Railroad News

Two U.S. Representatives who serve on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure have requested an update on Amtrak's safety culture and implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC).

TriMet's Board of Directors has named current TriMet Chief Operating Officer (COO) Doug Kelsey as the single finalist in the search for a new general manager.

U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) have asked Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson for a detailed update on the railroad's safety culture and implementation of positive train control (PTC).

In a letter sent yesterday, the congressmen said they want to know what safety culture weaknesses Amtrak has identified in its organization and the specific steps it is taking to resolve them immediately. The letter was copied to labor unions that represent Amtrak employees.

The Feb. 16 deadline to nominate individuals for Progressive Railroading's Rising Stars program is fast approaching.

Now in its sixth year, the program recognizes up-and-coming leaders in North America's railroad industry. The magazine defines a Rising Star as someone under the age of 40 who is making a positive difference in his or her company, department or team.

U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) yesterday raised questions about the effectiveness of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) maintenance programs following a derailment earlier this week.

In a letter to WMATA General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Paul Wiedefeld, Comstock said the Jan. 15 derailment on the Red Line exemplifies the "unacceptable condition of WMATA and the dire need for fundamental reform."

U.S. rail traffic ticked up 0.5 percent to 511,937 carloads and intermodal units in the second week of 2018 compared with the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

For the week ending Jan. 13, total carloads declined 4.1 percent to 241,351 units compared with the same week in 2017, while total U.S. intermodal containers and trailers increased 5 percent to 270,586 units, according to an AAR press release.

By Michael Popke

Valley Metro has taken delivery of rail for its 1.9-mile Gilbert Road light-rail extension in Mesa, Arizona.

Over the next few weeks, the 80-foot rail sticks will be welded together into 400-foot strings. Progress Rail supplied the rail, which is valued at $500,000, Valley Metro spokeswoman Corinne Holliday said in an email.

Valley Metro accepted delivery of rail for its Gilbert Road light-rail extension in Mesa, Ariz.

The 80-foot sticks will be welded together into 400-foot strings over the next few weeks, in preparation for installation. The $18-million extension will add 1.9 miles of light rail on Main Street from Mesa Drive to Gilbert Road. Valley Metro notes that there are significant transit connections at Gilbert Road and the extension will grant the transit authority the ability to serve the growing transit demand in the East Valley.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority's (CHSRA) Board of Directors named Brian P. Kelly as its new chief executive officer, effective Feb. 1, 2018.

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) has released a design guide for modernizing the Philadelphia-area trolley system.

Operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), the trolley system serves nearly 100,000 people on weekdays. However, the 36-year-old trolley vehicles are nearing the end of their useful life and cause expensive stresses on the system, according to the guide.

Imports at the nation's major retail container ports rose 7 percent in 2017 over 2016, as retail sales grew throughout the year and ended with a strong holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).

The 2017 total for ports covered by the Global Port Tracker is expected to be 20.1 million 20-foot-equivalent units (TEUs), topping last year's record of 18.8 million TEUs by 7 percent, according to an NRF press release.

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The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending January 13, 2018.

GE Transportation has signed two contracts with Kazakhstan's state-run railroad Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) to supply 300 shunter locomotives and provide maintenance services for 175 passenger Evolution™ Series locomotives.

A Cloud Peak Energy subsidiary has entered into a term coal export sales agreement with Singapore-based JERA Trading Ltd.

Coal produced at Cloud Peak Energy's Spring Creek mine near Decker, Montana, will be carried by BNSF Railway Co. to Westshore Terminals at Roberts Bank, Vancouver, where it will be loaded and shipped to two new integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.

A Cloud Peak Energy subsidiary has entered into a term coal export sales agreement with Singapore-based JERA Trading Ltd.

Coal produced at Cloud Peak Energy's Spring Creek mine near Decker, Montana, will be carried by BNSF Railway Co. to Westshore Terminals at Roberts Bank, Vancouver, where it will be loaded and shipped to two new integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has named Brian Kelly chief executive officer, effective Feb. 1.

Kelly succeeds Jeff Morales, who left the job in early summer. Kelly has served as secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) since it was created in 2013.

CSX Corp. yesterday reported fourth-quarter 2017 revenue declined 6 percent to $2.86 billion compared with a year ago, as the Class I hauled less freight during the period.

The company posted net earnings of $4.1 billion, or $4.62 earnings per share, compared with $458 million, or 49 cents per share in Q4 2016. The 2017 earnings include a $3.6 billion net tax reform benefit under the recently passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, as well as a $10 million net restructuring charge.