Railroad News

The U.S. Senate late last week confirmed Robert Sumwalt's nomination to a two-year term as chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Sumwalt, who succeeds Christopher Hart, has served on the board since 2006. Prior to joining the board, he was manager of aviation for the SCANA Corp.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio yesterday proposed a new tax on the city's highest earners to fix the region's deteriorating subway and bus system.

The proposal would increase the income tax rate from 3.867 percent to 4.41 percent on taxable incomes above $500,000 for individuals and above $1 million for couples.

[Editor's note: This story was updated after its original posting.]

Amtrak and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) have reached a new agreement for the operation, maintenance and use of the 37.9-mile Attleboro Line between Boston and the Rhode Island state border.

BNSF Railway Co. reported revenue jumped 14.5 percent to $5.3 billion on higher volumes and increased average revenue per car during the second quarter compared with the same period a year ago.

BNSF's pretax net earnings rose 24 percent to $1.5 billion in Q2 2017 compared with the same period in 2016, according to the second-quarter earnings report of BNSF's parent company, Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

BNSF Railway Co. reported revenue jumped 14.5 percent to $5.3 billion on higher volumes and increased average revenue per car during the second quarter compared with the same period a year ago.

BNSF's pretax net earnings rose 24 percent to $1.5 billion in Q2 2017 compared with the same period in 2016, according to the second-quarter earnings report of BNSF's parent company, Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have withdrawn a proposed rule that would have regulated actions addressing sleep apnea for workers in safety sensitive positions.

The FMCSA posted a notice on its website Aug. 4 and the official notice was published in the Federal Register Aug. 8.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have withdrawn a proposed rule that would have regulated actions addressing sleep apnea for workers in safety sensitive positions.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio outlined a proposed tax plan he says could raise as much as $800 million for the city's transit system by raising taxes on the wealthiest residents.

The mayor says the tax adjustment would be levied on fewer than one percent of the city's wealthiest tax filers and would allow the city to reduce transit fares by 50 percent for the low-income residents.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio outlined a proposed tax plan he says could raise as much as $800 million for the city's transit system by raising taxes on the wealthiest residents.

The mayor says the tax adjustment would be levied on fewer than one percent of the city's wealthiest tax filers and would allow the city to reduce transit fares by 50 percent for the low-income residents.

Amtrak will continue to provide maintenance-of-way and dispatching services to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Attleboro Line through 2021.

The agreement, which governs the operation and maintenance of use of the 37.9-mile line, ends a dispute over applicability of the federal Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) of 2008, Section 212, which created the Northeast Corridor Commission and mandated the development of the Commuter and Intercity Rail Cost Allocation Policy. The policy was jointly developed by all the owners and operators of rail services from Boston to Washington, D.C., and is meant to provide a consistent methodology for calculating and assessing costs for all users of the Northeast Corridor.

Amtrak will continue to provide maintenance-of-way and dispatching services to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Attleboro Line through 2021.

The agreement, which governs the operation and maintenance of use of the 37.9-mile line, ends a dispute over applicability of the federal Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) of 2008, Section 212, which created the Northeast Corridor Commission and mandated the development of the Commuter and Intercity Rail Cost Allocation Policy. The policy was jointly developed by all the owners and operators of rail services from Boston to Washington, D.C., and is meant to provide a consistent methodology for calculating and assessing costs for all users of the Northeast Corridor.

KC Streetcar has plans to expand. With increased ridership and the need to provide additional service and track, the KC Streetcar Authority (KCSA) says that it is working on a Streetcar Southern Extension Project.

In coordination with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) and the city of Kansas City, Mo. (KCMO), KCSA issued a notice to being planning work for the Southern Extension Project. A team led by HDR Engineering will provide the planning and engineering services with support from Burns & McDonnell, HNTB, Trekk Design Group, Hg Consult, Parson + Associates, VSM Engineering and Architectural & Historical Research.

KC Streetcar has plans to expand. With increased ridership and the need to provide additional service and track, the KC Streetcar Authority (KCSA) says that it is working on a Streetcar Southern Extension Project.

In coordination with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) and the city of Kansas City, Mo. (KCMO), KCSA issued a notice to being planning work for the Southern Extension Project. A team led by HDR Engineering will provide the planning and engineering services with support from Burns & McDonnell, HNTB, Trekk Design Group, Hg Consult, Parson + Associates, VSM Engineering and Architectural & Historical Research.

Annka Robinson, 33

Job description: Robinson is responsible for ensuring safety related to maintenance-of-way activities on the Trinity Railway Express.

Education: Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, bachelor's degree in civil engineering

GE Transportation has unveiled the first of 1,000 Evolution Series locomotives for Indian Railways. The ES43ACmi unit underwent nearly two months of testing and validation before receiving a coat of red and yellow paint, GE officials said in a press release. With the new paint job completed, the company is preparing to ship the locomotive in a few weeks. Expected to arrive in India later this year, the unit is part of a $2.5 billion locomotive order from Indian Railways.

Rail Partners Management Group LLC has acquired the assets and operations of Tactical Cleaning Co. from Strategic Environmental & Energy Resources. Tactical Cleaning provides fixed-base and mobile rail-car cleaning services to large and small rail-car customers throughout North America. Rail Partners will retain the company's brand name and all Tactical Cleaning operational personnel will remain in place, according to a Rail Partners press release. Financing for the transaction was provided by Seneca Partners and Uniprop. Other financial details were undisclosed.

The North East Association of Rail Shippers announced last week it is recognizing North Shore Railroad Co. Chairman Emeritus Richard Robey as the Transportation Person of the Year.

"Dick was a true pioneer in the short-line industry at a time when few believed that railroading had much of a future," association officials said in a press release.

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) interim General Manager Steve Poftak over the weekend visited several infrastructure improvement project sites.

One stop included the site of a railroad drawbridge replacement in Beverly, Massachusetts. To accommodate the work, the MBTA on July 17 shut down Newburyport/Rockport Line service north of Salem, Massachusetts. Train service is slated to return to normal tomorrow, MBTA officials said in a press release.

Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has found that an August 2016 collision between two Canadian Pacific trains occurred when one of the trains ran a stop signal.

The investigation highlights the need for onboard voice and video recorders, TSB officials said in a press release.