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Sep
30

Port of Virginia's international gateway project wins top industry award

Rail News Home Intermodal 9/30/2019 Rail News: Intermodal
The Port of Virginia's $312 million Virginia International Gateway (VIG) infrastructure project has been recognized with this year's Excellence in Port Management and Infrastructure award at the Lloyd's List 2019 Americas Awards, an annual competition held in the maritime industry.The port's three-year project doubled the VIG's container and rail capacity, extended its berth to accommodate up to three ultra large container vessels and incorporated the port’s own trucker reservation system for motor carriers that has increased productivity at the gates, port officials said in a press release issued last week.The award is an affirmation of the port's efforts to make it an East Coast global gateway, said Virginia Port Authority Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director John Reinhart.“As trade patterns shift, the ships calling our coast will get larger and the cargo owners are seeking ways to get their goods to market faster,” Reinhart said. "We are driving efficiency and creating a new model for moving cargo. The results we are achieving are truly best-in-class and resonating throughout the industry."The Excellence in Port Management and Infrastructure Award recognizes the company, port authority or terminal that has maintained the highest standards of operational efficiency and customer service.VIG is a privately owned marine container terminal located along the Elizabeth River in Portsmouth, Virginia. CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway serve the port via on-dock intermodal container transfer facilities at VIG and Norfolk International Terminals. Class I service is augmented by short lines, including the Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Co. and the Commonwealth Railway.

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Sep
30

BLET, Louisville & Indiana reach tentative agreement

Rail News - BLET, Louisville & Indiana reach tentative agreement. For Railroad Career Professionals
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Sep
30

Sound Transit service plan anticipates light-rail disruption in 2020

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 9/30/2019 Rail News: Passenger Rail
In early 2020, parts of International District/Chinatown Station will close so crews can build rail connections that will allow the East Link extension to serve downtown Seattle.Photo – Sound Transit Facebook

Sound Transit last week released a draft service plan for 2020, which outlines significant service disruption for the Link light-rail system in the first quarter of the year. 

For 10 weeks between January and March, parts of International District/Chinatown Station will close so crews can build rail connections that will allow the East Link extension to serve downtown Seattle and beyond, according to the service plan.

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Sep
30

SEPTA adds capacity to regional rail service during interstate construction

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 9/30/2019 Rail News: Passenger Rail
SEPTA has leased five rail cars from the Maryland Area Regional Commuter Rail system to increase capacity.Photo – SEPTA Facebook

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) last week announced that it is working with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission to provide travel alternatives for commuters during reconstruction of Interstate 95. 

To accommodate a potential influx of riders during interstate construction, SEPTA today is adding capacity and increasing train frequency on the Trenton and West Trenton lines, SEPTA officials said in a press release. 

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Sep
30

New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, port name Hernandez chair

Rail News Home Railroading People 9/30/2019 Rail News: Railroading People
Tara HernandezPhoto – Port of New Orleans

The Port of New Orleans and Public Belt Railroad boards last week elected Tara Hernandez chair.

The boards also named Darryl Berger vice chair and William Langenstein III, secretary-treasurer. With the port's acquisition of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad effective in February 2018, port commissioners also serve as directors of the railroad's board.

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Sep
30

UP shuffles roles in marketing and sales, Loup Logistics

Rail News Home Union Pacific Railroad 9/30/2019 Rail News: Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad last week announced four appointments affecting marketing and sales.Effective immediately, Jacque Bendon has been named vice president of industrial products; Kari Kirchhoefer, VP of Loup Logistics; Seana Fairchild, assistant VP of industrial products; and Elise Gosch, general director of strategic planning and communications, UP officials said in a press release.Bendon, previously AVP of industrial products, marketing and sales, succeeds Kirchhoefer. Bendon has worked for UP in various roles for 21 years, having begun her career in corporate audit. She's held leadership positions in the industrial products, chemicals and UP distribution services departments.Kirchhoefer, previously vice president of industrial products, marketing and sales, succeeds Shawntell Kroese as VP of Loup Logistics. Kirchhoefer has served UP for more than 26 years and held leadership positions in the chemicals, streamline, automotive and agriculture products departments, and in the market development and sales center.Succeeding Bendon is Fairchild, who previously was general director of strategic planning and communications, marketing and sales. Fairchild joined UP 15 years ago, and has held roles in the commercial strategy, customer experience, intermodal, chemicals and tax departments.Previously senior director of commercial strategy and pricing, Gosch succeeds Fairchild. Gosch has been with UP for more than 15 years and held roles in the distribution services, agriculture products, industrial products, intermodal departments, and in the market development and sales center.

