Railroad News

Amanda Stahlnecker, 36

Job description: Stahlnecker works on a variety of freight- and transit-rail projects. Her duties include feasibility studies, design, plan preparation, cost estimation, project management and construction support. She provides guidance for less experienced staff in her section and helps with HDR's freight railroad training program.

Education: Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering with a minor in communication studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

AngelTrax has relocated all operations into a renovated 40,000-square-foot facility, which will serve as the new headquarters for the company's expanded corporate offices, as well as its manufacturing, inventory and distribution centers. The expansion follows the debut of the new Vulcan™ Series high-definition cameras, IP cameras and DVRs, which were launched in the first quarter. With increasing demand for Vulcan Series systems, AngelTrax needed room to accommodate current and future growth, said President and Chief Executive Officer Richie Howard.

Road & Rail Services Inc. has received the Association of American Railroads' automotive quality excellence award for its efforts at a site in Talladega, Alabama. The company was recognized for the highest quality review score for origin facilities for the period covering June 2016 to May 2017. The AAR gives out only one such award each year, Road & Rail officials said in a press release. This marks the third time that Road & Rail has received the honor.

Valley Metro has been recognized for its use of geographic information system (GIS) technology in its ridership data portal.

GIS supplier Esri presented the agency with a 2017 special achievement in GIS award for the portal, which provides access to customized transit ridership reports. The data portal serves as a "model for the industry," Valley Metro officials said in a press release.

The Port Authority of Allegheny County next year plans to open a larger customer service center in downtown Pittsburgh.

The agency's board late last month approved amending an existing lease at the Heinz 57 Center to include a new 8,500-square-foot location. The lease will now run through 2030.

Union Pacific Railroad ranked as the top performer while Canadian Pacific ranked last in the Soy Transportation Coalition's (STC) seventh annual survey of Class I performance.

UP was regarded as the top performing railroad for the fifth time. Survey respondents ranked CP in seventh place for the six year in a row, STC officials said in a press release.

The Kansas City Streetcar Authority (KCSA) on Monday issued a notice to proceed on planning work for a southern extension to the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

An HDR Engineering-led team will perform planning and engineering services. The planning work will include collecting data on area conditions and utilities, refining alignment details, determining station locations and updating cost estimates.

Siemens today will open a new, 44,000-square-foot locomotive service hub in Delaware that will use digital and predictive technology to remotely maintain the units for several railroad operators.

Located in New Castle, the facility will use "Internet of Trains" digital and predictive technology to train service technicians and remotely monitor more than 140 Siemens-built locomotives for customers across the United States, company officials said in a press release.

Danielle Ross, 35

Job description: Ross sets Spectrum’s direction and oversees operations. She assesses staffing needs, anticipates and plans for growth, and creates short- and long-term strategies for the marketing and manufacturing of the company's products.

Education: Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish literature from Ohio State University

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

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

The Seattle Office of Housing yesterday announced $15 million in funding to build affordable homes near Sound Transit's future Roosevelt light-rail station.

The office has joined Sound Transit in issuing a request for proposals (RFP) for the project. The RFP is for one of several transit-oriented development (TOD) plans that Sound Transit is advancing this year, Sound Transit officials said in a press release.

Longshore workers at 29 ports in California, Oregon and Washington officially ratified a three-year contract extension with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) announced late last week.

The union's coast balloting committee reviewed voting results from all longshore local unions and confirmed that 67 percent of members have approved the extension, ILWU officials said in a press release.

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.