News and Opinion

Canadian transport minister recognizes importance of rail in country

Chuck Strahl, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, was part of a roundtable discussion in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Rail 2030, the Railway Association of Canada’s project to develop a common industry vision for the future of rail.

In his lunchtime address to public and private sector partners in the rail industry, Minister Strahl recognized the continuing importance of rail to Canada’s economic future. Rail is, he said, a key part of the North American supply chain and global trading network that stretches to and from Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. Minister Strahl also underlined the value of partnerships and collaboration in fostering transportation research for an increasingly knowledge-driven sector.

"Our vision is of a future integrated transportation system that is sustainable, competitive, safe and secure, serving the needs of shippers, passengers and all Canadians," said Minister Strahl. "Our government will be working in partnership with you, your colleagues in other modes and your stakeholders to remove barriers, find solutions and encourage cooperation."

Minister Strahl highlighted the collaborative work being done by industry, government and academic researchers through Transport Canada’s Railway Research Advisory Board. The board is actively examining new approaches and seeking solutions to address transportation challenges such as infrastructure renewal, congestion, rising energy costs, environmental concerns and mobility.

"When we talk about preparing for Canada’s future prosperity, we know innovation must play a role," said Minister Strahl. "Investing in the right technologies, research and business strategies will provide a competitive edge by improving efficiency, reliability and sustainability.”

TTC issues statement regarding safety concerns

Recent reports have highlighted unsafe actions by individual Toronto Transit Commission employees. The management of the TTC has said they take these allegations seriously and have taken action to deal with individual incidents. Like many organizations, there is an employee discipline process that must be followed and respected.

The TTC  said it demands, at a minimum, that its 12,000 employees conduct themselves with professionalism and treat all customers and the public-at-large with courtesy and respect. Not doing so can result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. The TTC said that individuals will be held accountable for their actions.

The TTC states: “while the vast majority of our employees are professional and courteous, often going above and beyond the call of duty, there are incidents where the TTC and the public are let down by the behavior of individuals. These behaviors cannot be tolerated.”

The TTC convened a Customer Service Advisory Panel last year to help address customer service concerns. The TTC and its Board are taking action to improve customer service and instill a culture throughout the organization that places customer service as a priority along with safety.

Amtrak ridership up

There has been 15 straight months of ridership growth for Amtrak. This strong performance is part of a long-term trend that has seen America’s Railroads set annual ridership records in seven of the last eight fiscal years, including more than 28.7 million passengers in FY 2010.

“The steady rise in ridership demonstrates a growing demand and the ongoing need for a national intercity passenger rail system,” said Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman. “With oil approaching $100 a barrel, we expect to continue to post strong ridership numbers as more and more people choose Amtrak to meet their transportation needs.”

There was a 4.6 percent increase in riders in January 2011 vs. January 2010, or nearly 94,000 more passengers. The 15 straight months of ridership growth spans from November 2009 to January 2011 which averages a six percent growth rate over this period.

Factors that have contributed to an increase in passengers include a moderately improved economic environment allowing some recovery of business travel along the Northeast Corridor, sustained high gasoline prices, the increased appeal and popularity of rail travel, effective marketing campaigns and the introduction of Wi-Fi on the high-speed Acela Express trains.

The highlights below compare the first four months of current FY to the same period during FY 2010 and show increased Amtrak ridership across the country from coast to coast.

East Highlights:
The high-speed Acela Express service continued its popularity with a ridership increase of 9.2 percent. Piedmont Service (Charlotte – Raleigh) experienced a significant gain of 110.8 percent following the introduction of an additional round-trip frequency last summer. In
addition, Virginia routes had sizable gains with Washington –Lynchburg at 26.7 percent and Washington – Newport News at 12.8 percent.