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Sep
27

Rail supplier news from FreightCar America, Robel, Icomera, AIS, MERMEC and Transdev (Sept. 27)

Rail News Home Railroading Supplier Spotlight 9/27/2019 Rail News: Railroading Supplier Spotlight
FreightCar America Inc. formed a joint venture with Fabricaciones y Servicios de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (Fasemex) to manufacture rail cars. FreightCar America is building a new manufacturing factory in Castanos, Mexico, which is expected to start producing rail cars in mid-2020, company officials said in a press release. The joint venture will be consolidated and controlled by FreightCar America, and FreightCar America and Fasemex will evenly share profits and losses. FreightCar America is committing $25 million in assets and cash to the joint venture over the next several years.Robel Holding GmbH has established the Robel North America Corp. subsidiary to spearhead the sale of hand-guide machines in the United States and Canada. Christopher Drew will lead the company headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia, Robel officials said in a press release.Icomera is relocating operations from Rockville to larger facilities in Bethesda, Maryland. The office move is part of Icomera’s increased investment in the District of Columbia region and a substantially expanded U.S. team, company officials said in a press release. Icomera provides mobile internet connectivity and application platforms for trains and trams.Atlantic Intermodal Services (AIS) has purchased a facility in Charleston, South Carolina, to accommodate expanding operations. The facility is close to its current leased office space and will be equal distance from the North Charleston and Wando ports, AIS officials said in a press release. The company will be fully operational in the new facility in January 2020.MERMEC Inc. appointed Alan Calegari director and board chairman. Calegari will provide strategic support to company President Gerry Coyne, MERMEC officials said in a press release. Previously, Calegari was director of building systems and operations and vice president of operations for Johnson Controls Automotive Systems in Europe; president and chief executive officer of the Siemens security division; president and CEO of Dedicated Micros, Inc; and president and CEO of Union Switch & Signal.Transdev North America hired Bill Spraul as regional vice president for the southeast, where he will oversee operations and contribute to the company's growth strategy, Transdev officials said in a press release. Previously, Spraual was Transdev's chief executive overseeing the TRANSPO municipal bus system, chief operating officer of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System’s transit services division and director of transit operations for the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority.

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Sep
27

Denver RTD delays N Line open date

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 9/27/2019 Rail News: Passenger Rail
RTD’s N Line will open in May or August 2020.Photo – RTD

The Regional Transportation District of Denver (RTD) earlier this week announced it will postpone the opening date of the N Line, a 18.5-mile commuter-rail line between Denver and Thorton, Colorado, until May or August of 2020.

The previous opening date for the N Line was projected in first-quarter 2020. 

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Sep
27

SC Port Authority awarded EPA grant to reduce RTG crane diesel emissions

Rail News Home Sustainability 9/27/2019 Rail News: Sustainability
The EPA funding will pay for equipping the RTG cranes with hybrid battery/genset engine systems.Photo – South Carolina Ports Authority

South Carolina Ports Authority and the South Carolina Department of Health received a $2 million federal grant to upgrade the engines of 12 rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes, port officials announced yesterday.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded the grant through its Diesel Emissions Reduction Act program. The funding will equip the RTG cranes with hybrid battery/genset engine systems, replacing the existing hi-power diesel engines, port authority officials said in a press release.

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Sep
27

LA Metro to assess congestion relief pricing

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 9/27/2019 Rail News: Passenger Rail
Following completion of a feasibility study, LA Metro will recommend areas within LA County to conduct a potential congestion relief pricing pilot.Photo – LA Metro Facebook

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) board yesterday approved two contracts to assess how and where it would be possible to pilot congestion relief pricing in Los Angeles County.

LA Metro awarded WSP USA Inc. a more than $3 million contract to investigate the feasibility and framework for testing and implementing motorist pricing strategies, evaluate potential pricing models, identify a location to pilot the program and establish an implementation plan.

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Sep
27

Attorneys general call on USDOT to stop Washington's crude-by-rail law

Attorneys general from 10 states have joined Montana and North Dakota in calling on the U.S. Department of Transportation to overrule a Washington state law regarding the transportation of crude oil by rail.

This week, attorneys general from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia wrote to the department to support the position of the Montana and North Dakota attorneys general, who have petitioned the Trump administration to overturn Washington's law.

