Railroad News

Rail News Home Kansas City Southern 5/17/2017 Rail News: Kansas City Southern
Kansas City Southern Railway Co. will spend $24.6 million this year on construction and improvement projects on its rail line through Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana.The work will be completed on its Pittsburg, Heavener and Shreveport subdivisions, according to a KCS press release.The Class I has planned rail, tie and crossing improvements between Neosho, Mo., and Blanchard, La. The work is expected to begin May 30 and continue through late August. In total, the project will include the replacement of 7.7 miles of rail and 90,000 ties, as well as improvements to more than 130 grade crossings."KCS, through its U.S. and Mexican subsidiaries, continues to invest in capital projects to expand network capacity, keep maintenance in a regular and healthy cycle, and enhance the safety of our operation," said President and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Ottensmeyer. "These investments also help us be an economic growth partner to our customers and the communities through which we operate." Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 5/17/2017

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 5/17/2017 Rail News: Passenger Rail
Metra Executive Director and CEO Don Orseno (at far right) joined local officials for the groundbreaking ceremony.Photo – Village of Romeoville

Rail News Home Federal Legislation & Regulation 5/17/2017 Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation
Canadian transportation officials have introduced an amendment to the Railway Safety Act that would mandate the installation of locomotive voice and video recorders (LVVR) in cabs, Transport Canada announced yesterday.The proposal, included in the Transportation Modernization Act, was designed to improve the safety of rail transportation in Canada, Transport Canada officials said in a press release.The use of LVVR, or inward facing cameras, has been on the Transportation Safety Board of Canada's (TSB) Watchlist since 2012 in response to a fatal train accident in Burlington, Ontario. Following a joint study between Transport Canada and the TSB on the safety benefits of the technology, the TSB in September 2016 released a report that determined rail safety would be enhanced if the LVVR data could be collected and used for "proactive safety management" and accident or incident investigations.To address employee privacy concerns, the proposal announced yesterday would limit the purposes for which that data can be used. The amendments state LVVR data would only be used by:
• the TSB for accident and incident investigations;
• federally regulated companies to conduct analysis via random sampling to identify safety concerns as part of ongoing safety management; to determine the cause of a reportable accident/incident not being investigated by the TSB; and to address a prescribed safety threat; and
• Transport Canada, for policy development; to determine the cause of a reportable accident or incident not being investigated by the TSB; to address a safety threat; and to ensure compliance with provisions in the LVVR regime.Canadian Pacific President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Creel commended Canadian government officials for announcing the LVVR legislation. CP and Creel have long advocated for the use of LVVR."Having the ability to use this technology in a proactive manner will allow us to prevent incidents and improve rail safety – further protecting the public, our employees and the goods we transport for our customers," said Creel in a press release.The Railway Association of Canada (RAC) also announced its support for mandatory LVVR installation."This technology is working to increase safety in other jurisdictions where it has been deployed," said RAC President and CEO Michael Bourque in a press release. "This requirement addresses a key Transportation Safety Board recommendation that has been on its Watchlist since 2012."Teamsters Canada, however, are opposed to the measure. The labor organization called on Canada's Transport Minister Marc Garneau to further explain how workers privacy will be protected."Marc Garneau's proposal is an unprecedented violation of Canadians' privacy," said Doug Finnson, president of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, in a press release. "How can he possibly think that workers aren’t getting the short end of the stick?" Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 5/17/2017

Rail News Home Federal Legislation & Regulation 5/16/2017 Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation
The Coalition for America's Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC) today kicked off its annual meeting by calling on Congress and the Trump administration to produce a federal infrastructure investment package that features the movement of freight.CAGTC used its new "Freight Can't Wait" booklet to highlight its point that a large-scale infrastructure package should address the movement of freight across the nation. The booklet features descriptions of 43 freight projects of regional and national significance in need of federal "partnership," according to a CAGTC press release."Dollar for dollar, direct federal investment in freight infrastructure yields a high return, creating construction jobs in the immediacy, and in the long term, bolstering the infrastructure that moves commerce," said Tim Lovain, CAGTC chairman and executive vice president of Crossroads Strategies.Making freight infrastructure investment the hallmark of the federal plan "presents a unique opportunity to both attract and retain domestic manufacturing and strengthen U.S. infrastructure — both of which are goals held by the administration," coalition officials said. Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 5/16/2017

5/16/2017    

Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 5/16/2017 Rail News: Passenger Rail
The project calls for extending Sound Transit's light-rail system 3.7 miles.Photo – Sound Transit

5/16/2017    

Rail News: Passenger Rail

Rail News Home Financials 5/16/2017 Rail News: Financials
The railroad last raised fares in 2016.Photo – Caltrain

5/16/2017    

Rail News: Financials

Rail News Home Shippers 5/16/2017 Rail News: Shippers
The new loading system will be used to bring aggregates to the L.A. region.Photo – flickr.com

