News and Opinion

Wabtec signs contract to build locomotives for CBH Group of Australia

Wabtec Corporation’s MotivePower subsidiary has signed a contract to build 22 new locomotives for CBH Group, handler and transporter of grain in Australia. The locomotives are scheduled to be delivered in 2012.

Under the contract, MotivePower will build a combination of standard- and narrow-gauge locomotives that will be among the most fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly models in Australia. The locomotives will include components from a number of other Wabtec divisions.

Albert J. Neupaver, Wabtec’s president and chief executive officer, said, "This project will meet our customer’s need for more-efficient locomotives, and will position Wabtec for similar opportunities in Australia in the future. Wabtec has had a meaningful presence in Australia for 20 years, and we continue to expand our operations in this important rail market."

The CBH Group is one of Australia’s leading grain organizations, with operations from grain storage, handling and transport to marketing, shipping and processing. The group receives, on average, 10 million tons of grain each year.

CBH Operations General Manager Colin Tutt said, "The tender process was very competitive with six companies from around the world bidding for the construction task. We are confident that MotivePower’s expertise and experience in building locomotives for freight rail will deliver Western Australia growers the best outcome. MotivePower’s locomotives were the best option for the task of moving grain on our rail lines, have good fuel economy and meet U.S. Tier 2 emissions standards. The locomotives will provide better operational and environmental efficiencies and ultimately greater productivity, as well as being much safer than the existing fleet."

 

Two NRC members pass away

In a letter addressed to NRC members, Chuck Baker, NRC president wrote:

NRC Members and friends,

With deep sadness, I write to let you know that two members of the NRC family, Mark Meyer and his wife Holly, passed away on Friday night April 8 after being involved in a fatal traffic accident in Texas.

Mark and Holly, residents of Weatherford, Texas, were riding tandem on a motorcycle on FM-156 near Alliance Airport, north of Fort Worth, Texas, and close to the Texas Motor Speedway. Around 10 p.m., their motorcycle collided with a tractor-trailer cab truck that was making a u-turn on the road.

Mark was the Equipment Director for Balfour Beatty Rail, based in Jacksonville, Fla. Mark was a nationally renowned expert in rail construction and maintenance equipment, and he was actively involved in many industry issues. Mark served exceptionally well as Chairman of the NRC Equipment Auction Committee last year, when the auction was held at Balfour Beatty’s facility in Washington, Penn.

Mark joined Balfour Beatty Rail in 2008 from BNSF, where he worked for 34 years managing railway equipment maintenance, repairs and operations.

Mark’s presence, his personal and professional contributions, his integrity, his competence, and his friendship, will be deeply missed.

We will continue to keep the Meyer family and all of Mark and Holly’s friends and colleagues in our thoughts throughout this very difficult time.

CN, Earth Day Canada sign five-year partnership agreement

Canadian National and Earth Day Canada have announced a five-year partnership agreement under which EDC will support a CN program to encourage environmental values and initiatives among CN employees across North America.

Working at key North American CN offices and yard facilities, the program will:

• Motivate, encourage and enable employees to embrace environmental stewardship and support a cleaner environment;

• Leverage CN and EDC environmental resources, best-practices and programs to increase employee action in yards and office efficiency, reduce natural resource consumption and waste, and

• Recognize and celebrate sustainability gains in the workplace.

"At CN, we are fully committed to reducing our impact on the environment," said Paul Miller, CN’s chief safety and sustainability officer. "Energy efficiency has been a key element of our business model for years, positioning us to increase productivity and reduce energy consumption. We will harness EDC’s support and expertise to enable CN employees to expand their environmental understanding and initiatives to help reduce the impact of local workplaces on the environment."

Jed Goldberg, president of Earth Day Canada, said: "We are thrilled to support CN in their conservation efforts. Efforts on the part of a large sector-leader like CN have the potential to substantially reduce the environmental impact of the transportation service industry and to act as a model that other corporations and communities can emulate."

 

Watco has successful start to Autauga Northern Railroad

Watco Transportation Services, LLC., based in Pittsburg, Kan., has announced the successful start-up of the Autauga Northern Railroad (AUT), which began serving Customers on Saturday, April 9. The AUT is Watco’s third railroad in Alabama continuing a strong partnership with both the state and its busi¬nesses.

