Railroad News

As of mid-May, U.S. Class Is employed 147,000 workers, up 0.71 percent since mid-April, but down 1.36 percent compared with May 2017, according to Surface Transportation Board data.

All but one employment category — professional and administrative — reflected slight increases in the workforce on a month-over-month basis. Categories that logged increases since mid-April were transportation (train and engine), up 1.15 percent to 61,593 employees; maintenance of equipment and stores, up 0.78 percent to 26,856; executives, officials and staff assistants, up 0.74 percent to 8,359 employees; maintenance of way and structures, up 0.39 percent to 32,770; and transportation (other than train and engine), up 0.32 percent to 5,584.

MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has rolled out a program that will temporarily provide discounted fares for riders traveling between Brooklyn and seven stations in Queens, New York.

The price of a one-way ticket between Brooklyn and the selected stations will be $5. That compares to the railroad's current peak fare of $10.25 and its off-peak fare of $7.50.

Guelph Junction Railway Ltd. will present at its annual meeting today a CA$100,000 dividend to its sole shareholder, the city of Guelph, Ontario.

The dividend is a first for the railroad. In December 2016, Guelph Junction Railway's board approved a dividend policy to ensure the railway's strategic growth while increasing shareholder value.

Caltrain today will start a one-year project to improve safety at 15 grade crossings between San Francisco and San Jose, California.

The $3.5 million project calls for more clearly marked pedestrian crossings, tactile pavement markers and guardrails. Crews also will install or update medians at eight locations to deter motorists from driving around gates, Caltrain officials said in a press release.

The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) late last week adopted a $1.285 billion six-year program, which includes funds for 44 key multimodal projects in the region.

This is the first time the agency has funded a six-year transportation program, NVTA officials said in a press release. The plan includes $4 million to improve the Virginia Railway Express's Crystal City Station in Arlington, Virginia.

A CSX train derailed last night in southwest Indiana near Princeton, causing a number of rail cars to catch fire.

The train derailed at about 8:10 p.m. about an hour from Evansville. Preliminary reports indicated a release from a rail car containing propane, a CSX spokesman said in an email.

A CSX train derailed last night in southwest Indiana near Princeton, causing a number of rail cars to catch fire.

The train derailed at about 8:10 p.m. about an hour from Evansville. Preliminary reports indicated a release from a rail car containing propane, a CSX spokesman said in an email.

Connecticut's new Hartford Line commuter-rail route served more than 10,300 riders on June 16, the line's first day of service, according to Gov. Dannel Malloy.

The "overwhelming demand" prompted the state to provide additional service on June 17, according to a press release issued by Malloy's office. Amtrak also added an extra afternoon train out of Springfield, Massachusetts, to accommodate riders, the Hartford Courant reported.

TWC Enterprises Ltd. has entered an agreement to sell the White Pass & Yukon Route rail and port operations in Skagway, Alaska, to cruise ship operator Carnival Corp.

TWC said in a press release earlier this month that it entered into a purchase and sale agreement for $290 million, minus debt, taxes and liabilities of $70 million to $80 million. The sale is set to close July 31, according to a TWC press release.

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Passed late last year, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 arguably was the most sweeping tax reform measure in three decades. The changes included a reduction in the corporate tax rate, increased expensing and bonus depreciation, and limits on the deduction for business interest. For some companies, it also boosted 2017 earnings.

The Ports of Indiana has named Vanta Coda II chief executive officer effective July 1. He will succeed Rich Cooper, who is retiring after 16 years leading the organization.

Coda has 25 years of experience in maritime and multimodal operations on the Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico and Ohio River. Most recently, he served as executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, which is the busiest port district on the Great Lakes, according to a Ports of Indiana press release.

New York & Atlantic Railway (NYAR) and liquid propane gas provider Paraco recently conduced tank-car response training programs for more than 100 first responders in Nassau and Suffolk counties, New York.

The training featured classroom and hands-on instruction inside a boxcar designed for educational purposes. Attendees learned how to operate hatches and valves, along with how to respond in the event of a tank-car problem, according to a press release issued by NYAR parent Anacostia Rail Holdings Co.

Restoring Amtrak service along the U.S. Gulf Coast would help provide a major economic boost to local communities in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, according to a recent report by the University of Southern Mississippi.

University researchers evaluated the economic impact of increased spending on tourism, the number of jobs created and expenditures related to rail construction and operations.

The Trump administration's decision to issue tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese imports will undermine recent economic progress, National Retail Federation (NRF) officials said today.

"These tariffs won't reduce or eliminate China's abusive trade practices, but they will strain the budgets of working families by raising consumer prices," said NRF President and Chief Executive Officer Matthew Shay in a prepared statement.

New Jersey has agreed to provide up to $600 million to replace the century-old Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River.

New Jersey Transit's board on Wednesday approved the financing agreement with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, which will issue bonds to generate the funding. The bonds will be paid back over a 30-year term from the state's transportation trust fund, NJ Transit officials said in a press release.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has advanced to the second phase an unsolicited proposal for a privately funded aerial tram between Los Angeles Union Station and Dodger Stadium.

Aerial Rapid Transit Technologies LLC made the proposal. In the coming weeks, Metro will ask for more detailed information about the firm's business model, service design and the "value its project would bring to Angelenos," Metro officials said in a press release.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and other state and local officials earlier this week attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Oshkosh Transload Terminal.

Watco Terminal and Port Services has a contract with the city of Oshkosh to operate and maintain the facility, which is located in the Southwest Industrial Park.

Bay Area Rapid Transit's (BART) board has approved a $2.3 billion budget for fiscal-year 2019 that dedicates $1.4 billion for capital improvements on core infrastructure in the San Francisco Bay area.

BART's capital spending plan includes $402 million in revenue from the voter-approved Measure RR, which allowed the agency to issue general obligation bonds to pay for major system repairs. That money will go toward track replacement, guideway structure rehabilitation and station modernization projects.

Compiled by Michael Popke