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Sep
27

Attorneys general call on USDOT to stop Washington's crude-by-rail law

Attorneys general from 10 states have joined Montana and North Dakota in calling on the U.S. Department of Transportation to overrule a Washington state law regarding the transportation of crude oil by rail.

This week, attorneys general from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia wrote to the department to support the position of the Montana and North Dakota attorneys general, who have petitioned the Trump administration to overturn Washington's law.

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Sep
27

UP CFO Knight to retire; Hamann named successor

Rail News Home Union Pacific Railroad 9/27/2019 Rail News: Union Pacific Railroad
UP CFO Rob Knight will retire Dec. 31.Photo – up.com

Union Pacific Chief Financial Officer Rob Knight will retire on Dec. 31, the Class I announced yesterday. Jennifer Hamann will succeed him effective Jan. 1, 2020.

Knight joined UP in 1980 and held numerous leadership positions prior to being named CFO in 2004. During his tenure as CFO, he led many initiatives that helped the company earn the highest market capitalization of any North American transportation company, UP officials said in a press release.

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Sep
26

Amtrak Police, OLI partner to enforce rail safety

Rail News Home Safety 9/26/2019 Rail News: Safety
Amtrak Police and Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) have partnered again for the third annual “Operation Clear Track” event to enforce grade crossing and trespassing laws during Rail Safety Week, which runs through Sept. 29.During the week, 600 police and sheriff’s departments across the country will report to hundreds of railroad grade crossings deemed “high incident” locations by the Federal Railroad Administration, OLI officials said in a press release.Once onsite, law enforcement officials will enforce their state grade crossing and trespassing laws during a three-hour safety detail, handing out railroad safety public awareness cards and writing citations and warnings to violators.This year, Operation Clear Track also will be held in Canada.Railroads and transit-rail agencies across the country are involved in events this week to bring awareness to the importance of safety at grade crossings.

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Sep
26

MBTA completes Red Line signal repairs

Rail News Home Communication and Signal 9/26/2019 Rail News: Communication and Signal
MBTA has completed final repairs to train control signals, track signals and electronic track switching controls on the Red Line.Photo – MBTA

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) yesterday announced it has completed all necessary Red Line signal repairs and restored regularly scheduled service on the line following a June rail-car derailment that caused significant infrastructure damage and service disruptions over the summer.

As of last week, all restoration work was completed with final repairs made to train control signals, track signals and electronic track switching controls. 

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Sep
26

CP Police Service Constable Bidulka honored for rail-safety efforts

Rail News Home Safety 9/26/2019 Rail News: Safety
Operation Lifesaver Canada (OL) announced yesterday that Canadian Pacific Police Service Constable Brad Bidulka will be awarded its Roger Cyr Award.The award recognizes "rail safety ambassadors who have made exceptional contributions to rail safety in Canada," OL officials said in a press release. The award is announced annually during Canada's Rail Safety Week, which is being recognized this week through Sept. 29.“Brad is proof that through passion and commitment, each of us can make our communities safer places to live,” said OL Canada’s National Director Sarah Mayes. “Whether he’s knocking on doors to speak directly with community members, or hosting a mock-collision in minus-30 weather to highlight the importance of obeying railway signs and signals, Brad goes above and beyond to get the rail safety message across.”Bidulka joined CP's police service in 2015. In 2017 he worked to establish and chair a new OL provincial committee in Saskatchewan, to help coordinate rail safety education and outreach efforts in the province, OL officials said.Since that time, Bidulka has built up the committee’s membership and secured the support of more than a dozen key organizations in the region.Bidulka also understands the value of one-on-one rail safety conversations, OL officials said. After footage recently surfaced on social media of children climbing under a stopped train at a crossing, he identified the community and reached out to its local association. Along with parent discussions, school presentations and a rail safety open house at the community center, Bidulka and his team knocked on doors throughout the community to spread the rail safety message. He still visits the area weekly to speak with community members, and he oversaw the installation of 12 new “no trespassing” signs along rail lines in the area.Named after the founder of Operation Lifesaver Canada, the Roger Cyr Award for Public Rail Safety was first awarded in 1981 and is a joint initiative of OL, the Railway Association of Canada and Transport Canada.