In an agreement signed between Watco and Norfolk Southern, Watco holds a 20-year lease with a 10-year renewal option to operate 43.62 miles of track running from Maplesville, Ala., to Autauga Creek, Ala. The line handles ap¬proximately 9,000 annual carloads and will be operated by the AUT on a six-days-a-week schedule. Watco has a long history with this line segment, having provided contract switching services for the AUT’s major customer, Interna¬tional Paper in Prattville, Ala., for more than 20 years.

"This is an exciting opportunity to expand important relationships with our customers," proclaimed Stefan Loeb, vice president of business development. "We look forward to serving the growing freight rail needs of our long-time customer International Paper. Watco is also proud to strengthen its relationship with the NS and continually provide quality transportation value to all its customers in the area."

Watco will invest approxi¬mately $2.39 million in the first year of operations to upgrade the track to Class 2 standards (25 mph). The upgrade will include spending $1.792 million on ties, $443,000 on ballast and $150,000 on bridge repairs.

"Our capital investment commitment shows our belief in AUT’s customers, the state of Alabama, and the continued positive trends of the rail industry," said Loeb. "Improving the infrastructure makes our operations safer and more efficient, but most importantly, the improvements are being made for the benefit of our customers."

MBTA, MBCR to place quiet cars on all lines

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company have decided to expand the Quiet Car pilot program to all commuter rail lines on a permanent basis.

"The MBTA is pleased that the Quiet Car pilot program has provided customers with an enhanced experience onboard commuter rail," said MBTA General Manager Richard Davey. "We are committed to providing customers with the best service possible and programs like Quiet Car go a long way towards fulfilling that obligation."

The pilot program began as a 90-day trial on the Fitchburg and Franklin lines at the start of the new year. Customers gave overwhelmingly positive feedback, with nearly nine out of 10 customers suggesting that the rest of the system would benefit from having quiet cars on their trains. A similar percentage urged MBCR and MBTA to continue offering the service on their lines.

"MBCR is encouraged by the initial customer feedback and will work closely with the MBTA to provide the Quiet Car program to all of our customers," said MBCR General Manager Hugh Kiley.

The program is the result of initial surveys conducted by the MBTA and MBCR in 2010, which indicated significant demand for the service.

Quiet Car service is available on peak-hour trains only. The car closest the locomotive will be designated the quiet car. Customers using it will be asked to refrain from cell phone use; keep pagers, cell phones, laptop and PDA sounds off or on vibrate; as well as keeping voices to a whisper. Riders seated in a quiet car who need to use the phone will be required to move to another car for the duration of their call. Conductors will make normal announcements during the trip. Conductors will be authorized to lift quiet car restriction during times of disruption or severe overcrowding.

Wyoming DOT to review quiet zones

Diagnostic reviews will begin this summer at railroad crossings around the state of Wyoming to determine what improvements are needed to create railroad quiet zones under a program funded by the 2011 Legislature.

Lawmakers appropriated $5 million for improvements at crossings in Wyoming communities most affected by train noise. Those communities were identified by a study completed in 2009.

That study looked at all communities with a population of more than 100 that have more than two trains passing through every day. It identified the top priorities as the Cheyenne Union Pacific corridor, Gillette, the Cheyenne BSNF corridor, Laramie, Torrington, Casper, Sheridan, Newcastle, Evanston, Lusk, Rawlins and Wheatland.

"This is both a quality of life and a safety issue," said Gregg Fredrick, WYDOT’s assistant chief engineer."The community is going to benefit from not having the trains sound their horns at each crossing, but the safety at these crossings will not be diminished."

Among the solutions that will be considered are installing directional wayside horns, two-quadrant gates with medians or four-quadrant gate systems. Those improvements eliminate the need for locomotives to blow their horns as they approach railroad crossings.

Where directional wayside horns are installed, the approach of a train triggers quieter horns directed specifically at traffic on the roads that cross the track. Where more elaborate gate systems and median barriers are installed, no horn is required to sound because the gates prevent traffic from crossing the tracks when a train is in the area.

The 2009 study recommends wayside horns be installed at more than half of the 84 railroad crossings in the top-priority communities. At a third of the crossings it recommends installation of two-quadrant gates with median barriers to prevent vehicles from driving around the gates. At four crossings the study recommends installation of four crossing gates to prevent traffic from crossing the tracks in any direction in any lane.

