NS’ Moorman to stockholders: Economic recovery will continue

"The economic recovery is well under way, and barring some unanticipated event, it will continue well on into 2012," said Wick Moorman, chief executive officer of Norfolk Southern Corporation. "We at Norfolk Southern feel good about the results we are producing and are confident in our ability to produce superior service for customers and superior returns for shareholders."

He noted that the company reported its second-highest revenues ever in 2010, a momentum that carried over into 2011. Norfolk Southern reported record revenues, income from railway operations and earnings per share in first-quarter 2011.

Moorman said the company’s investments in corridor initiatives, highlighted by the 2010 opening of the Heartland Corridor and the 2011 groundbreakings for new terminals in Alabama and Tennessee, support current and future volume growth.

"These initiatives give us increased rail capacity and also provide safety and environmental benefits for the public," he said. "They are also important indicators of our commitment to sustainable business practices that create green jobs."

Moorman said the company’s targeted recruitment of train-and-engine service employees to handle growing freight volumes is paying off with improved customer service. He also credited employees for the company’s continued industry leadership in employee safety.

 

CSXT awards Okefenokee Area Development Authority partnership honor

CSX Transportation presented its Partnershipping Award to the Okefenokee Area Development Authority in recognition of its work to locate a new wood pellet production facility in Waycross, Ga., that will be served by CSXT.

CSXT unit trains will transport as much as 750,000 tons of wood products annually from the plant to the Port of Savannah for export to produce electricity.

"OADA did an outstanding job working with CSXT Regional Development, European customers, the State of Georgia and Ware County officials to make this significant economic development happen," said Clark Robertson, CSXT assistant vice president, regional development. "It will bring needed jobs to Ware County and help position Georgia as a leader in the renewable fuels business.

"CSXT was very pleased to be selected as the rail carrier for this new venture," Robertson said. "Given the abundant forest assets in the region, we are hopeful that other firms may be encouraged to join in the production of wood products for renewable energy and take advantage of our excellent rail network. We offer considerable expertise in the transportation of renewable fuels, including bio-diesel and ethanol."

ORDC approves grants for three rail projects

Ohio Rail Development Commission has approved grants for three rail projects in Butler, Highland and Summit Counties, Ohio, after projects were given the green light by the ORDC.

Rail spur at Middletown
A two-track rail spur and switch connection to the CSX Transportation main line will enable a new coiled steel coating operation to start at the NCI Group manufacturing facility at Middletown. This new rail infrastructure represents part of a total $12.7-million dollar investment at a brownfield site. The steel coating operation will create 74 new jobs at an average pay of $17.68 an hour with benefits and generate between 500 and 1,000 carloads of freight annually.

ORDC approved a grant of $75,000, which leverages further funding from NCI Group, CSXT, the Ohio Department of Development and local sources through a job creation grant and tax abatements.

Bridge rehabilitation enables plant re-opening at Greenfield
A series of bridges on the city of Greenfield-owned rail line will provide key transportation links toward the re-opening of the Johnson Controls plant at Greenfield and the immediate restoration of 130 jobs, with another 80 jobs to be added with a planned second shift later this year.

ORDC Commissioners had approved a $235,000 grant in January of this year, which leveraged $58,000 in funding from the City of Greenfield. Today’s action by the Commission adds another $35,000 toward the project for additional bridge tie replacement and ditch-cleaning along several miles of the railroad right-of-way.

Rail-truck transload facility at Macedonia
An ORDC loan of up to $350,000 to the Jamen Corporation will leverage funding from Jamen, the Mean J Trucking Company and the Norfolk Southern Railroad to build a rail spur and re-install a switch connection to the NS main line at Macedonia for a new cement rail-to-truck transloading facility. The project will create 4 new jobs at the facility and create an additional 10 trucking jobs.

 

Amsted Rail acquires Holland L.P.

Amsted Rail, manufacturer for undercarriage and end-of-car railcar components, has acquired Holland, L.P.’s Hollube® Wear Eliminator product line.

"This acquisition is strategically important because it provides our customers the option to include key wear prevention components as part of their Amsted Rail Truck and End-of-Car System purchases," said Brad Myers, vice president of Sales & Marketing for Amsted Rail.