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Sep
26

OmniTRAX, logistics provider open Atlanta transload facility

Rail News Home Logistics 9/26/2019 Rail News: Logistics
OmniTRAX Inc. and A&R Logistics, a provider of integrated dry bulk logistics solutions for the chemical and plastic industries, are opening a new transload facility adjacent to the Fulton County Railway (FCR) tracks southwest of downtown Atlanta.The new terminal initially will enable the contents of 10 rail hopper cars to be simultaneously offloaded to trailers, with expansion expected, OmniTRAX officials said in a press release.A&R will use the terminal to transfer plastic pellets shipped by rail from resin producers across the country onto specialized pneumatic trailers and then transport the product to extruders throughout Georgia and neighboring states.Features of the terminal include secure fencing, high intensity lighting and a fully graded compound that also offers storage space for 20 train cars.“The new Atlanta Waterfront Terminal is a great location for A&R, complete with access to the interstate system and great opportunities for growth. We look forward to working with the A&R team to ensure the facility safely reaches its full potential,” said OmniTRAX Chief Executive Officer Kevin Shuba.Part of the OmniTRAX network, FCR operates over 25 miles of track within the Fulton County Industrial Park, which is located adjacent to Interstate 20 near downtown Atlanta.

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Sep
26

FTA approves $75 million grant for Tempe Streetcar project

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 9/26/2019 Rail News: Passenger Rail
Valley Metro’s Tempe Streetcar grant was provided through FTA’s CIG Program.Photo – Valley Metro

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) yesterday announced a $75 million grant to Valley Metro for the Tempe Streetcar project in Arizona. 

FTA provided the grant for the $192.4 million project through the federal Capital Investment Grants Program, which provides funding for major transit infrastructure projects nationwide.

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Sep
26

U.S. freight railroads post traffic decline in Week 38

U.S. freight-rail traffic fell 6.8 percent to 528,670 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending Sept. 21 compared with the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total carloads for the week declined 8 percent to 250,794 units, while intermodal volume fell 5.7 percent to 277,876 containers and trailers.

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Sep
25

Rail supplier news from Ricardo, Alstom, B12 Transportation, Transdev and Burns (Sept. 25)

Rail News Home Railroading Supplier Spotlight 9/25/2019 Rail News: Railroading Supplier Spotlight
Beijing Metro Construction Administration Corp. Ltd. has selected Ricardo to perform an independent safety assessment of a new metro line in eastern Beijing. Ricardo will ensure the safety of passengers, staff and surrounding communities during construction, installation, testing and commissioning of the new line in 2021, company officials said in a press release. The assessment's scope extends across rolling stock, signaling, route infrastructure and communications technologies, as well as the safety management system.Alstom, in a consortium with Setec Ferroviaire, has been awarded a $54.9 million contract by SNCF Reseau to supply its Atlas European Railways Traffic Management System Level 2 train control system on over 310 miles of the Paris-Lyon high speed line in Europe. Alstom will carry out the design, equipment supply, installation work, tests and maintenance of its Atlas solution. Setec Ferroviaire will be in charge of verifying the design, integrated project management and testing, Alstom officials said in a press release. Meanwhile, Alstom has been commissioned by Deutsche Bahn AG to retrofit 17 internationally operating ICE3 high-speed trains with its Atlas European Train Control System (ETCS) in a contract worth nearly $33 million. The new technology will allow the trains to be equipped for the new ETCS Level 2 high-speed line between Stuttgart and Ulm, Germany, officials said. Alstom has also been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the ninth consecutive year. The company reached an overall score of 79 out of 100 in the corporate sustainability assessment. The B12 Transportation Group LLC appointed John Resnik as chief executive officer, Mark Radosevich as chief financial officer and William Sprague as director of human resources and special projects. Resnik has over 25 years of executive leadership experience in vehicle manufacturing. Radosevich previously served as vice president of finance and administration for Innovest Holdings and Subs. In his new role, Radosevich will direct a shared services team across three locations and manage financial operations for the holding company and subsidiary manufacturing businesses. Sprague has more than 40 years of human resources and operations experience with an emphasis on the manufacturing sector. Sprague additionally served local government as city commissioner and mayor of Lapeer, Michigan.Transdev North America promoted Ibrahima Toure from southwest region area vice president to regional VP. Toure joined Transdev in 2004 as a bus operator in Denver, and later worked as safety and training supervisor and general manager for Transdev’s operation in Chico, California, and VP of business development.Burns Engineering hired Michael Ehrenberger as a signals and communications project manager. Ehrenberger has over 35 years of experience in vehicle system-level design and application of safety critical products for major railroad and transit clients. He is a systems and subject matter expert for the on-board advanced civil speed enforcement system, Burns officials said in a press release. 