The diagnostic reviews to decide what improvements should be made will be completed by teams made up of representatives of WYDOT, the railroads, the Federal Railroad Administration and the local community.

Once the reviews are completed and local and railroad agreements are in place, the contracts for the design and construction of the improvements will be awarded.

NCDOT performs work on five crossings

The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Rail Division has made safety improvements at railroad crossings in the Iredell County town of Mooresville, the Buncombe County city of Canton, the Jackson County community of Balsam, the Stanly County city of Albemarle and the Randolph County city of Archdale.

Mooresville:
NCDOT revised crossing signals and installed gates at the intersection of Williams Street and the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks. This $245,796 improvement project was paid for with 90 percent federal funding and 10 percent funding from Mooresville. Maintenance for the project will be divided equally between Mooresville and Norfolk Southern Railroad.

Buncombe:
NCDOT installed crossing signals and gates at the intersection of Old Wilson Road and the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks. This $248,699 improvement project was paid for with 90 percent federal funding and 10 percent state funding. Maintenance for the project will be divided equally between the state and Norfolk Southern Railroad.

Balsam:
NCDOT installed crossing signals and gates at the intersection of Old Balsam Depot and the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks. This $247,643 improvement project was paid for with 90 percent federal funding and 10 percent state funding. Maintenance for the project will be divided equally between the state and Norfolk Southern Railroad.

Albemarle:
NCDOT revised crossing signals and installed gates at the intersection of Mountain View Church Road and the Winston Salem Southbound Railroad tracks. This $198,590 improvement project was paid for with 90 percent federal funding and 10 percent state funding. Maintenance for the project will be divided equally between the state and the Winston Salem Southbound Railway Company.

Archdale:
NCDOT installed crossing signals and gates at the intersection of Johnson Street and the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks. This $211,380 improvement project was paid for with 90 percent federal funding and 10 percent state funding. Maintenance for the project will be divided equally between the N.C. Department of Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railroad.

All five projects are a part of a comprehensive statewide NCDOT program to enhance highway safety by adding or improving signals and gates at public railroad crossings. Automatic warning devices are now in place at more than 2,400 of North Carolina’s over 4,100 public at-grade crossings

 

UP names 79 Pinnacle Award winners for chemical transportation safety

Union Pacific Railroad named 79 companies as annual Pinnacle Award recipients for chemical transportation safety. The award annually recognizes UP customers that implemented successful prevention and corrective plans and achieved a rate of zero non-accident releases for shipments of regulated hazardous materials.

"Chemical transportation safety is critical and this is Union Pacific’s opportunity to acknowledge and thank our customers for their continuing efforts to eliminate chemical releases from rail cars," said Diane Duren, vice president and general manager – chemicals. "Rail is the safest way to haul the chemicals that Americans use every day, whether it is chlorine for drinking water or fertilizer for our farms that help feed the world.

"We work closely with our customers to help prevent a release during transit of chemical shipments and jointly demonstrate a commitment to the safe transportation of hazardous materials."

The award program, which began in 1996, is open to all Union Pacific chemical and petrochemical customers. Criteria include safe-loading techniques, securement of shipments and zero NARs. A non-accident release is an unintentional release of hazardous material during transportation not caused by an accident or train derailment. NARs consist of leaks, splashes and other releases from improperly secured or defective valves, fittings and tank shells and also include improper venting from safety relief devices.

Non-accident releases of hazardous material declined more than 16 percent on UP’s network from 2003 – 2010, due in part to increased inspections by the railroad’s hazardous materials safety field personnel and customers adhering to the Pinnacle Award criteria.

To view the 2011 Pinnacle Award recipients please visit:
http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/releases/safety/2011/0411_pinnacle.shtml

McHugh defines five priorities of Amtrak for surface transportation bill

"The development of intercity passenger rail and Amtrak’s national system should be afforded a significant role in the nation’s federal surface transportation programs," said Joe McHugh, Amtrak vice president for government affairs and corporate communications in a written testimony recently provided to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads.