Central Highlights:
The Chicago hub experienced steep ridership gains as led by the Blue Water (Chicago – Port Huron) at 27.7 percent. In addition, the Chicago – Pontiac Wolverine Service was up 21 percent, the Chicago – Carbondale Illini/Saluki route up 15.1 percent, the Chicago – Indianapolis Hoosier State up 13.3 percent and the Chicago – St. Louis Lincoln Service was up 11.7 percent. Also, the Missouri River Runner (Kansas City – St. Louis) experienced a 17.2 percent gain.

West Highlights:
In California, routes experienced gains including the Capitol Corridor Service (San Jose – Auburn) with 7.3 percent and the Pacific Surfliner Service (San Luis Obispo – San Diego) with 5 percent growth.

National Highlights:
Among the long distance Amtrak trains, the Cardinal (New York – Chicago) had the largest increase of 15.9 percent. Other long distance trains with strong gains were the Sunset Limited (Orlando – Los Angeles) at 13.8 percent, the City of New Orleans (Chicago – New Orleans) at 13.1 percent, the Palmetto (New York – Savannah) at 12.8 percent and the Lake Shore Limited (New York – Chicago) at 12.7 percent.

New MapQuest routing includes transit option

MapQuest, Inc., has released a new rail transit option that links the pedestrian mode with public rail transportation routing in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Boston, reaching roughly 90 percent of the nation’s rail ridership.

With more U.S. individuals now residing in urban settings rather than suburban or rural, there is an even greater need to provide relevant information and routing to MapQuest’s growing city contingency. The new transit routing option provides departure and arrival information, helpful hints to alert train passengers and station search information in designated cities.

“MapQuest is in the business of getting people where they need to go,” said Christian Dwyer, senior vice president and general manager, MapQuest. “We are excited to launch the new transit routing option on MapQuest.com to reach urban commuters who rely on alternative modes of transportation.”

On average, some 14.7 million people use metro public rail options in the six launch cities.

“MapQuest has always listened to our customer needs. The rail transit option is a direct response to one of the top requested features from our customers, and help us continue to be the trusted source for all types of maps and directions.”

MapQuest worked with San Francisco-based, geospatial data and mapping company, Urban Mapping, to develop its transit option, and has plans for additional city content is 2011.

CN targets C$1.7 billion capex 2011

CN plans to invest C$1.7 billion in 2011 to maintain a safe and fluid railway network, to grow the business efficiently and to continue to provide customers with a high level of service.

Senate bill introduced to reduce miles covered by PTC

The senior Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, introduced legislation February 8, to reduce the rail route miles over which positive Train Control must be implemented before January 2016.

Senate co-sponsors include John Thune (R-S.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).

The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 mandated PTC be installed, and the Federal Railroad Administration followed with a regulation ordering PTC to be installed on some 73,000 miles of track — those carrying passengers and freight cars containing toxic inhalation hazard chemicals — by December 31, 2015.

"As lawmakers, it is our responsibility to strike a careful balance between oversight and free enterprise, or we risk stifling economic competitiveness,” said Senator Hutchison.  “By requiring the use of the 2015 traffic patterns, this bill will do much to address the mistakes made by the FRA in implementing this mandate, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.”

In a January 8 press release, Hutchison said her legislation is not intended to roll back the congressional mandate, but rather reduce the number of track miles on which PTC must be installed.

"Traffic patterns for shipping toxic chemicals are changing," Hutchison said. "This means that at least 10,000 route miles used to move chemicals in 2008 are no longer expected to transport these products in 2015."

The proposed legislation follows a visit by railroad CEOs in late January to officials of the Obama administration, in which they reportedly said they are in the process of concentrating toxic inhalation hazards on fewer miles of track, and that the PTC mandate should affect traffic patterns expected in 2015 rather than traffic patterns in 2008.

Hutchison called the FRA’s PTC mandate "an example of regulatory excess that is costing America’s businesses billions of dollars with no obvious benefits. We must rein in the regulatory bureaucracy in order to unleash innovation and investment and spur job growth," Hutchison said. "This commonsense bill would reduce compliance costs without impacting the safety or security of our country’s rail lines.