5/16/2017    

Rail News: Shippers

5/16/2017    

Rail News: Mechanical

5/16/2017    

Rail News: Mechanical

Rail News Home BNSF Railway 5/16/2017 Rail News: BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway Co. has appealed an environmental review of the proposed Columbia River coal-export terminal in Washington state, according to reports in local news media.Last year, Millennium Bulk Terminals-Longview LLC proposed the construction and operation of a terminal to export coal from the site of the former Reynolds Aluminum smelter in the city of Longview in Cowlitz County. The terminal would be served by BNSF.The project's Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) by the Washington Department of Ecology and Cowlitz County determined that diesel particulate emissions from trains serving the terminal would cause "an unavoidable increase" in the cancer risk rate for area residents, according to The Daily News.BNSF officials believe the FEIS "makes several faulty assumptions about BNSF's railway operations, resulting in conclusions that overstate, in a counterproductive manner, the potential health risks associated with railroad operations in Washington, and the United States," according to BNSF's "Inside Track" newsletter dated May 10."Our biggest concern with this new analysis is that it suggests diesel particulate emissions from locomotives substantially increase cancer risks in communities that are located by railroad tracks in Washington," the BNSF newsletter states. "No credible scientific studies have ever shown this to be the case."Millennium Bulk Terminals-Longview operates a bulk materials port on the Columbia River. Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 5/16/2017

5/16/2017    

Rail News: BNSF Railway

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 5/16/2017 Rail News: Passenger Rail
The plan includes separating the agency's chairman and CEO positions into two separate roles.Photo – Metropolitan Transportation Authority

5/16/2017    

Rail News: Passenger Rail

Rail News Home Federal Legislation & Regulation 5/16/2017 Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation
U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao yesterday addressed the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Intrastructure Week forum.Photo – uschamber.com

5/16/2017    

Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation

Rail News Home MOW May 2017 Rail News: MOW

Knox Kershaw Inc.’s KSF 940 Snow Fighter features specially designed wings to move heavy snow in harsh environments.Photo – Knox Kershaw Inc. It happens every spring: North American freight railroads and passenger-rail agencies begin to prepare for the upcoming winter. They review snow removal, switch heater and energy management options, and start to determine what they need to do to ensure they’re prepared, whatever the weather. Witness the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and its commuter-rail operator Keolis Commuter Services.Early this year, MBTA unveiled a series of investments (and a few operational changes) to demonstrate the passenger-rail system was prepared for severe winter weather. The agency purchased 52 new pieces of snow removal equipment, including 10 snow fighters. MBTA also outfitted its locomotives with new traction motors designed to withstand the coldest of cold weather. Crews also installed heaters on critical switches.Freight railroads and transit agencies aren't the only ones planning ahead in a weather context. Suppliers, too, prepare to serve railroads that operate in the continent's harshest climates.This month, a sampling of rail industry suppliers share information on products and equipment designed to help railroads contend with the challenges of operating in winter.Solutions range from snow fighters and snow plows to switch heaters and idle-reduction systems.Knox Kershaw Inc.: The KSF 940 Snow FighterDesigned to combat heavy snow and to operate in freezing temperatures, Knox Kershaw Inc.'s KSF 940 Snow Fighter has a 50,000-pound working weight and offers a pressurized cab featuring a second operator’s seat and joystick controls. It also includes specially designed wings, a plow and a broom built for moving heavy snow in the harshest environments.The cab has "unique window placement for unsurpassed operator visibility," the company says. The tilt-cab feature provides access to major components, and the side-mounted heater and A/C offer a clean roof line with no maintenance components on the roof.The four-season plow includes a heavy structural frame that can be used for snow or ballast. The bolt-on curl kits allow for plowing through deep of snow — high capacity, 36-inch snow wings clear snow 16 feet from the track center. The broom and auger motor are series driven with individual drives, allowing the snow switch cleaner to blow snow over 20 feet to either side.The power unit comes equipped with a 260-horsepower Cummins engine, Espar diesel-fired engine block heater and Arctic Fox hydraulic tank heater. Dual 8-D batteries offer "plenty of cranking power" for cold weather starts, the company says. The KSF 940 also can be converted into a ballast regulator and a brush cutter for year-round use.Railway Equipment Co.: Magnum product lineRailway Equipment Co.'s Magnum™ track switch heater product line includes gas hot air blowers, electric hot air blowers, electric rail heaters, fiberglass switch covers and snow detection systems. "Our most recent product advancement to The Magnum product line includes the utilization of an AC drive to reduce power demand during start-up," the company says. "We are also developing a new control module for the track switch heaters that will be backward compatible with current units."Railway Equipment Co.'s MagnumTM track switch heater line includes gas hot air blowers, electric hot air blowers, electric rail heaters, fiberglass switch covers and snow detection systems.Railway Equipment Co.