Amtrak believes the rail section of the new federal surface transportation bill now being developed by Congress should include these top five priorities:

• provide dedicated, multi-year funding for intercity and high-speed rail;
• establish a national investment strategy;
• create a clear and leading role for Amtrak;
• ensure coordinated corridor planning and project execution; and
• address liability and insurance issues.

McHugh added that "If our nation’s intercity passenger rail system – and the transportation system of the United States as a whole – is to be developed and sustained, it is imperative that Amtrak and other federal rail programs be integrated into a comprehensive and truly multi-modal surface transportation authorization bill."

RailAmerica to acquire three Alabama railroads

RailAmerica, Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of three short-line freight railroads in the state of Alabama for a total purchase price of $12.7 million. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2011 and is subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory approvals. The three railroads, known individually as the Three Notch Railroad (THNR), the Wiregrass Central Railroad (WGCR) and the Conecuh Valley Railroad (COEH), are currently owned by affiliates of Gulf and Ohio Railways, Inc.

The Three Notch Railroad includes 35 miles of track connecting Georgiana and Andalusia, Ala.; the Wiregrass Central Railroad is a 20-mile railroad that runs between Waterford and Enterprise, Ala.; and the Conecuh Valley Railroad is a 15-mile railroad linking Troy and Goshen, Ala. Each of the three lines interchanges with CSX Transportation and serves customers shipping primarily agricultural and manufactured products. Collectively, the three lines hauled approximately 6,000 carloads of freight during the fiscal year ended 2010.

RailAmerica President and CEO John Giles said, "We are pleased to add these high-quality assets to our existing Alabama rail franchise. Collectively, the railroads have a solid customer base as well as a number of opportunities for further growth. Additionally, the railroads are clustered in close proximity to our existing Alabama operations, which we expect to create significant operating efficiencies. We look forward to partnering with new and existing customers on the line and with the local community to continue growing business on these lines."

Giles added, "We continue to have a strong balance sheet to take advantage of acquisitions that complement our core business. We approach this process with a disciplined focus on investment criteria designed to generate attractive returns and operational synergies."

For the next twelve months, RailAmerica anticipates these railroads will generate approximately $3.7 million in revenue, $1.2 million in operating income and $0.7 million in depreciation and amortization. RailAmerica intends to use cash on hand to finance the purchase.

 

 

Chadron railroad can begin rebuild with $4.9M DOT grant agreement

The City of Chadron, Neb. and the Nebraska Northwest Railroad will soon begin rebuilding its tracks and rail yard thanks to an agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation for a $4.9 million grant.

The grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s TIGER II program will be matched by $1.2 million from the City of Chadron.

"Under President Obama’s leadership, projects like this one are creating jobs, reinvigorating the economy and building a world-class transportation network that our businesses need in order to compete now and continue to grow in the future," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

The project, which will lead to improved freight mobility and safety in the area, includes the replacement of switches, ties, rail and ballast on 7.5 miles of main line track and 1.2 miles within the Chadron Rail Yard. It will rehabilitate an existing car storage track and upgrade 22 timber bridges. When complete, the improved track will allow the railroad to accommodate the standard 286,000-pound cars used by regional construction and building industry and agricultural industry shippers.

"This project will boost our economic competitiveness making it easier and less expensive for businesses to ship their products," said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo. "This targeted investment will also increase safety for railroad workers and improve railroad reliability through the replacement of aging infrastructure."

DOT moves $300M in grants from “award to obligation”

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced more than $300 million in obligated grants that will enable the expansion of high-speed intercity passenger rail corridors from coast-to-coast.

Work can now begin on rail projects that will create new manufacturing and construction jobs, spur economic development in corridors and, in the long-term, develop a national transportation network with world-class railways.

"We have heard the call of the American people to build the safest, fastest and most efficient ways to move people and goods," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Thanks to the leadership of President Obama, communities across the country are already feeling the economic benefits of rail and today we take another step forward, bringing new jobs to our citizens. Through high-speed rail, we are helping America win the future."

The Federal Railroad Administration has been working collaboratively with states to move grants from "award to obligation," ensuring high-speed intercity passenger rail projects can get underway and put American people to work. The more than $300 million invested and released to states this week includes:

California Department of Transportation – Four projects totaling more than $22 million. A $13 million grant will refurbish 15 locomotives and upgrade engines to reduce emissions. An $8.2 million investment will go for several coach cars on the San Joaquin Corridor and Capitol Corridor. $950,000 will provide for preliminary engineering and environmental work on the Pacific Surfliner to Ortega. And $200,000 will provide for planning of the Pacific Surfliner route from San Diego to Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo.

