Through June 24, passengers are urged to call Amtrak at 800-USA-RAIL if they have travel plans through the affected areas on routes of the Los Angeles-Chicago route of the Amtrak Southwest Chief; Seattle/Portland-Chicago Amtrak Empire Builder and the San Francisco Bay-Chicago route of the Amtrak California Zephyr.

Those passengers with telephone contact information in their reservations are being called by Amtrak and offered options including future travel dates.

Southwest Chief, Trains 3 & 4

Service by the Southwest Chief between Kansas City and Chicago has been temporarily suspended since June 17 due to flooding on the BNSF Railway route in Iowa.

Alternate transportation by chartered motorcoaches will be provided between Kansas City and Galesburg or Chicago, with the exceptions of La Plata, Mo., Fort Madison, Iowa, and Mendota and Naperville, Ill. Passengers ticketed at those stops are being offered travel at other Amtrak stations or on other Amtrak trains.

Empire Builder, Trains 7/27/807 & 8/28/808

Service by the Empire Builder between St. Paul and Chicago has been temporarily suspended since June 10 due to flooding on the Canadian Pacific Railway in Wisconsin and the closing of a detour route since June 15.

Alternate transportation by chartered motorcoaches will be provided between St. Paul and Chicago, with the exception of Glenview, Ill., where passengers are being offered travel on Hiawatha Service trains are available as alternate transportation between Glenview and Chicago.

California Zephyr, Trains 5 & 6

Service by the California Zephyr between Chicago and Denver has been temporarily suspended since June 13 due to flooding on the BNSF Railway route in Iowa.

Alternate transportation by chartered motorcoaches will be provided between Denver and points in Nebraska, including Omaha. No alternate transportation is available to or from points in Iowa. Alternate transportation between Chicago and other points in Illinois will be provided by other Amtrak trains.

Amtrak regrets any inconvenience. This information is correct as of the above time and date. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant. Passengers are encouraged to call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com for schedule information and train status updates.

Since deregulation of the freight railroad industry in 1980, Class 1 freight ton-miles have increased 93 percent, while miles of track have decreased 40 percent, U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., said. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that the demand for rail freight transportation will increase 88 percent by 2035, and their studies estimate that an investment of $148 billion in infrastructure expansion will be needed over the ext 28 years to keep pace with economic growth and to meet DOT’s expecteddemand, the Congresswoman added.

“Unfortunately, as freight movements have grown, so have the conflicts between freight and passenger trains, even though under existing federal law, Amtrak trains have priority over freight trains,” Brown said during a hearing last month. “This demand for space in the rail system has also caused unintended consequences for shippers.”

Freight traffic on U.S. railroads in 2007 was the second highest on record, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR), following only 2006.

“Additionally, there is growing demand on the rail network for more than just freight movements,” U.S. Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., said during last month’s hearing. “In 2007, Amtrak moved 25.8 million passengers, the fifth straight year of record ridership. Additionally, commuter rail providers recorded 460 million trips in 2007.

“Congestion, heightened concerns over global warming, and rising gas prices will continue to push the demand for these alternatives to highway travel, and Amtrak and commuter rail must be able to continue to expand to accommodate their growing ridership,” Oberstar added. “Amtrak and commuter rail utilize portions of the freight rail network to provide service. However, their capacity needs are different from those of the freight railroads, meaning different capacity investments will be necessary if we want to continue to favor these modes.”

To help ease the congestion, some members of Congress are looking whether federal legislation needs to be passed, according to Oberstar.

“Unlike other modes of transportation, there is no dedicated stream of funding for rehabilitating, reconstructing, or expanding our nation’s rail network,” Oberstar said. “Some legislative proposals to deal with capacity concerns are circulating in Congress, including one to provide the railroads with a 25 percent infrastructure tax credit. I am currently reviewing that legislation.”

– Railfanning.org News Wire

The Surface Transportation Board made its determinations of revenue adequacy for the seven Class I freight railroads (the Nation’s largest) for 2006.

A railroad is considered to be revenue adequate if it achieves a rate of return on net investment (ROI) equal to at least
the current cost of capital (i.e., the cost of borrowing) for that railroad. Congress directed the Board to conduct such revenue adequacy determinations on an annual basis.

In its April 15, 2008, decision in the Board proceeding entitled Railroad Cost of Capital, the agency determined that the 2006 rail industry cost of capital was 9.94 percent.

By comparing that figure to 2006 ROI data filed with the agency by the Class I railroads in their Annual Report R-1 Schedule 250 filings, the Board made revenue adequacy calculations for each railroad operating as of Dec. 31, 2006.

CONCORD, Calif. — Pacer International Inc. announced expanded intermodal services between its Pacer Stacktrain unit and BNSF Railway which allows Pacer Stacktrain to begin full service on their network effective April 1, 2008.

Pacer Stacktrain will — for the first time — have access to the entire BNSF intermodal network within the United States. Interline service is available to and from Pacer-served CSX and Canadian National locations.

“We are very pleased to have expanded our service with BNSF. The new Pacer Stacktrain BNSF Double Stack Service is a major milestone for our customers, providing fast and reliable ramp-to-ramp and door-to-door service,” said Pacer International Chairman and CEO Michael Uremovich. “This service expansion increases our market reach, service level offerings, and capacity in key intermodal lanes. It expands our highly-regarded Stacktrain network, enhancing the excellent product already operating on Union Pacific and CSX.”

That service has been provided by Pacer since it acquired Stacktrain in 1999.

Pacer Stacktrain is one of the largest intermodal providers in North America with an equipment fleet exceeding 58,000 domestic containers and chassis. The new service opens access for customers to both the double stack and expedited BNSF service networks, served exclusively with 53-foot containers.

