Railroad News

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) yesterday announced grant awards to five transit-rail agencies as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to address the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The agencies and their grant allocations are:

Class Is employed 124,430 employees as of mid-April, down 2.69 percent from March and down 13.72 percent from April 2019 levels, according to Surface Transportation Board data.

Four employment categories logged month-to-month decreases. They were transportation (train and engine), down 6.07 percent to 48,658 employees; maintenance of equipment and stores, down 1.6 percent to 21,709; transportation (other than train and engine), down 1.3 percent to 5,237; and professional and administrative, down 1.01 percent to 10,638.

The Robel Group formed the Robel Railway Engineering Technology Co. Ltd. (RRET) to provide full sales and service coverage for the Robel product portfolio in Shanghai, China. William Lin was appointed RRET’s general manager.

Siemens Mobility partnered with Ondas Networks to bring a portfolio of wireless radio communication systems to the North American rail market. The portfolio will feature new radios that are interoperable with Siemens Mobility’s advanced train control system radios. Using the MC-IoT radio architecture from Ondas, the new radios will be able to utilize a railroad’s existing wireless infrastructure and dedicated radio frequencies, as well as the flexibility to adapt to future availability changes in the radio frequency spectrum, Siemens officials said in a press release.

Sound Transit will resume fare collection on its Link light-rail and Sounder commuter-rail systems on June 1. 

The Seattle-based agency suspended fare collection on March 21 to encourage social distancing between riders and rail operators to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The final group of automated stacking cranes that are at the center of the Port of Virginia's capacity expansion project arrived last week at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT), port officials announced yesterday.

Over the past two years, 86 of the cranes have been delivered to the port. Twenty-six new cranes are in place at Virginia International Gateway and 60 at NIT. The $217 million contract with Finland-based Konecranes is the largest one-time order for automated stacking cranes in industry history, port officials said in a press release.

The Regional Transportation District of Denver’s (RTD) board has begun a nationwide search for a permanent general manager and chief executive officer. 

The board is looking for applicants who are passionate, forward-thinking leaders with strong interpersonal and communication skills, as well as the ability to manage a complex environment collaboratively, RTD officials said in a press release.

President Donald Trump yesterday nominated Sarah Feinberg, interim president of MTA New York City Transit (NYCT), and Chris Koos, mayor of Normal, Illinois, to serve on Amtrak's board.

Feinberg has filled the role of NYCT's interim president since February, following the resignation of Andy Byford. She's also a member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's board. Feinberg served as administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration from 2015 to 2017 during President Barack Obama's second term.

New Jersey Transit has been allocated $1.4 billion in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding, agency officials announced late last week.

The grant can be used for operating expenses incurred from efforts to prevent, prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic dating back to January 20. 

Norfolk Southern Corp. today announced organizational changes in its finance division as part of the company's strategic plan to improve performance and push toward a 60 percent operating ratio.

Jason Zampi, currently vice president and controller, will become VP of financial planning and analysis, a new department in the finance division. Zampi has worked for NS for nine years, serving in leadership roles in finance, treasury and accounting.

Norfolk Southern Corp. today announced organizational changes in its finance division as part of the company's strategic plan to improve performance and push toward a 60 percent operating ratio.

Jason Zampi, currently vice president and controller, will become VP of financial planning and analysis, a new department in the finance division. Zampi has worked for NS for nine years, serving in leadership roles in finance, treasury and accounting.

The Rocky Mountaineer passenger-rail service between Vancouver, British Columbia, and the Canadian Rockies has further postponed its 2020 opening date until July 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The train’s travel season originally was scheduled to open April 13, and was later postponed until July 1. 

Opponents of Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration’s (MTA) Purple light-rail line are appealing a federal judge’s decision to reject arguments that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the federal Clean Water Act during construction, The Washington Post reported last week. 

The lawsuit — brought by the nonprofit Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail, a Chevy Chase resident and a former Chevy Chase resident — alleged that the Corps of Engineers allowed light-rail construction crews to discharge dredge and fill into streams, a violation of the Clean Water Act. The judge dismissed the lawsuit in April. 

The Short Line Safety Institute has hired John Walsh to serve as director of hazardous materials programs.

Walsh has a 30-year career in public safety, security, emergency management, homeland security and compliance, including 15 years in the freight-rail industry. At the institute, he will oversee a new program that evolved from a grant issued by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, institute officials said in a press release.

Trinity Metro last week announced it will receive $55 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to address the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Trinity Metro’s $55,161,034 will be used toward offsetting losses in the operating budget from decreased sales tax and fare box revenue. The money also will be used for COVID-19-related expenses incurred to protect passengers and employees, Trinity Metro officials said in a press release. 

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) has appointed Thomas Savage chief financial officer and Sarah Greene, senior vice president and controller.

Savage previously was SVP of corporate development and treasurer. Since joining G&W in 2005, he has worked in finance and merger and acquisitions. He has been responsible for the company's treasury functions since 2012.

Norfolk Southern Corp. is well-positioned to "safely and successfully" weather the unprecedented situation presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, NS President and Chief Executive Officer James Squires said last week at the company's annual meeting of shareholders.

Squires addressed shareholders May 14 during the company's first virtual-only annual meeting, a board decision made in response to public health concerns and social distance guidance for the pandemic.

Norfolk Southern Corp. is well-positioned to "safely and successfully" weather the unprecedented situation presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, NS President and Chief Executive Officer James Squires said last week at the company's annual meeting of shareholders.

Squires addressed shareholders May 14 during the company's first virtual-only annual meeting, a board decision made in response to public health concerns and social distance guidance for the pandemic.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) last week released a first-quarter 2020 status report on railroads’ progress in implementing positive train control (PTC) systems as required by Congress. 

As of March 31, 98 percent of the nearly 58,000 route miles subject to the federal mandate were either in revenue service demonstration or in revenue service.