Connecticut – A $40 million investment to upgrade the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield rail corridor will provide for 10 miles of double track to be installed on the Amtrak-owned, New Haven-Springfield corridor. This will help to decrease delays and improve travel time and reliability for both freight and passenger service along the corridor.

Maryland/Baltimore Tunnel – For one of the largest choke points in the Northeast Corridor, $60 million will fund a preliminary engineering and environmental analysis to study the replacement and augmentation of the 100-year old B&P Tunnel on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. This would seek to eliminate a major bottleneck in performance and reliability for the NEC.

Missouri – Three projects totaling $3.8 million. A $500,000 grant to develop Missouri’s State Rail Plan, establishing priorities that enhance passenger and freight rail services. A $1.4 million investment will improve 13 highway-rail at-grade crossings between Sedalia and Kansas City. $1.9 million will provide for preliminary engineering and environmental analysis to design and construct a second main track from Lee’s Summit to Pleasant Hill delivering faster speeds and increased reliability.

New Jersey/Portal Bridge – This 100-year-old, bridge is one of the most heavily traveled bridges in the country. $38.5 million will provide for the final design of the new bridge to alleviate delays to Northeast Corridor passenger service, increasing capacity and improving reliability.

Washington – A $145 million investment will fund rail corridor improvements and new equipment for the Cascades route from Vancouver to Blain. This will ultimately provide more frequent and efficient passenger rail service between Portland and Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority – $600,000 will provide for a study to examine the feasibility of expanding the Downeaster line with increased service frequency, higher speeds and reduced travel times. The study will also examine expanding the proposed service extension to Brunswick, Maine, as well as Auburn, Maine.

New York – A $3.3 million investment will add track and rail capacity in the congested Upstate New York area for Amtrak’s Adirondack and Ethan Allen Express services near the Village of Ballston Spa.

West Virginia -$1 million will create a State rail plan to establish strategies for rail services that benefit the public and businesses, while guiding priorities for the State’s investments in rail.

 

Banyan Rail Services subsidiary enters tie service agreement with KCS

Banyan Rail Services Inc., based in Boca Raton, Fla., has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Wood Energy Group, Inc. has entered into an amended service agreement with Kansas City Southern Railway Company for the gathering, pick-up and disposal of scrap rail ties. Wood Energy, based in St. Louis, Mo., is one of the nation’s largest railroad tie reclamation and disposal companies.

Under this amended service agreement, Wood Energy has been selected to pick up and remove more than 500,000 railroad ties per year for the next two years. The original service agreement designated Wood Energy to dispose of the ties once delivered by KCS to Wood Energy. This agreement covers the gathering, pick-up and disposal of rail ties along KCS’ 3,500-mile, 10-state rail system serving the central and south central U.S.

Greg Smith, president of The Wood Energy Group, said, "This new KCS tie contract is an excellent addition to our core business. By virtue of this amended agreement, Wood Energy will increase its total tie reclamation volume to well over 2 million ties annually. It has been a pleasure to work with the folks at the KCS and we are excited about this opportunity to expand our services with them."

Banyan Rail Services Inc. is a railroad support services company headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. The Company owns The Wood Energy Group, Inc., one of the nation’s largest railroad tie reclamation and disposal companies.

KCS, RPC open transload facility in Mexico

In a March 30 ribbon-cutting ceremony, KCS and Rehrig Pacific Company celebrated the opening of a new transload facility to be served by KCS and operated by RPC at an industrial park in the City of Queretaro. KCS de Mexico president and executive representative Jose Zozaya and RPC chief executive officer Joseph Doka were on hand. Also attending the ceremony was KCS executive vice president sales and marketing Pat Ottensmeyer.

The Queretaro transload facility allows KCS to better serve customers within the industrial park with an unloading platform and capacity for 19 cars on two tracks, creating significant savings in transportation, logistics and storage costs for area customers. Transload facilities add capacity to the KCS network by providing customers not located directly on the rail line with access to rail service.

