Recent track upgrades meeting or exceeding all applicable Federal Railroad Administration standards will allow Union Pacific to increase the speed of its trains from 30 mph to 49 mph on nearly four miles of its rail line in Wichita, Kan., between near 63rd St. and just north of the Arkansas River.
Union Pacific will strengthen Nebraska’s transportation infrastructure by investing $2.4 million in the rail line between South Morrill and Joyce, Neb. The project began on November 7 and is scheduled to be completed by mid-December.
The North Carolina Railroad’s (NCRR) West Webb Avenue underpass at Glen Raven in Burlington, N.C., is getting a facelift. NCRR and Norfolk Southern Railway have contracted for cleaning and refurbishing the bridge and work started Monday, November 11.
The Greater Erie Industrial Development Corporation (GEIDC) has plans for a new intermodal facility in Harborcreek Township, Erie County, Pa.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Rail Division hosted a Rail Planning Forum in Chapel Hill November 12 focused on the role that rail transportation plays in the continued growth of North Carolina’s economy, key industries and its overall quality of life.
The Las Vegas Railway Express, Inc. (X Train), has terminated its agreement with Union Pacific, effective October 31, 2013, citing an alternative capital plan which will relieve the company from raising $100 million from its own equity to finance the Los Angeles to Las Vegas rail route.
United Transportation Union Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (UTU-SMART) members of General Committee of Adjustment GO 065 employed by Belt Railway of Chicago (BRC) recently ratified a new agreement governing their rates of pay and working conditions, according to SMART Vice President John Lesniewski.
Wisconsin and Southern Railroad (WSOR) hosted a group from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Engineering Program on September 24, 2013, who were learning about general maintenance and railroad inspections.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx visited CSX‘s Northwest Ohio Intermodal Terminal in Wood County on November 6.
Alaska Railroad Company (ARRC) named Chief Mechanical Officer (CMO) Doug Engebretson as chief operating officer (COO), a position left vacant when former COO Bill O’Leary was promoted to president & CEO on November 1. Engebretson’s promotion is effective November 8.
Canadian National says it has spent the past 12 months engaging customers in order to better position the railroad for success during the upcoming winter. The result is CN’s WinterREADY Plan 2013-2014, which the railroad says adds resiliency to its network and improves communication flow.
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has awarded its 2013 North American Environmental Employee Excellence Award to CSX Manager of Environmental Remediation Matthew Adkins. Adkins was one of seven industry professionals nominated for this annual award and is the sixth CSX employee to win in the past 12 years.
Union Pacific installed a new bridge during the weekend of Nov. 2-4 at Shermer Road south of Willow Road in Glenview, Ill., to replace a temporary embankment of crushed concrete the railroad has been using since last year.
On November 2, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn was joined by local and state officials to open the new 71st Street railroad underpass in Bridgeview, a Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) project that will greatly reduce traffic delays and improve safety at the former automobile/rail intersection.
Norfolk Southern renamed its Dillerville Yard in Lancaster, Pa., in honor of H. Craig Lewis. After serving as state senator for the 6th District in Bucks County for five terms (1975-1994), Lewis joined NS as vice president corporate affairs in 1997, retiring from the railroad in 2009. He died unexpectedly earlier this year.
BNSF selected Montana Rail Link, Inc. (MRL) as its 2013 Shortline of the Year for its significant growth and continued emphasis on a strong safety record. In addition, Bighorn Divide & Wyoming Railroad (BDW) won the Special Recognition Award. The awards were presented during the annual BNSF Shortline Conference on October 21 in Irving, Texas.
Canadian National has reached tentative collective agreements with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference – Conductors, Trainpersons and Yardpersons (TCRC-CTY).
San Pedro & Southwestern Railroad (SPSR) will celebrate its 10th anniversary on November 3. Based in Benson, Ariz., where it connects with Union Pacific’s Los Angeles-Chicago main line, SPSR began operations in 2003 after acquiring the line from RailAmerica, Inc. (now Genesee & Wyoming, Inc.).
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio approved construction authorization from the Ohio Rail Development Commission under which, CSX Transportation will install mast-mounted flashing lights and roadway gates at three crossings.