The agreement to acquire the Hollube® Wear Eliminator product line will be finalized on May 27, 2011. After this date, all orders and shipments will be initiated through Amsted Rail Customer Service located in Granite City Illinois.

GE to open new locomotive plant in Texas

GE Transportation intends to open a new locomotive manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas, to meet accelerating global demand. GE will invest up to $96 million in the new plant and will create more than 500 new high-tech manufacturing jobs. GE also announced that it will expand its manufacturing workforce at its Erie, Pennsylvania, plant by hiring an additional 250 workers.

GE will build a 9,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to manufacture, assemble and remanufacture GE’s rail and transportation-related products, including GE’s most fuel-efficient locomotives to-date. Production is scheduled to start by 2012.

"Bringing more high-tech manufacturing jobs to Fort Worth is good news for the community and the people who live here," said Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. "GE has chosen well in deciding to locate its new plant in Denton County. The area’s highly trained workforce and strong business climate make it a prime location for these types of skilled jobs."

"We are excited to expand our operational footprint in the United States to better serve our customers," said Lorenzo Simonelli, President and CEO of GE Transportation. "We see robust growth in the U.S. and around the globe. A new site will help us to effectively respond to the cyclical demand in the transportation industry and to strengthen our overall position."

GE anticipates launching its formal hiring process for both salaried employees and production workers for the Texas facility later this year. Production workers include welders, assemblers, painters and related skilled labor.
The proposed location in Fort Worth will become final upon conclusion of pending local approval. The State of Texas will commit up to $4.2 million in incentives toward the project through the Texas Enterprise Fund.

WMATA trip planner now available on Google Maps

Riders of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Metro can now plan their trips using Google Maps online or with their mobile device.
Riders can now visit http://maps.google.com/, select "get directions" and the "public transit" icon, and enter their start and end address. People with mobile devices can use the Google Maps for Mobile application or by visiting m.google.com/maps on their phone’s browser.

"We are pleased to partner with Google to give our riders another convenient way to plan their trips on Metrobus and Metrorail," said Catherine Hudgins, chair of WMATA’s Board of Directors. "Google Maps is one of the most popular online mapping sites in the world, which will help local Metro riders plan their trips and assist visitors from around the globe."

NJ Transit advances light rail extension project

The NJ Transit Board of Directors has advanced a project that would extend Hudson-Bergen Light Rail service farther west in Jersey City. The project would help support Jersey City’s planned development on the Newark Bay waterfront while easing traffic congestion along the busy Route 440 corridor.

"The selection of a Locally Preferred Alternative is the next step toward improving transit options near the redevelopment and existing residential areas along the heavily-used Route 440," said Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chairman James Simpson. "An extension of light rail to this area would both support the development and address traffic congestion along Route 440 and secondary roads."

Following NJ Transit’s completion of an alternatives analysis to explore the feasibility of a western light rail extension across Route 440, the Board adopted a Locally Preferred Alternative and authorized its submission to the North Jersey Transportation Authority for designation and inclusion in the agency’s Long Range Regional Transportation Plan. The project must be included in the NJTPA’s Long Range Plan in order to be eligible for federal funding.

Under the LPA, the project would include construction of a 0.7-mile, two-track extension of the light rail system from the existing West Side Avenue Station across Route 440 to the northern end of a redevelopment zone along the Hackensack Riverfront. The extension would be constructed entirely on an elevated viaduct and would include a new center-island platform station.

The new station would link the Jersey City waterfront and North Hudson to new residential, commercial and retail development the municipality is planning approximately one-half mile west of West Side Avenue Station.

RailAmerica completes acquisition of Alabama railroads

RailAmerica, Inc., has completed its acquisition of three Alabama railroads for $12.7 million in cash. The three railroads, known individually as the Three Notch Railroad, the Wiregrass Central Railroad and the Conecuh Valley Railroad, were purchased from affiliates of Gulf and Ohio Railways, Inc.

 

CTA Board appoints Claypool as president

The Chicago Transit Board has appointed Forrest Claypool as president of the Chicago Transit Authority.

Claypool joins the CTA from Rise Health, where he served as president since 2008. He has experience in government serving two terms as a commissioner on the Cook County Board, Superintendent/CEO of the Chicago Park District, two-time Chief of Staff for Mayor Richard M. Daley, Deputy State Treasurer and Deputy Commissioner on the Cook County Board of Appeals.