As part of their visit to the State of Queretaro, Zozaya and Ottensmeyer toured the Queretaro market area with members of the KCS sales and marketing team. The group visited existing and potential customers and toured the area on the ground and by plane to gather market intelligence.

Queretaro is a vast industrial area with many customers already served by KCS. The manufacturing sector contributes 29 percent to the state’s gross domestic product. With more manufacturers choosing to locate in Queretaro, KCS sees significant potential to bring additional rail service to the area.

"KCS has identified Queretaro as a target market ripe for conversion from truck to rail," said Ottensmeyer. "We will be aggressively marketing our intermodal, transload and carload conversion opportunities in this burgeoning market."

 

New York awarded $3.3M from feds

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $3.3 million for the State of New York to add track and rail capacity in the congested Upstate New York area, advancing the state’s high-speed intercity passenger rail program.

The project will relieve congestion, leading to greater reliability and faster travel times, and is necessary to achieve the faster speeds for future high-speed rail development. The project is being funded from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"Adding track in Saratoga Springs and Ballston Spa will reduce congestion and improve reliability," said Secretary LaHood. "President Obama’s bold vision for high-speed rail will deliver a much-needed boost of jobs, help reinvigorate our manufacturing base and reduce our dependence on foreign oil."

New York State received $3.3 million for two miles of second mainline track used by Amtrak’s Adirondack and Ethan Allen Express services near the Village of Ballston Spa, NY. Both of these services saw an increase in ridership in 2010, and the second mainline track will relieve significant congestion near the Saratoga train station and a major freight classification yard. The existing congestion requires Amtrak trains to wait up to 30 minutes for the track to clear. The New York Department of Transportation is contributing $3.5 million for this project, which has also signed a service outcome agreement with Canadian Pacific Railway. Construction will begin in spring 2011.

"New York is committed to moving forward with high-speed rail and these federal resources are an important step in that direction," Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

 

Caltrain Board postpones adopting reduced train schedule

California’s Caltrain Board of Directors voted unanimously to postpone a decision on a reduced train schedule until April 21 and directed staff to work to identify additional funds that would make the cuts unnecessary. Board members expressed the desire to make no cuts to the current 86-train schedule, which has achieved record-level ridership.

Director Adrienne Tissier, who also chairs the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, said she was "extremely frustrated" at the prospect of cutting the rail service. "The system is not broken, but we’re looking today to break it. It is a model for a system that runs beautifully," said Tissier.

The service reductions are under consideration due to a projected $30 million deficit in Fiscal Year 2012.

The proposed 76-train schedule presented to the Board today offered significantly more service than an earlier 48-train schedule.
The vote to postpone a decision about service reductions followed a presentation about a recent annual ridership count, which showed Caltrain customers using the rail service at an all-time high. The count, conducted in February, shows average weekday ridership at 41,442, an increase of nearly 13 percent over last year.

A preliminary budget presentation at the meeting showed Caltrain can close its budget deficit under a 76-train schedule by using one-time-only funds.

To retain the current 86-train schedule Caltrain would need an additional $3.5 million in funding.

"We need to go back in the next two weeks for that $3.5 million," said Tissier. "We can bring full service back. We can keep stations open. We can keep Baby Bullet alive … Why stop short today?"

Additional funding possibilities include right-of-way repayment to SamTrans from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, funds allocated for electrification and the Dumbarton Rail Corridor, and regional money from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for maintenance that could be converted to operating funds.

Without a dedicated source of funding, Caltrain struggles every year to put together an operating budget. Director Omar Ahmad said, "This is not a sustainable budget … We need to put forward a budget that we can look people in the eye and say this is sustainable."
The Caltrain partners and MTC have been working with community coalitions to address the long-term funding of the rail system, which does not have a permanent, dedicated source of revenue. The Silicon Valley Leadership Group, which has made Caltrain’s fiscal crisis its primary focus, is hosting a series of town hall meetings to address the problem.

 

House T&I Committee: Federal government must not get in the way of safe, effective transportation

The Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee heard testimony April 7 from a wide array of transportation stakeholders regarding their priorities for streamlining and improving programs, and reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens, for consideration in a reauthorization of surface transportation programs.

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is preparing to draft major transportation and jobs legislation that will include policy reforms to improve rail and hazmat transportation in the United States.

