March 2009 – Page 4 – Railfanning.org

Billions in Taxpayers’ Money to Fund Railroad Projects

March 24, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Taxpayers’ money is flowing toward a number of rail-related projects nationwide, thanks to a massive spending plan from President Obama’s administration. The Department of Transportation plans to direct $8 billion toward the develop of high speed passenger rail corridors. Officials contend the newer and faster trains, which can travel up to 200 m.p.h., will ease congestion on the nation’s highways and at airports. The government is also giving Amtrak, $1.3 billion for infrastructure upgrades and expanding passenger rail capacity. “We subsidize our highways and airports more than we subsidize Amtrak,” said Vice President Joe Biden. “So let’s get

UP: Rail Cars at Border Crossings Are in Government Control

March 23, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — The federal government, not a private railroad, is responsible for rail cars entering the country from Mexico, Union Pacific said in response to a lawsuit the federal government filed. “As Union Pacific explained in its lawsuit filed against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in July 2008, it is Customs and Border Protection (CBP), not Union Pacific that takes initial control over rail cars entering the U.S. from Mexico,” the railroad said in a statement. “Union Pacific believes DHS is punishing Union Pacific for drug smuggling when it has no control over what occurs in Mexico. Union

Amtrak Cascades Celebrates 10 Years of Passenger Rail Service in Pacific Northwest

March 23, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Amtrak and the Oregon Department of Transportation are celebrating 10 years of Amtrak Cascades passenger rail service in the Pacific Northwest (Eugene, Ore. to Vancouver, B.C.). Amtrak Cascades is commemorating its 10th anniversary May 9 with a special celebration during the National Train Day event on at Seattle’s King Street Station. “Amtrak Cascades has proven to be a valuable transportation option for Washington travelers,” said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary. “Whether people are exploring unique Northwest towns and attractions or making an important business connection in urban centers, this rail

Amtrak: Discover the Rail Way on National Train Day

March 23, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Amtrak will celebrate America’s love for rail travel with events across the country at its second annual National Train Day, May 9, 2009. Marking 140 years of connecting travelers from coast to coast, National Train Day commemorates the day the first transcontinental railroad was created and looks toward the future of rail travel with large scale events in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles, and many more locally organized events in communities nationwide. “Train travel is deeply rooted in American culture and it shows great promise to become a growing part of our country’s transportation future,” said

Kansas Officials Learn About Crossing and Pedestrian Safety Onboard Special Train

March 23, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

A special passenger train is making stops this week in several Kansas communities over Union Pacific Railroad lines to promote highway-railroad crossing and pedestrian safety through a program called Operation Lifesaver.”Operation Lifesaver” is the nationwide, non-profit public safety education and outreach program designed to eliminate collisions, deaths and injuries where streets and roads cross railroad tracks at grade and on railroad rights-of-way. Hundreds of community leaders, law enforcement officers and education officials are learning about highway-railroad grade crossing safety and the consequences of trespassing on railroad property. “This special train is just one way we can work to educate and

BNSF Named One of the World’s Most Admired Companies

March 23, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Co. was recently named one of the World’s Most Admired companies for 2009 by Fortune Magazine. Fortune’s World’s Most Admired list is considered the definitive report card on corporate reputations. FORTUNE’s survey partners at Hay Group, a global management consulting firm, started with some 1,400 companies: the FORTUNE 1,000-the 1,000 largest U.S. companies ranked by revenue; non-U.S. companies in Fortune’s Global 500 database with revenues of $10 billion or more; and the top foreign companies operating in the U.S. They then sorted the companies by industry and selected the 15 largest for each international

AAR: Another Down Week for Rail Freight Traffic

March 20, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads during the week ended March 14 remained down in comparison with a year ago, the Association of American Railroads reported. U.S railroads reported originating 279,287 cars, up 1.5 percent from the previous week this year but down 15.0 percent from the comparison week in 2008, with loadings down 14.2 percent in the West and 16.1 percent in the East. Intermodal volume of 176,840 trailers or containers was off 18.3 percent from last year, with container volume falling 13.4 percent and trailer volume dropping 34.5 percent. Total volume was estimated at 29.6 billion ton-miles,

Amtrak Opens Search To Find and Honor Retired Pullman Porters

March 20, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

ATLANTA — Amtrak, as part of its ongoing celebration of the contributions of Pullman Porters to the development of the nation’s passenger railroad, is issuing a call for contact information for retired Pullman Porters currently living in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.Retired Pullman Porters, their friends and family, may contact Amtrak by calling Saunya Connelly at (202) 906-4164 or emailing her at connels@amtrak.com. Respondents should be prepared to provide the following information: Porter’s full name, telephone number, mailing address, age, years of railroad service, and routes

CSXI President Applauds New Rail-Truck Opportunities

March 20, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Intermodal President James Hertwig says new technologies and improved cooperation between railroads and truckload carriers are producing new opportunities for both transportation modes. Hertwig made his comments recently in Orlando at the Truckload Carriers Association annual convention. He was part of a panel that included the moderator, Lana Batts, managing partner, Transport Capital Partners, LLC; John Hickerson, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, FFE Transportation Services, Inc.; and Patrick Quinn, president and co-chairman, U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc. The participants noted that the truckload industry faces long-term challenges that include fuel costs and driver shortages –

DOJ Sues Union Pacific for Allegedly Failing to Prevent Use of Rail Cars to Smuggle Narcotics Across Border

March 20, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – The government has filed two lawsuits against the Union Pacific Railroad Co. for allegedly failing to prevent the use of its rail cars to smuggle large quantities of narcotics into the United States, the Justice Department announced. The complaints, filed in San Diego and Houston, seek more than $37 million in monetary penalties. The government alleges the rail cars were brought across the border at the ports of entry at Calexico, Calif., and Brownsville, Texas. According to the complaints, Union Pacific Railroad, the largest provider of rail transportation services in North America, has substantial Mexico rail operations, serving