KCS marks 14th anniversary of Mexican railroad concession

Kansas City Southern celebrated the 14th anniversary since the concession to operate the railroad in Mexico on June 24.

The First Lady of Mexico, Margarita Zavala, sent a video of congratulations to KCS and acknowledged its importance to the Mexico economy.

In other news, KCS president and CEO Dave Starling traveled to Mexico, where he joined KCS Mexico President and Executive Representative Jose Zozaya on a tour of key KCS locations.

Starling and Zozaya also hosted Mayor Carlos de la Fuente Flores of San Nicolas de los Garza, Tamaulipas at the KCS offices in Monterrey, where they showed him the dispatch center, new finance building and business cars. The SCT and mayor authorized KCS to increase train speed on the line from 20 to 35 kilometers per hour (mph equivalents), which improves velocity and security.

Starling and Zozaya attended the opening ceremony for the new Country Park intermodal terminal in the State of Mexico as well.

Also, the KCS customer solutions team in Mexico was recently reorganized from multiple commodity groups into three: carload, agricultural/mineral and intermodal/automotive. KCS says the new organization results in more pro-active notifications and greater emphasis on providing strategic solutions to customer issues.

In the near future, the customer solutions team in Mexico will migrate to the same customer relationship management tool being used in the U.S. This transition will allow KCS management to see current and historical data for customers account activity on both sides of the border. The transparency will support greater accountability in meeting customers’ needs.

Houston Metro readies rail for Southeast Line extension

Houston Metro’s Southeast Line will be the first planned line extension to have rail installed. The track for this section of the new alignment will be welded from 80-foot sections into continuous 480-foot strings and embedded in reinforced concrete, which will serve as a foundation for the entire 6.6-mile line.

The 6.6-mile line will connect to the Main St./Red Line, the East End Line (currently under construction) and the planned University Line. Those lines, together with the North Line extension, will provide roughly 34 miles of service to Houston.

 

RMI releases RailDOCS

RMI has released RailDOCS Hours of Service, a new web-based software product to help railroads manage employee hours and comply with federal and railroad requirements.

RailDOCS Hours of Service allows for quick recording of employee work hours and provides real-time visibility on employee rest status and availability. RMI says RailDOCS Hours of Service complies with federal regulation 49CRF228, which limits consecutive work hours and mandates undisturbed rest periods and it provides an effective tool to help railroads manage human fatigue, one of the National Transportation Safety Board’s most critical safety issues.

RailDOCS Hours of Service meets the regulatory requirements for electronic signature and record keeping, and it offers railroad employees two ways to report service hours, online or via an interactive voice response system. It provides tools that support access to service records by the FRA and state inspectors and eliminates the need for a railroad to file excess monthly service reports once record keeping of employee hours is fully electronic.

 

Groundbreaking event kicks off construction of the Portland-Milwaukie light rail bridge

After nearly a decade of planning and community outreach, project partners celebrated the start of construction on the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Bridge in Oregon on June 30. The bridge is the first to be built over the Willamette River in more than 40 years.

It is also the first of its kind, with light rail, buses, a future Portland streetcar and wide bike and pedestrian paths. No private vehicles will be allowed. The bridge alignment is SW Porter Street on the west side and SE Sherman Street on the east side.

U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Kurt Schrader attended the event along with other project partners.

"This project will continue our region’s proactive approach to transportation," said Rep. Blumenauer. "It provides thousands of jobs while improving connections for Southeast Portland and North Clackamas County. I applaud TriMet and our region for getting this project moving and I’m eager to see it get underway."

"The bridge and the overall project will link east and west, improve and expand transit, and most importantly, create up to 14,000 jobs when we most need them," said TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane.

The PMLR project is the second MAX extension into Clackamas County after the MAX Green Line opened in 2009.

The 7.3-mile project is the region’s sixth MAX construction project to be built and extends from the terminus of the MAX Green and Yellow lines at Portland State University to South Waterfront, Southeast Portland, Milwaukie and Park Avenue in Clackamas County.

The project includes 10 stations and will create up to 14,000 direct and indirect jobs and generate up to $573 million in personal earnings. Federal funds will pay for half of the $1.49 billion project; state and local partners are funding the balance. TriMet’s share is less than five percent of the project budget and will not be needed until FY2013. The line is set to open in September 2015.