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Sep
27

UP CFO Knight to retire; Hamann named successor

Rail News Home Union Pacific Railroad 9/27/2019 Rail News: Union Pacific Railroad
UP CFO Rob Knight will retire Dec. 31.Photo – up.com

Union Pacific Chief Financial Officer Rob Knight will retire on Dec. 31, the Class I announced yesterday. Jennifer Hamann will succeed him effective Jan. 1, 2020.

Knight joined UP in 1980 and held numerous leadership positions prior to being named CFO in 2004. During his tenure as CFO, he led many initiatives that helped the company earn the highest market capitalization of any North American transportation company, UP officials said in a press release.

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Sep
26

Amtrak Police, OLI partner to enforce rail safety

Rail News Home Safety 9/26/2019 Rail News: Safety
Amtrak Police and Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) have partnered again for the third annual “Operation Clear Track” event to enforce grade crossing and trespassing laws during Rail Safety Week, which runs through Sept. 29.During the week, 600 police and sheriff’s departments across the country will report to hundreds of railroad grade crossings deemed “high incident” locations by the Federal Railroad Administration, OLI officials said in a press release.Once onsite, law enforcement officials will enforce their state grade crossing and trespassing laws during a three-hour safety detail, handing out railroad safety public awareness cards and writing citations and warnings to violators.This year, Operation Clear Track also will be held in Canada.Railroads and transit-rail agencies across the country are involved in events this week to bring awareness to the importance of safety at grade crossings.

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Sep
26

MBTA completes Red Line signal repairs

Rail News Home Communication and Signal 9/26/2019 Rail News: Communication and Signal
MBTA has completed final repairs to train control signals, track signals and electronic track switching controls on the Red Line.Photo – MBTA

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) yesterday announced it has completed all necessary Red Line signal repairs and restored regularly scheduled service on the line following a June rail-car derailment that caused significant infrastructure damage and service disruptions over the summer.

As of last week, all restoration work was completed with final repairs made to train control signals, track signals and electronic track switching controls. 

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Sep
26

CP Police Service Constable Bidulka honored for rail-safety efforts

Rail News Home Safety 9/26/2019 Rail News: Safety
Operation Lifesaver Canada (OL) announced yesterday that Canadian Pacific Police Service Constable Brad Bidulka will be awarded its Roger Cyr Award.The award recognizes "rail safety ambassadors who have made exceptional contributions to rail safety in Canada," OL officials said in a press release. The award is announced annually during Canada's Rail Safety Week, which is being recognized this week through Sept. 29.“Brad is proof that through passion and commitment, each of us can make our communities safer places to live,” said OL Canada’s National Director Sarah Mayes. “Whether he’s knocking on doors to speak directly with community members, or hosting a mock-collision in minus-30 weather to highlight the importance of obeying railway signs and signals, Brad goes above and beyond to get the rail safety message across.”Bidulka joined CP's police service in 2015. In 2017 he worked to establish and chair a new OL provincial committee in Saskatchewan, to help coordinate rail safety education and outreach efforts in the province, OL officials said.Since that time, Bidulka has built up the committee’s membership and secured the support of more than a dozen key organizations in the region.Bidulka also understands the value of one-on-one rail safety conversations, OL officials said. After footage recently surfaced on social media of children climbing under a stopped train at a crossing, he identified the community and reached out to its local association. Along with parent discussions, school presentations and a rail safety open house at the community center, Bidulka and his team knocked on doors throughout the community to spread the rail safety message. He still visits the area weekly to speak with community members, and he oversaw the installation of 12 new “no trespassing” signs along rail lines in the area.Named after the founder of Operation Lifesaver Canada, the Roger Cyr Award for Public Rail Safety was first awarded in 1981 and is a joint initiative of OL, the Railway Association of Canada and Transport Canada.

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Sep
26

OmniTRAX, logistics provider open Atlanta transload facility

Rail News Home Logistics 9/26/2019 Rail News: Logistics
OmniTRAX Inc. and A&R Logistics, a provider of integrated dry bulk logistics solutions for the chemical and plastic industries, are opening a new transload facility adjacent to the Fulton County Railway (FCR) tracks southwest of downtown Atlanta.The new terminal initially will enable the contents of 10 rail hopper cars to be simultaneously offloaded to trailers, with expansion expected, OmniTRAX officials said in a press release.A&R will use the terminal to transfer plastic pellets shipped by rail from resin producers across the country onto specialized pneumatic trailers and then transport the product to extruders throughout Georgia and neighboring states.Features of the terminal include secure fencing, high intensity lighting and a fully graded compound that also offers storage space for 20 train cars.“The new Atlanta Waterfront Terminal is a great location for A&R, complete with access to the interstate system and great opportunities for growth. We look forward to working with the A&R team to ensure the facility safely reaches its full potential,” said OmniTRAX Chief Executive Officer Kevin Shuba.Part of the OmniTRAX network, FCR operates over 25 miles of track within the Fulton County Industrial Park, which is located adjacent to Interstate 20 near downtown Atlanta.