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Sep
25

Georgia Southern wins IANA Academic Challenge

Rail News Home Intermodal 9/25/2019 Rail News: Intermodal
The winning Georgia Southern University team.Photo – IANA

A Georgia Southern University undergraduate team won the Intermodal Association of North America's (IANA) ninth Intermodal EXPO Academic Challenge held in California, the association announced this week.

Each of the participating teams responded to a case that focused on analyzing volume trends from the intermodal and over-the-road perspectives. Georgia Southern's win was its first victory in the annual competition, IANA officials said in a press release.

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Sep
25

California's high-speed rail project ranks among top sustainable projects

Rail News Home High-Speed Rail 9/25/2019 Rail News: High-Speed Rail
California's high-speed rail project received five stars for sustainability from the GRESB Infrastructure Assessment.Photo – CHSRA Facebook

California's high-speed rail project ranks among the top rail projects for sustainability in North America, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) announced this week.

The project received five stars for sustainability from the GRESB Infrastructure Assessment, a benchmark for environmental, social and governance policies, practices and performance of infrastructure investments.

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Sep
25

MBTA awards contract for 80 bilevel coaches

Rail News Home Mechanical 9/25/2019 Rail News: Mechanical
MBTA’s procurement will increase commuter-rail capacity by over 14,000 seats daily.Photo – MBTA

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Fiscal and Management Control Board earlier this week awarded a $279 million contract to Hyundai-Rotem for 80 new commuter-rail bilevel coaches.

Funded by the state, the additional coaches will increase seating capacity by over 14,000 seats daily, support the South Coast Rail expansion project that will restore service between Boston and southeastern Massachusetts in 2023, and replace aging, single-level coaches, MBTA officials said in a press release. 

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Sep
25

DART breaks ground on Silver regional rail line

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 9/25/2019 Rail News: Passenger Rail
DART and local officials broke ground for the Silver Line on the spot of the future University of Texas at Dallas Station in Richardson, Texas.Photo – DART

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and local officials last week broke ground on the 26-mile Silver Line that will provide regional-rail service between Plano, Texas, and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport starting in December 2022. 

The $1.1 billion project involves construction of passenger-rail connections and service that will serve and link to major employment, population and activity centers in DART’s northern service area, agency officials said in a press release. 

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Sep
25

KCS promotes Flores to VP of auto sales, marketing

Rail News Home Kansas City Southern 9/25/2019 Rail News: Kansas City Southern
Kansas City Southern announced this week that Rodrigo Flores has been promoted from assistant vice president to vice president of automotive sales and marketing.He will be responsible for the road’s automotive business unit in the United States and will coordinate with the sales and marketing team at Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM). “Rodrigo is a talented sales, marketing and finance professional, who over the past three years has forged strong relationships with KCS’ automotive customers in the U.S. and Mexico,” said Michael Naatz, KCS executive VP and chief marketing officer, in a press release.Flores' experience makes him ideal for his new position "and ensures a smooth transition for customers and the team he leads," Naatz added.Flores joined the predecessor to KCSM in 1997 as a manager in external reporting. In 2000, he joined KCSM’s treasury department as director, where he served until 2006 when he accepted a position as AVP and assistant treasurer at KCS corporate headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri.Flores transitioned from treasury and into sales and marketing as assistant vice president of the automotive business unit where he has served since 2016.In his new role, Flores succeeds Kelley Anderson, who has retired.“We are grateful to Kelley for his leadership and for sharing his transportation expertise with KCS over the past eight years,” Naatz said. “He has had a fantastic 40-year career and we wish him and his family the very best for a long and healthy retirement.”