The overall project is still in the final design phase. The Federal Transit Administration has approved early construction work on the bridge, as construction in the Willamette River is limited due to migrating fish. The "fish window" allows in-river work from July 1 through October 31 each year.

Construction of the bridge begins Friday, July 1.

UTA to introduce new TRAX vehicles into regular service

Starting July 7, Utah Transit Authority TRAX passengers will be able to ride the brand new S70 light rail vehicles in regular service.

The new TRAX vehicles will enter limited service on direct trains that operate from Fashion Place Station in Murray to the University of Utah Medical Center Station on weekdays. The new trains will be featured on 10 northbound and 10 southbound trips each day.

The new S70 vehicles are low-floor cars that allow riders to board straight from the platform without climbing stairs. Level boarding makes the vehicles more accessible to passengers with mobility aids, bicycles and strollers.

"We are excited to put some of our new S70 vehicles into service," UTA General Manager Michael Allegra said. "We believe our customers are really going to love the new features the cars offer."

Because the new vehicles have low floors, riders with limited mobility will no longer need to use the wheelchair ramps located at the ends of the station platforms. The new vehicles feature self-deploying ramps that will allow riders to board directly by pushing the button with the access symbol.

UTA purchased 77 of the new vehicles as part of UTA’s FrontLines 2015 rail expansion program. The vehicles have been commissioned and tested on the new Mid-Jordan and West Valley TRAX lines during the past few months. This is the first time they will carry passengers in revenue service.

The Mid-Jordan and West Valley TRAX lines are scheduled to open Aug. 7 and will operate exclusively with the new vehicles.

CSX unveils second ultra-low emission GenSet locomotive

Public and private sector representatives have unveiled New York’s second ultra-low emission GenSet locomotive. Jointly funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and CSX, the locomotive will be used at Selkirk Yard, significantly reducing nitrous oxide, particulate matter and carbon dioxide emissions in the area.

Skip Elliott, vice president, public safety and environment, CSX Transportation, said, "We are proud of our partnership with EPA and the State of New York, which helps us serve our customers and communities with the most efficient and environmentally friendly service every day."

The GenSet locomotive was purchased with a $1 million EPA award under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act to the New York State Department of Transportation, made possible through the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. CSX funded the remaining $400,000 as part of its commitment to reducing emissions and using less fuel.

"Projects like this will literally help repower the Empire State," said Stanley Gee, executive deputy commissioner of NYSDOT. "This new locomotive, with three smaller engines that cycle on and off according to need, will reduce emissions and save diesel fuel as goods are moved efficiently across the state. This innovative technology is an example of Governor Cuomo’s goal of creating a new green economy with livable communities, new jobs and sustainable growth."

GenSet locomotives reduce nitrous oxide and particulate matter emissions by approximately 80 percent and can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent through technologies that monitor engine idling and switch to "sleep" mode after a period of inactivity.

 

SFMTA Board awards tunneling contract, names acting executive director/CEO

At its Board of Directors meeting, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency awarded the Central Subway tunneling contract, the largest construction package for the project, to Barnard Impregilo Healy, the lowest bidder in the amount of $233,584,015.

Last week, the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration awarded the agency $20 million in New Starts funds for the 2011 Fiscal Year to keep the project moving forward. The Central Subway has received $95.9 million in federal funding to date.

"The Central Subway project is vital to connecting our city to our communities like never before," said San Francisco May Edwin Lee. "The project invests in jobs, in people and in our city with critical infrastructure that will improve transportation for all our residents and families."

The tunnel contract will allow for the development of approximately 8,240 feet of concrete guideway tunnels and procure two tunnel boring machines to be used for actual construction.

SFMTA Board Chairman Tom Nolan said, "The agency is pleased that the lowest bidder came in under the project engineer’s estimates and in these tough economic times, we realize that this project will be a shot in the arm to our local economy sparking economic development, job training and growth and in creating thousands of contracting opportunities for local businesses."

In other SFMTA news, it’s Board of Directors recently named Debra Johnson as acting executive director/CEO, replacing Nathaniel Ford.

Johnson will hold the position until a new placement can be made. Her role is effective as of July 1.