"Forrest is a talented leader and a skilled manager who has extensive experience balancing budgets, finding efficiencies and making strategic capital investments," said Chicago Transit Board Chairman Terry Peterson. "He also has earned a reputation as a careful steward of tax dollars so he will be extremely valuable as we evaluate the ways we perform core functions in order to deliver the best value for taxpayers."

"I appreciate the support expressed by the Chicago Transit Board," said Claypool. "The CTA is a vital resource for this region and it is important that we be innovative and find ways to improve the quality and efficiency of service despite the economic challenges."

Claypool’s first day with the agency will be Monday, May 16. His annual salary has been set by the Chicago Transit Board at $198,000.

Amtrak ridership up nearly 10 percent in April

Amtrak ridership surged in April to be the best April on record and extends Amtrak’s streak to 18 consecutive months of year-over-year ridership growth.

Ridership for April 2011 was nearly 2.7 million passengers, which represents an increase of 9.9 percent over April 2010 and keeps Amtrak on the path to set a new annual ridership record.

This performance is part of a long-term trend that has seen Amtrak set annual ridership records in seven of the last eight fiscal years, including more than 28.7 million passengers in FY 2010.

Comparing the first seven months of FY 2011 (October – April) to the same time period in FY 2010, national Amtrak ridership is up 6.5 percent so far this fiscal year and all three major business lines are showing gains: the Northeast Corridor up 4.8 percent, state-supported and other short distance corridors up 8.1 percent and long-distance trains up 5.6 percent.

According to Amtrak, factors contributing to these record highs include strong Easter holiday travel in April, high gasoline prices which have trended higher, continued growth in business travel on the high-speed Acela Express trains with Wi-Fi service, the increased appeal and popularity of rail travel and effective marketing campaigns.

The streak of 18 consecutive months of year-over-year ridership growth began in November 2009.

Florida Tri-Rail members approve new contract

By a four-to-one margin, United Transportation Union member train and engine workers employed by Veolia Transportation, operator of South Florida Tri-Rail, have approved a new agreement.

The agreement includes pay increases retroactive to July 1, 2010, an increase in certification pay for engineers, certification-pay parity for conductors, overtime pay for employees assigned to training classes or examinations on rest days, improvement in bereavement leave, restrictions on the use of videos for purposes of discipline, a cap on health care insurance contributions and the addition of a vision plan.

NJ TRANSIT expands

NJ TRANSIT plans to expand the Quiet Commute program to rail lines that serve Hoboken Terminal, marking a systemwide rollout to peak-period trains.

"As NJ TRANSIT gets ready to roll out the final phase of the Quiet Commute program, I’d like to thank our customers and employees for their invaluable feedback during the initial pilot program and subsequent expansion earlier this year," said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein. "Quiet Commute has received a very positive response so far and we look forward to hearing from customers on our remaining lines who will soon be able to experience Quiet Commute for themselves."

Starting June 1, NJ TRANSIT will add Quiet Commute cars to all peak-period, peak-direction trains that begin or end their trips at Hoboken Terminal. This will expand the program to include the Pascack Valley, Main, Bergen County and Port Jervis lines, as well as additional trains on the Morris & Essex and Montclair-Boonton lines.

Existing Quiet Commute cars on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Midtown Direct and Raritan Valley lines will remain designated as the first and last cars. (Because peak periods are not defined on the Atlantic City Rail Line, Quiet Commute is not being offered.)

Quiet Commute cars are intended to provide a subdued environment for customers who wish to refrain from using cell phones and are willing to disable the sound feature on pagers, games, computers and other electronic devices. Conversations should be conducted in subdued voices and headphones should be used at a volume that cannot be heard by other passengers.

TriMet names Rail Operator of the Year

Gail Hanks is the second woman in the 25-year history of the Portland, Ore., TriMet Metropolitan Area Express light rail system to receive the Rail Operator of the Year award.

Hanks started driving a bus for TriMet in 2002 and switched to MAX in 2006. She operates on the Blue and Red lines out of the Elmonica rail yard in Beaverton.

Hanks is a lead operator, meaning she has earned two or more Superior Performance Awards, and has earned seven National Safety Council Safe Driver Awards. She also has experience operating the Portland Streetcar.

