Railroad News

FreightCar America Inc. appointed James Meyer president and chief executive officer, effective July 31. He will succeed Joseph McNeely, who's leaving the company to pursue new opportunities. Meyer has nearly three decades of experience in the heavy equipment, automotive and consumer goods industries, FreightCar America officials said in a press release. He previously served as chairman of Commercial Specialty Truck Holdings LLC. From 2012 to 2015, Meyer was chief operating officer of Allied Specialty Vehicles Inc., a manufacturer of specialty vehicles for the fire and emergency, commercial, and recreational markets. He also held leadership positions at Brunswick Corp.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has selected Seneca Group LLC to examine surface transportation modes in Mexico. Seneca Senior Associate Richard Sherman will travel to Mexico to meet with potential sponsors to develop project concepts in grade-crossing safety measures, municipal bus transit information systems, maritime port information technology and cybersecurity, and technologies that analyze and identify causes of road accidents. Seneca also is seeking inquiries from U.S. suppliers of goods and services in those areas. In particular, the company is seeking input from providers of systems, technologies, materials and services related to grade crossings and port security and operations.

Metra has unveiled plans to install suicide prevention signs on station platforms along each of its 11 lines.

The signage will feature the suicide prevention hotline phone number. The plan marks the first time the railroad has committed to installing signs as part of a more comprehensive suicide prevention initiative launched earlier this year, Metra officials said in a press release.

U.S. railroads moved 540,005 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending July 15, a 3.8 percent increase compared with the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported yesterday.

Total carloads for the week added up to 262,869 units, a slight increase of 0.3 percent compared with the same week in 2016. U.S. railroads' intermodal volume rose 7.4 percent to 277,136 containers and trailers compared to a year ago.

The League of Railway Industry Women (LRIW) has extended its nominations deadline to Aug. 11 for the 2017 Outstanding Woman of the Year Award, which is co-sponsored by Progressive Railroading.

For two decades, the LRIW has been recognizing women who have made significant contributions to the rail industry through leadership, dedication and vision. Women working in the North American rail industry are eligible to receive the award.

The California Legislature earlier this week voted to extend the state's cap-and-trade program that requires companies to purchase permits for releasing greenhouse gases. The program generates revenue for the state's high-speed rail project.

The legislation, which now awaits Gov. Jerry Brown's signature, would continue the program through 2030.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo yesterday unveiled a $5.6 billion initiative to improve MTA Long Island Rail Road's (LIRR) infrastructure. 

Under Cuomo's plan, LIRR will be able to advance 100 "transformative" capital projects, including adding a third track to the railroad's Main Line, according to a press release issued by the governor's office.

Canadian Pacific yesterday reported second-quarter net income soared 46 percent to CA$480 million, or CA$3.27 per diluted share, and revenue increased 13 percent to CA$1.64 billion compared with the same quarter last year.

The Class I's record-setting second-quarter earnings were driven in part by increased shipments of grain, coal, potash, energy products and metals.

Union Pacific Railroad reported second-quarter net income jumped 19 percent to nearly $1.2 billion, or a Q2 record of $1.45 per share, from $979 million, or $1.17 per share, in the same quarter last year.

Total operating revenue for the quarter climbed 10 percent to $5.25 billion from $4.77 billion, while freight revenue increased 11 percent to $4.9 billion from $4.4 billion a year ago, the Class I announced today in a press release.

Arthur Adams Jr., 39

Job description: Adams began his railroad career when he joined CSX in 2007. In his current position, he’s responsible for TRANSFLO (the railroad’s bulk transloading terminal network), international sales, short-line and service startup, Voice of the Customer programs, the Leadership Development Program, and the customer relationship management process (CRM) analytics tools.

Education: Jacksonville University, B.S. in marketing, finance; Denver University, M.S. in intermodal transportation; post-graduate studies at Harvard University, University of Virginia

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) next week will partially shut down its light-rail system to perform critical maintenance work.

The agency will close a section of the system between the North Avenue and Camden Yards stations in both directions. Light-rail service to Baltimore's Penn Station also will be halted.

Metra next month will close the ticket office at its Stone Avenue Station in LaGrange, Illinois, due to declining on-site sales.

BNSF Railway Co. will stop providing a ticket agent at the office at the close of business on Aug. 4.

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) on Monday held a groundbreaking ceremony for improvements to a train station in Newark, Delaware.

The renovated facility will feature a high-level platform that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, along with expanded parking and improved passenger amenities, DelDOT officials said in a press release.

The Executive Committee of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, (TTD) yesterday elected Larry Willis president and Gary Regan secretary-treasurer.

Willis succeeds Edward Wytkind, who stepped down from the post after more than two decades of service. During his tenure, Wytkind increased the number of member unions to 32 from 18, TTD officials said in a press release.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) earlier this week presented to Congress a final report on restoring Amtrak service along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Prepared by the Gulf Coast Working Group, the report estimates that the capital costs for restoring the service would be $118 million.

Norfolk Southern Corp. will consolidate its Central Division headquarters operation in Knoxville, Tennessee, into three surrounding divisions by early November, the Class I announced yesterday.

The consolidation will reduce the number of NS' operating divisions to nine from 10. Dispatching responsibilities now handled from the Central Division, which includes track primarily in Tennessee and Kentucky, will be divided among operating divisions headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama; Decatur, Illinois; and Fort Wayne, Indiana, NS officials said in a press release.

CSX Corp. reported second-quarter net earnings rose 15 percent to $510 million from $445 million during the same period last year, as the Class I continued its restructuring under President and Chief Executive Officer E. Hunter Harrison.

Q2 earnings per share increased to 55 cents for the quarter from 47 cents a year ago. Without a $122 million restructuring charge taken during the quarter, the Class I's adjusted earnings per share was 64 cents, CSX officials said in a press release.

PowerRail Inc. has announced the formation of a new sister company known as PowerSeal Solutions™. The move is aimed at helping the rail industry solve locomotive leak issues while increasing reliability, PowerRail officials said in a press release. PowerSeal Solutions will manufacture all of its products in-house and will perform its own analysis and testing processes. The new company also will provide the same product lines currently offered by PowerRail in all applications.

ABB has obtained a $20 million contract from Great Britain's Network Rail to provide a trackside power electronics solution for new high-speed trains along the East Coast Mainline route. To run on electricity, the trains will need about three times more power than is currently available. ABB developed a "static frequency converter" solution that will adapt the feed from the existing Northern Powergrid local distribution network. This is expected to result in a total cost saving of 60 percent compared with building a new high-voltage connection, ABB officials said in a press release.

The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) yesterday launched the Hop Fastpass™ electronic fare payment system.

The technology enables riders to use a contactless payment devices — such as a Hop card — to pay for fares on TriMet trains and buses. In the coming weeks, passengers will be able to use a contactless bank card or smartphone with a mobile wallet connected to a bank card to pay for trips.