Railroad News

Amtrak launched Northeast Regional daily service to and from Roanoke, Virginia, yesterday, returning passenger-rail service to the city for the first time in nearly four decades.

Amtrak, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and Roanoke officials partnered to bring the service back to the city, marking the fourth expansion of Amtrak service in Virginia since 2009.

Total intermodal volumes rose 6.3 percent in third-quarter 2017 compared with the same period a year ago, marking the strongest growth rate in three years, the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) reported today.
 
During the quarter, international volume climbed 8.2 percent, the domestic container market increased 3.8 percent and trailer loads posted the strongest growth number at 8.4 percent compared with third-quarter 2016, according to IANA's "Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics" report.

"This quarter's results show a continued recovery for all three intermodal segments, marking three consecutive quarters of growth, a first in six years," said IANA President and Chief Executive Officer Joni Casey.

Hensel Phelps Construction Co. awarded a $28 million design-build subcontract to Granite Construction Inc. to work on Sound Transit's planned light-rail operations and maintenance facility in Bellevue, Washington. Granite's scope of work includes site demolition, site grading, utilities installation, pedestrian-trail construction and asphalt paving. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2017 and will wrap up by late 2020. The facility will provide storage and maintenance for 96 light-rail vehicles.

American Railcar Industries Inc. (ARI) reported third-quarter 2017 net income of $8.9 million, or 46 cents a share, compared with $7.7 million, or 40 cents a share, in the same period in 2016. Total revenue for the quarter fell 17 percent to $120.7 million versus $145 million last year. The drop resulted from decreased revenue in the manufacturing segment, partially offset by increased revenue in the rail-car leasing and services segments. During 2017's third quarter, ARI shipped 618 rail cars for direct sale and 338 rail cars for lease versus 855 units for direct sale and 322 cars for lease during the same period last year.

Caltrain this week will host community meetings to share information on its electrification project.

The first will take place tomorrow in Redwood City, California. Caltrain staff will be on hand to discuss how the electrification project will affect the city and the North Fair Oaks neighborhood.

The League of Railway Industry Women (LRIW) has appointed Tanis Peterson president, the association announced yesterday.

Peterson serves as director of operations and regulatory affairs for the Railway Association of Canada. She began her rail career as a conductor for Canadian Pacific.

The Port of South Louisiana will invest $9.5 million to build a railroad for Dow St. Charles that will be capable of handling 250 rail cars, port officials announced yesterday.

The port will provide property and the railroad, which Dow will lease, according to a press release.

New York City is the most sustainable city for transportation in North America, according to Arcadis' recent "sustainable cities mobility index."

The index ranks sustainable transportation practices across 100 cities worldwide. The index takes into account more than 20 mobility elements that are essential to a city's competitive advantage, economy and sustainability, Arcadis officials said in a press release.

American Resources Corp., through its subsidiary Quest Energy Inc. and Deane Mining LLC, has shipped its first unit train of thermal coal from a previously idled Mill Creek coal preparation plant in Letcher County, Kentucky, the company announced late last week.

The plant's operation is made possible in part through the start of the Access Energy underground mine, which belts directly to the plant's raw coal stockyard, according to a press release issued by American Resources.

Watco Cos. subsidiary Watco Transloading LLC announced last week that it has acquired a stevedoring and transloading business in Oklahoma, as well as a 12-acre rail-served transload facility in the state.

Watco acquired the transload facility in Oklahoma City from Base Inc. Doing business as Watco Terminal & Port Services, the rail-served facility handles construction-industry materials including bricks, shingles and lumber, according to a Watco press release.

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. reported third-quarter financial results that were "modestly weaker than expected," with diluted earnings per share of 80 cents compared with 98 cents in the same period a year ago, company officials announced today.

G&W's third-quarter operating revenue rose 15 percent to $577 million from $501 million, while operating income increased 21 percent to $111.5 million from $91.85 million during the same period in 2016, according to a company press release.

Metrolink on Oct. 21 marked its 25th anniversary.

The Southern California commuter railroad operates a 538-route-mile system that travels through six counties, including Los Angeles. The system serves 400 million passengers each year.

Starting in January 2018, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) will deploy police and community service officers to perform proof-of-payment inspections within paid areas of stations and on trains.

If requested by authorized BART personnel, riders must present a valid ticket or Clipper fare card anywhere within paid areas.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has received certifications that two bids for its Green Line light-rail extension will be on budget, the agency announced last week.

Two of the three design-build teams on a short list to work on the $2.2 billion project have verified that their proposals will be at or below the established $1.319 billion affordability limit.

The Railway Association of Canada (RAC) last week announced VIA Rail Canada Inc. and short-line operator ArcelorMittal Infrastructure Canada are the winners of the association's 2017 Safety and Environment Awards.

The awards recognize RAC members for outstanding contributions to rail safety and environmental stewardship, RAC officials said in a press release.

The Port of Everett Commission in Washington has authorized its staff to solicit construction bids for the $36 million South Terminal modernization project.

The project, combined with the double rail siding now under construction, will ensure the port will be able to accommodate the next generation of over-dimensional cargo, including aerospace parts, port officials said in a press release.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) late last week unveiled a $3.1 billion budget for fiscal-year 2019, which will begin July 1, 2018.

Although the budget calls for increased funding for safety and reliability capital improvements, the plan won't require any fare increases or service cuts, agency officials said in a press release.

A joint interline service initiative established between CN and Norfolk Southern Railway in August is reducing transit times by a day or two for carload traffic between Western Canada and NS destinations in the Eastern United States, the Class Is announced late last week.

The service enables freight to bypass traditional interchange points in Chicago in favor of using the "most efficient" existing CN and NS routes. The service has cut transit times by up to 48 hours, according to a press release issued by the railroads.

Direct ChassisLink Inc. (DCLI) has agreed to acquire TRAC Intermodal's fleet of 72,000 53-foot domestic chassis, along with related customer and hosting contracts with Class Is and intermodal shipping companies throughout the United States. The transaction is expected to close in January 2018, DCLI officials said in a press release. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. After the acquisition is completed, DCLI will own, lease or manage 136,000 marine chassis, as well as 80,0000 domestic chassis. Through its REZ-1 asset management platform, the company manages more than 86,000 domestic intermodal containers for third parties.

CSX has been selected as a recipient of the National Defense Transportation Association's (NDTA) 2017 Distinguished Service Award in recognition of the railroad's "invaluable support of the organization's goals and aims."

The NDTA is a nonpolitical, nonprofit educational association that works to benefit national security and defense by sharing information about logistics, transportation and passenger travel services.