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Feb
13

Sound Transit taps Arnold as new chief customer experience officer

Russell L. Arnold will serve as Sound Transit's chief customer experience officer, a newly created position at the agency.

 

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Feb
13

Sound Transit taps Arnold as new chief customer experience officer

Russell L. Arnold will serve as Sound Transit's chief customer experience officer, a newly created position at the agency.

 

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© © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Inc.

Feb
13

Baltimore's subway system closed for emergency repairs

Rail News Home Maintenance Of Way 2/13/2018 Rail News: Maintenance Of Way
The system could remain closed for up to four weeks.Photo – Maryland Transit Administration's YouTube account

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) has shut down the entire subway system in Baltimore to make emergency repairs that could take up to four weeks to complete.

The agency announced the closure on Feb. 11 after performing a systemwide inspection. MTA determined that the system would remain closed through at least March 11 "to ensure the safety of all customers," agency officials said in a press release.

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Feb
13

Trump's FY2019 budget would slash Amtrak funding

Rail News Home Amtrak 2/13/2018 Rail News: Amtrak
President Donald Trump yesterday proposed a fiscal-year 2019 budget that would cut in half the subsidy for Amtrak passenger-rail service.The proposal is similar to one that the Trump administration called for last year, but Congress didn't pass it.The latest budget blueprint calls for cutting grants to Amtrak's national network from about $1.2 billion to $538 million for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.In addition, the budget would cut grants to the Northeast Corridor from $328 million to $200 million.Amtrak issued the following statement in reaction to the budget proposal:"While we have not yet seen the details, we are concerned that any dramatic cuts could negatively impact the more than 31 million people who depend on Amtrak across the nation, in 46 states and more than 500 communities large and small. Amtrak is focused on running efficiently — covering 94.7 percent of our total network operating costs through ticket sales and other revenues in FY17 — but these services all currently rely on some level of federal investment. "As the budget process progresses, we look forward to working with the administration, Congress, state partners and other stakeholders to consider these proposals and the impacts they could have on this important part of the nation's transportation system."

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Feb
13

Infrastructure, regs, funding and NAFTA top rail's policy agenda

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

When freight-rail executives and advocates meet in Washington, D.C., for the annual Railroad Day on Capitol Hill on March 7, they will come armed with a wish list for Congress and President Donald Trump's administration to consider when it comes to policies, legislation and regulations that impact the railroad industry.

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Feb
12

Rail leaders speak out: Don’t pull the plug on NAFTA

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

Class I and freight-rail industry executives are continuing to raise concerns about the economic turmoil that would occur if renegotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) break down and President Trump follows through on his threat to pull the U.S. out of the trade deal if he doesn’t like the final results.

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Feb
12

Tony Hatch on CSX: Looking back on Q4 2017 and forward to March 1

Tony Hatch is an independent transportation analyst and consultant, and a program consultant for Progressive Railroading’s RailTrends® conference.

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Feb
12

Tony Hatch on CSX: Looking back on Q4 2017 and forward to March 1

Tony Hatch is an independent transportation analyst and consultant, and a program consultant for Progressive Railroading’s RailTrends® conference.

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

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Feb
12

Coalition seeks Northeast Corridor funding in Trump's infrastructure plan

As President Donald Trump releases his long-awaited infrastructure plan today, a coalition of Northeast business leaders are calling on the president and Congress to provide federal resources to repair and upgrade the Northeast Corridor.

Trump is expected to unveil a plan today that would ask Congress to invest $200 billion over the next 10 years for infrastructure improvements such as roads and bridges. Federal dollars would serve as matching funds to encourage states and local communities to invest in infrastructure projects.

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Feb
12

TransLink served record number of riders in 2017

In 2017, TransLink logged a record 407 million boardings, marking a 5.7 percent increase over 2016.

Ridership grew across all modes of transit except the West Coast Express commuter-rail line, which experienced a 5.5 percent drop. That decline occurred because some riders moved to the new Evergreen SkyTrain extension, agency officials said in a press release.

