News and Opinion

New North Dakota rail facility sends oil to Oklahoma







A new rail shipping terminal in northwestern North Dakota is
moving oil from the state’s oil patch to Oklahoma.

Houston-based EOG Resources Inc. expects the
first shipment from the terminal near Stanley, N.D., on Jan. 4, following a
four-day trip. The new terminal is capable of loading 60,000 barrels of oil
onto a 100-car unit train each day and unloads in Stroud, Okla., where it is
then sent through a 17-mile pipeline to a terminal in Cushing, Okla.

Tony Chambers joins Encore Rail Systems, Inc.

Encore Rail Systems,
Inc., named Tony Chambers Eastern Region Sales Manager based in Ravenswood, W.Va.
Chambers brings to this position many years of railroad sales experience from
his career with Burke-Parsons-Bowlby Corporation.

 


NJ TRANSIT cuts ribbon at new parking lot at Edison Station






Senator Robert Menendez
and Congressman Frank Pallone joined NJTRANSIT Executive Director Richard
Sarles and other officials at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new 477-space
parking lot that more than doubles parking capacity at Edison Station on the
Northeast Corridor rail line. The lot opens to customers January 1.

Strategic investments allow CTA to Improve fleet, facilities






With the onset of the
recession this year, government agencies, private businesses and individual
households all faced budget challenges and the Chicago Transit Authority was no
exception. Due to the significant consequences presented by the slowing
economy, as the CTA developed its 2009 Budget, staff sharpened their pencils
and looked for ways to streamline operations and reduce costs without impacting
the quality or level of service provided. Despite financial constraints, the
CTA continued to innovate in 2009 and apply the best solutions to keep Chicago
moving.

Amtrak to begin serving renovated Castleton, Vt., depot






As the result of growing
and anticipated demand for passenger rail service to Castleton State College
and Lake Bomoseen, Amtrak and the Vermont Agency of Transportation said that
state-supported Ethan Allen Express trains will make twice daily stops at the
recently renovated Castleton, Vt., station beginning January 2, 2010. The
southbound Ethan Allen Express, train #292 scheduled to arrive Saturday at
11:02 a.m., will be the first train to officially stop at the station.

Port buys rail line, city prepares for train service







After a decade, a train may
be returning to Snohomish, Wash., by next summer, the Snohomish County Tribune
reports. The Port of Seattle purchased the Eastside rail corridor Dec. 21 from BNSF
in a deal totaling $81 million. The purchase covers 42 miles of rail line from
Renton to Snohomish.


Funding keeps Metra in neutral






Two planned Metra stations
could transform neighborhoods on Chicago’s South and North Sides — spurring
economic development, curbing carbon emissions and making it just plain easier
for residents to choose public transportation, proponents say, according to a
report in the Chicago Tribune. But when that vision will become reality is
uncertain.

Appointment boosts LACMTA expansion






A top adviser for Los
Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will be transferred Jan. 4 to a new job
aimed at bringing a light-rail system to Los Angeles and L.A./Ontario
international airports, the Los Angeles Times reports. Deputy Mayor Diego
Alvarez will serve as the regional transportation coordinator for Los Angeles
World Airports, which operates both airports, according to Villaraigosa’s
office.

CREATE completes strategic rail connection in McCook, Ill.






A key rail connection and
capacity expansion project of the Chicago Region Environmental and
Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program is now operational in McCook,
Ill. The $13.1-million federally- and privately-funded McCook Connection
project (Project B6) provides additional connectivity between the Indiana
Harbor Belt, CSX Transportation and BNSF rail lines. Trains that had to wait or
travel at a maximum speed of 10 miles an hour are now able to proceed through
the area at 25 miles per hour as they move onto mainline tracks near the United
Parcel Service Willow Springs Distribution Center.

New Brooklyn LIRR terminal is on a roll






After nearly six years of
construction, the new entrance to the Long Island Rail Road’s critical Atlantic
Terminal at Flatbush Avenue is finally open to straphangers, according to The
Brooklyn Paper. Commuters looking for the LIRR ticket office will find that it
has moved to a new location on the concourse below the ground floor entrance,
where natural light shines through glass that spans from the road to the
ceiling, offering views of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank tower across the
street.

NS paid nearly $12 million for rail hub land at McCalla, Ala.






Norfolk Southern Corp. paid
nearly $12 million to purchase the 316 acres in McCalla, Ala., where it plans
to build a $112 million railroad hub, according to county records, The Birmingham
News reports. The railroad company bought land from six different property
owners in transactions ranging in price from $72,545.40 to more than $5.8
million, the property records show.

Faster trains top Amtrak’s list of needs






Amtrak has been working
hard to lure more business travelers to its trains, with advertisements highlighting
its advantages over air travel – roomier seats, power outlets on its Acela trains
and fewer annoyances, the New York Times reports. And its efforts have borne
some fruit: the number of riders on its Northeast corridor trains has been
rising.

WMATA sets January weekend track maintenance schedule






In January, in addition to
the Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday weekend closure of the
Grosvenor-Strathmore Metrorail station on the Red Line, Metro in Washington,
D.C., will replace fasteners, make tunnel repairs, and make repairs to a rail
switch that will help ensure reliable Metrorail service. Customers should
expect travel delays during the weekends of Jan. 8 to 10, Jan. 15 to 18, and
Jan. 29 to Jan. 31.





Vandeventer Bridge is coming down






As construction to
replace the 80-year-old Vandeventer Bridge in St. Louis continues, work to
remove the old bridge will require a MetroLink system outage between the Grand
and Central West End MetroLink Stations from December 26 through January 3.
During this time, MetroBus shuttles will replace MetroLink light rail service between these two stations, enabling passengers to navigate around the
construction zone and continue their commutes.

Bypass still in the works for Victoria’s KCS rail line






Construction is complete on the Kansas City Southern rail line and
trains run through Victoria, Texas, daily, but there’s still more to go,
according to the Victoria Advocate. The next step is a bypass to offset rail
traffic through major arteries. It’s a work in progress and both KCS and the
Texas Department of Transportation are working toward a resolution, Victoria
County Judge Don Pozzi said.

Executive committee meets to further discuss Norfolk light rail, future of HRT






One day after telling
City Council that light-rail construction costs will not exceed the latest
estimate of $328 million, Hampton Road Transit officials said that the price
could climb another $12 million, The Virginian-Pilot reports. During a
closed-door executive committee meeting, HRT consultants revealed that the
project, which was budgeted to cost $232 million when construction started,
could rise to about $340 million, a 47 percent increase, several board members
confirmed. They added that the projection is preliminary.

Burlington, Iowa, quiet zone goes into effect






After years of waiting,
Burlington, Iowa, residents were rewarded for their patience with a Christmas
gift, The Hawkeye reports. At midnight Dec. 24, the city became a train horn
quiet zone. Earlier this month, quiet
zone status was granted by the Federal Railroad Administration based on safety
modifications to downtown railroad crossings.

Mission, Texas, bridge under scrutiny






 

The City of Mission, Texas,
is lobbying the U.S State Department to retain a permit to build another
international bridge, mere weeks after the completion of the Rio Grande
Valley’s newest crossing, according to The
Monitor.

 There is no plan or funding to build another crossing, but Mission
city officials said they want to retain the 30-year-old permit because it
allows them to connect railroads on both sides of the border, something the
newly unveiled Anzalduas International Bridge does not.