"Debra has more than 20 years of experience in the transportation industry and has a vast understanding of how the SFMTA works," said Board Chairman Tom Nolan. "She was the driving force behind the recent labor negotiations and she is trusted throughout the SFMTA and at City Hall as a person of great integrity. We are confident in her ability to move this agency forward during this time of change."

Johnson currently serves as the director of administration, taxis and accessible services for the SFMTA.

CSX announces VP appointments in finance, commercial

CSX Corporation has appointed three veteran leaders of the company to new positions.

Dean Piacente, currently vice president of chemicals and fertilizer, has been named vice president of finance. In this role he will be directly responsible for the overall financial management of the corporation, which includes budgeting, capital planning, forecasting, financial analysis and interfacing with business partners.

Fredrik Eliasson, currently vice president of emerging markets, has been named vice president of chemicals and fertilizer, responsible for CSX’s commercial activities in the chemicals, phosphates and fertilizers markets.

Derrick Smith, currently vice president of finance, returns to the sales and marketing department as vice president of emerging markets. In this role he will be responsible for CSX’s commercial activities in the aggregates, processed materials, waste, military and machinery markets. He also will have responsibility for TRANSFLO, CSX de Mexico, regional development, inside sales and international traffic through eastern and Gulf Coast ports.

"These changes are consistent with our tradition of building a strong, broad-based leadership organization focused on customer and employee excellence," said Michael Ward, CSX chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Dean, Fredrik and Derrick are exemplary leaders of CSX. Each brings a variety of experiences and strengths to his role."

 

RailComm to convert RailAmerica dispatching system to Software as a Service Model

RailAmerica has been using RailComm’s Domain Operations Controller train control system to dispatch multiple subdivisions for their railroads since 2002. The DOC System at Rail America’s American Rail Dispatch Center will soon be able to be accessed through a web-enabled software-as-a-service (SaaS) delivery. SaaS provides a "pay-as-you-go" model, eliminating capital equipment procurement constraints.

Through this delivery, railroads can be remotely dispatched by RailAmerica wherever an internet connection is available. It is now possible to relocate dispatchers to alternative locations, if the need arises. RailAmerica management members can log in from their offices, homes, or even from hotels to directly view dispatching activities and obtain management reports.

Since the DOC control application resides on servers within the RailComm-managed data center in Rochester, N.Y., the requirement for local IT support at each railroad is greatly reduced.

Florida

Florida Governor Rick Scott has authorized the Department of Transportation on behalf of the State of Florida to sign the pending Full Funding Grant Agreement for the SunRail project in Central Florida.

Feds make $101.4 million available for clean-fuel technologies in transit

Transit providers will be able to compete for a share of $101.4 million in federal funding by proposing innovative projects that create green jobs, promote the use of clean fuels and cut the nation’s dependence on oil.

"This money supports President Obama’s plan to improve the environment and secure America’s energy future," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "These investments will improve public transportation access for millions of Americans, all while reducing our dependence on oil, curbing air pollution and easing pain at the gas pump."

The money is being provided competitively through the Federal Transit Administration’s Fiscal Year 2011 Sustainability Initiative, which includes funding from two programs: $51.5 million from FTA’s Clean Fuels Grant program and $49.9 million from its Transit Investment in Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction III program.

Clean Fuels grant recipients will be chosen based on their ability to help communities achieve or maintain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone and carbon monoxide, while supporting emerging clean fuel and advanced propulsion technologies for transit buses.

TIGGER III grants will be awarded based on a project’s ability to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and provide a return on the investment.

 

Detroit’s Woodward LRT project route finalized, FEIS signed

The Federal Transit Administration and City of Detroit have co-signed a final environmental impact statement for Detroit’s Woodward Light Rail project.

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said the signing of the FEIS is the latest step in a process that will result in the entering of a final Record of Decision by the FTA on September 1. It will clear the way for the city to use the $25 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said was being awarded to the city during his visit last August.

The ROD will lay out the guidelines for expenditures of more than $300 million in federal funds the city will apply for through the federal New Starts process. The city council has approved the issuance of $75 million in bonds to provide a portion of the local match. A group of business and civic leaders has pledged an additional $100 million in funding. An additional $12.5 million in federal and state grants bring the project investment to more than $500 million.