$53B HSR reaction: California High-Speed Rail Authority

“This is the kind of bold investment in the future of our nation’s infrastructure that will get the attention of the private sector and make high-speed travel a reality in the United States,” said Roelof van Ark, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority. “Californians are already doing their part to invest in and develop a fast, clean and low-cost transportation system, and we are pleased to have the partnership of our federal government.”

Construction will begin on California’s high-speed rail system in 2012, creating nearly 100,000 jobs over five years with the federal funding already awarded. In December of 2010, the Authority Board selected a 120-mile initial construction segment, which spans an area 20 miles north of Fresno south to Bakersfield. 


“True high-speed rail that travels faster than 200 miles per hour over long distances between California’s major metropolitan centers will mean strengthening our state’s economy in the long term,” said van Ark. “In the near term, development of this system will mean tens of thousands of jobs at a time when we need them the most and a huge boost that will assist our state’s economy.”  
 

$53B HSR reaction: Rep. Mica and Rep. Shuster

House Transportation Committee Chairman John L. Mica (R-FL) and Railroads Subcommittee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) have expressed extreme reservations regarding the Obama Administration’s plan to spend $53 billion over the next six years on rail infrastructure projects.

“With the first $10.5 billion in Administration rail grants, we found that 1) the Federal Railroad Administration is neither a capable grant agency, nor should it be involved in the selection of projects, 2) what the Administration touted as high-speed rail ended up as embarrassing snail-speed trains to nowhere, and 3) Amtrak hijacked 76 of the 78 projects, most of them costly and some already rejected by state agencies,” Mica added. “Amtrak’s Soviet-style train system is not the way to provide modern and efficient passenger rail service.

“Rather than focusing on the Northeast Corridor, the most congested corridor in the nation and the only corridor owned by the federal government, the Administration continues to squander limited taxpayer dollars on marginal projects,” Mica concluded.

Shuster said, “The Administration continues to fail in attracting private investment, capital and the experience to properly develop and cost-effectively operate true high-speed rail. They have also ignored my provision in law that calls for competition on money-losing Amtrak routes.

“The Committee plans to investigate how previous funding decisions were made. I have no problem with sound investments in alternative transportation projects, but selecting routes behind closed doors runs counter to the Administration’s pledges of transparency. I am concerned that without appropriate controls to ensure the most worthy projects are the ones that receive funding, high-speed rail funding could become another political grab bag for the President.”

Shuster continued, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result and that is exactly what Vice President Biden offered today. If the Obama Administration is serious about high-speed rail, they should stop throwing money at projects in the same failed manner.

“Rail projects that are not economically sound will not ‘win the future.’ It just prolongs the inevitable by subsidizing a failed Amtrak monopoly that has never made a profit or even broken even. Government won’t develop American high-speed rail. Private investment and a competitive market will,” Shuster said.

$53B HSR reaction: HNTB and Bombardier

Peter Gertler, chair high-speed rail services for HNTB Corporation, has issued a statement on Vice President Joe Biden’s announcement of a comprehensive plan to provide 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years:

“We welcome the administration’s leadership and participation in the national conversation. This plan is a timely opportunity to engage the public and policy makers in a discussion about the future of America’s transportation system. Beyond initial investments – totaling more than $10.5 billion in the last two years – we need a vision and a long-term financing plan that supports a program as powerful as the Interstate Highway System was more than 50 years ago.

The announcement calls for a $56 billion investment, over six years. This funding provides a real opportunity to build on the country’s down payment, continue work already begun as well as design and build for the future.

While there will be disagreements about the scope, timing and financing of the president’s proposal, that debate should be encouraged. Finding common ground will allow our country to benefit from a modern rail system that will generate jobs, ease congestion and encourage economic development.”