Hanks is known as a friendly operator who goes above and beyond to keep riders informed. A Blue Line rider said, "I love the fact that in the tunnel she says good morning and announces the time of day over the train’s intercom. I love it! Keep it up!"

Another rider said, "It’s so nice to hear such nice greetings first thing in the morning … from a stranger!"

Hanks said, "I enjoy having the opportunity to smile and wave to everyone from my ‘mobile office’ every day. I love when my riders smile or wave at me, too."

HDR providing construction services for Orange County grade-crossing projects

HDR will monitor utility relocation and inspect construction of a railroad detour as part of the project, which is located in Fullerton, Calif., along the BNSF. HDR is providing construction services, including utility coordination, BNSF coordination and structure and roadway inspection, as a subconsultant to Arcadis.

The Orange County Transportation Authority is conducting multiple grade separation projects that will separate vehicular traffic from rail traffic, to alleviate traffic impacts and enhance safety for at-grade rail crossings for several county intersections. The scope of the project involves building a railroad bridge to accommodate two BNSF tracks and a future third track, while Kraemer Boulevard and Crowther Avenue will be depressed to accommodate the undercrossing of BNSF lines.

 

Axion wins first tie order with Mexico

Axion International, producer of railroad ties made from 100 percent recycled plastic, has commenced its first test order of Axion’s Recycled Structural Composite with Ferromex, the largest railway line in Mexico.

Ferromex’s test order will be installed in various coastal regions in Mexico to provide an assessment of Axion’s capabilities in the harsh weather and salt-air environments. The salt in particular can lead to degradation of traditional building materials, at a much faster rate than the dry, salt-free climates further inland.

"Axion is thrilled to be working with the largest railway line in Mexico," said Steve Silverman, Axion’s president and CEO. "This represents yet another international validator for Axion, on top of Morocco, Canada and most recently, Australia. Ferromex is a very significant potential new client and we look forward to exceeding their expectations."

Ferromex has more than 8,000 kilometers (4,971 miles) of main tracks. This extensive network represents the largest coverage in Mexico’s National Railway System. It connects the main cities in the country as well as five points on the border with the United States, four sea ports on the Pacific Ocean and two more on the Gulf of Mexico.

"What caught our attention about Axion’s RSC is not only the fact that it is environmentally friendly, but that it might have the potential to become more economically efficient on a long-term basis, due to certain reductions in maintenance costs," said Juan Manuel Soler, Ferromex Maintenance of Operative Resources director. "We welcome Axion to supply their test product so we can properly evaluate it, following a suitable protocol, for Ferromex’s long-term consideration going forward."

Alstom Transport invests $3 million in Rochester facility expansion

In the last year, Alstom has invested more than $3 million to enhance its 150,000 square foot rail signaling manufacturing facility in West Henrietta, N.Y., enabling the site to accommodate approximately 200 new jobs.

"As gas prices rise and families look for environmentally-friendly transportation alternatives, President Obama is committed to making sure our freight and passenger rail networks move people and goods more quickly and efficiently than ever before," said Deputy Secretary John Porcari. "Thanks to companies like Alstom, American workers are building the rail lines and equipment that will allow us to compete and win in the global economy."

In addition to benefits realized through job creation linked to projects throughout the U.S., New York received several direct investments through the recent round of federal rail funding. These included $295 million to alleviate delays for trains traveling the Northeast Corridor in and out of Manhattan, $58 million to upgrade tracks, stations and signals along the state’s Empire Corridor and $1.4 million for a new intermodal station in Rochester.

Over the past six months, Alstom has secured several large-scale transportation projects valued at well over $300 million. Among these are an upgraded signaling and train control system for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, as well as a complete overhaul and modernization of 120 rail for the Delaware River Port Authority’s PATCO system. Alstom also marked several recent milestones in its North American signaling activities, including receipt of the first Federal Railroad Administration type approval for U.S. deployment of a fully-functional PTC system.

Guillaume Mehlman, Alstom Transport’s managing director in North America, said, "Alstom has seen first-hand how federal and state investments in rail transportation projects help companies like ours create good jobs. We are expanding our facility in Rochester and hiring several hundred people in order to meet additional demand created by such investments. We applaud federal, state and local policy makers who see the linkage between investing in the nation’s rail transportation system and creating good jobs."

