Freight

Illinois high-speed rail corridor work resumes

The Illinois Department of Transportation and Union Pacific will be upgrading Illinois’ high-speed route, Chicago-St. Louis, for future high-speed Amtrak trains, from April 16 through May 25. The improvements for 110-mph service include the installation of new premium rail with concrete crossties and ballast; upgrades to bridges, culverts and drainage; signal and wayside equipment installations and upgrades and roadway-rail grade crossing improvements.

Construction to begin on intermodal facility at Charlotte, N.C., airport

The City of Charlotte, N.C., signed a lease agreement with Norfolk Southern Corporation, a move that will kick off construction of Charlotte’s new regional intermodal facility at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). Once operational, the facility is expected to generate $9 billion in economic impact over the next 20 years.

CN sells two Toronto area lines to Metrolinx for GO Transit services

Canadian National sold two rail line segments in the Greater Toronto Area to Metrolinx for C$310.5 million (US$311.6 million).

GO Transit’s Richmond Hill commuter rail service operates over a portion of CN’s Bala Subdivision. Metrolinx is acquiring a segment of the subdivision from approximately Rosedale Valley Road north through the Don Valley to CN’s main east-west freight line north of Steeles Avenue near the Toronto-York Region border.

NS’s Moorman calls 2011 “best year ever” for the railroad

After setting performance records in 2011, Norfolk Southern Corporation looks ahead to its 30th anniversary in 2012 and beyond “with confidence, optimism and a great deal of enthusiasm,” CEO Wick Moorman told stockholders in the 2011 annual report, posted on the company’s website.

RailComm provides dispatch system to G&W

RailComm has been selected to provide the GCOR dispatch system for Genesee and Wyoming’s Arizona Eastern Railway. RailComm’s Domain Operations Controller (DOC®) train control system will be accessed through a web-enabled Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery model.

HDR hires Orrison

John Orrison has joined HDR as the practice leader for railroad operations. He is based in the firm’s Fort Worth, Texas, office. His responsibilities include developing and expanding HDR’s freight rail program in North America and abroad.

Watco promotes one, hires another

Scott Henderson has accepted the position of general manager for Watco Transportation Services’ Pacific Sun Railroad. He most recently served as general manager for the Baton Rouge Southern Railroad in Louisiana.

NS slows train speeds between Dearborn and Kalamazoo, Mich.

Effective March 15, 2012, Norfolk Southern lowered the railroad operating speed limits on certain sections of the Michigan Line between Dearborn and Kalamazoo that handle both Amtrak’s passenger service and Norfolk Southern’s freight service. These lower speed limits, 25-30 mph, have been imposed to reflect the maximum safe operating speeds for the line, given the line’s condition.

Watco names Pacific Sun Railroad GM

Scott Henderson has accepted the position of general manager for Watco Transportation Services’ Pacific Sun Railroad (PSRR). Henderson most recently served as general manager for the Baton Rouge Southern Railroad (BRS) in Louisiana. He will be responsible for the day-to-day operations on the Pacific Sun and will report directly to the director of operations

His duties will be to achieve performance goals with op¬timum safety, economy, efficiency and effectiveness along with overseeing customer relationships in accordance with Watco’s Customer First Foundation Principles.

Henderson began his railroad career as a locomotive engineer in 1996 with Conrail and transferred to Canadian National in 2000 before joining the Watco Team in March of 2009 with the Grand Elk Railroad in Kalamazoo, Mich. He then moved to Kansas to serve as assistant general manager for the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad before heading south to Louisiana as the BRS general manager.

STB slates hearing on effect of BNSF purchase price

From the editors at Railway Age.

The Surface Transportation Board announced that it will hold a public hearing March 22 “to explore the impact of the Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. acquisition of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. on certain costing determinations.”

BNSF employees take plunge for Special Olympics

BNSF Twin Cities Division employees in Northtown, Minn., braved freezing temperatures, wind and snow flurries to participate in the Polar Bear Plunge for the second consecutive year, so far raising more than $27,200 for Special Olympics of Minnesota.

UP names several to executive positions

Union Pacific’s board of directors named Eric Butler executive vice president marketing and sales. Butler succeeds Jack Koraleski, who recently was appointed acting president and CEO while Chairman Jim Young is on medical leave.