Railroad News

Amtrak posted record ridership, revenue and earnings in fiscal-year 2017, which ended Sept. 30, railroad officials announced yesterday.

In FY2017, Amtrak's ridership increased 1.5 percent to 31.7 million passenger trips and total revenue rose 1.1 percent to $3.2 billion compared with figures in FY2016, according to an Amtrak press release.

The Delachaux Group is launching a rebranding effort aimed at bringing the entirety of its rail businesses under the Pandrol brand.

The Delachaux Group says the move enhances its commitment to the rail infrastructure market and comes as part of a strategic review to make the products and services more streamlined for customers and create a synergy from the combined strengths of its rail division businesses.

The Delachaux Group is launching a rebranding effort aimed at bringing the entirety of its rail businesses under the Pandrol brand.

The Delachaux Group says the move enhances its commitment to the rail infrastructure market and comes as part of a strategic review to make the products and services more streamlined for customers and create a synergy from the combined strengths of its rail division businesses.

The Delachaux Group is launching a rebranding effort aimed at bringing the entirety of its rail businesses under the Pandrol brand.

The Delachaux Group says the move enhances its commitment to the rail infrastructure market and comes as part of a strategic review to make the products and services more streamlined for customers and create a synergy from the combined strengths of its rail division businesses.

A market research study has found that shippers are spending more than 80 hours a month on procuring rail services for existing assets, indicating a greater need for efficiency.

In May, Commtrex Inc. and Rockwood Steel LLC partnered to conduct market research on 52 shippers and their practices related to shipping, leasing, buying, selling, storing and servicing rail cars. Commtrex is an electronic marketplace for the rail industry; Rockwood is a railroad management consulting business.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in January will increase adult fares from $2 to $2.25.

The cost of a monthly pass will jump from $70 to $80. However, VTA will decrease youth fares from $1.75 to $1. The new fare structure also includes free transfers for two hours between all VTA vehicles for riders who purchase electronic fares, agency officials said in a press release.

The Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) has begun construction of a new automobile processing terminal, the first phase of a multi-year project aimed at increasing the port's vehicle handling capacity by 25 percent.

When completed, the new terminal will add more than 100 acres of processing and storage space at the port's Dames Point Marine Terminal.

The intermodal business drove volume growth for U.S. railroads in the week ending Nov. 11, as they logged 547,480 carloads and intermodal units, a 1.2 percent increase compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week fell 3.3 percent to 263,265 carloads, but intermodal volume rose 5.6 percent to 284,215 containers and trailers compared with the same week in 2016, according to Association of American Railroads' (AAR) data.

Services were held for Helmut Schroeder, 78, founder of Railquip Inc., a supplier of rail and maintenance of way equipment, who died Oct. 30 following an illness.

Schroeder was born in Dortmund, Germany, and came to the United States in 1966 as vice president of sales for Hoesch Manufacturing, where he was in charge of market development in North America.

Services were held for Helmut Schroeder, 78, founder of Railquip Inc., a supplier of rail and maintenance of way equipment, who died Oct. 30 following an illness.

Schroeder was born in Dortmund, Germany, and came to the United States in 1966 as vice president of sales for Hoesch Manufacturing, where he was in charge of market development in North America.

Services were held for Helmut Schroeder, 78, founder of Railquip Inc., a supplier of rail and maintenance of way equipment, who died Oct. 30 following an illness.

Schroeder was born in Dortmund, Germany, and came to the United States in 1966 as vice president of sales for Hoesch Manufacturing, where he was in charge of market development in North America.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday proposed a record $10.8 billion budget for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in fiscal years 2018-2019.

The budget would provide $171.6 million in seaport infrastructure improvements, including $23.5 million for the Port of Jacksonville's channel deepening and widening project.

Amtrak in January will kick off the next phase of infrastructure renewal at Penn Station in New York City.

The projects include replacing tracks 15 and 18, as well as renewing and replacing three turnouts in the "C" interlocking, which directs Amtrak and MTA Long Island Rail Road trains heading east to Sunnyside Yard in Queens, New York.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) Board of Directors has approved a contract for early train operator services to DB Engineering & Consulting USA.

The early train operator will aid the CHSRA in its work planning, designing and implementing the first U.S. high-speed rail system.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) Board of Directors has approved a contract for early train operator services to DB Engineering & Consulting USA.

The early train operator will aid the CHSRA in its work planning, designing and implementing the first U.S. high-speed rail system.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) Board of Directors has approved a contract for early train operator services to DB Engineering & Consulting USA.

The early train operator will aid the CHSRA in its work planning, designing and implementing the first U.S. high-speed rail system.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority's (CHSRA) board yesterday approved an early train operator contract with DB Engineering and Consulting USA.

The firm is the U.S. arm of Deutsche Bahn AG. As early train operator, DB Engineering and Consulting will assist CHSRA with planning, designing and implementing the state's high-speed rail program.

The Canadian government this week filed a lawsuit against OmniTRAX Inc. for breach of contract in its failure to repair and resume operation of a portion of a rail line into Churchill, Manitoba.

The announcement followed OmniTRAX's announcement that it intends to ask for arbitration under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

MTA Metro-North Railroad has completed infrastructure repair work on its Port Jervis Line, the railroad announced earlier this week.

Crews made structural repairs at the Moodna and Woodbury viaducts, and removed a defunct overhead bridge at Day Road in Campbell Hall, New York.

The U.S. Senate's version of the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" would eliminate or alter tax code provisions in ways that would discourage investment in the nation's public transportation system, according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

Like the House's version, the Senate's tax legislation fails to address the challenges of the Highway Trust Fund's potential insolvency, APTA Acting President and Chief Executive Officer Richard White said in a prepared statement.