Year: 2004
Union Pacific Named a Top Military Friendly Employer
OMAHA, Neb. – G.I. Jobs magazine has named Union Pacific Railroad one of the nation’s top 25 Military Friendly Employers for 2004. Union Pacific ranked sixth on the list, drawn from a sample of Fortune 500 companies and based on criteria that includes the strength of company military recruiting efforts, the percentage of new hires with prior military service and company policies toward National Guard and reserve service. About 450 Union Pacific employees indicated on their employment applications that they have reservist or National Guard affiliations. About 125 currently are in active military service; nearly 150 have served and returned.
Hundreds injured in Australian derailment
BUNDABERG, Australia – Upwards of 160 people were injured Tuesday when a high speed train derailed, taking out trees in its path. “Thank God no one was killed,” news agency AFP quoted Queensland state Premier Peter Beattie as saying as he toured the wreck hours just after the crash. “When you look at the site it is in fact a miracle that no one was.” Authorities were unsure what might have caused the train, known as the “City of Townsville” express. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) sent investigators to the scene to investigate. “I was thrown against the window
Toy Trains or Real-Life Locomotives Power-Up for the Holidays
OMAHA, Neb. — As the holiday season begins to rev up, so do millions of toy train sets circling just as many Christmas trees. Whether they’re cherished hand-me-downs or just-opened gifts, the miniature trains take make-believe freight and passengers for rides extending as far as their engineers’ imaginations. As the "engineer" on your toy railroad, have you ever wondered what it would be like sitting in the cab of a 200-ton real-life locomotive? What it would be like to push the throttle forward and hear the powerful engine strain to pull a hundred rail cars down the track? Have you
Five People Killed by Freight Train
GRANITEVILLE, S.C. — Five people were killed Nov. 10 when their car was struck by a Norfolk Southern freight train, various news outlets reported. The train, consisting of a locomotive and two cars was traveling 45 mph in a 49 mph zone, when it struck a Buick at the Ascauga Lake Road grade crossing in Graniteville, The Associated Press reported. The collision occurred at 8:15 a.m. The, as identifies by The Associated Press are: Connie Bodie, 26; Tammy Wilson, 36; Nathaniel Hay, 21; Michael Mack, 39; all of Williston; and Monica Myers, 41, of Springfield. The news agency reported Bodie
Santa Claus Making His Way to Appalachia for 62nd Running of the Santa Special
KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Santa Claus is delegating his North Pole duties to a team of elves so that he may make his annual railroad trip through Appalachia. On Nov. 20, the jolly old elf will launch the holiday season by riding the Santa Special, a CSX train that brings joy to children in the remote areas of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. Santa’s special guest on this year’s train will be Grammy award-winning country star and Arista Nashville recording artist Rebecca Lynn Howard. The Kentucky native was nominated for the 2003 Academy of Country Music’s “Song of the Year” award for
NTSB Releases ‘Most Wanted’ List
WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board on Nov. 9 said the government should be doing more to prevent accidents and enhance safety for the traveling public. The Board updated its list of Most Wanted Safety Improvements, noting instances where federal agencies had given unacceptable responses to NTSB recommendations or were moving too slowly to implement recommended safety measures. Two items were removed from the list, one because action on it is almost completed, and the other because the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) refused to adopt the recommended safety enhancement. Established in 1990, the Most Wanted list is a way
Union Pacific Trains Handling Peak Holiday Shipping From Los Angeles Area Ports
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific is doing its part to ensure the nation’s peak holiday shipping season meets with Santa’s expectations. North America’s largest railroad is operating on demand at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and has been satisfying demand since May of this year. "Contrary to recent reports that blame Union Pacific for ship delays at Southern California ports, we’ve been keeping up with demand since Memorial Day. We are handling record numbers of shipments, so trains sometimes don’t depart as scheduled, but we catch up quickly," said Randy Blackburn, vice president-premium operations. "There are several