Railroad News

October was the best month for U.S. intermodal traffic in history, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported yesterday.

U.S. railroads' carload traffic last month declined 0.1 percent to 1,065,777 units, but the number of intermodal units rose 6.4 percent to 1,144,157 containers and trailers compared with October 2016 figures, AAR officials said in a press release.

Robert Vaughan has been named to the governing board of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA).

He'll serve as the business representative for the Broward County Board of County Commissioners, SFRTA officials said in a press release.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) later this month will host three public hearings on the King of Prussia Rail project.

To be held Nov. 13 and 15, the meetings will include an open house and presentation about the project, which calls for extending SEPTA's Norristown High Speed Line into King of Prussia and Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania.

Popular Science magazine has recognized Sound Transit's technology for operating light-rail trains across a floating bridge as one of the most important engineering innovations of 2017.

As part of its 14-mile East Link extension, the agency plans to build light rail on the Homer M. Hadley vehicular bridge over Lake Washington near Seattle

New Jersey Transit has lengthened the light-rail platforms by 25 feet at the Exchange Place Station in Jersey City, the agency announced earlier this week.

At 190 feet, the extended platforms now can accommodate extended light-rail cars on the Hudson-Bergen Line. The longer cars contain 102 seats, while the regularly sized units have 68 seats. The extended cars also feature more room for riders to stand.

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor will receive a $9.85 million FASTLANE small project grant toward the port's nearly $20 million expansion, port officials announced yesterday.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao confirmed the port received congressional approval for the grant, according to a Ports of Indiana press release.

Amtrak launched Northeast Regional daily service to and from Roanoke, Virginia, yesterday, returning passenger-rail service to the city for the first time in nearly four decades.

Amtrak, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and Roanoke officials partnered to bring the service back to the city, marking the fourth expansion of Amtrak service in Virginia since 2009.

Total intermodal volumes rose 6.3 percent in third-quarter 2017 compared with the same period a year ago, marking the strongest growth rate in three years, the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) reported today.
 
During the quarter, international volume climbed 8.2 percent, the domestic container market increased 3.8 percent and trailer loads posted the strongest growth number at 8.4 percent compared with third-quarter 2016, according to IANA's "Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics" report.

"This quarter's results show a continued recovery for all three intermodal segments, marking three consecutive quarters of growth, a first in six years," said IANA President and Chief Executive Officer Joni Casey.

Hensel Phelps Construction Co. awarded a $28 million design-build subcontract to Granite Construction Inc. to work on Sound Transit's planned light-rail operations and maintenance facility in Bellevue, Washington. Granite's scope of work includes site demolition, site grading, utilities installation, pedestrian-trail construction and asphalt paving. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2017 and will wrap up by late 2020. The facility will provide storage and maintenance for 96 light-rail vehicles.

American Railcar Industries Inc. (ARI) reported third-quarter 2017 net income of $8.9 million, or 46 cents a share, compared with $7.7 million, or 40 cents a share, in the same period in 2016. Total revenue for the quarter fell 17 percent to $120.7 million versus $145 million last year. The drop resulted from decreased revenue in the manufacturing segment, partially offset by increased revenue in the rail-car leasing and services segments. During 2017's third quarter, ARI shipped 618 rail cars for direct sale and 338 rail cars for lease versus 855 units for direct sale and 322 cars for lease during the same period last year.

Caltrain this week will host community meetings to share information on its electrification project.

The first will take place tomorrow in Redwood City, California. Caltrain staff will be on hand to discuss how the electrification project will affect the city and the North Fair Oaks neighborhood.

The League of Railway Industry Women (LRIW) has appointed Tanis Peterson president, the association announced yesterday.

Peterson serves as director of operations and regulatory affairs for the Railway Association of Canada. She began her rail career as a conductor for Canadian Pacific.

The Port of South Louisiana will invest $9.5 million to build a railroad for Dow St. Charles that will be capable of handling 250 rail cars, port officials announced yesterday.

The port will provide property and the railroad, which Dow will lease, according to a press release.

New York City is the most sustainable city for transportation in North America, according to Arcadis' recent "sustainable cities mobility index."

The index ranks sustainable transportation practices across 100 cities worldwide. The index takes into account more than 20 mobility elements that are essential to a city's competitive advantage, economy and sustainability, Arcadis officials said in a press release.

American Resources Corp., through its subsidiary Quest Energy Inc. and Deane Mining LLC, has shipped its first unit train of thermal coal from a previously idled Mill Creek coal preparation plant in Letcher County, Kentucky, the company announced late last week.

The plant's operation is made possible in part through the start of the Access Energy underground mine, which belts directly to the plant's raw coal stockyard, according to a press release issued by American Resources.

Watco Cos. subsidiary Watco Transloading LLC announced last week that it has acquired a stevedoring and transloading business in Oklahoma, as well as a 12-acre rail-served transload facility in the state.

Watco acquired the transload facility in Oklahoma City from Base Inc. Doing business as Watco Terminal & Port Services, the rail-served facility handles construction-industry materials including bricks, shingles and lumber, according to a Watco press release.

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. reported third-quarter financial results that were "modestly weaker than expected," with diluted earnings per share of 80 cents compared with 98 cents in the same period a year ago, company officials announced today.

G&W's third-quarter operating revenue rose 15 percent to $577 million from $501 million, while operating income increased 21 percent to $111.5 million from $91.85 million during the same period in 2016, according to a company press release.

Metrolink on Oct. 21 marked its 25th anniversary.

The Southern California commuter railroad operates a 538-route-mile system that travels through six counties, including Los Angeles. The system serves 400 million passengers each year.