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Feb
12

Rail Workforce Collaborative forms to tackle recruitment, training issues

Rail News Home Rail Industry Trends 2/12/2018 Rail News: Rail Industry Trends
ConnectWork LLC in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has formed a new coalition aimed at railroad workforce development.  The Rail Workforce Collaborative (RWC) was formed late last month to "transform the way rail businesses hire" by gathering industry players to address the skills gap issue, according to an announcement of the group's formation.RWC's mission will be for its membership to provide strategic leadership on critical business issues involving the rail industry's economic and workforce development.It is hoped that the coalition will help the rail industry introduce new training and recruitment programs, create apprenticeships and introduce new generations to jobs in the rail industry, organizers said.A national conference call on the group's formation will be held Feb. 27.

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Feb
12

Baltimore rail shutting down for a fix up

The Maryland Department of Transportation has determined the entire Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) rail system will remain closed for up to four weeks following an inspection.

MTA says the shutdown is to ensure the safety of all customers and will extend through March 11. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan authorized $2.2 million in emergency funding to run supplemental bus bridges in addition to regular Baltimore Link bus services.

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Feb
12

Baltimore rail shutting down for a fix up

The Maryland Department of Transportation has determined the entire Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) rail system will remain closed for up to four weeks following an inspection.

MTA says the shutdown is to ensure the safety of all customers and will extend through March 11. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan authorized $2.2 million in emergency funding to run supplemental bus bridges in addition to regular Baltimore Link bus services.

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Feb
12

Rising Stars nomination deadline is Friday

Friday is the deadline to submit nominees for Progressive Railroading's sixth annual Rising Stars Awards program.

The magazine defines a Rising Star as an employee of the railroad industry who is under the age of 40 and who is making a positive difference in his or her company, department or team. Rising Stars are viewed as up-and-comers by their peers, colleagues, supervisors, clients or associates.

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Feb
12

Wabtec to supply PTC system to SunRail

Wabtec Corporation has signed a contract valued at about $62 million to implement its positive train control (PTC) technology along the Central Florida Rail Corridor (CFRC), the operator for the SunRail commuter line.

 

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Feb
12

Wabtec to supply PTC system to SunRail

Wabtec Corporation has signed a contract valued at about $62 million to implement its positive train control (PTC) technology along the Central Florida Rail Corridor (CFRC), the operator for the SunRail commuter line.

 

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Feb
12

Acting FRA chief Hall resigns

Heath Hall, the acting administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, the nation's rail safety watchdog, resigned Feb. 11 amid allegations that he was working a second job as a public relations consultant.

 

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Feb
12

Acting FRA chief Hall resigns

Heath Hall, the acting administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, the nation's rail safety watchdog, resigned Feb. 11 amid allegations that he was working a second job as a public relations consultant.

 

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Feb
12

Report: Hall steps down as FRA's acting administrator

Rail News Home Federal Legislation & Regulation 2/12/2018 Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation
Heath Hall has stepped down as acting administrator and deputy administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) after the news site Politico raised questions about whether he was simultaneously working as a private consultant.Hall resigned effective immediately, news agencies — citing the U.S. Department of Transportation — reported over the past weekend. He had become the FRA's acting chief in June 2017.Politico reported earlier this year that Hall continued working as a public relations consultant in Mississippi, even after he had begun serving the FRA.Late last month, FRA Chief Counsel Juan Reyes became the agency's acting deputy after it was revealed that Hall was on "an extended leave."The disruption in FRA leadership comes as the agency awaits U.S. Senate confirmation of former freight-rail industry executive Ron Batory, who President Trump nominated to serve as the permanent FRA administrator last year.

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Feb
12

AAR Statement on Trump Administration's Infrastructure Principles

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 12, 2018 – Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads (AAR), issued the following statement in reaction to infrastructure principles released today by the Trump administration.

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