Railfanning.org News Wire

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Short Line/Regional

Genesee & Wyoming Reports Results for the Fourth Quarter of 2009

February 8, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire
GREENWICH, Conn. — Genesee & Wyoming Inc. reported net income in the fourth quarter of 2009 of $18.3 million, compared with net income of $25.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. GWI’s diluted earnings per share (EPS) in the fourth quarter of 2009 were $0.44 with 41.3 million weighted average shares outstanding, compared with diluted EPS of $0.70 with 36.4 million weighted average shares outstanding in the fourth quarter of 2008. GWI’s results for the fourth quarter of 2009 included gains on the sale of assets of $0.8 million ($0.5 million after-tax, or $0.01 per diluted share). Fourth quarter
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Commuter Rail

NTSB Schedules Heading as Part of Fatal WMATA Wreck Investigation

February 4, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board released additional information about the Board’s scheduled public hearing as part of its ongoing investigation into the cause of the collision of two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail Red Line trains. The collision occurred on June 22, 2009, between the Fort Totten and Takoma stations in Washington, D.C. As a result of this accident, there were nine fatalities and numerous injuries. The hearing, which will now extend to three days, will convene at 9 a.m. on Feb. 23 at the NTSB’s Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. The agenda for the hearing, which will focus not only
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Commuter Rail

NTSB Sets WMATA Hearing

February 4, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board released additional information about the Board’s scheduled public hearing as part of its ongoing investigation into the cause of the collision of two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail Red Line trains. The collision occurred on June 22, 2009, between the Fort Totten and Takoma stations in Washington, D.C. As a result of this accident, there were nine fatalities and numerous injuries. The hearing, which will now extend to three days, will convene at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 23, 2010, at the NTSB’s Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. The agenda for the hearing, which will focus
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Canadian National

CN Announces New $100M Calgary Logistics Park

February 4, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire
CALGARY — CN announced plans to establish a new $100-million CN Calgary Logistics Park  in Conrich, located in Rocky View County north east of Calgary. The 680-acre park is planned to include a state-of-the-art intermodal terminal with room for customers to co-locate with CN and custom build their facility in place. The Logistics Park will be designed to include a multi commodity transload and warehouse facility, an automotive compound, and a liquid/bulk transload and distribution facility. The site is strategically located a few miles east of the Calgary Airport, on Twp Road 250/ McKnight Boulevard, providing fluid access to Stoney Trail
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Miscellaneous

Study: Railroad rates increasing since 2004

February 1, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — An independent team of consultants charged with looking at competitiveness in the U.S. rail industry has found that railroad rates have been steadily increasing since 2004, with a particularly steep increase in 2008. But Christensen Associates Inc. found that the rate increases were driven by fluctuating fuel prices and other costs and did not appear to reflect a greater exercise of railroad market power over captive shippers. The updated study, which now includes data from 1987 through 2008, found that a greater share of traffic in 2007 and 2008 moved at rates less than 180 percent of variable costs than in 2005 and 2006. Variable costs include fuel,
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Commuter Rail

Gertler: America Moves from Anticipation to Action

January 30, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — “America takes its first step toward transforming its transportation system,” said HNTB Corporation’s Peter Gertler in response to President Barack Obama’s announcement allocating $8 billion to high-speed rail projects across the country. Gertler, high-speed rail services chair for the national infrastructure firm, said these projects – along current and proposed rail lines in California, Illinois, Wisconsin, Florida, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey and elsewhere – will yield significant benefits to the recipient states and regions. “Even in the short-term, such an investment will spur construction, create jobs and boost local transit systems. In the future,
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Amtrak

Amtrak to Perform High-Speed Rail Improvement Study in Michigan

January 30, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire
CHICAGO – Amtrak will perform a high-speed rail improvement study that will focus on determining what infrastructure upgrades are needed to provide 110 mph train service on the Norfolk Southern-owned rail corridor between Kalamazoo, Mich., and Detroit. “Amtrak believes 110 mph train service across Michigan is critical for the future and we’re committed to understanding what it will take to get there,” said President and CEO Joseph Boardman, noting that Amtrak’s Wolverine service provides three daily roundtrips between Chicago and Pontiac via Detroit over the corridor. Boardman said Amtrak trains currently operate at 79 mph over the Norfolk Southern line between
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Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Reports 2009 Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year Results

January 27, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire
NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern Corp. reported fourth-quarter 2009 net income of $307 million, or $0.82 per diluted share, compared with $452 million, or $1.21 per diluted share, for the same quarter of 2008. Net income for 2009 was $1.0 billion, or $2.76 per diluted share, compared with $1.7 billion, or $4.52 per diluted share, for 2008. “Our fourth-quarter results demonstrate a continuation of the momentum we have generated since the second quarter of 2009,” said CEO Wick Moorman. “The results reflect a high level of performance throughout Norfolk Southern, and showcase the strength and flexibility of our franchise, our