,” Union Pacific’s (UP) No. 844 steam locomotive, is set to celebrate the Oct. 22 opening of Big River Crossing in Memphis, Tennessee, by traveling more than 1,200 miles one-way.
Suppliers to Congress: STB shooting first, asking questions later
The industry groundswell attacking the Surface Transportation Board’s pending actions on forced access and commodity reregulation has grown to include the railway supply community, including the three principal trade associations (REMSA, RSI and RSSI) and numerous members, and the railway contracting community, led by the NRC.
Norfolk Southern’s Hixon to retire, Galanko and Scheib to step up
Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS) has announced that James A. Hixon, executive vice president law and corporate relations and chief legal officer, will be retiring from his position as of Dec. 1, 2016.
Montana rail spur receives EDA funds
The Lincoln County Port Authority in Libby, Mont., received a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) for a planned rail spur.
MassDOT awards grants to enhance freight rail access
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has awarded seven grants totaling more than $2.2 million as part of the 2016 Industrial Rail Access Program (IRAP).
Proposed Great Lakes Basin Rail line files new preferred route
Great Lakes Basin Transportation, Inc. (GLBT), submitted a new route for the proposed rail project that is 21 miles shorter and avoids Boone County, Ill., where it faced strong opposition.