The announcement prompted another statement by Robert E. Furniss, U.S. vice president, Business Development and Sales, Rolling Stock, Locomotives and High Speed Rail, Bombardier Transportation: 


“As a global leader in rail equipment manufacturing and servicing, Bombardier Transportation understands the important contributions that an improved rail infrastructure can provide. The U.S. investment in passenger rail initiatives promotes economic expansion in construction and manufacturing, creates new choices for travelers, reduces national dependence on foreign oil and fosters community development. Increased focus on integrating intermodal options, including an intercity and high-speed rail network, in the U.S. is crucial to keep up with a competitive global economy.

Rail networks can act as an economic engine to promote good jobs and enhanced quality of life.  However, the key to creating a sustainable U.S. rail business will be consistent and long-term investment to draw serious players and establish a viable domestic supply chain. Other leading nations are investing and improving their rail systems and without consistent investment the U.S. will be left behind.
 


The development of additional rail systems throughout the U.S. also is essential to developing cleaner, more efficient transportation systems. Passenger rail corridors will take cars off the roads, reduce dependence on foreign oil and diminish CO2 emissions.
 


Bombardier Transportation is well-positioned to help the U.S. develop this vital transportation option, and is excited to explore the opportunities to help improve the infrastructure of America’s passenger railways.”

New hire at Axion, promotion at NJ Transit

Axion International, producer of recycled composite plastic industrial building products and railroad ties, has hired Cory Burdick as its new sales representative after more than three years at TieTek, LLC, a Dallas-based competitor in the composite railroad tie industry.

“We are pleased to bring Cory on board to help strengthen our business development initiatives,” stated Steve Silverman, Axion’s CEO. “Cory is an excellent addition to our organization. Not only is he very knowledgeable about the composite railroad tie industry, he has a proven track record of solving customer problems and providing personalized solutions to fit their needs. We are excited to benefit from his highly tuned skill-set and believe his level of expertise supports our stated strategy of expanding our sales efforts in 2011 and beyond.”

"I am extremely honored and excited to be a part of such a dynamic and growing company as Axion International,” said Burdick. “My previous experience in the composite railroad tie industry has taught me to believe quality control is the single most important aspect in the manufacturing process of a composite railroad tie. Axion shares this same commitment and I look forward to utilizing my knowledge and experience to help broaden the acceptance of such a quality product to the railroad industry."

The N.J. Transit Board of Directors has appointed Kevin O’Connor as the new vice president and general manager of N.J. Transit Rail Operations.

O’Connor has served as NJ Transit’s acting vice president and general manager of Rail Operations since July 2010, managing a complex system of 12 commuter rail lines and 165 stations that serves more than 270,000 passenger trips on a typical weekday.

“As a professional with more than 33 years of railroad operating experience, the depth of Kevin’s knowledge and his focus on safety, fiscal responsibility and on-time performance will serve the agency, our employees and our customers well,” said N.J. Transit Executive Director James Weinstein.  “With his extensive background in rail operations, I’m confident that he will continue to rise to the challenges associated with keeping New Jersey’s rail system moving day in and day out.”

“Robust and reliable rail transportation is vital to both the State and the region,” said O’Connor.  “I’m committed to ensuring the safe, efficient operation of rail service for the customers who depend on our trains every day to conduct life’s daily business.”

Obama urges $53 billion for U.S. HSR

President Obama is advocating a six-year, $53 billion investment in high speed rail (HSR) as part of his thrust to use infrastructure spending to create jobs. The President will call for an initial $8 billion HSR investment in the budget he is set to release next week.

barack-obama-thumbs-up.jpgIn his State of the Union address last month, the President said he hoped to created HSR access to 80% of all Americans within a 25-year period.

Should the divided Congress approve Obama’s budget, the initial rail spending would focus on developing or improving trains that travel up to 150 miles per hour, and connecting existing rail lines to new projects. Republicans control the House of Representatives, while Democrats hold a small majority of Senate seats.

