Railroad News

CSX yesterday posted record results for the first quarter, including an operating ratio (OR) that fell below 60 percent.

Net income during the quarter soared 20 percent to $834 million, or $1.02 per share, versus $695 million, or 78 cents per share a year ago.

The MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) yesterday began construction on a two-way grade separated underpass at the Covert Avenue crossing in Long Island, New York.

MTA is rebuilding the crossing at Covert Avenue as an underpass with a sidewalk on the east side, according to an MTA press release.

Metra Police yesterday launched a mobile application to enable riders on the Chicago commuter-rail service to discretely report crimes and suspicious activity from a train or station. 

The Metra COPS app allows riders to send a description along with a photo or video of the issue being reported. The app automatically disables the user’s smartphone flash to ensure discretion, and reports can be made anonymously, according to a Metra press release.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's (PANYNJ) board has named Sam Ruda port director. Ruda has served as interim port director for the past five months. 

Ruda succeeded Molly Campbell, who left the authority in late 2018 to accept a fellowship at Harvard University. 

Americans took more commuter-rail trips in 2018 than in 2017, but overall ridership on commuter-, heavy- and light-rail systems decreased by 550,585 passenger trips last year, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) reported yesterday.

Nationally, commuter-rail ridership increased in 18 out of 31 transit systems, while overall ridership increased slightly by 0.41 percent in 2018 versus 2017. Two commuter-rail systems logged double-digit increases in 2018: Orlando, Florida, 30.9 percent; and Stockton, California, 11.9 percent.

CN will appeal a Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) ruling issued yesterday that determined the Class I had breached its freight-rail service obligations last year in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The CTA found that CN violated its service obligations by announcing its intention to impose embargoes on wood pulp shipments in September 2018, several months before rail congestion and other challenges emerged in the Vancouver area. The Class I imposed those embargoes in December 2018, "rather than making every reasonable effort to deal with those challenges before unilaterally restricting the transportation of the shippers' traffic," according to a CTA press release.

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

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

BNSF Logistics LLC late last week announced its annual Supplier Excellence Award recipients.

The honorees are among the more than 60,000 suppliers that BNSF Logistics uses globally across all modes of transportation. BNSF Logistics operations team members nominate the suppliers for recognition.

Societe de transport de Montreal (STM) logged ridership growth last year, including 3.5 percent more riders using electronic ticketing and nearly 5 percent more riders using traditional paper ticketing, agency officials said in a press release announcing STM's 2018 annual report. 

STM credited the ridership increase to the city’s economic vitality, sustained employment growth, tourism, the expansion of reduced fares to full-time students, and measures to encourage motorists to use public transit.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) General Manager Grace Crunican last week informed the agency's board she will retire July 6.

Cruncian was appointed general manager of the San Francisco agency in 2011.

By Vesna Brajkovic, Associate Editor 

Valley Metro last week received approval from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to advance the Phoenix agency's South Central light-rail extension project to the engineering phase.

The FTA action allows Valley Metro to move forward in its application for a federal Capital Investment Grant (CIG). Entry into the project's next phase also allows for engineering and pre-construction work to continue, including procurement of long-lead special trackwork. The 5.5-mile extension that would connect south central and downtown Phoenix includes nine new stations a transit hub, according to a Valley Metro press release. 

Today, Progressive Railroading announces the names of 25 people chosen for recognition as the Rising Stars of the North American railroad industry in 2019.

This is the seventh year that Progressive Railroading has sponsored the Rising Stars Awards program. The magazine defines a Rising Star as someone under the age of 40 who has made, or is making, a positive impact on his or her company, organization, department or team, and is viewed by others — peers, colleagues, supervisors, clients or associates — as an up-and-coming leader in the rail industry.

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

RailWorks Corp. subsidiary RailWorks Track Systems Inc. has been contracted to build 134,000 track feet at Savage Gulf Rail LLC’s new storage and handling yard in Gregory, Texas. The track construction will begin this summer and be completed in 2021, according to a RailWorks press release. Once completed, the rail yard will be able to handle and store up to 1,100 rail cars and will include arrival and departure tracks for Union Pacific Railroad access. The site will also include a hydrocarbon rail-car storage yard, rail-car wash facility, loading facility and rail-car maintenance facility.

RGCX LLC has hired Misty Weisbrod as chief financial officer. Weisbrod has been working with the company on a contract and consulting basis since June 2018. She has more than 25 years of management experience in accounting, financial operations, process documentation and optimization and software development projects. Most recently, Weisbrod served as CFO for retail furniture company Healthy Back Brand Holdings.