The FEIS lays out a route for the project on Woodward stretching from the heart of
Downtown Detroit to Eight Mile Rd., with 19 passenger stations.

To view the detailed criteria of the FEIS process, visit the City of Detroit’s website.

 

 

RMI appointments two to executive senior staff

RMI has appointed new executive positions to its senior staff with the addition of Paul Pascutti, vice president of sales and the promotion of Kirk Knauff to senior vice president of corporate marketing and services.

"Both Kirk and Paul have demonstrated a consistent level of strategic leadership. Each has played a key role in RMI’s rapid growth over the past 12 months, and I look forward to the integral role each will play in RMI’s future," said RMI Chairman and CEO Pete Kleifgen.

Paul Pascutti joined RMI in 1987 and most recently served as vice president of international sales with responsibility for leading sales engagements outside of North America.

Kirk Knauff joined RMI in 2004 and has most recently served as vice president of marketing and services where he was responsible for commercial strategy and services deployment.

Wabtec acquires transit aftermarket parts business from GE Transportation

Wabtec Corp. has acquired a transit aftermarket parts business from GE Transportation. The business, which has approximately $15 million in annual sales, provides parts for propulsion and control systems for the passenger transit car aftermarket in North America. Wabtec expects the transaction to be accretive in the first year.

"Nearly 5,000 transit cars in North America contain these GE components, giving Wabtec the opportunity to expand our content on a substantial installed base of rolling stock as transit agencies overhaul and maintain their equipment," said Albert Neupaver, Wabtec’s president and chief executive officer.

The product lines include AC and DC traction motors and related components and electronic control systems, including contactors and relays. These capabilities will become part of Wabtec Global Services, which operates a network of eight service centers in North America.

 

U.S. Development Group to expand St. James, La., terminal

U.S. Development Group LLC, a Houston-based developer of unit train logistics and terminal facilities, is expanding its St. James Rail Terminal, a crude oil and condensate handling and distribution hub in the Gulf Coast region of Louisiana. It is expected to be completed by Q4 2011.

The expansion will double the terminal’s current capacity to 130,000 barrels, or two unit trains, per day.

USDG is actively developing several new origin and destination hub facilities. The company plans to construct five such facilities within the next 18 months in order to extend its crude oil rail network solutions. The expanding USDG network will offer capacity for significantly higher rail volumes of oil and condensate from the Bakken, Eagle Ford, Niobrara and other major production areas into refining and oil distribution centers on the East, Gulf and West coasts of North America.

"Since beginning operations in summer 2010, our St. James terminal has experienced strong demand from producers and marketers looking to obtain the best value for their oil. In addition, the St. James Rail Terminal allows our refiner/blender customers to benefit from a steady supply of high-quality sweet crude," said Mike Day, U.S. Development Group vice president.

 

Amtrak received $562.9 million RRIF loan for new generation electric locomotives

Amtrak has received a $562.9 million Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loan to fund the company’s purchase of 70 new generation energy-efficient electric locomotives as part of its plan to modernize and expand its fleet equipment.

"As a result of the RRIF loan announced by the Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak’s purchase of 70 new, energy efficient and higher performing electric locomotives is fully funded. These locomotives will operate on the Northeast and Keystone Corridors beginning in 2013, replacing units in service between 20 and 30 years with average mileage of 3.5 million miles traveled.

The RRIF loan from the FRA totaling $562.9 million includes $465.9 million for the 70 electric locomotives and $97 million for maintenance facility upgrades and spare parts. The $465.9 million, six-year contract was awarded to Siemens Mobility and is a key element of the Fleet Strategy Plan. The contract will create 250 jobs primarily at a facility in Sacramento, Calif., but also at plants in Norwood, Ohio and Alpharetta, Ga.

Flooding hits BNSF hard, closes both mainline tracks in Minot, N.D.

BNSF Railway’s Command Center is managing responses to flood impacts, which have put subdivisions out of service in North Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa as well as the Atchison branch in St. Joseph, Mo. BNSF is making an effort to continue operating on key mainline routes.

Both main tracks of the KO subdivision in Minot, N.D., are out of service due to record flooding on the Souris River. The line segments to and from Minot are open and available for local service and industries though.