Critics of the President say the current U.S. HSR initiative, which includes higher-speed rail (HrSR) projects, say the current program is too scattered among many projects, most of them not truly HSR in nature. But others counter that choosing a single U.S. HSR project, regardless of location, would be a huge political gamble, allowing rail opponents to focus relentlessly on a single target.

Speaking at Amtrak’s 30th Street Station in Philadelphia Tuesday, Vice President Joe Biden outlined three channels of development. "Core Express" will develop electrified trains operating at 125 mph to 250 mph, running on tracks dedicated to passenger service. "Regional" will develop 90 mph to 125 mph service (HrSR), an incremental step toward true HSR. "Emerging" will develop reliable train service in regions that are underserved, increasing access to the larger national intercity passenger rail network.

The President’s proposal received support Tuesday in a joint statement from U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue andAFL-CIO President Richard Trumpka.

Also praising the measure was the National Association of Railroad Passengers. "It is extremely heartening that the White House has the clarity of vision to propose this groundbreaking program in the face of recent narrowly-based attacks on high speed rail in the U.S.," said NARP President Ross Capon. "If we are to develop a modern transportation system that gives Americans the travel choices they need and cut our reliance on foreign oil, we need our leaders to show this steadfast determination to get the job done."

 

KCS partners with law enforcement for Operation Lifesaver

Kansas City Southern will be partnering with the Marshall Police Department to conduct an Operation Lifesaver “Officer on a Train” event at the KCS crossings in Marshall, Mo., starting at 11:00 a.m. on February 8, in an effort to promote public safety at railroad grade crossings.

“KCSR takes its position as a positive corporate citizen very seriously and we are committed to improving public safety in the communities where we operate,” said Allen Pepper, KCSR director public safety. “We are pleased to join forces with local law enforcement to raise awareness about the importance of safety at highway-rail grade crossings and the dangers of trespassing on railroad rights-of-way.”

During the Officer on a Train event, law enforcement officers will be stationed on a moving KCSR train and at nearby crossings, watching for grade crossing violations.  Motorists who do not heed the law may be issued a citation.

Officer on a Train is a safety program that brings local, county and state law enforcement officers into the locomotive cab to observe problems at highway-rail grade crossings and to assist enforcement of motor vehicle laws at railroad crossings.

Operation Lifesaver is an international, non-profit education and awareness program dedicated to ending tragic collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroads’ rights-of-way. To accomplish its mission, Operation Lifesaver promotes education, engineering and enforcement. Operation Lifesaver makes free safety presentations to any group, from child to senior citizen, to encourage safe decisions around railroad tracks and railroad rights-of-way.

CSXT spends record levels with minority suppliers

CSX Transportation, Inc., significantly increased its spending on products and services with minority providers in 2010, setting a new record.

The company spent nearly $105 million with firms owned by minorities and women. The products and services range from signals to technology.

“Encouraging business with minority and women-owned suppliers diversifies and strengthens our supplier base, and creates good jobs for our economy,” said Fran Chinnici, vice president of purchasing. “Good business fundamentals include diversity in all aspects of what we do. We recognize the value of expanding our base of qualified suppliers in a competitive marketplace.”

Despite some consolidation among minority suppliers of specialized rail products, CSXT increased its spending with minority suppliers under the Minority Supplier Purchasing Program. That increase was the result of continually updating its supplier database and reaching out to minority firms to encourage participation in competitive bidding.

CSXT is working with many of its major suppliers to encourage their use of sub-contracted firms owned by minorities and women.

MTA awards contract to become more energy efficient

Pepco Energy Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc., and a leader in energy savings performance contracting, has been awarded a $6.2 million, 15-year energy savings performance contract by the Maryland Transit Administration.

Pepco Energy is installing energy conservation measures to help reduce the MTA’s energy consumption. These measures include lighting retrofits, occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting.