 

Amtrak’s portion of federal funds will upgrade New York to Washington HSR Service

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Amtrak $450 million in funding to upgrade its rail infrastructure to support more frequent and faster high-speed rail service and to improve reliability of current service between New York and Washington, DC.

"With this investment by the Obama administration, the Amtrak vision for high-speed rail in the Northeast is now departing the station and heading down the tracks to help take America to the next generation of passenger service," said Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman.

The funding will go toward improvements in support of the Amtrak Gateway Project, which will construct new tunnels to access an expanded New York Penn Station, enhance regional economic development and job creation and lay the foundation for the future launch of 220 mph next-generation high-speed service.

Specifically, the $450 million awarded to Amtrak is for a project to upgrade electrical power, signal systems, track and overhead catenary wires between Morrisville, Pa., and New Brunswick, N.J. It also will reconfigure track switches at the western entrance to New York Penn Station to mitigate congestion issues. The anticipated completion date is in September 2017.

As a result, Amtrak top speeds will increase from 135 mph to 160 mph along a 24-mile section of track. Combined with new equipment acquisition currently in the planning stages, the project supports plans to add six more Acela Express high-speed roundtrips between New York and Washington by 2018 and a total of 15 additional roundtrips by 2022.

In addition to the $450 million received by Amtrak, several states were awarded a total of $345 million for other NEC-specific projects. Amtrak worked closely with its state partners along the NEC during the application process to coordinate projects in order to maximize the expected regional improvements.

 

CN to make C$37 million in capacity investments

Canadian National will investment C$37 million (US$38.47 million) in Alberta, Canada, to double track key segments of its high-volume main line east of Edmonton, add capacity to its rail line to the oil sands region of northern Alberta and improve velocity at its Walker Yard freight car classification facility in Edmonton.

Keith Creel, CN executive vice-president and chief operating officer, said, "CN is experiencing continued growth in Western Canadian freight volumes. We are making strategic rail investments in Alberta to increase network capacity and improve train velocity along our transcontinental main line between Edmonton and Winnipeg, and to be positioned to handle greater volumes of freight over our line to Fort McMurray, the gateway to Alberta’s oil sands production region."

CN’s capacity investments include:

C$12 million (US$12.47 million) to construct 3.5 miles of track between two sidings located approximately 20 miles east of Edmonton on the Wainwright Subdivision, creating 7.9 miles of double track.

C$12 million (US$12.47 million) to build 11,400 feet of track east of Clover Bar yard on the Wainwright Subdivision in the greater Edmonton area to facilitate switching in the terminal.

C$10 million (US$10.39 million) on CN’s secondary Lac La Biche Subdivision in northern Alberta to support additional traffic to and from Fort McMurray. CN’s Fort McMurray yard gives customers direct rail access to the major energy projects in development in the Athabasca, Peace River and Cold Lake oil sands regions.

C$3 million (US$3.12 million) to reconfigure tracks at Walker Yard in Edmonton to increase the velocity of the terminal in handling greater volumes of freight traffic.

Creel said, "These investments will help CN handle rising traffic levels and deliver greater supply chain efficiencies. CN is committed to greater productivity and service innovation to help our customers compete more effectively in their end markets."

Congressional delegation urges funding for BART’s Fleet of the Future train car replacement project

Members of the San Francisco Bay Area Congressional Delegation are urging their colleagues on the Senate and House Transportation Committees to provide funding for Bay Area Rapid Transit’s Fleet of the Future train car replacement project. In a letter to the Committee leadership, the Bay Area lawmakers called replacing BART’s aging train car fleet a "critical goal."

"In these difficult economic times, with contentious congressional debate, it is good to know our Bay Area Congressional delegation supports BART’s request for federal assistance to help finance the replacement of our train car fleet," BART Board President Bob Franklin said. "In addition to this federal support, in order to pay for our Fleet of the Future, we will also need strong local and state support to replace our cars after 40 years of service to this region."

The letter requests that any surface transportation legislation authorization provide $300 million in funding for the purchase of new train cars. The letter is signed by all nine members of the Bay Area Congressional delegation.

According to the American Public Transportation Association, BART’s existing fleet is the oldest fleet among large domestic transit agencies. Over the next decade, BART train cars will continue to degrade and become more and more obsolete technologically so BART is working to replace the entire fleet of train cars at a total cost of $3.4 billion.