Canadian National will offer new import/export container train services between the Port of Prince Rupert, B.C., and Calgary (now in operation) and Edmonton, starting in June 2012. According to CN, Alberta is one of the fastest growing industrial and consumer-based economies in North America and has a fast increasing need for efficient supply chains.
BNSF customers reduced carbon dioxide emissions in 2011 shipping freight by rail instead of its products moving entirely over the road. In 2011, customers avoided emitting more than 30 million metric tons of CO2 by using BNSF, which is equivalent to reducing the annual fuel consumption and resultant greenhouse gas emissions of more than six million passenger vehicles.
Duane Stephenson joined Watco Transportation Services in the position of general manager of the Baton Rouge Southern Railroad. Stephenson will be responsible for the day to day operations on the BRS including achieving per¬formance goals with optimum safety, economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
He previously worked for Genesee & Wyoming (G&W), where he held multiple management positions over the past five years. His most recent position was operations manager where he led his region in the lowest human factor incident (HFI) rating per 200,000 man hours and going on five years injury free. Duane began his railroad career with Lodestar Logistics as the Logistics Coordinator in 2004.
Union Pacific is enhancing Arizona’s transportation infrastructure by investing $9.2 million in the rail line that runs between Crag and downtown Phoenix. The project is in progress and is scheduled to be completed by the end of April.
Sustained public education efforts, engineering improvements and law enforcement programs have contributed to a nationwide reduction in vehicle-train collisions and pedestrian-train deaths and injuries in 2011, according to Operation Lifesaver, Inc.
In a letter to shareholders, John Cleghorn, Chairman of the Board of Canadian Pacific outlined the railroad’s Multi-Year Plan and customer relationship success.
From the editors at RailwayAge
Railway Age magazine has named Vermont Railway the 2012 Short Line Railroad of the Year, and the Indiana Rail Road Co. its 2012 Regional Railroad of the Year. The awards will be presented at the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association’s annual meeting in Indianapolis, Ind., Tuesday evening, April 24, 2012.
CSX Corporation was named a finalist in CivilianJobs.com’s 2012 Most Valuable Employer (MVE) for military ranking. CivilianJobs.com is a career resource organization dedicated to connecting American employers with experienced military talent.
The Port of Stockton California in a public/ private partnership with Union Pacific and Metropolitan Stevedore Company completed a project to add 5,828 feet of track to the East Port interchange Tracks. This new track allows a loop upon which inbound and outbound trains can move on without interfering with operations of the port’s east complex class yard. The track will be in service effective March 9, 2012.
Kansas City Southern is partnering with the Poteau, Okla., Police Department to conduct an Operation Lifesaver “Officer on a Train” event on March 7 to promote public safety at railroad grade crossings. The event will start at 4:00 p.m. at the Dewey Street crossing in Poteau.
Union Pacific Railroad will improve the transportation infrastructure in Colorado by investing nearly $1 million in the rail line that runs in the Grand Junction area. Crews will be stabilizing the railroad track banking along the Colorado River. The bank stabilization project will begin March 12 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of May.
Watco’s Transportation and Intermodal Services division will now be identified as Watco Terminal and Port Services (WTPS). The new name will more accurately reflect service offerings to customers.
The nation’s mayors renewed their call for enactment of job-creating bipartisan transportation legislation now pending in Congress.
Florida East Coast Railway, L.L.C., hired Andrew Westhoff as vice president of sales and marketing, effective immediately.
Westhoff has an extensive railroad background and was with CSX Transportation for more than 20 years in various finance and commercial roles.
The National Transportation Safety Board made safety recommendations regarding storm water issues that push for greater collaboration between entities affected by these issues. The following recommendation was sent to the U.S. Department of Transportation:
The United Transportation Union and Progressive Rail have finalized a first-time collective bargaining agreement for Progressive Rail train and engine workers represented by the UTU.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen reached a tentative on-property contract agreement with Union Pacific.
Nicholas Fry was named curator of the John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, the sixth archivist/curator since the creation of the Barriger collections at the St. Louis Mercantile Library Association in the early 1980s.
Twelve cities and states will share $16.9 million to relocate, replace and improve segments of railroad track under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Rail Line Relocation and Improvement competitive grant program.
Amtrak and the Texas Department of Transportation agreed on the scope of a feasibility study for new Amtrak service between the Bossier City -Shreveport area in Northwest Louisiana and along the Interstate 20 corridor to Dallas and Fort Worth.