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Sep
26

FTA approves $75 million grant for Tempe Streetcar project

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 9/26/2019 Rail News: Passenger Rail
Valley Metro’s Tempe Streetcar grant was provided through FTA’s CIG Program.Photo – Valley Metro

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) yesterday announced a $75 million grant to Valley Metro for the Tempe Streetcar project in Arizona. 

FTA provided the grant for the $192.4 million project through the federal Capital Investment Grants Program, which provides funding for major transit infrastructure projects nationwide.

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Sep
26

U.S. freight railroads post traffic decline in Week 38

U.S. freight-rail traffic fell 6.8 percent to 528,670 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending Sept. 21 compared with the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total carloads for the week declined 8 percent to 250,794 units, while intermodal volume fell 5.7 percent to 277,876 containers and trailers.

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Sep
25

Rail supplier news from Ricardo, Alstom, B12 Transportation, Transdev and Burns (Sept. 25)

Rail News Home Railroading Supplier Spotlight 9/25/2019 Rail News: Railroading Supplier Spotlight
Beijing Metro Construction Administration Corp. Ltd. has selected Ricardo to perform an independent safety assessment of a new metro line in eastern Beijing. Ricardo will ensure the safety of passengers, staff and surrounding communities during construction, installation, testing and commissioning of the new line in 2021, company officials said in a press release. The assessment's scope extends across rolling stock, signaling, route infrastructure and communications technologies, as well as the safety management system.Alstom, in a consortium with Setec Ferroviaire, has been awarded a $54.9 million contract by SNCF Reseau to supply its Atlas European Railways Traffic Management System Level 2 train control system on over 310 miles of the Paris-Lyon high speed line in Europe. Alstom will carry out the design, equipment supply, installation work, tests and maintenance of its Atlas solution. Setec Ferroviaire will be in charge of verifying the design, integrated project management and testing, Alstom officials said in a press release. Meanwhile, Alstom has been commissioned by Deutsche Bahn AG to retrofit 17 internationally operating ICE3 high-speed trains with its Atlas European Train Control System (ETCS) in a contract worth nearly $33 million. The new technology will allow the trains to be equipped for the new ETCS Level 2 high-speed line between Stuttgart and Ulm, Germany, officials said. Alstom has also been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the ninth consecutive year. The company reached an overall score of 79 out of 100 in the corporate sustainability assessment. The B12 Transportation Group LLC appointed John Resnik as chief executive officer, Mark Radosevich as chief financial officer and William Sprague as director of human resources and special projects. Resnik has over 25 years of executive leadership experience in vehicle manufacturing. Radosevich previously served as vice president of finance and administration for Innovest Holdings and Subs. In his new role, Radosevich will direct a shared services team across three locations and manage financial operations for the holding company and subsidiary manufacturing businesses. Sprague has more than 40 years of human resources and operations experience with an emphasis on the manufacturing sector. Sprague additionally served local government as city commissioner and mayor of Lapeer, Michigan.Transdev North America promoted Ibrahima Toure from southwest region area vice president to regional VP. Toure joined Transdev in 2004 as a bus operator in Denver, and later worked as safety and training supervisor and general manager for Transdev’s operation in Chico, California, and VP of business development.Burns Engineering hired Michael Ehrenberger as a signals and communications project manager. Ehrenberger has over 35 years of experience in vehicle system-level design and application of safety critical products for major railroad and transit clients. He is a systems and subject matter expert for the on-board advanced civil speed enforcement system, Burns officials said in a press release. 

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Sep
25

Georgia Southern wins IANA Academic Challenge

Rail News Home Intermodal 9/25/2019 Rail News: Intermodal
The winning Georgia Southern University team.Photo – IANA

A Georgia Southern University undergraduate team won the Intermodal Association of North America's (IANA) ninth Intermodal EXPO Academic Challenge held in California, the association announced this week.

Each of the participating teams responded to a case that focused on analyzing volume trends from the intermodal and over-the-road perspectives. Georgia Southern's win was its first victory in the annual competition, IANA officials said in a press release.

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