Railroad News

The Jacksonville Port Authority (Jaxport) earlier this week announced it is deferring the application fee for all new Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) No. 64 applications received by July 31. 

An FTZ is a secured site within the United States, but technically considered outside of U.S. Customs' jurisdiction, allowing shippers to clear cargo as it leaves the FTZ while saving on import clearance costs.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Metra have reported ridership drops of over 80 percent, and project they will face millions of dollars in lost revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Metra ridership is projected to fall 97 percent in April, compared with the same month last year. Meanwhile, CTA ridership is down about 80 percent compared with normal levels, the Tribune reported.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) yesterday issued a letter to the New York State Congressional Delegation requesting an additional $3.9 billion in federal funding as Congress considers its next COVID-19 relief package. 

Last month, the MTA secured nearly $4 billion in federal funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. However, MTA is projecting significant additional losses as the pandemic in New York City worsens, MTA officials said in a press release.

Today, Progressive Railroading announced the names of 25 people chosen for recognition this year as Rising Stars in the North American railroad industry.

This is the eighth year Progressive Railroading has sponsored the Rising Stars Awards program. The magazine defines a Rising Star as someone under the age of 40 who has made, or is making, a positive impact on his or her company, organization, department or team, and is viewed by others — peers, colleagues, supervisors, clients or associates — as an up-and-coming leader in the rail industry.

Kansas City Southern today reported record revenue of $731.7 million for the first quarter, an 8 percent increase from first-quarter 2019. Overall carload volume rose 4 percent compared to the same period a year ago.

KCS officials said the Q1 revenue growth was led primarily by an 18 percent increase in its chemicals and petroleum business, which was boosted by higher refined fuel products and liquid petroleum gas shipments to Mexico.

The Greenbrier Cos. Inc. has suspended new rail-car production at its Gunderson manufacturing plan in Portland, Oregon, due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. About 200 workers will be affected by the suspension, company officials said in a press release. Greenbrier is adjusting production and staffing levels in response to current and anticipated levels of new freight-car demand.

Transfesa Logistics has launched a refrigerated express 72-hour rail route to transport essential, hygiene and medical products from Valencia and Murcia, Spain, to London. A lighter rail box car allows around 30 containers per train to be moved, Transfesa officials said in a press release. 

The Regional Transportation District of Denver (RTD) is looking to fill three vacancies on its Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC).

The 17-member citizens group advises the agency on RTD’s strategies, initiatives and transportation programs.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) crews earlier this week began replacing rail power cables on weekdays in downtown San Francisco, a project made possible by reduced ridership due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Previously, power cable replacement work was performed late at night and on Sundays. With reduced ridership on the system, BART crews are now able to start replacements earlier. 

TNW Corp. has hired Bobby Franklin as general manager of the Texas North Western Railway (TXNW) in Sunray, Texas.

Franklin has extensive experience in the rail industry, most recently serving as vice president at the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad. His previous roles include chief transportation at the New Orleans railroad, as well as terminal manager and superintendent during a 12-year career at CSX.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) earlier this week reached an agreement with its labor unions on family benefits for transportation workers who died of COVID-19.

The benefits include a payment of $500,000 from the MTA to the surviving family of any worker who lost their life as a result of COVID-19. The agency will also provide health insurance to the spouse and dependents of the worker for three years. 

American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Chairwoman Nuria Fernandez has established a task force to guide the transit agency's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The APTA Mobility Recovery and Restoration Task Force will be led by Phillip Washington, chief executive officer of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and former APTA chair. Serving as task force co-chairs are Joanna Pinkerton, president and CEO of Central Ohio Transit Authority; and Paul Wiedefeld, general manager and CEO of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on all business sectors continues to be reflected in U.S. freight-rail traffic numbers, with railroads logging 412,503 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending April 11, a 21.9 percent decrease compared with the same week in 2019, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Total carloads for the week were 198,726 units, down 23.8 percent. Intermodal volume was 213,777 containers and trailers, down 20 percent.

The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) has awarded a three-year contract to RailWorks Corp. to provide track and maintenance services for the Metro SubwayLink and Light RailLink divisions, the company announced yesterday.

RailWorks' track services subsidiary will perform all minor, major and preventive track maintenance, as well as emergency response services on the 77 miles of Metro SubwayLink and Light RailLink track within the state's system.

TransLink is seeking federal and provincial emergency relief funding to offset expenses incurred by providing essential transit service in Vancouver, British Columbia, during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

TransLink is losing CA$75 million per month due to low ridership levels on its SkyTrain and bus networks, falling fuel tax revenue and fare suspensions on its bus system, agency officials said in a press release.

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Cap Metro) commuter-rail riders must wear a mask or other facial covering, Austin, Texas, city officials announced this week.

City officials issued an order requiring the public to wear masks in all public facilities or when in locations where proper social distancing is not possible, including on transit vehicles. 

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has extended until April 28 the public review period of the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the Bakersfield-to-Palmdale section of the high-speed rail system.

The 15-day extension will allow stakeholders and the public to review and submit comments on the draft EIR during the COVID-19 pandemic, CHSRA officials said in a press release.

Amtrak, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New Jersey Transit, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and other regional transit operators are coming together tomorrow to simultaneously sound vehicle horns at 3 p.m. EST to honor essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The #SoundTheHorn campaign is meant to pay tribute to frontline workers, including train engineers.

The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) in March logged 13,870 rail moves at its Inland Port Greer and 1,614 at Inland Port Dillon.

The SCPA didn't announce year-over-year figures for March. However, Port Greer posted 113,790 rail moves so far in fiscal-year 2020 (July 2019 through March 2020), a 15 percent increase, and 24,507 rail moves at Port Dillon, up 17 percent compared with the same period a year ago, SCPA officials said in a press release.