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Commuter Rail

MTA: Staten Island Railway Ridership Figures Show ‘Impressive Gains’ for 2008

NEW YORK — Last year, MTA Staten Island Railway (SIR) saw an impressive gain in ridership attributable to a series of factors, including the increase of p.m. rush hour express service and the unprecedented jump in gasoline prices which persuaded many commuters to leave their cars at home. From 2007, annual ridership climbed 6.1 percent to 4.38 million in 2008 while the average number of customers using SIR on an average weekday rose 5.1 percent to 15,713. “We greet these ridership figures with great enthusiasm,” said SIR General Manager John Gaul, who noted that there was no single reason for

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Commuter Rail

G Line Customers Grade Their Service a ‘D-Plus’ in 2nd Annual Rider Report Card Survey

NEW YORK — MTA New York City Transit released the results from the 2nd Annual Rider Report Card Survey on the G line which was done in mid-December 2008. The G line again received an overall grade of “D-plus,” unchanged from 2007. The customer satisfaction index of 75 percent was, however, slightly lower than 2007’s 76 percent. Customers sent in 1,746 Rider Report Cards by mail and 150 via the internet, totaling 1,896 responses, to gauge customer satisfaction on the line. Twenty-one separate service attributes were graded on the G line, which runs from Smith-9th Streets in Brooklyn to Long

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World

GE Transportation Delivers 3,000th Locomotive to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy

ERIE, Pa. — GE Transportation announced that Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) has taken delivery of the 3,000th Evolution Series locomotive produced at GE Transportation’s Erie, Pa., manufacturing site. One Evolution Series locomotive can pull the equivalent of 170 Boeing 747 “Jumbo Jet” airliners. In 2006, KTZ ordered 310 GE Evolution Series locomotives and the first ten units, including the 3,000th, have arrived in Kazakhstan. Three hundred additional locomotives will be assembled in Kazakhstan starting at the end of 2009 from kits and parts produced in Erie. This is the 3,000th Evolution Series locomotive since its introduction to the market in

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Miscellaneous

New Locomotives for Staten Island Railway

NEW YORK — MTA New York City Transit’s Staten Island Railway has taken delivery of four new diesel locomotives manufactured by the Brookville Equipment Corporation of Brookville, Penn. The locomotives traveled by rail to Port Newark and then by barge to the Stapleton Home Port. The cars were lifted by crane and trucked to the Clifton shop, where they were again lifted by crane and placed onto the tracks. They will undergo testing for about a month before entering service. These new locomotives will replace four old second-hand locomotives: two that date from 1968 and two that date from 1940s.

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Commuter Rail

6 Line Customers Grade Their Service a ‘C’ in 2nd Annual Rider Report Card Survey

NEW YORK — MTA New York City Transit released the results from the 2nd Annual Rider Report Card Survey on the 6 line which was done in early January. The 6 line again received an overall grade of “C,” unchanged from 2007. However, the customer satisfaction index of 92 percent was slightly lower than 2007’s 93 percent. Customers sent in 5,392 Rider Report Cards by mail and 177 via the internet, totaling 5,569 responses, to gauge customer satisfaction on the line. Twenty-one separate service attributes were graded on the 6 line, which runs from Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx

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Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Names Manion COO; Vice Chairman Tobias Retires

NORFOLK, Va. — Mark D. Manion, a 34-year veteran of railroad operations, has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer for Norfolk Southern Corporation, with headquarters in Norfolk, effective April 1. He succeeds Stephen C. Tobias, who retires March 31 as vice chairman and chief operating officer. “As Norfolk Southern’s chief operating officer, Steve has earned an unparalleled legacy for employee safety and operational efficiency. Our company today is a clear reflection of his vision and constancy,” said CEO Wick Moorman. “Mark and his team are positioned to build on these successes, and I am confident that NS

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Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Names Stewart and Allison to Key Finance Positions; Romig Retires

NORFOLK, Va. — Marta R. Stewart has been named vice president and treasurer, and C.H. “Jake” Allison, Jr. has been named vice president and controller for Norfolk Southern Corporation, with headquarters in Norfolk, effective April 1. Stewart succeeds William J. Romig, who retires March 31 after a 32-year career at Norfolk Southern. Stewart joined NS in 1983 as assistant manager of accounting systems and served as manager financial reporting, director corporate accounting, and assistant vice president corporate accounting before being named vice president and controller in 2003. She holds an accounting degree from The College of William & Mary and

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Commuter Rail

Wabtec Receives Orders Worth About $75 Million For Components For NYCT R-160 Subway Cars

WILMERDING, Penn. – Wabtec Corp. announced that it has received additional option orders worth about $75 million to supply components for New York City subway cars being purchased under the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s R-160 program. The orders represent components for the second option order of 382 cars, which are to be delivered over the next two years. Under the R-160 program, New York City has now ordered 1,662 cars, which are being built by ALSTOM Transportation and Kawasaki. Wabtec has been supplying components for the previous cars and will now provide the same components for the 382 option cars, as

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World

GE Transportation Signs Agreement with Trenitalia

FLORENCE, Italy — GE Transportation announced that it has signed a contract valued at more than $60 million with Trenitalia for the design, supply and installation of 400 on board Sistema di Supporto alla Condotta — SSC train protection systems for diesel locomotives in Trenitalia’s passenger and cargo fleet. SSC is a new generation of automatic train protection solutions that increase the safety and performance of train operations. It continuously monitors the actual speed of the train thereby guaranteeing that the maximum speed limit is not violated. In cases where action is required, the system can enforce the train’s braking