UP reaches safety milestone
Union Pacific employees capped a decade of safety improvement in 2011 by achieving a 1.15 reportable injury rate, the best performance on record in the company’s history.
CSX names new COO and CFO
CSX Corporation appointed Oscar Munoz as executive vice president and chief operating officer and Fredrik Eliasson as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective immediately.
Metro-North ridership beats LIRR numbers
New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metro-North Railroad provided 82 million rides last year, up 1.4 percent over 2010, with ridership gains on all lines and in all markets from traditional morning inbound commutation to nights, weekends, middays and holidays.
HART’s GET revenue surpasses projections
The General Excise and Use Tax (GET) surcharge collected this past quarter for Honolulu’s rail project came in significantly higher than projected, marking the third consecutive quarter that revenue has surpassed projections, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation reported.
L.B. Foster names new CEO
L.B. Foster Company appointed Robert Bauer as president and chief executive officer and member of the board of directors, effective February 1, 2012. Bauer joins the company from Emerson Climate Technologies where he previously served as president of the Refrigeration Division, a business of Emerson Electric Co. Bauer also served as president of Emerson Network Power’s Liebert Division.
Coll Materials expands operation to support Axion ties
Axion International plans to increase its production capabilities in 2012. In June of 2011 Axion signed a contract manufacturing agreement with Coll Materials to expand the company’s output and to do so at Coll’s southwest location in order to strategically service Axion’s growing customer base.
CN and CP reach long-term potash agreements with Canpotex
Canadian National and Canadian Pacific reached separate 10-year agreements with Canpotex Limited to transport potash volumes that Canpotex ships to export martkets.
BLET members ratify Amtrak contract
By a nearly 4-to-1 margin, members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with Amtrak. Ballots were counted and the final tally was 77.5 percent in favor and 22.5 percent against.
UP to put $1 billion into Nebraska infrastructure
Union Pacific plans to put $1 billion investment in Nebraska over the next several years as part of its capital investment programs.
TÜV Rheinland acquires Rail Safety Consulting
TÜV Rheinland Rail Sciences, a subsidiary of TÜV Rheinland in North America, has acquired Rail Safety Consulting, a company specializing in addressing the safety needs and regulations affecting modern electronic-based train control and signal systems.
Amtrak outlines plan for Capstone project at Lancaster Station
With the current work on the Lancaster Train Station project nearing completion, Amtrak revealed a detailed plan for the next phase of station improvements, the Capstone project. Starting as soon as work on the current phase is complete, Amtrak will begin work to restore the passenger areas into an accessible, comfortable and convenient station that is of historic significance.
KCS’ Starling named 2012 Railroader of the Year
David L. Starling, president and chief executive officer of Kansas City Southern, has been named 2012 Railroader of the Year by Railway Age magazine. Railway Age and Railway Track & Structures are both owned by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Co.
New York Second Avenue Subway blasting did not exceed pollutant levels
New York’s MTA Capital Construction (MTACC) has released results of a comprehensive study to assess the impact of blasting on air quality. The report found that most measured pollutants were below applicable national air quality and industry standards. Exceeded levels of some pollutants did not coincide with blasting and were primarily attributed to traffic emissions and other local sources.
NS Heartland Connector open for business
Norfolk Southern has cleared the way for more double-stack intermodal trains to use its Heartland Corridor with the opening this week of a newly improved double-stack rail line between Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio. The Heartland Connector will reduce transit times by one to two days and increase service reliability for double-stack freight traveling to and from the Port of Virginia and Cincinnati and Detroit.
UIUC to lead rail-specific UTC
The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a grant of $3.5 million to a multi-university consortium led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to establish a rail transportation and engineering research center.
CP enters new five-year contract with Canadian Tire, opens locomotive
Canadian Pacific entered into an agreement with Canadian Tire Corporation Limited, which extends to early 2017 and awards the railway with the vast majority of Canadian Tire’s domestic container traffic.
Minnesota’s Metropolitan Council Chair advocates for transit, partnerships
“Transit holds the key to a successful and prosperous region,” said Minnesota’s Metropolitan Council Chair Susan Haigh, while delivering her first State of the Region speech. Several hundred people attended the State of the Region event at Target Field in Minneapolis, where Haigh highlighted the role of transit in economic development and job creation.
Gov. Brown calls on California residents to OK HSR plan
In his 2012 State of the State speech, California Governor Edmund Brown Jr. spoke of plans for a high-speed rail system, which would connect the Northern and Southern parts of the state.
In his speech he stated:
“As governor the last time, I signed legislation to study the concept. Now 30 years later, we are within weeks of a revised business plan that will enable us to begin initial construction before the year is out.
“President Obama strongly supports the project and has provided the majority of funds for this first phase. It is now your decision to evaluate the plan and decide what action to take. Without any hesitation, I urge your approval.
“If you believe that California will continue to grow, as I do, and that millions more people will be living in our state, this is a wise investment. Building new runways and expanding our airports and highways is the only alternative. That is not cheaper and will face even more political opposition.
“Critics of the high-speed rail project abound as they often do when something of this magnitude is proposed. During the 1930s, The Central Valley Water Project was called a “fantastic dream” that “will not work.” The Master Plan for the Interstate Highway System in 1939 was derided as “new Deal jitterbug economics.” In 1966, then Mayor Johnson of Berkeley called BART a “billion dollar potential fiasco.” Similarly, the Panama Canal was for years thought to be impractical and Benjamin Disraeli himself said of the Suez Canal: “totally impossible to be carried out.” The critics were wrong then and they’re wrong now.”
Three Ohio crossings to see improvements
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio approved authorization from the Ohio Rail Development Commission, directing CSX, Norfolk Southern and Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway to install flashing lights and gates at grade crossings in Delaware, Jefferson and Lorain counties, respectively.
Canadian Pacific includes more than $1 billion in 2012 capital plan
Canadian Pacific says that part of the company’s multi-year plan is to invest between $1.1 billion (US$1.085 billion) and $1.2 billion (US$1.18 billion) for infrastructure renewal, network enhancements and expansion projects in 2012. The 2012 Capital Plan will focus on strategic and targeted investments to improve service and increase network capacity while funding business development and initiatives with rapid return on investment.