March 2014 – Page 2 – Railfanning.org

CN Proposes Settlement with Conductors’ Union in Canada

March 21, 2014 Railfanning.org News Wire

CN has offered the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference – Conductors, Trainpersons and Yardpersons (TCRC-CTY) what it is couching as “one last opportunity to reach a contract settlement through negotiation,” the railroad said. As a condition of the offer, the union would agree upfront to binding arbitration if the talks fail. The TCRC-CTY represents approximately 3,000 CN train conductors, trainpersons, yardpersons and traffic coordinators on CN’s network in Canada. Senior CN officers are prepared to meet immediately with the union’s bargaining committee, enlisting the assistance of federal mediators if necessary, to break the impasse with the TCRC-CTY. Unfortunately, the union has

Ga. legislature approves pair of MARTA bills

March 21, 2014 Todd DeFeo

ATLANTA — The Georgia General Assembly has approved a pair of measures related to MARTA’s operations, and the bills await the signature of Gov. Nathan Deal. House Bill 264 would suspend a section of the MARTA Act of 1965 that prohibits the agency from using more than 50 percent of its annual sales and use tax proceeds for operating costs. Should Deal sign the bill into law, the prohibition would be removed until June 30, 2019. The measure would also increase the contract amount for which Board approval is required from $100,000 to $200,000, allowing bonds to be sold through

Union Pacific Elects Dillon to Board of Directors, Names Chairman

March 20, 2014 Special to Railfanning.org

David B. Dillon, chairman of The Kroger Co., has been elected to the board of directors for Union Pacific Corp. The appointment is effective immediately. The board also voted to elect the company’s chief executive officer Jack Koraleski, chairman of the board. Dillon, 62 has served in a variety of leadership roles within The Kroger Co., beginning in 1990 with his appointment as executive vice president. In 1995, Dillon was named president and chief operating officer and he served as chief executive officer from 2003-2013. Kroger, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, employs 375,000 associates who serve customers in more than 3,700 supermarkets,

Amtrak Asking for 16 Percent More in Federal Funding for FY2015

March 20, 2014 Todd DeFeo

Amtrak is seeking 16 percent more in federal funding during Fiscal Year 2015 than it currently receives. The federally subsidized railroad is asking for $1.62 billion in federal capital and operating support.

Amtrak Adding More Seats to Auto Train This Summer

March 20, 2014 Todd DeFeo

Citing increase demand, Amtrak recently said it will add more seats on the Auto Train this summer. The railroad is adding up to 60 more coach seats on the southbound Train No. 53 and the northbound Train No. 52.

Boardman: Passenger rail service indispensable to helping meet national goal of competitiveness

March 5, 2014 Railfanning.org News Wire

Passenger rail service is “indispensable to helping the United States meet our national goals of competitiveness, job creation and economic growth,” Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman said last week.

Atlanta Streetcar’s Opening May be Delayed, Reports Suggest

March 5, 2014 Railfanning.org News Wire

The laying of tracks for Atlanta’s new street is nearly complete, but the opening of the new line may be delayed, new reports suggest.

Obama Administration includes $63 Million for SunRail Phase II

March 5, 2014 Railfanning.org News Wire

The Obama Administration has included $63 million to help fund the second phase of SunRail, according to published reports.

CSX CEO to Harvard Business School: CSX Meeting Growing Transportation Demand, Strengthening American Competitiveness

March 2, 2014 PRNewswire

America’s freight railroads are investing in facilities, technology and programs to meet the country’s growing consumption and transportation needs, CSX chairman, president and chief executive officer Michael Ward told an audience of more than 200 business and policy leaders at a Harvard Business School (HBS) panel.

March 22 Blue Ridge Scenic Railway Excursion to Benefit Kennesaw Museum Foundation

March 1, 2014 Special to Railfanning.org

Proceeds from the March 22 excursion on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway will benefit the Kennesaw Museum Foundation in its support of the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History.