"These titles will focus on improving the efficiency of programs, and ensuring that the federal government does not get in the way of safe, effective transportation and flow of commerce in the United States," said U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), chairman of the Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee.

Chairman Shuster’s Statement from Today’s Hearing:

"The Transportation Committee is working on the reauthorization of a transportation bill – it is important to note that this will be a "Transportation" bill, not just a "highway" bill. I am proud that under Chairman Mica’s leadership the Committee is looking to address a wide variety of transportation needs.

"In our subcommittee, Chairman Mica has asked me to focus on putting together a strong rail title to the transportation bill, and we are also considering important issues regarding the transportation of hazardous materials.

"Chairman Mica and members of the Committee have traveled across the country to hold listening sessions in an effort to get as much input as possible on the transportation bill where we plan to do more with less.

"The Subcommittee will receive testimony from rail stakeholders regarding legislative priorities for changes or reforms, particularly in the areas of intercity passenger rail, high speed rail, rail safety and rail financing.

"Additionally, the Subcommittee will hear from hazardous materials stakeholders regarding legislative priorities for reauthorization of the hazardous materials transportation safety programs at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

"These titles will focus on improving the efficiency of programs, and ensuring that the federal government does not get in the way of safe, effective transportation and commerce in the United States."

 

FRA issues safety advisory for switch operations

The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a Safety Advisory to remind freight railroad operators and their employees about hazards associated with switching operations.

FRA’s Safety Advisory addresses the need to follow federal regulations and railroad operating rules that govern the procedures for leaving rolling equipment in the clear of adjacent tracks. This Safety Advisory is in response to two recent incidents where railroad employees were killed during switching operations.

"Equipment inappropriately left on adjacent tracks is a serious and potentially life threatening matter," said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo. "We can take important steps to increase awareness and stop this dangerous practice."

The FRA Safety Advisory recommends that railroad companies review the recent incidents with employees and reinstruct them on procedures and rules governing leaving rolling equipment clear of adjacent tracks. It also recommends that railroads review job-briefing procedures.

The Safety Advisory is available at http://www.fra.dot.gov/rrs/pages/fp_350.shtml.

Amtrak on its way to setting annual ridership record

March marked 17 consecutive months of year-over-year ridership growth for Amtrak, was the best March ever for the company and puts Amtrak on track to set another annual ridership record.

"Our ridership has grown more than 36 percent since 2000, and I expect that trend to continue – and if gas prices continue to rise – to accelerate. Our only restriction will be the available capacity," Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman told a House Appropriations committee that is considering the national passenger railroad’s FY 2012 budget request.

This performance is part of a long-term trend that has seen Amtrak set annual ridership records in seven of the last eight fiscal years, including more than 28.7 million passengers in FY 2010.

Specifically, there was a 5.5 percent increase in riders in March 2011 vs. March 2010, or more than 137,000 passengers. The 17 straight months of year-over-year ridership growth spans from November 2009 to March 2011 and averages a 6.3 percent growth rate over this period.

Comparing the first six months of FY 2011 (October to March) to the same time period in FY 2010 shows ridership is up 5.9 percent, or 802,745 passengers. In addition, during that same period ridership has increased on all three of Amtrak’s major business lines: Northeast Corridor up 3.9 percent, state-supported and other short distance corridors up 7.7 percent and long-distance trains up 5.3 percent.

Sec. LaHood issues statement concerning $2.4B in HSR funds

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood issued the following statement today regarding the $2.4 billion available for High-Speed Rail:

"Today, we are another step closer to delivering an innovative, national transportation network that brings new jobs and economic opportunity to the American people. Since I announced the availability of an additional $2.4 billion for high-speed rail projects, governors and members of Congress have been clamoring for the opportunity to participate. That’s because they know that high-speed rail will deliver tens of thousands of jobs, spur economic development across their communities and create additional options for their citizens as the country’s population grows. We have received more than 90 applications from 24 states, the District of Columbia and Amtrak for projects in the Northeast Corridor, with preliminary requests totaling nearly $10 billion dollars. We are extremely pleased to see the bipartisan enthusiasm behind all of the requests to get into the high-speed rail business. Thanks to President Obama’s bold vision for a national high speed rail network, we will win the future for America."