Railfanning.org News Wire

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BNSF

BNSF, BLET Reach Tentative Agreement

November 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Co. announced it has reached a tentative agreement with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen to settle wage and work rule matters concerning BNSF’s locomotive engineers for the major round of collective bargaining that will begin Jan. 1, 2010. The agreement will settle wage and work rule issues through Dec. 31, 2014. Health and welfare issues, however, will be addressed in upcoming industry-wide negotiations. BLET will release details of the new agreement to its membership as part of the ratification process. However, the agreement affords a general wage increase in each year of
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Union Pacific

G.I. Jobs Names Union Pacific Railroad Top Military-Friendly Employer

November 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
OMAHA, Neb. – G.I Jobs has named Union Pacific as America’s top military-friendly employer for 2009. It is the sixth time in seven years the magazine, the nation’s premier career guide for military job seekers, has named Union Pacific to its list. “Union Pacific values the commitment, training and diversity that our armed forces bring to the workplace,’ said Barb Schaefer, Union Pacific senior vice president – Human Resources. “Our continued efforts to attract veterans have resulted in a win-win situation for the company and the veterans we have hired. “Military veterans typically are goal-oriented and bring a strong work
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Canadian Pacific

Canadian Pacific Salutes Fallen Soldiers

November 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — On Nov. 11, all Canadian Pacific and Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad trains will safely halt at 11AM local time, observe two minutes of respect in silence and then sound a long train whistle in tribute. A Remembrance Day and Veterans Day service will also be held at CP’s headquarters in Calgary. “On this day, Canadian Pacific will recognize the contributions our employees made in times of war. On land, at sea and in the air, at home and abroad, the company, its people, its resources, its ingenuity and expertise were needed,” said Fred Green, Canadian
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Canadian National

CN EVP-Sales and Marketing Leaving Railroad

November 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
MONTREAL — CN announced that James M. Foote, CN executive vice-president, Sales and Marketing has decided to leave the Company after 14 years at CN. “Jim has been a key player at CN since the Company’s privatization,” E. Hunter Harrison, president and chief executive officer, said. “Since 2000, Jim has been responsible for the strategic direction and leadership of the Company’s Sales and Marketing group and made tremendous contributions to CN over the years.” Jean-Jacques Ruest, CN senior vice-president, Marketing and Stan Jablonski, CN senior vice-president, Sales, as well as the Sales and Marketing organization as a whole, will report
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CSX

CSXT Continues to Invest in New Technology to Drive Efficiency and a Reduction in Emissions

November 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
CHICAGO — CSX Transportation said it continues to invest in technology to make its fleet of more than 4,000 locomotives as efficient as possible. Efficient locomotives, pulling an average of 7 million carloads of freight annually on CSXT, allow freight railroads to be the most environmentally friendly way to move goods over land, CSX said. “Since 2000, CSXT has invested more than $1 billion in technology to upgrade its locomotive fleet, allowing for a 90 percent improvement in fuel efficiency since 1980,” Carl Gerhardstein, CSXT director of environmental systems said at the “Greening of Transportation” panel discussion at the Fall
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Safety

Operation Lifesaver Warns Hunters to Avoid Train Tracks

November 8, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — With deer hunting season in full swing in many states, Operation Lifesaver is reminding outdoor enthusiasts that hunting on or near train tracks is not only illegal trespassing, it could be deadly. Last year, 456 people died and 429 were injured while trespassing on railroad property nationwide, according to preliminary federal statistics. Operation Lifesaver is taking action to save lives by issuing pedestrian safety tips in time for hunting season. In addition, a new Operation Lifesaver hunting safety video has been posted on YouTube. A number of state Operation Lifesaver programs also are running billboard campaigns urging pedestrians
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CSX

CSX Becomes First Transportation Provider to Join Maryland Green Registry

November 7, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
CAMBRIDGE, Md. — CSX is the first transportation provider selected to join the Maryland Green Registry, a voluntary self-certification program that promotes and recognizes sustainable practices by organizations throughout the state. The selection was announced by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley at a Maryland Chamber of Commerce Business Policy Dinner in Cambridge, Md. The Maryland Green Registry includes organizations that complete a best practices profile covering environmental management and leadership, waste reduction, energy and water conservation, transportation, and green building design. “Maryland businesses like CSX already know that even relatively simple steps to reduce our impact on the environment save money
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CSX

Union Pacific Railroad, CSXT Launch RailChem Connect Between Texas and Southeast to Benefit Chemicals Customers

November 6, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Union Pacific Railroad and CSX Transportation have launched RailChem Connect, a coordinated rail service for expedited transport of chemicals between the Texas Gulf Coast region and the Southeast. The new RailChem Connect service is the result of increased coordination and re-designed interline service by the two railroads for their chemicals market customers.  The service allows shipments to bypass smaller rail yards for expedited transit between major hubs. These changes, along with increased operations coordination between the railroads, increase reliability of east- and west-bound service between Union Pacific-served chemical markets such as Houston, southern Texas and Louisiana, and CSXT-served
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Amtrak

Amtrak Appoints New Inspector General

November 6, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has appointed a new Inspector General, following a three month comprehensive national search. Theodore “Ted” Alves recently retired from 35 years of federal service, including serving as the Deputy Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) from 2006 to 2009 where he was responsible for supervising audits and investigations of federal transportation agencies. His start date is still being determined. “Ted Alves is highly respected in the inspector general community and will provide the leadership, integrity, independence and objectivity required for the position,” Amtrak Chairman Thomas Carper said. From 2001 to 2006, Alves held three
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Transit

MARTA Moves to Color-Coded Lines

November 6, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
ATLANTA — MARTA last month introduced color-coded rail lines — similar to systems in other major cities — saying it will help cut down on rider confusion. “The changes we’re making in our rail-line identification system will help both frequent and occasional users of our system,” MARTA General Manager Beverly Scott said in a news release. “Our goal is to ensure that customers continue to move safely through the system without feeling overwhelmed.” With the change, the former North-South Line is now the Red Line, the Northeast-South Line is the Yellow Line, the East-West line is the Blue Line and