Railroad News

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (Metro) board has approved further study of two northern alignments for the proposed West Santa Ana Branch light-rail line.

The entire 20-mile line would run from downtown Los Angeles to Artesia, California. One proposed alignment for the line's northern segment would connect to Los Angeles Union Station, while the other would transfer to other Metro rail lines that travel to Union Station.

More than 3,000 conductors and locomotive engineers represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference-Train & Engine (TCRC) at Canadian Pacific went on strike last night, Teamsters Canada announced.

The strike began at 10 p.m. yesterday after the union and CP could not agree to a new contract. Negotiations with the company are ongoing, Teamsters Canada officials said in a statement.

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Progressive Railroading and RailTrends® have named Association of American Railroads President and Chief Executive Officer Ed Hamberger the 2018 recipient of the Railroad Innovator Award, which recognizes an individual's outstanding achievement in the rail industry.


Massachusetts-based Device Technologies Inc. (DTi) announced that its Spring-Fast® SL-FST Transit and Rail Series wire protection grommet edging has met the EN 45545-2 European fire standard, which is mandatory for all rolling stock materials operating in Europe starting this year. The product also meets the related ASTM requirements for flame, smoke and toxicity standards. Companies that serve both the North American and European rail equipment industry now can have "unified design specifications for grommet edging," DTi officials said in a press release.

Strato Inc. has received TTX Co.'s 2017 Supplier Evaluation Committee (SECO) award for the 22nd consecutive year. TTX rates suppliers on quality, cost, delivery, service, finance and administration. Suppliers are also ranked on their ability to provide "the highest quality, most reliable equipment at the lowest cost," Strato officials said in a press release. Strato manufactures airbrake hoses and components, as well as freight and passenger car parts, castings and fabrications, and custom product design and engineering engineering services.

Last month marked the busiest April ever for the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), with the Port of Savannah moving 356,700 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) for the month.

That figure marked a 7.1 percent increase over April 2017. So far this fiscal year, GPA has moved more than 3.4 million TEUs total, an 8.8 percent increase over the first 10 months of FY2017.

Frederick "Bud" Wright will retire as executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) by year's end.

Wright has been serving as AASHTO's seventh executive director since November 2012. During his tenure, he led the association's development of a strategic plan that included all transportation modes, AASHTO officials said in a press release.

The U.S. House Appropriations Committee last week approved a $71.8 billion transportation, housing and urban development funding bill for fiscal-year 2019.

The legislation provides $13.6 billion for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), marking a $141 million increase over FY 2018. That funding includes $2.6 billion for the FTA's Capital Investment Grant (CIG) program, which provides funding for major transit projects, such as new light-rail lines and commuter-rail systems.

The League of Railway Women (LRW) is accepting nominations for the 2018 Outstanding Woman of the Year Award.

Co-sponsored by Progressive Railroading, the award is presented annually to a woman who has made significant contributions to the rail industry through leadership, dedication and vision. Women working in the North American rail industry are eligible for the recognition.

Norfolk Southern Railway is the latest railroad company to announce its membership in the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Joining BiTA will help NS "identify opportunities where blockchain can be used to improve the transportation supply chain for our customers," said Fred Ehlers, NS' vice president information technology and chief information officer, in a press release.
 
A consortium of more than 250 transportation and logistics companies, BiTA seeks to cultivate a set of industry benchmarks, educate the market, and advance blockchain technology and its transportation and logistics applications within the supply chain.

New Jersey Transit has begun piloting new interactive touchscreen kiosks at certain commuter-rail and Hudson-Bergen light-rail stations.

The new technology — which now is in place at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken Terminal and two light-rail stations — is part of the agency's attempt to improve communication with customers, NJ Transit officials said in a press release.

California has approved a $750,000 grant to help connect the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) rail systems.

The grants will help fund planning for the ACE-BART connection, according to a press release issued by the Tri-Valley—San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority.

Kansas City Southern has promoted Ginger Adamiak to vice president of energy, industrial development and commercial innovation, the Class I announced yesterday.

Adamiak previously served as VP of energy and short-line relations. Her promotion is part of the KCS' realignment of its commercial innovation and industrial development functions to create one organization focused on developing new revenue streams, said Executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer Brian Hancock in a press release.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's (SEPTA) board yesterday approved a $749.62 million capital budget for fiscal-year 2019, which starts July 1.

The budget includes funds to renew critical infrastructure, replace aging vehicles and improve technology, SEPTA officials said in a press release. For example, the agency has set aside $42 million to improve signals, interlockings, dispatching and operations management systems, and other technologies.

BNSF Railway Co. has certified the Ceres Global Ag Corp.'s terminal site for development in Northgate, Saskatchewan.

The goal of the Class I's certification program is to identify business parks, logistics centers and other rail-served sites in its network that have a high potential for development.

Norfolk Southern Railway, New York state and local officials yesterday dedicated the new steel arch railroad bridge that spans the Genesee River in Letchworth State Park in Castile.

Built under a public-private partnership, the $75 million bridge expands freight-rail capacity and economic opportunities for businesses and communities across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes, NS officials said in a press release.