Railroad News

Rail News Home Short Lines & Regionals 5/19/2017 Rail News: Short Lines & Regionals
Womack (left) chats with A&M Chairman Caren Kraska and Chief Engineer John Cummings.Photo –

Rail News Home Railroading People 5/19/2017 Rail News: Railroading People
The Coalition for America's Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC) this week re-elected four board members and marked the organization's 16th anniversary.Re-elected to the board are John Creighton, co-chair of the Northwest Seaport Alliance; Kerry Cartwright, director of goods movement at the Port of Los Angeles; John Greuling, president and chief executive officer of Will County Center for Economic Development; and Bob Ledoux, vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Florida East Coast Railway."CAGTC's leadership and membership continue to provide an important national voice advocating for the freight network's critical role supporting U.S. economic competitiveness in the global marketplace," said CAGTC Chairman Tim Lovain in a press release.Since its founding 16 years ago, CAGTC has supported the development of a multimodal freight-specific grant program that distributes money to projects on a competitive basis using economic criteria. Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 5/19/2017

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 5/19/2017 Rail News: Passenger Rail
Chao plans to wait for Congress to approve all the needed funds.Photo – U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation

Rail News Home Amtrak 5/19/2017 Rail News: Amtrak
The Siemens locomotive will be used on the Amtrak Cascades route.Photo – WSDOT's Flickr account

Rail News Home Union Pacific Railroad 5/19/2017 Rail News: Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad this year will invest $41 million in its infrastructure in Wyoming. The railroad has slotted $38 million for track maintenance and $2.8 million for bridge maintenance, UP officials said yesterday in a press release.One key project involves replacing 68,579 ties and installing 21,967 tons of ballast on the rail line in eastern Goshen and Niobrara counties. That work is expected to cost $10 million.UP also has set aside $7 million to replace 58,382 ties and install nearly 39,375 tons of ballast between Wamsutter and Rock Springs.From 2012 to 2016, UP invested more than $243 million in Wyoming's transportation infrastructure, according to the railroad.The Class I in late March began unveiling its state-by-state infrastructure plans. Since then, UP has announced investment plans for rail improvements in Nevada, Kansas, Oklahoma and Utah. Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 5/19/2017

Rail News Home Union Pacific Railroad 5/19/2017 Rail News: Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad this year will invest $41 million in its infrastructure in Wyoming. The railroad has slotted $38 million for track maintenance and $2.8 million for bridge maintenance, UP officials said yesterday in a press release.One key project involves replacing 68,579 ties and installing 21,967 tons of ballast on the rail line in eastern Goshen and Niobrara counties. That work is expected to cost $10 million.UP also has set aside $7 million to replace 58,382 ties and install nearly 39,375 tons of ballast between Wamsutter and Rock Springs.From 2012 to 2016, UP invested more than $243 million in Wyoming's transportation infrastructure, according to the railroad.The Class I in late March began unveiling its state-by-state infrastructure plans. Since then, UP has announced investment plans for rail improvements in Nevada, Kansas, Oklahoma and Utah. Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 5/19/2017

The KC Streetcar Authority (KCSA), in coordination with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), is planning to expand transportation services.

KCSA and KCATA selected the team led by HDR to conduct a KC Streetcar Southern Extension study to assess multi- modal transportation needs. The KC Streetcar Southern Extension Technical Services will build upon the downtown streetcar service and will support work required to further develop and advance the southern extension towards the University of Missouri, Kansas City (UMKC).

The KC Streetcar Authority (KCSA), in coordination with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), is planning to expand transportation services.

KCSA and KCATA selected the team led by HDR to conduct a KC Streetcar Southern Extension study to assess multi- modal transportation needs. The KC Streetcar Southern Extension Technical Services will build upon the downtown streetcar service and will support work required to further develop and advance the southern extension towards the University of Missouri, Kansas City (UMKC).

