Railroad News

As of mid-September, U.S. Class Is employed a total 148,171 workers, up 0.02 percent compared with mid-August and up 1.02 percent compared with the same month in 2017, according to Surface Transportation Board data.

Four of six employment categories reflected decreases on a month-over-month basis. Categories that logged decreases since mid-August were executives, officials and staff assistants, down 0.54 percent to 8,414 employees; professional and administrative, down 1.04 percent to 11,852; maintenance of way and structures, down 0.36 percent to 32,493; and transportation (other than train and engine), down 0.67 percent to 5,662.

American Railcar Industries Inc. (ARI) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to merge with a subsidiary of ITE Rail Fund LP in a transaction valued at $1.75 billion.

The merger is expected to close in the fourth quarter. ITE Rail Fund is managed by ITE Management LP.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority's (CHSRA) board yesterday certified the final supplemental environmental impact report (EIR) for the Fresno-to-Bakersfield section of the state's plan to build a high-speed rail line between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The board also approved a high-speed rail alignment between Poplar Avenue in Kern County and the F Street station in downtown Bakersfield. The moves enable CHSRA to take additional steps toward advancing major work on the overall project, agency officials said in a news release.

CSX Corp. yesterday reported third-quarter net earnings jumped 95 percent to $894 million, or $1.05 per share, from $459 million, or 51 cents per share, in the same period a year ago. The per-share earnings beat analysts' estimates for the quarter.

CSX's operating ratio of 58.7 percent set a company third-quarter record. A year ago, CSX posted a third-quarter operating ratio of 68.4 percent.

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Associate Editor

Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) has hired Jessica Puchala as director of communications and marketing.

She has more than 20 years of experience in communications and project management in the corporate, nonprofit, state government and media sectors.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is 60 percent finished with design plans for the new Airport Metro Connector station, agency officials reported in a blog post yesterday.

The station will provide transfers from the Green Line and the future Crenshaw/LAX light-rail line to Los Angeles International Airport's new $4.9 billion automated people mover system.

U.S. rail traffic rose 1.2 percent to 554,238 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Oct. 6 compared with the traffic during the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Railroads reported 269,634 total carloads for the week, up 0.7 percent compared with the same week in 2017. Intermodal volume inched up 1.8 percent to 284,604 containers and trailers compared with a year ago, according to an AAR press release.

The U.S. High Speed Rail Association (USHSR) has selected Dan Richard as chair of its advisory board.

Richard currently chairs the California High-Speed Rail Authority — a position Gov. Edmund Brown appointed him to in 2012. Under his leadership, the agency has begun building the United States' first "true" high-speed rail network, USHSR officials said in a news release.

The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) has promoted Kimberly Sewell to executive director of its labor relations and human resources division.

For the past seven years, Sewell served as director of TriMet's legal services. Before that, she was TriMet's deputy general counsel.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and Union International des Transports Public (UITP) last week signed an agreement to work together on mutual areas of interest, the organizations announced today.

UITP is an international network of 1,500 members, which include public transportation authorities, policy makers, research institutes and the transit supply and service industry.

The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) has appointed Marla Blagg executive director of safety and security effective Oct. 22.

Blagg will succeed Harry Saporta, who plans to retire in early 2018 after eight years leading the agency's safety and security efforts.

The boards of the Port of New Orleans and New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Corp. last week approved separate resolutions that authorize nonbinding cooperative endeavor agreements between the port, the short line, Jefferson Parish and Avondale Marine LLC to facilitate the proposed redevelopment of the former Avondale Shipyard.

The port will issue a jurisdictional permit to Avondale Marine for use and development of a port and intermodal facility. When the rail extension is completed — at Avondale Marine's expense — New Orleans Public Belt Railroad will connect and provide service that will ensure the site has neutral access to Class Is operating in the New Orleans gateway, port and railroad officials said in a press release.

A Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) trolley operator's repeated use of antihistamine medications likely played a role in two trolleys colliding with each other in January 2017, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

On Jan. 4, 2017, a SEPTA trolley traveling on Route 10 struck a stopped trolley unloading passengers on the same line. The striking trolley was moving at about 10 mph, NTSB investigators wrote in an accident brief.

Norfolk Southern Foundation will donate $100,000 toward Hurricane Florence recovery efforts in North Carolina.

The foundation will direct $50,000 to the American Red Cross and $50,000 to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina relief efforts.

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) in November will mark the 50th anniversary of its Red Line rail extension to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

When the extension opened in 1968, Cleveland became the first city in the Western Hemisphere to offer direct rail service between its central business district and an international airport, agency officials said in a news release.

CSX Corp. yesterday announced a change in leadership for its merchandise and intermodal sales and marketing teams with the appointment of Dean Piacente to vice president of industrial products and Maryclare Kenney to VP of intermodal and automotive.

Piacente previously served as VP of intermodal. He now is responsible for the Class I's chemicals, metals, paper and forest product businesses. He has more than 30 years of experience across different segments at CSX.

Amtrak will seek a deadline extension from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to complete positive train control (PTC) implementation on all its railroad operations, an Amtrak executive told a congressional committee yesterday.

Railroads required by federal law to implement PTC have until Dec. 31 to complete the process, unless they qualify for an extension from the FRA of up to two years.