Railroad News

The Association of American Railroads (AAR), on behalf of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) partners, has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a vendor to develop and support a new CREATE website.

The vendor also would be required to provide technical and content support. In addition to the CREATE website redesign, the partners are seeking recommendations for a communications strategy and social media management support, AAR officials said in a press release.

Valley Metro yesterday announced it hired a team of "customer experience coordinators," a group of staff members stationed at busy rail platforms to support security and assist riders served by its light-rail in Phoenix and Tempe, Arizona.

The team's creation is part of Valley Metro’s Respect the Ride (RTR) program, which increased security staff, developed paid fare zones, established a code of conduct and introduced a safety and security app as part of a strategy to make the 28-mile light-rail system safer, Valley Metro officials said in a press release.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) earlier this week approved construction authorization from the Ohio Rail Development Commission that directs six railroads to install and upgrade 12 rail crossings in the state by next year.

Norfolk Southern Railway will install lights and gates at the Township Road 212 grade crossing in Arcadia by July 30, 2020. CSX will install lights and gates, as well as remove spur track, at the Main Street crossing in the New Bloomington by April 30, 2020, PUCO officials said in a press release.

Canadian Pacific announced yesterday it moved 26.8 million metric tonnes (MMT) of Canadian grain and grain products during the 2018-2019 crop year, a 2.8 percent increase over the previous year and an all-time record for the Class I.

The amount of grain and grain products shipped during the year, which ran Aug. 1 through July 31, was 3.9 percent more than the railroad's three-year average. Over the past five years, CP has consistently shipped more grain each year, CP officials said in a press release.

Crystal Gitchell, 32
Director of regulatory affairs
American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA)

Nominator’s quote: “Crystal has played an integral role in the association’s handling of issues related to competition by the trucking industry, namely opposing increases in truck size and weight limits. She also has used her knowledge of the supply chain economy and relationships across multiple transportation modes to benefit our short-line members.” — Jo Strang, ASLRRA

Metra this week began construction of abutments for a new railroad bridge over Foster Avenue along its Union Pacific North Line in Chicago. 

The work is part of $17.2 million project to replace 11 century-old rail bridges from Grace Street to Balmoral Avenue, Metra officials said in a press release.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) earlier this week announced it will rebuild and expand its Potrero Yard streetcar and trolley bus maintenance facility. 

The Potrero Yard is the first site scheduled for improvement under SFMTA’s Building Progress Program, which calls for upgrading all of the agency’s aging facilities, SFMTA officials said in a press release. 

Canadian Pacific announced yesterday that has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

CP is the latest Class I to join BiTA, which is developing new standards for using blockchain technology to enable a faster, more cost-efficient and transparent freight supply chain.

U.S. rail traffic dipped 4.4 percent to 534,498 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending July 27 compared with the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

U.S. railroads logged 261,706 carloads, down 3.5 percent, and 272,792 intermodal containers and trailers, down 5.3 percent.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) yesterday announced it will begin construction in fall of track foundations for the Red-Purple rail bypass, which will replace a century-old bypass north of Belmont Station.

The bypass will allow trains to operate faster on the Red, Purple and Brown lines. CTA also will be able to increase the number of trains operating during peak periods and ease overcrowding on rail cars, CTA officials said in a press release. 

CN yesterday announced the publication of its 2019-2020 grain plan and the creation of its Agricultural Advisory Council.

The grain plan reviews CN's performance in the previous crop year, during which CN moved over 27.5 million metric tonnes of grain — a record for the Class I.

Sara Garza Gonzalez, 37
Director of chemical and petroleum marketing for U.S., Mexico
Kansas City Southern

Nominator’s quote: “As one of KCS’ and the rail industry’s leading strategists for Mexican energy reform, Sara is on the cutting edge of developing policies and strategies for this new rail opportunity. As an exemplary executive and a trendsetter for Mexican leadership in the KCS organization, Sara leads a team of professionals located in the United States and Mexico, as KCS moves aggressively into Mexico’s energy sector. And as a female Mexican executive leading a cross-border team, Sara is an inspiration to young female leaders in the United States and Mexico.”
— David Eaton, KCS

Siemens Mobility will supply 26 S700 light-rail vehicles (LRVs) to the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) to replace its Type-I vehicle fleet. The low-floor LRVs will include an IoT framework enabling efficiencies in operations and maintenance, Siemens officials said in a press release. The contract includes options for up to 60 additional vehicles, which would accommodate future TriMet service expansions. The first delivery is expected in 2021. Additionally, Siemens will supply 25 S700 LRVs to the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (SDMTS). The LRVs will replace SDMTS’ high-floor SD100 vehicles, which were manufactured by Siemens in the ‘90s. After delivery in 2021, SDMTS’ fleet will be fully transitioned to accessible, low-floor vehicles.

Wabtec Corp. reported second-quarter 2019 net income of $102.8 million, compared with $83.3 million in Q2 2018. Earnings per diluted share fell 33 cents in the quarter compared with 87 cents per diluted share in 2018. Wabtec’s freight segment sales increased by $1.08 billion as a result of $1.1 billion in acquisitions which offset an $34 million organic sales decrease. Transit sales increased by $43 million as a result of $81 million in organic sales growth and $3 million in acquisitions. Unfavorable changes in foreign currency exchange rates also offset both freight and transit sales. Meanwhile, Wabtec delivered five diesel-electric PowerHaul series locomotives to Korfez Ulastirma in Turkey.

The Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) and Purple Line Transit Partners yesterday held a "topping-out" ceremony, which marked the completion of the future light-rail line's operations and maintenance facility.

The 170,000-square-foot facility, located off Veterans Highway in Maryland's Glenridge community, will support rail-car maintenance, repair and refabrication of running gear and electronic train control systems, MDOT MTA officials said in a press release.

Georgia's Port of Savannah moved a record 4.5 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the fiscal year that ended June 30, a 7.3 percent increase compared with the same period a year ago.

And for the first time, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) handled more than half a million container lifts by rail, growing that number by 16.6 percent in the just-completed fiscal year versus a year ago. The 506,707 intermodal boxes constituted more than 20 percent of total containers, another record, GPA officials said in a press release.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Partnership for New York City jointly announced yesterday the completion of the Transit Tech Lab, a startup accelerator program designed to enable companies to test and introduce new projects designed to improve transit services. 

Two of the six companies graduating from the program will begin one-year pilots with the MTA to implement products that address key subway challenges, MTA officials said in a press release.

Shannon Emberly, 32
Production manager
CN

Nominator’s quote: “Shannon epitomizes CN’s core values of working together to deliver safety and responsibility, operational and service excellence, enable supply chain and create value for shareholders and customers. She is a safety champion for the organization and a model employee from whom others learn.” — Emilia Marceta, Metrolinx

Metra yesterday announced it has partnered with Chicago State University (CSU) to rehabilitate the 95th Street Station on the Electric Line in Chicago. 

The project calls for construction of a new platform, entrance and commuter parking facility to make the station a “welcoming gateway to the university as well as the Metra system,” Metra officials said in a press release.