"The Maryland Transit Administration constantly looks for ways to maximize energy efficiency in all of our operations," said Ralign T. Wells, MTA CEO.  "Governor Martin O’Malley has encouraged all state agencies to go green and reduce government expenses, and the MTA is leading by example," said Wells.

The MTA also received funding from the local utility rebate program and the Maryland Energy Administration Project Sunburst Grant Program to help finance the project.

The comprehensive energy conservation measures will impact more than 1 million square feet, which includes MTA property and building space at various Local Bus, Metro Subway and Light Rail and MARC Facilities.  

"Pepco Energy is excited to work with the Maryland Transit Administration in revamping its energy infrastructure to improve its energy efficiency and increase user comfort," said John Huffman, CEO of Pepco Energy.

"The Maryland Transit Administration will save more than $560,000 every year, or $9.4 million over the contract term," said Vern Hartsock, MTA deputy director of engineering. "The project will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 2,800 metric tons annually and will decrease energy costs by approximately 13 percent."

Construction began in January 2011 and is due to be complete in August 2011.

ARINC wins contract to provide central control system for Newark Light Rail

 

ARINC Incorporated has been awarded a contract to provide a new central control system for N.J. Transit’s Newark Light Rail operations.

ARINC will design and install an integrated Light Rail central control system, based on the company’s Advanced Information Management (AIM®) Rail Control software platform. The fully integrated AIM system will provide N.J. Transit with a highly reliable and scalable solution for its centralized rail operations. 

“ARINC is extremely pleased to be awarded this important contract by the New Jersey Transit Corporation,” stated Dave Morrissey, ARINC vice president, surface transportation. “Our AIM Rail Control technology is already in service for N.J. Transit on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, RiverLINE, and Commuter Rail operations. We are proud to be serving rail transit passengers across the great state of New Jersey with our advanced, reliable and field-proven rail control platform.”
 

TUV wins subcontracting position with NYC Transit

TUV Rheinland Rail Sciences has won a subcontracting position on a 78-month contract for the performance of professional engineering services relating to Independent Safety Assessor (ISA) tasks for the Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) signal system modernization of  New York City Transit’s (NYCT) Flushing Line. Battelle is the lead contractor of an international ISA team that includes TUV Rheinland Rail Sciences.

TUV Rheinland has been a subcontractor to Battelle previously on the ISA assignment for NYCT’s Canarsie line, which was the first NYCT line to be equipped with CBTC.

The ISA team will provide an independent evaluation of the CBTC supplier’s evidence of compliance with system safety requirements throughout all phases of the Flushing Line’s system modernization. The independent reviews will verify that all safety related requirements have been met in accordance with Federal Railroad Administration Rule 49, Part 236 Subpart H and NYCT Specifications.

Through TUV Rheinland Rail Sciences, the ISA team benefits from TUV Rheinland over 40 years experience in the assessment and certification of safety-critical systems.

BNSF plans $3.5B capital commitment

BNSF will spend a planned $3.5 billion on its 2011 capital commitment program. The largest component of the capital plan is spending $2 billion on BNSF’s core network and related assets. BNSF also plans to spend about $450 million to acquire 227 locomotives and approximately $350 million on freight car and other equipment acquisitions. The program also includes about $300 million for federally mandated positive train control (PTC) and $300 million for terminal, line and intermodal expansion and efficiency projects. BNSF’s expansion and efficiency projects will be primarily focused on the mid-continent and coal routes to improve velocity and throughput capacity.

"BNSF expects to invest approximately $3.5 billion in 2011 to ensure our infrastructure remains strong and to improve the efficiency of our operations," said Matthew K. Rose, BNSF chairman and chief executive officer. "As we demonstrated with our capital commitments during one of the deepest recessions in U.S. history, we remain committed to making the necessary investments to maintain and grow the value of our franchise’s capacity and to provide the nation’s supply chain with more efficient freight transportation."

