The editors of Railway Track & Structures are pleased to bring you “Rail Brief,” a weekly e-mail newsletter that brings breaking news about rail engineering and maintenance-of-way to your inbox. Whether it occurs on or off the track, RT&S “Rail Brief” will cover advancing projects, developing technologies and other updates on rail infrastructure.
Iowa Interstate Railroad promoted Dennis Miller from president & CEO to vice chairman of the board, effective March 31. Miller, who has been president since 2002, joined the company in 1985 and previously served as vice president of information systems, customer services and operations. His railroad service also includes 10 years with the Peoria and Pekin Union Railway and two years with the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad.
A new report released by the U.S. Department of Treasury with the Council of Economic Advisers finds that now is the key time to invest in infrastructure to create middle-class jobs, increase long-term competitiveness and support a more secure energy future.
Watco Transportation Services named Steve Beske general manager of the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad. Beske will be responsible for the day-to-day operations on the WSOR and will report directly to the director of operations.
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.
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.
Shortline Railroad, Anacostia Rail Holdings, has appointed Eric Jakubowski chief commercial officer, a newly created position, effective March 19, 2012. He is based in Chicago, where he reports to Peter Gilbertson, Anacostia president and CEO.
In January, Railway Age announced that it had named KCS president and CEO Dave Starling its 2012 Railroader of the Year.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.