Rail News Home Federal Legislation & Regulation 5/19/2017 Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation
U.S. Sens. Mark Warner  (D-Va.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) this week reintroduced legislation to establish a new infrastructure financing authority that would help states and local governments leverage private funds to build and maintain infrastructure.The Building and Renewing Infrastructure for Development and Growth in Employment (BRIDGE) Act would help to address "the nation's alarming investment shortfall in maintaining the transportation network, water and wastewater systems and energy infrastructure," according to a press release issued by Warner's office."The BRIDGE Act offers a bold, bipartisan solution to help address our infrastructure needs by incentivizing private investment and pairing it with public resources," said Warner. "This legislation will set a clear framework that will help create jobs, expand U.S. commerce and trade, and keep American businesses competitive."The bill is cosponsored by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).Under the bill, the authority would receive initial seed funding of up to $10 billion in federal dollars, which would be used to trigger private-sector investment in projects worth $300 billion.Meanwhile, the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) private-sector business members met this week with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and with U.S. Department of Transportation officials to advocate for "robust public-transit funding" in the federal budget as well as any new infrastructure bill, according to an APTA press release.In addition, the APTA members also met with lawmakers to fend off threats to public transportation programs as proposed by President Donald Trump's administration."The private sector is focused on creating jobs and growing the economy, but it is crucial that we have a federal partner that helps facilitate a safe and efficient national transportation network, of which public transportation is a critical component," said Jeff Wharton, who chairs the APTA Business Member Board of Governors. "Public transportation relieves congestion for goods moving to market, improves individual mobility and allows the national transportation network to operate efficiently."In his fiscal-year 2018 budget proposal made earlier this year, Trump recommended cutting billions of dollars from existing transportation and public-transit infrastructure programs. He also called for elimination of federal funding for Amtrak's national passenger-rail network.The Trump administration has advocated the use of federal dollars to spur private-sector investment in infrastructure. Trump's $1 trillion infrastructure plan — which his Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao this week said would be unveiled in the coming weeks — is expected to rely on measures that leverage public-private partnerships, regulatory reform and limited direct federal funding.However, direct federal funding of public transportation must underpin any new infrastructure plan, said APTA Acting President and Chief Executive Officer Richard White."While financing, public-private partnerships and regulatory reform are important, those tools require direct federal funding to be effective," White said. "Using existing public transportation programs is the most efficient way to address our infrastructure needs, create new jobs and boost private sector growth." Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 5/19/2017

Rail News Home Shippers 5/19/2017 Rail News: Shippers
M. Holland Co. yesterday announced the opening of a new break-bulk terminal in Tultitlan, Mexico, which will be served by a division of Ferrocarril Mexicano S.A. de C.V. (Ferromex).Located in a secure industrial park, the new facility features 80,000 square feet of warehouse space, a separate break-bulk and processing building that contains packaging and pulverizing equipment, and headquarter offices for the company's Latin American operations, M. Holland officials said in a press release. M. Holland is a distributor of thermoplastic resins."We consolidated two separate facilities in the Mexico City area into one highly efficient and perfectly located operation with ample room for our projected growth," said Xavier Lebrija, director general of M. Holland Latino America. "In the process, we tripled our resin pulverizing capacity and doubled our bagging capacity."The new terminal will unload two rail cars at a time indoors and can accommodate up to 12 cars on a rail spur within the industrial park. Additional track storage is available in an adjacent yard with daily switching. Ferrovalle, a division of Ferromex, will provide the rail service."Our mission is to be to be a trusted partner to both suppliers and customers, many of whom need reliable supply chains in a global marketplace," said M. Holland Chief Executive Officer Ed Holland. "We're making the necessary investments to be that reliable channel to market." Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 5/19/2017

5/19/2017    

Rail News: Mechanical

The Valley Metro Rail Board has authorized the purchase of rail fleet from two manufacturers to support future growth and service expansion.

Valley Metro awarded contracts to two manufacturers. Siemens Industry will receive a contract estimated at $57.9 million for the manufacture of 11 S70 light rail vehicles (LRVs) over a seven-year period. Brookville Equipment will receive a contract estimated at $33 million for manufacture of six off-wire capable, battery propulsion streetcar vehicles over a three-year period.

The Valley Metro Rail Board has authorized the purchase of rail fleet from two manufacturers to support future growth and service expansion.

