Railroad News

Brightline tomorrow will launch simulated service to Miami.

The company will operate trains without passengers between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The simulated service is part of the required training and testing before revenue service begins "in the coming weeks," Brightline officials said in a press release.

During the week ending April 21, U.S. railroads moved 264,552 carloads and 274,873 intermodal loads, up 3.5 percent and 8.9 percent, respectively, compared with the same 2017 period, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total weekly U.S. rail traffic reached 539,425 units, up 6.2 percent year over year.

ENSCO, Inc. has announced two new appointments April 27. Ruben D. Peña B. has been selected to serve as director of Government Surface Transportation to its Applied Technology and Engineering Division staff, and Robert Coakley has been tapped for the role as director of Business Development in the Applied Technology and Engineering Division.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has proposed a $749.62 million capital budget for fiscal-year 2019.

The agency has proposed $42 million for improvements to its communications and signal systems, and another $30.6 million to modernize substations, which were originally built in the 1920s and 1930s.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has wrapped up a project to boost pedestrian safety at 27 Blue Line grade crossings.

The California Public Utilities Commission this week brought the project to a close by providing final approvals for the work, Metro officials wrote in a blog post.

The newly formed Metrorail Safety Commission (MSC) has named David Mayer chief executive officer, effective June 4.

Lawmakers in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. established the commission to serve as the state safety oversight agency for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) rail system.

Kansas City Southern yesterday announced a new weekly intermodal service between the Port of New Orleans and Wylie, Texas, will begin in May.

The Class I previously offered intermodal service in the lane, but it was discontinued following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Kansas City Southern yesterday announced a new weekly intermodal service between the Port of New Orleans and Wylie, Texas, will begin in May.

The Class I previously offered intermodal service in the lane, but it was discontinued following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Bay Area Rapid Transit's (BART) 10-mile extension to Antioch, California, will begin passenger service on May 26.

The extension will feature diesel multiple units (DMU) that will operate on standard gauge track instead of BART's wider gauge rails. The new line will run in the median of State Route 4 and connect to the agency's station in Pittsburg, California.

Union Pacific (UP) has shared recent strides it has made toward the required implementation of positive train control (PTC) as federal deadlines loom ahead.

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) yesterday announced that CSX Director of Design and Construction Engineering Charles Bailey won the 2017 John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award.
 
The award is named in honor of the late Rhode Island senator, who was a strong advocate for sustainability and rail’s environmental benefits. The Chafee award recognizes a railroad employee who has demonstrated the highest level of environmental stewardship in the previous year.

Bailey developed a culture at CSX where design and construction methodologies benefit both the environment and the railroad, AAR officials said in a press release. His collaborative approach with environmental teams has had a significant impact on the environmental performance of the Class I, they added.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), elected officials and community members gathered April 25 for a ceremonial naming and unveiling of the tunnel boring machines (TBMs) that will dig twin four-mile tunnels under Wilshire Boulevard for the Purple Line Extension Project.

Today, Union Pacific Corp. announced its first-quarter net income totaled $1.3 billion — or a Q1 record $1.68 per diluted share — compared with $1.1 billion and $1.32 per diluted share, respectively, in first-quarter 2017. Diluted earnings per share jumped 27 percent year over year.

The Class I's other financial results for the quarter show operating revenue rose 7 percent to $5.5 billion, operating income climbed 8 percent to $1.9 billion and the operating ratio improved 0.6 points to 64.6, although higher fuel prices negatively impacted the ratio by about 0.2 points, UP officials said in a press release.

Today, Union Pacific Corp. announced its first-quarter net income totaled $1.3 billion — or a Q1 record $1.68 per diluted share — compared with $1.1 billion and $1.32 per diluted share, respectively, in first-quarter 2017. Diluted earnings per share jumped 27 percent year over year.

The Class I's other financial results for the quarter show operating revenue rose 7 percent to $5.5 billion, operating income climbed 8 percent to $1.9 billion and the operating ratio improved 0.6 points to 64.6, although higher fuel prices negatively impacted the ratio by about 0.2 points, UP officials said in a press release.

Belt Railway Company of Chicago (BRC) President Pat O'Brien will be retiring this summer after 32 years with the railroad, the past 16 years as president. Norfolk Southern veteran Mike Grace will replace him.

Kansas City Southern (KCS) has announced a new weekly intermodal service between the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) and Wylie, Texas, beginning in May.

Last month, tie production increased 4.3 percent to 1.47 million units and tie purchases inched up 0.2 percent to 1.84 million units compared with February levels, according to the Railway Tie Association’s latest market report.

On a year-over-year basis, purchases were up 2.7 percent in March, but production was down 21.1 percent.

The Port of Brownsville has signed an optional lease agreement with Big River Steel LLC that could lead to the development of a $1.6 billion steel mill.

Yesterday, the Brownsville Navigation District Board of Commissioners (BND) — the governing body for the Port of Brownsville — signed an option agreement covering up to 800 acres of property with Big River Steel. The pact enables the steelmaker to pursue the development of a LEED-certified steel manufacturing plant, storage and distribution facility, BND announced in a press release.

Union Pacific Railroad plans to spend more than $8 million this year to bolster infrastructure in Minnesota and Montana.

The Class I has budgeted $6 million to improve infrastructure in Minnesota, including $3.4 million to maintain track and $1.8 million to maintain bridges.