Railroad News

GoRail last month hired Brett Sebastian to oversee its operations in Arizona and in the southcentral  United States.

Sebastian has worked in public policy for several years in Washington D.C., Austin, Texas, and Oklahoma City, where he has acted as an advocate for the infrastructure, health care and construction industries, GoRail officials said in a press release.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) last week announced its high-speed rail project in the Central Valley has created more than 3,000 construction jobs. 

In partnership with local trade unions, the State Building and Construction Trades Council and the Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board, the CHSRA has employed operating engineers, electricians, laborers, cement masons and ironworkers, CHSRA officials said in a press release. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) last week issued two safety recommendations related to safety messaging for end-of-rail-car doors, following the board's investigation of a fatal rail accident that occurred last year in Pennsylvania.

The incident occurred Sept. 23, 2018, when a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) train struck and killed a 7-year-old child after he fell between two rail cars as he walked through the end-of-rail-car doors while the train moved out of the Alleghany Station.

Freight railroads and ports announced closures and other preparations over the next few days as a precaution against potential storm damage from Hurricane Dorian.

Norfolk Southern Railway last week began planning for the hurricane's potential impact on the Class I's rail operations along the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic coast. NS is providing updates as the storm progresses, and recommended shippers with specific questions to contact their NS customer service representatives.

Several passenger-rail lines in Florida have closed today due to severe weather affecting the southeast coast, as Hurricane Dorian approaches South Florida. 

Suspensions include Tri-Rail service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach until Sept. 4; Brightline service between West Palm Beach and Miami until Sept. 4; and all train activity on the Central Florida Rail Corridor (CFRC), which includes SunRail in the greater Orlando area and Amtrak, until Sept. 6.

Two Congress representatives visited rail industry businesses in Minnesota and Iowa in recent days.

On Aug. 27, U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa) toured the operations center and rail yard of Iowa Northern Railway Co. in Waterloo, Iowa. The short line operates through the state from Manly to Cedar Rapids.

Metrolink officials yesterday announced the Southern California commuter railroad has appointed the following to new positions: Justin Fornelli, chief of program delivery; Jennifer Vides Hirsch, chief marketing and communications officer; and Don Filippi, chief of safety, security and compliance. 

Fornelli has been promoted permanently to chief of program delivery after serving in an acting capacity. He will oversee the agency’s Southern California Optimized Rail Expansion Program and state-of-good-repair projects, Metrolink officials said in a press release.

The Greenbrier Cos. Inc. promoted Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Lorie Tekorius to president and COO. Tekorius will lead Greenbrier's strategic planning; its wheels, repair and parts business unit; and its accounting, finance, human resources and global corporate health, safety and security functions. She will continue to chair Greenbrier's executive management committee, composed of its senior management team, Greenbrier officials said in a press release. Tekorius has been with Greenbrier for 24 years in various operating and financial capacities. Prior to her appointment as COO, she served as chief financial officer.

Vossloh Tie Technologies opened a rail products manufacturing facility in Monte Lake, British Columbia, to produce prestressed concrete rail ties for the Canadian market. The facility is designed to produce 100,000 to 350,000 concrete ties annually, and expands the company’s production capacity for Canadian industrial and transit-rail customers nationwide, Vossloh officials said in a press release. Vossloh also installed a spur track that links the facility directly to a primary rail line.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and other government leaders representing the state are calling on the Trump administration to help fund a replacement for the 108-year-old moveable Portal North Bridge.

Murphy, along with New Jersey's federal delegation, held a press event this week to talk about the need for replacing the bridge, its importance to the regional and national economy and to implore the Trump administration and U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to get on board to help fund the project.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced a $41 million grant award to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to fund a project to upgrade the South Station Terminal’s Tower No. 1 interlocking in Boston. 

Improvements will include replacing the existing signal system and upgrading switches, track and power systems. The project will cost $82 million, MassDOT officials wrote on the department blog.

The Canada and Quebec governments earlier this week announced financial support for moving the Nantes and Frontenac railway operations to the Lac-Megantic industrial park in Quebec.

The Canadian government is responding to demands from citizens and the mayors of Lac-Megantic, Nantes and Frontenac to improve the safety of railway operations, while continuing to work with provincial, municipal and industry stakeholders, federal officials said in a Transport Canada press release.

The U.S. Department of Transportation yesterday announced a $4.36 million grant to the Southern Rail Commission (SRC) to help restore passenger rail service along parts of the Gulf Coast.

The award, which will be granted through the federal Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) program, will help fund operating expenses for the first year of service along the new rail line between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, SRC officials said in a press release.

On Sept. 1, Amtrak, the Pacific Surfliner route and California Operation Lifesaver (CAOL) will hold a public education safety event in collaboration with the Los Angeles Angels baseball team in Anaheim.

The Pacific Surfliner will host a booth featuring rail safety experts from CAOL at Angel Stadium prior to the Angels' home game. Attendees will learn tips for staying safe around railroad tracks, including those used by the Pacific Surfliner between San Diego, Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo, railroad and CAOL officials said in a press release.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) earlier this week announced it has renewed a partnership with Cypress Mandela Training Center Inc. in Oakland, California, to offer a railroad-specific workforce development program.

The 16-week program teaches basic skills needed to do track and structure work. The program features classroom and hands-on work, BART officials said in a press release.

Caltrain has begun early planning for potential grade separations along its route in preparation for the launch of electrified service in 2022, which is expected to increase train frequency and pose increased safety concerns at grade crossings.

Caltrain yesterday held a meeting to gather public feedback on a potential grade separation at Scott Street in San Bruno, California.

Canada's Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced the government will invest CA$7.4 million to determine the feasibility of extending an existing rail line at Dolbeau-Mistassini to the rail and marine terminal at Baie-Comeau, Quebec.

An extension would give Canadian companies access to a deep seaport for exporting agricultural and forestry products, fertilizers, refined oil, chemical products and other goods overseas, Transport Canada officials said in a press release.

The decline in U.S. railroads' carload and intermodal traffic continued during the week ending Aug. 24, with Association of American Railroads (AAR) data showing a 5.9 percent decrease to 532,483 units compared with the same week a year ago.

The railroads logged 261,031 carloads, down 5.3 percent, and 271,452 containers and trailers, down 6.5 percent compared to 2018.