Valley Metro awarded contracts to two manufacturers. Siemens Industry will receive a contract estimated at $57.9 million for the manufacture of 11 S70 light rail vehicles (LRVs) over a seven-year period. Brookville Equipment will receive a contract estimated at $33 million for manufacture of six off-wire capable, battery propulsion streetcar vehicles over a three-year period.

Union Pacific plans to spend $41 million in Wyoming rail this year to improve its infrastructure. The state spending plan is part of the Class 1's $3.1-billion 2017 capital program.

$38 million of the Wyoming budget will go toward maintaining track, while $42.8 million will to toward bridge maintenance. UP plans to spend $10 million in the rail line in eastern Goshen and Niobara counties to replace 68,579 concrete railroad ties and install 21,967 tons of rock ballast. Another $7 million investment will take place in the rail line between Wamsutter and Rock Springs to replace 58,382 railroad ties and install 39,375 tons of rock ballast.

Union Pacific plans to spend $41 million in Wyoming rail this year to improve its infrastructure. The state spending plan is part of the Class 1's $3.1-billion 2017 capital program.

 

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 5/18/2017 Rail News: Passenger Rail
The track work is part of TriMet's Morrison-Yamhill MAX light-rail improvement projects.Photo – TriMet

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 5/18/2017 Rail News: Passenger Rail
Rendering of a South Shore Line train in Hammond, Ind.Photo – nictdwestlake.com

Rail News Home Railroading People 5/18/2017 Rail News: Railroading People
Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) announced three new members have been elected to the national nonprofit organization's board.The new members are Kenneth Elkins, manager of hazmat compliance at the Association of American Railroads' (AAR) Bureau of Explosives; Martin Conway, deputy chief of the Amtrak Police Department in the New York Division; and Suzanne Te Beau Rohde, vice president of government affairs and policy for the American Bus Association (ABA).Elkins replaces Michael Martino, who retired form AAR as senior director on May 1; Conway replaces Michael Logue, Amtrak's chief safety officer who stepped down from the board in advance of his upcoming retirement; and Rohde fills a seat formerly held by ABA's Clyde Hart."OLI's new board members share a passion for rail safety and are all dedicated to our mission to prevent deaths and injuries at railroad crossings and near tracks," said OLI President and Chief Executive Officer Bonnie Murphy in a press release. "We are extremely grateful to them, as well as their outgoing counterparts, for their innovative leadership and careful stewardship of our national rail safety education efforts."The new members were elected last week at OLI's board meeting in Washington, D.C. Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 5/18/2017

NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors authorized a vote to enter into an early action contract with PKF-Mark III Inc., of Newtown, Pa., for the amount of $14.5 million, plus five percent for contingencies, subject to the availability of funds.

NJ TRANSIT says the vote is "another step toward improving service reliability on the Northeast Corridor by moving forward with the Portal Bridge North Project."

Rail News Home Rail Industry Trends 5/18/2017 Rail News: Rail Industry Trends
U.S. rail traffic climbed 5.7 percent to 526,970 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending May 13 compared with the same period a year ago, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).U.S. railroads logged 255,361 carloads, up 7 percent, and 271,609 containers and trailers, up 4.4 percent compared with a year ago. Nine of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR follows on a weekly basis posted increases compared with the same week a year ago. They included grain, up 26.3 percent to 23,256 carloads; coal, up 14.5 percent to 74,290 carloads; and nonmetallic minerals, up 6.5 percent to 38,167 carloads.The only commodity group to post a decrease for the week was petroleum and petroleum products, which plummeted 20 percent to 9,387 carloads.Also during the week, Canadian railroads' carload volume rose 20.4 percent to 78,046 carloads and intermodal volume increased 17.6 percent to 68,038 units compared with a year ago. However, Mexican railroads' carload volume declined 6.1 percent to 15,898 carloads, while intermodal volume rose 2.1 percent to 12,084 units compared with last year.For the first 19 weeks of 2017, U.S. railroads reported total combined traffic of 9,829,358 carloads and intermodal units, up 4 percent; Canadian railroads posted cumulative volume of 2,698,147 carloads, containers and trailers, up 10.7 percent; and Mexican railroads posted 498,560 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.2 percent, compared with the period last year. Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 5/18/2017