Bells & Whistles—1/17/20
Seattle lawmakers want to make cap on car tab fees a state law. Environmental group calls BNSF derailment a major disaster. Congress now reviewing Act on crude oil by rail. State Attorney
Kansas City Southern reports strong fourth quarter and full-year 2019 results
Kansas City Southern (KCS) (NYSE:KSU) reported strong fourth quarter and full year 2019 results, driven by implementation of Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) principles. Fourth Quarter 2019 Fourth quarter revenues were $729.5 million,
CSX Announces fourth quarter and full year 2019 financial results
CSX Corporation yesterday announced fourth quarter 2019 net earnings of $771 million, or $0.99 per share, versus $843 million, or $1.01 per share in the same period last year. CSX’s operating ratio
Environmental group calls BNSF derailment on Jan. 1 a major disaster
While some are claiming a derailment in Idaho on New Year’s Day was a heroic event, one environmental group believes there is a villain at play.
Washington, D.C. Metro ridership on the rise
The Washington Post reports that Metro ridership, which has been on a downward trend for several years, was up 4 percent in 2019 compared to 2018. In 2019, 182 million trips were
Tunnel under Fort Lauderdale’s New River being considered
The advent of Brightline train service through Fort Lauderdale has required the Florida East Coast to close a drawbridge bridge over the New River more frequently than before. The bridge remains open
State of Washington lawmakers do not want to wait for Initiative 976 court ruling
Initiative 976, which was approved by voters back in November, is still waiting for its day in court. State lawmakers, however, are running short on patience.
Savage named CEO at Trinity Industries
Beginning Feb. 17, E. Jean Savage, who currently serves on the Trinity Board and is a Caterpillar vice president, will become Chief Executive Officer at Trinity Industries, according to a report in
AAR releases traffic report for week ending January 11, 2020
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending January 11, 2020.
Transportation Research Board panel discusses future of rail
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) conference is being held in Washington, D.C. this week, and one of the panels, “The Future of North American Freight Rail Transportation,” focused on the role of
Light rail could play a major role in Austin’s Project Connect
By 2040, bus rapid transit will not be able to handle all of the stops in the city of Austin, Texas. Officials provided a glimpse of a game-changing transit plan called Project
Sergio Sabatini named president and COO of OmniTRAX
FreightWaves reports that Sergio Sabatini has been promoted to president of the short-line railroad, OmniTRAX. Gord Anutooshkin will move into Sabatini’s previous role of COO.
FTA announces new initiative to support innovation in transit industry
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams announced the U.S. DOT’s Accelerating Innovative Mobility (AIM) initiative, which supports and advances innovation in the transit industry. Speaking at the Transportation Research
Kentucky coal miners block CSX train because they haven’t been paid
The Lexington Herald-Ledger reports that a group of coal miners, all employees of Quest Energy (a subsidiary of American Resources Corporation, or ARC) are blocking a coal train from leaving a mine
Crude-by-rail safety bill introduced in U.S. House of Representatives
FreightWaves is reporting that Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) introduced the Crude by Rail Volatility Standard Act (H.R. 5553) yesterday. He was joined by four co-sponsors, all Democrats – Reps. Bill Foster of
Attorneys General skittish about moving LNG by rail
WJZ 13 CBS Baltimore is reporting that fifteen states are opposed to the proposed shipment of LNG (liquified natural gas, or methane) by rail, and are making their position known through their
Light rail line in southern Maryland needed now more than ever
A Bloomberg News analysis is calling the commute between southern Maryland and Washington, D.C., the biggest money and time pit in the U.S. Maryland state legislators now want answers, but those answers
Tier IV diesel engines coming to NJ Transit River Line
NJ TRANSIT is upgrading River LINE Light Rail Vehicle engines to significantly improve fuel efficiency and lessen the environmental impact of operating the line. The more than 20 Tier IV diesel engines
AHSI: Big Data for better asset health
The railroad industry estimates that advances in fault detection technology are preventing more than 700 road failures monthly on the North American system, based on 2019 preliminary statistics. Among the efforts to
Caltrain creates policy to determine future expansion of rail corridor
Caltrain is marking its land … literally. The Caltrain Board of Directors just finished a rail corridor use policy (RCUP) and all that is left to do is approve the plan that