Railroad News

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has begun evaluating ideas to modernize its business model and increase revenue.

The association's total number of members and yearly revenue have remained generally flat for more than 10 years, APTA Chair Doran Barnes wrote in his "Observations and Aspirations" newsletter.

The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority in Austin, Texas, yesterday announced that Linda Watson will retire as the agency's president and chief executive officer by year's end.

She's held the position for more than seven years. Watson came to Austin from Orlando, Florida, where she served as leader of LYNX, the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority.

Govs. Andrew Cuomo of New York and Chris Christie of New Jersey yesterday announced new leadership appointments at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ).

Kevin O'Toole has been named chairman of the board, while Rick Cotton has been appointed the authority's executive director, according to a press release jointly issued by the governors.

Michael Lefevre, 28

Job description: As director of the Operations Control Center (OCC) of the Brightline intercity passenger-rail service in southeastern Florida, Lefevre designed and implemented procedures for monitoring, reporting and streamlining daily operations. With the support of the five teammates who staff the OCC, Lefevre is responsible for delivering real-time updates on train performance, fielding all situational calls from Brightline trains and stations, and initiating schedule changes as necessary.

Education: Bachelor of Arts degree, Duke University

The number of riders who said they were satisfied with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) commuter-rail service has nearly doubled over the past two years, according to a recent survey.

Of the riders who participated in the survey, 32 percent said they're satisfied with the MBTA's commuter-rail service. That marks an increase from another survey conducted in spring 2015, when just 18 percent of passengers said they were satisfied with the agency's commuter rail.

Gulf & Ohio Railways Inc. (G&O) announced leadership appointments effective today at locomotive manufacturer Knoxville Locomotive Works Inc. (KLW).

Michael Wester has been named executive vice president; Tom German, general manager; and Scott Gatewood, chief design engineer, said KLW President Pete Claussen in a press release.

Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario (IO) have issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for firms to design, build and finance GO Transit rail station improvement projects.

The infrastructure upgrades are needed to accommodate service increases resulting from the GO Regional Express Rail (RER) project, which calls for electrifying core segments of GO Transit's network.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has issued a draft environmental impact report for its proposed Livermore extension in California.

The project involes adding 5.5 miles of rail along Interstate-580 and building a new station. The extension would link an existing station in Pleasanton to a new one in Livermore.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) yesterday announced a proposal that would make it easier for public-private partnerships to be formed in public transportation projects.

The proposed Private Investment Project Procedures for public transportation capital projects will help the federal government develop "more effective approaches" to spurring private participation and investment in project planning, development, finance, design, construction, maintenance and operation, according to an FTA press release.

Rail-car orders in the second quarter totaled 17,665 units compared with 4,814 units in the first quarter and 7,555 units in second-quarter 2016, according to quarterly statistics released last week by the Railway Supply Institute's American Railway Car Institute Committee (ARCI).

Car deliveries in Q2 increased to 10,625 units from Q1 deliveries of 10,042 units. However, they decreased in the last quarter compared with Q2 2016's deliveries of 15,655 units.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today will begin holding hearings to solicit public input the draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for the Hudson River rail tunnel project.

The FRA will hold two sessions today. Hearings also are scheduled for Thursday and 10. Each meeting will include afternoon and evening sessions.

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. reported second-quarter operating revenue rose 7.8 percent to $540.4 million, while operating income increased 16.2 percent to $101.3 million compared with the same quarter in 2016.

G&W's adjusted operating income in the quarter rose 13.3 percent to $107.4 million compared with $94.7 million in Q2 2016, according to a G&W press release.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) yesterday warned rail workers of the risks of working on tracks using only a watchman or lookout to provide the train-approach warning.

Issued yesterday, Safety Alert No. 066 was prompted in part by the deaths of two rail workers who died after being struck by a train while working on track in South Dakota. The NTSB investigation into the January accident found that the sight distance used by the worker serving as the lookout was about half the distance required by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Darrell Krueger, 35

Job description: Krueger is a mechanical engineer. He tests and evaluates many parts of the railroad, from alternative fuels to hand tools. He also works on derailment investigation and cause-finding.

Education: Auburn University, B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) on Aug. 5 will kick off a capital improvement project to rebuild a Green Line interlocking.

The project involves replacement of four switches, as well as signal upgrades, power cable renewal, grout pad replacement, station rehabilitation, preventive maintenance and replacement of 1,500 crossties on a 4.5-mile section of track.

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) logged a record 3.85 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in fiscal-year 2017, a 6.7 percent increase, or 242,221 more TEUs, over last year, the authority recently announced.

In the last half of FY2017, the Port of Savannah moved 1.99 million TEUs for a growth rate of 11.6 percent over the same period in FY2016, according to a GPA press release.

Strobel Energy Group has signed a contract to design and construct an ethyl acetate facility in Nebraska that will be served by BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad.

Strobel officials announced late last week that the company has signed an engineering, procurement and construction agreement with Prairie Catalytic LLC, a subsidiary of Greenyug LLC, to design and build the commercial scale bio-ethanol-to-ethyl acetate facility in Columbus, Nebraska.

Ferrocarril Mexicano S.A. de C.V. (Ferromex) will use digital services to monitor locomotive performance under a new long-term service agreement between the railroad and GE Transportation.

The agreement — which brings digital services to freight rail in Mexico for the first time — provides data on the health status and performance of the railroad's 100 Evolution Series locomotives, according to a blog posted on GE Transportation's website.