NS to provide switching services for Port of Indiana

For the first time since the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor opened in 1970, the Lake Michigan port will have an onsite, dedicated rail-switching service. Norfolk Southern has been selected to begin providing switching services for customers of Indiana’s oldest port beginning in February.
 


“We’re excited to partner with Norfolk Southern to improve rail service at our port,” said Rich Cooper, CEO for the Ports of Indiana. “This partnership creates several opportunities for our customers to grow business, including implementing unit trains where appropriate, improving switching services inside the port and working closely with other carriers when opportunities present themselves. Having a world-class Class 1 carrier with a major rail yard, equipment and crews located immediately adjacent to us will create significant advantages for our port customers.”


 
In 2010, the Ports of Indiana submitted a request for proposals from a variety of rail carriers in an effort to improve rail service for current port customers and increase business opportunities involving rail shipments through the port. After an extensive review of several proposals from around the country, the Ports of Indiana selected NS to be the dedicated rail-switching service provider for the port.
 


“We’ve been providing rail service at the Port of Indiana for years, and this was a great opportunity for us to expand our business to meet the needs of port customers,” said Steve Evans, assistant vice president for ports and international business at NS. “This agreement not only improves daily rail service to our port customers, but it will also increase operational efficiencies at both Norfolk Southern and the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad, making it be a win-win for all parties involved.”

The new arrangement still provides direct connectivity to the Indiana Harbor Belt and other rail carriers. 
 


“Our current rail users provided significant feedback on how we could further improve service at the port,” said Peter Laman, port director for the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor. “After reviewing a number of high quality proposals, we believed Norfolk Southern could provide immediate solutions to a number of those issues and they made it clear to us they were interested in helping us identify opportunities that could add new rail volume at the port.” 
 


As one of the largest steel ports in the country, the Port of Indiana annually contributes $3.5 billion in economic activity and 25,941 total jobs to the regional economy.

Two Nordco units become Nordco Rail Services and Inspection Technologies

Nordco Inc. has merged its Nordco Rail Services and Dapco Industries subsidiaries into a single business unit called Nordco Rail Services and Inspection Technologies. The move makes it possible to better serve customers by combining the skills, knowledge and experience of the two companies into a single entity.

Dapco, located in Ridgefield, Conn., has been a developer of ultrasonic, non-destructive wheel and rail testing solutions for railroads and other industries. Nordco Rail Services, of Lee’s Summit, Miss., offers an array of ultrasonic testing services to the railroad industry. The newly formed Nordco Rail Services and Inspection Technologies will maintain facilities in both Ridgefield and Lee’s Summit.

According to Nordco Rail Services and Inspection Technologies President Pat Graham,
the move supports Nordco’s overall strategy to align itself with the needs of customers, and to offer an extensive, integrated array of products and services to the railroad maintenance-of-way industry.

Graham noted that company will build on a shared history of developing new and innovative ultrasonic rail-flaw detection solutions, while continuing to focus on the service side of the business.

“Under the new structure, our main focus at Nordco Rail Services and Inspection
Technologies will be the development and deployment of industry leading rail flaw detection and predictive rail management solutions,” said Graham. “We will be concentrating our efforts on the critical task of partnering with the North American Railroads so that we can continue to develop innovations that are specific to both their current and future needs.”

FRA gives $50,000 grant to address PTSD in train crews

The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded a $50,000 grant to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) to design a program that will mitigate the onset and development of post traumatic stress disorder and acute distress disorder in train crews and other railroad personnel.

PTSD/ASD are frequently suffered by train crews after being involved in collisions at highway-rail grade crossings or trespass incidents involving pedestrians, the two leading causes of fatalities in the railroad industry. NFFF will bring recognized experts in research and practice together with representatives of railway labor organizations and railroad management to examine promising and effective practices in other industries to develop a baseline intervention plan suitable for use by rail carriers, their unions and others.