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Sep
24

A-train operator receives procurement award

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 9/24/2019 Rail News: Passenger Rail
The Denton County Transportation Authority has received the National Procurement Institute's Achievement of Excellence in Procurement award for four consecutive years.Photo – DCTA 

The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) yesterday was awarded the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP) from the National Procurement Institute Inc. (NPI) for the fourth consecutive year.

The AEP award is given annually to public and nonprofit organizations that demonstrate  innovation, professionalism, productivity and leadership in procurement functions. Recipients are scored based on standardized criteria, DCTA officials said in a press release. 

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Sep
24

ASLRRA, CloudMoyo collaborate on short-line webinar series

Rail News Home Short Lines & Regionals 9/24/2019 Rail News: Short Lines & Regionals
The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) and CloudMoyo last week announced they've developed a new educational webinar series for short line and regional railroads. The webinars will focus on using technology to address key challenges, opportunities; improving operational efficiencies; and increasing revenue and workplace safety and compliance.Registration and more detailed topic information is available on the ASLRRA website.“We’re looking forward to deepening our partnership with the ASLRRA and continuing to provide thought leadership and insights into opportunities for digital transformation within the railroad industry,” said CloudMoyo Chief Executive Officer Manish Kedia.

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Sep
24

Georgia port marks more growth in container volume

Rail News Home Intermodal 9/24/2019 Rail News: Intermodal
In August, GPA handled eight extra ships over its regular 37 weekly vessel calls, adding nearly 20,000 TEUs to the month's volumePhoto – Georgia Ports Authority

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) announced yesterday it marked its busiest month ever for containerized trade in August, handling a 16.5 percent increase in container volume compared to the same month last year.

Last month, the authority handled 437,750 20-foot-equivalent units (TEU), up 62,000 TEUs from August 2018 levels, authority officials said in a press release.

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Sep
24

Operation Lifesaver kicks off Rail Safety Week

Rail News Home Safety 9/24/2019 Rail News: Safety
Rail Safety Week runs through Sept. 28.Photo – Operation Lifesaver Inc.

Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) and Operation Lifesaver Canada are joining forces this week to observe rail safety in North America and launch a campaign to raise public awareness of the safety concerns at grade crossings.

The campaign, called #STOPTrackTragedies, features videos with the personal stories of people — victims, friends and family members, locomotive engineers and first responders — who are affected by grade crossing or trespassing incidents. One video will be released each day over the course of Rail Safety Week, which runs through Sept. 28.

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Sep
24

Anacostia Rail, private equity firm launch transloading terminals venture

Rail News Home Logistics 9/24/2019 Rail News: Logistics
Anacostia Rail Holdings Co. (ARH) and Brown Brothers Harriman Capital Partners (BBHCP) yesterday announced they’ve formed Precision Terminal Logistics (PTL), a jointly owned entity that will operate, build and acquire U.S. transloading terminals.In conjunction with its formation, PTL has acquired select assets from Arrow Material Services LLC, a transloading service provider. Financial terms were not disclosed.“This is a unique opportunity to bring together quality operating experience with Anacostia/Brown Brothers Harriman strategic insight and market knowledge,” ARH Chief Executive Officer Peter Gilbertson said in a press release.PTL’s terminals will offer customers a “full suite” of solutions, including materials handling, logistics services, transloading, secure bulk commodity storage and facility construction.The Arrow Material acquisition enables PTL to start its business with 23 transload facilities in 15 states. The company’s headquarters will be based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “We believe this new company has an exciting opportunity in front of it,” said PTL CEO Ray Nixon. ARH and BBHCP were instrumental in forming an acquisition strategy to buy Arrow Material’s assets, “and our collective experience will enable PTL to be particularly effective at providing creative solutions to transportation companies and end-user facilities,” Nixon added.BBHCP’s investment in PTL’s creation was made through the BBH Capital Partners Opportunities Fund LP.

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Sep
24

AREMA bestows Hay Award to KiwiRail for earthquake recovery

Rail News Home Maintenance Of Way 9/24/2019 Rail News: Maintenance Of Way
The first freight train to travel on the Main North Line after the November 2016 Kaikoura earthquake made its way south in September 2017.Photo – KiwiRail's image library

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The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) yesterday presented its 21st annual Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence to New Zealand’s KiwiRail for the Main North Line earthquake recovery project.

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