Shortline/Regional

Alaska Railroad names VP business development

Alaska Railroad Corporation hired Dale Wade as vice president of business development. Wade started his new position on January 3, 2012. The vice president of business development is responsible for ARRC Business Development Division activities including the marketing, promotion, sales, pricing, product design and implementation of freight and passenger services for the Alaska Railroad.

Watco Transload & Intermodal names VP

Ron Bird has accepted the position of vice president of Watco Transload and Intermodal Services Development. Bird will be based in Houston, Texas, at Greens Port Industrial Park, where he will be responsible for transload and multi-modal growth through existing and future Watco distribution channels.

BLET members ratify national contract

By a margin of better than two-to-one, members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen approved a new collective bargaining agreement with the National Carriers’ Conference Committee.

Letter From The Publisher

Dear Railway Track & Structures and Rail Group News readers,

Happy New Year. January 1 marked my first day as publisher of the Simmons-Boardman Rail Division, which consists of Railway Age, International Railway Journal and Railway Track & Structures.

CN completes merger of DMIR, DWP into Wisconsin Central

Canadian National completed the merger of three of its U.S. operating subsidiaries on Dec. 31, 2011. The merger of Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway Company, Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway Company and Wisconsin Central Ltd. will simplify CN’s corporate structure and operations by combining these three separate connecting rail affiliates into a single entity, Wisconsin Central Ltd.

Two rail agreements ratified by UTU members

United Transportation Union-represented trainmen and engineers employed by Evansville & Western Railroad approved a new five-year agreement, while UTU-represented trainmen and engineers employed by Iowa Interstate Railroad ratified a new six-year agreement.

NTSB reports U.S. transportation fatalities rose in 2010

Despite an overall downward trend in transportation fatalities in the United States, estimates for 2010 released by the National Transportation Safety Board reveal a rise in several categories, including motorcycles, medium and heavy trucks, buses, rail and pipeline.

“Though the NTSB continues to advocate for changes to address human factors, equipment and infrastructure improvements to prevent crashes, we continue to see far too many deaths each year,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman.

The data indicate that overall transportation fatalities decreased to 34,925 in 2010 from 35,994 in 2009.
Rail fatalities increased from 742 to 813, with the majority at grade crossings, though deaths on light, heavy and commuter rail rose from 229 to 253.

STB approves Alaska Railroad line in Port Mackenzie

The Surface Transportation Board issued a decision granting final approval for the Alaska Railroad Corporation to construct and operate approximately 35 miles of a new rail line connecting Port MacKenzie in south-central Alaska, to a point on ARRC’s existing mainline, between Wasilla and an area north of Willow, Ala.

EIS issued for proposed Corman line in Pennsylvania

The Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis has issued a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Pennsylvania Lines Inc. proposed construction, operation and reactivation of a 20-mile railroad line between Wallaceton and Gorton, in Clearfield and Centre Counties, Pa.

Indiana Rail Road Co. to invest $65 million in Hiawatha Yard

Indiana Rail Road Company President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas Hoback, along with state of Indiana and Greene County officials, plan to announce a major capital investment and participate in a groundbreaking ceremony at INRD’s Hiawatha Yard near Jasonville, Ind., at 11 a.m. (ET) Monday, Aug. 29.

New rail yard in Port Everglades Terminal on the horizon

Motiva Enterprises LLC and Vecenergy have reached an agreement to construct a fuel grade ethanol rail offloading facility at the Motiva Port Everglades, Fla., terminal. The expanded operations will allow for the delivery of ethanol unit trains directly into existing Motiva storage tanks. The new facilities will increase cost-efficiency and improve delivery logistics by minimizing the number of transports required before arriving into the South Florida market.