Railroad News

The Denton County Transportation Authority's (DCTA) board has approved a fiscal-year 2018 strategic planning guidance report.

The report details the board's priorities for FY18, which runs form October 2017 through September 2018. The goals include preparing initial analysis of A-train service extensions north and south, and developing a legislative package to allow use of freight corridors for commuter rail.

The American Chemistry Council yesterday honored Norfolk Southern Railway with the Responsible Care® Partner of the Year Award for the Class I's exemplary performance and safety record in transporting chemicals.

NS was one of the three companies and the only freight railroad to receive the council's premier partner award. The award goes to high-performing companies involved in the distribution, transportation, storage, use, treatment, disposal, and sales and marketing of chemicals vital to American businesses and households, NS officials said in a press release.

Although Genesee & Wyoming Inc. posted a 32 percent jump in adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) in first-quarter 2018, the company's North American results were hurt in part by congestion at several connecting Class Is that limited car supply.

G&W reported Q1 2018 revenue increased 10.7 percent to $574.7 million from $519.1 million a year ago. Operating income rose 14.5 percent to $86.9 million, while adjusted operating income climbed 2.7 percent to $87.4 million compared to first-quarter 2017, company officials said today in a press release.

MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) this spring will enter the final phases of its $387.2 million double-track project.

Starting today and through May 18, LIRR crews will work around-the-clock to connect new track to the existing second track west of the station in Central Islip, New York. Workers also will install third rail in the same area.

TransLink has announced British Columbia Rapid Transit Co. (BCRTC) President and General Manager Vivienne King will step down May 16 to return to her native Australia.

BCRTC operates and maintains two of the three SkyTrain lines in Vancouver: the Expo Line and the Millennium Line. The company also operates the West Coast Express commuter-rail system.

Union Pacific Railroad announced last week it has established a $3 million partnership with the National Park Foundation (NPF) to help encourage younger generations to explore the national parks via the Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque movement.

"Union Pacific transported early park-goers to adventures out west," said Scott Moore, UP's senior vice president of corporate relations and chief administrative officer, in a press release. "Today, we deliver the goods Americans use every day to our nation's busiest cities and quietest towns, passing through rugged, beautiful landscapes. We traverse America's backyard, and we want the next generation to explore it."

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) last week called on MTA Metro-North Railroad to speed up its positive train control (PTC) implementation after a Federal Railroad Administration letter cast doubt on the railroad's ability to meet the Dec. 31 deadline to install the technology.

In a letter obtained by The Poughkeepsie Journal and The Journal News, FRA Administrator Ron Batory noted that Metro-North had installed 63 percent of the hardware needed for its PTC system. Batory also expressed concern about Metro-North's progress toward fully implementing PTC.

Watco Supply Chain Services LLC (WSCS) has purchased an interest in MID-SHIP Group LLC (MSG), which operates under three divisions: Marine, Logistics, and Kinder Morgan Logistics (KML).

Watco and MSG have had a long business relationship, particularly among MSG's logistics and KML business units and Watco's WSCS and Terminal and Port Services assets and operations. The new investment "further deepens that relationship and extends the companies' cooperation into marine chartering and international market expansion," Watco officials said in a press release.

The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) late last week awarded more than $2.6 billion in grants for rail and transit projects throughout the state.

In Southern California, grants were awarded to projects that are critical to preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games, which will be held in Los Angeles.

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) late last week toured Aaron Enterprises Inc.'s facility in York, Pennsylvania.

He was joined by representatives from Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and other York-based businesses, according to a press release issued by the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA), which coordinated the event.

The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission has awarded Siemens a contract to build four diesel-electric Charger locomotives, with an option to purchase four additional units. The contract, which includes additional services and equipment, is valued at about $30 million, Siemens spokeswoman Elizabeth Cho said in an email. The locomotives will operate on the Altamont Corridor Express, a commuter-rail service that runs between Stockton and San Jose, California. Delivery of the units is slated to begin in December 2019. The 4,400-horsepower Charger locomotives will meet the Environmental Protection Agency's Tier 4 emissions standard, Siemens officials said in a press release. The locomotives are currently in use in other parts of California, as well as in Illinois, Maryland and Washington.

TRAC Intermodal has announced that it's doubling the size of its mobile service unit (MSU) truck fleet to help accelerate chassis repairs and increase intermodal shipment velocity at key rail ramps across the United States. The company established its MSU program in 2016 to ensure that chassis are readily available for customers. The program provides needed repair capacity in select markets and has been expanded each year since it was launched, TRAC Intermodal officials said in a press release. The MSUs are staffed by TRAC mechanics trained in repairing chassis brakes, lights, tires and other equipment at rail ramp locations.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) board earlier this week passed a capital plan amendment to provide additional funding for accessibility improvements at subway stations.

The amendment includes $300 million to undertake critical station improvements such as adding elevators and redesigning stairs, mezzanines and platforms.

The California Transportation Commission has recommended awarding $78 million in grant funding for two grade separations along the Alameda Corridor-East (ACE) freight-rail corridor in eastern Los Angeles County, the Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority announced yesterday.

The proposed grants are among a statewide list of projects recommended for funding through California's new Trade Corridor Enhancement Program, which is administered by the commission.

Union Pacific Railroad yesterday provided an update on its positive train control (PTC) implementation effort through the first quarter.

As of March 31, the Class I had prepared eight additional track segments for PTC operations in the quarter, boosting the total number of segments to 176, or 97 percent completion.

Brightline tomorrow will launch simulated service to Miami.

The company will operate trains without passengers between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The simulated service is part of the required training and testing before revenue service begins "in the coming weeks," Brightline officials said in a press release.

During the week ending April 21, U.S. railroads moved 264,552 carloads and 274,873 intermodal loads, up 3.5 percent and 8.9 percent, respectively, compared with the same 2017 period, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total weekly U.S. rail traffic reached 539,425 units, up 6.2 percent year over year.