BNSF also raised 3.4 miles of track up to 20 inches near Rulo, Neb., but the subdivision is now is out of service due to flooding near Rulo as a result of a levee break.

 

UP named Best Diversity Company for third consecutive year

For the third consecutive year, Diversity Careers in Engineering and Information Technology named Union Pacific a Best Diversity Company. The magazine chose UP based upon its support of women and minorities, efforts to support work/life balance and supplier diversity commitment based on feedback from the magazine’s readers and website visitors.

"We are honored to receive this recognition from Diversity Careers in Engineering and Information Technology for the third year in a row for our commitment to using ability and talent as our main criteria for employment," said Barb Schaefer, Union Pacific senior vice president of human resources.

Union Pacific actively promoted diversity by increasing its minority- and women-owned supplier base for materials and service providers by 55 percent from 2005 to 2009. The company also supports employee resource groups, which help nurture a diverse culture, promote diversity issues and support recruiting, retention and advancement efforts for women and minorities.

Proposal for new oil carrying Canadian railway unveiled

G Seven Generations Ltd. is proposing a new railway to carry oil from the Alberta, Ontario oil sands to the existing marine oil terminal at Valdez, Alaska. The company revealed its proposal at the International Indigenous Summit on Energy and Mining in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

"Studies have already demonstrated that a rail link to Alaska is a viable alternative to the oil pipelines currently being planned through British Columbia," said G7G Director Matt Vickers. "This approach is timely because it promises significant economic benefits while avoiding many of the environmental risks associated with current pipeline proposals."

"Diversifying markets for Canadian oil is an important challenge, but we need to achieve this goal in the most environmentally and socially responsible way possible," continued Vickers.

G7G’s rail link proposal would use the existing marine oil terminal in Valdez, which is facing a declining supply of oil from Alaska’s North Slope.

One option of the proposed 2,000+ kilometer-long railway (1,243+ miles) would run northwest from Fort McMurray, Alberta to join the Alyeska Pipeline (part of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, which carries oil to the Valdez oil terminal) at Delta Junction, Alaska. The project’s first phase is estimated to cost C$12 billion (US$12.4 billion) or more.

"British Columbians’ opposition to oil tanker traffic on B.C.’s north coast is very strong and should not fall on deaf ears," G7G wrote in a statement. "Valdez has seen oil tanker traffic since the 1970s and this proposal would simply mean replacing the declining supply of Alaska crude with a new supply of Alberta crude. We believe this approach has a greater chance of obtaining social license from local communities than other competing scenarios."

Over the coming months, G7G will be working to complete the project’s feasibility study, business plan and First Nations consultation. Its directors are currently seeking support for the project from national and international aboriginal organizations.

British Columbia to provide C$7.5 million for E&N passenger rail

The province of British Columbia is investing C$7.5 million (US$7.7 million) for the E&N Railway to help restore passenger train service on Vancouver Island.

"Vancouver Island mayors have told us loud and clear that this rail service supports their economies by creating jobs, which in turn supports many families along the route," said Premier Christy Clark. "Today the Province is stepping up with C$7.5 million to help return this train service to island families and communities."

Funding will be provided in two parts. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will contribute up to C$500,000 (US$515,000) for an engineering inspection on the condition of the approximately 40 rail bridges and trestles on the line.

The balance of C$7 million (US$7.2 million) will help the Island Corridor Foundation repair the track and ensure that it is safe for passengers. The ICF has identified that it needs C$15 million (US$15.5 million) to complete essential repairs. The provincial funding of C$7 million is conditional upon the final bridge inspection and ICF matching the other C$7.5 million that it needs to ensure all repairs are completed and passenger train service can safely resume.

"Our government has heard from the communities and the local MLAs about the importance of the E&N to families on Vancouver Island," said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Blair Lekstrom. "We’re taking a balanced approach to ensure the service is viable over the long-term."

The ICF will also prepare a long-term plan that describes how passenger service can reach its potential, including ways to attract more ridership.

The rail operator, Southern Railway on Vancouver Island, suspended passenger train service earlier this spring when it determined the line was no longer safe and funding was not available to make repairs. Inspections identified decaying wooden rail ties, worn or loose bolts and vegetation overgrowth.

Today, freight service continues with speed restrictions on the E&N railway.