The expanded BNSF services will be merged with existing Pacer Stacktrain customer support and equipment reservation processes. PacerDirect door-to-door service will also be available. Gate reservations will not be required for BNSF moves.

“The expanded BNSF service provides new high-value options within Pacer’s intermodal product offerings. Our customers will be able to choose the right service — either on the BNSF or UP networks — that meets their needs in a particular market or lane,” said Uremovich.

Pacer International Inc. is a leading North American logistics and freight transportation provider.

– Business Wire

Trains #510 and #517, between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. are cancelled with alternate transportation provided. Trains #513 and #516 are cancelled between Portland/Seattle and Bellingham, with alternate transportation provided. Normal service is anticipated by the morning of March 18.

“We expect that these brakes can make rail operations safer and provide business benefits as well,” FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman said, noting that BNSF, along with the Norfolk Southern Railway, received FRA waiver approval last year to install and begin demonstrating ECP brake technology.

In contrast to conventional air brake systems, which operate sequentially from one rail car to the next, ECP technology applies the brakes uniformly and instantaneously on every rail car in a train, Boardman explained.

ECP brakes lead to better train control, shorter stopping distances, fuel savings, and a lower risk of derailments.  And, since ECP technology provides continual electronic self-diagnostic tests that inform train crews when brake maintenance is required, stopping for routine brake tests becomes unnecessary, he added.

In September 2007, FRA issued a proposed rule designed to encourage the deployment of ECP brakes that would allow trains equipped with the technology to safely travel up to 3,500 miles—more than double the current maximum distance—with fewer stops for routine brake inspections.

To ensure the safety of ECP-equipped trains, the proposed rule includes several conditions such as requirements that the railroad clearly define a process for rectifying brake problems discovered en route; ensuring that ECP brake inspections are only performed by qualified mechanical inspectors; and providing appropriate training to crew members.

The BNSF ECP-equipped train will operate over the 1,500 mile run between Wyoming’s Powder River Basin coal fields and a power plant near Birmingham, Ala.

The railroad installed the technology on its locomotives while the Southern Company outfitted its own coal cars with ECP brakes.  NS began operating its first ECP-equipped train on a coal run in Pennsylvania in October 2007.

The magazine named four Class I freight railroads in the top half of the most military-friendly employers for 2007, selecting BNSF Railway as the No. 1 employer of military personnel. Also making the list were Union Pacific, CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern.

“The nation’s freight railroads maintain a strong commitment to the men and women who serve our country,” said Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads. “We are proud to do our part to employ the country’s finest citizens. Military service is great training for a future railroader. Their work is 24/7 and so is ours.

“We’re proud that we can provide steady, good-paying jobs to America’s veterans and military,” said Hamberger. “It’s a win-win. Veterans are highly skilled and possess maturity, discipline and strong work ethic”

The G.I Jobs list surveyed companies with earnings of more than $1 billion in annual revenues and based the rankings on areas such as active recruitment efforts and results in hiring America’s former service members. The survey also looked at which companies have the best company policies for employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) offers career opportunities for transitioning military personnel as well as veterans, retirees and members of National Guard and Reserves.

In 2007, BNSF has recruited more than 610 veterans as new hires — 29 percent of all hires. Currently, more than 170 BNSF employees are serving on active duty and over 500 have been called to active duty since Sept. 11, 2001. BNSF also offers enhanced benefits for those employees called to active duty, including make-whole pay and continued health care benefits.

CSX maintains a military section in the employment area of its Web site. Included on the site are videos about making the transition from the military to CSX, a feature that enables prospective hires to match their military experience with job opportunities. The site also offers testimonials from CSX employees.

Norfolk Southern (NS) actively recruits potential hires with military backgrounds for careers in railroad operations and management.

“It is simple: veterans make great railroaders,” said Cindy Earhart, NS vice president, human resources. “We encourage veterans to consider careers with us because they have the safety, leadership and problem-solving skills that we need as our business grows.”

Union Pacific (UP) is no stranger to hiring veterans. Some of UP’s first employees were Civil War veterans, and through its 145-year history, it has supported the military –whether by moving troops and supplies, or by providing good jobs for veterans and active-duty soldiers.

UP has held military-specific recruitment events such as the Nov. 16 “Hire A Vet” All Veterans Job Fair in Tucson, AZ; December 4th “TAP Class” Military/Veterans, in Fallon, NV and the Nov. 16 Military Veteran Career Fair in Cheyenne, Wyo.

Kansas City Southern (KCS) includes targeting military personnel in all of its recruitment efforts. The company’s efforts include job fairs, placing hiring stories in the media and advertisements in magazines such as G.I. Jobs.

– PRNewswire-USNewswire

“BNSF achieved record quarterly revenues, operating income and earnings as a result of our diverse portfolio of businesses, strong cost control and improved yields. We were able to produce record earnings and quarterly operating income that exceeded $1 billion for the first time in our Company’s history despite continued economic softness in our Consumer and Industrial Products business groups,” said Matthew K. Rose, BNSF Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

“Although we have concerns near-term about the economy, housing markets, high fuel prices and general consumer softness, we continue to be optimistic about the long-term future of BNSF,” Rose added.

Third-quarter 2007 freight revenues increased $133 million, or 4 percent, to an all-time quarterly record of $3.95 billion compared with $3.82 billion in the prior year. The 4-percent increase in revenue is primarily attributable to strong yields as well as volume growth in our Agricultural Products business.

Agricultural Products revenues were up $60 million, or 10 percent, to an all-time quarterly record of $682 million for the third-quarter of 2007. This increase was primarily due to an 8-percent unit volume increase, predominately from wheat, ethanol, fertilizer and bulk foods.  Coal revenues rose by $101 million, or 14 percent, to $849 million.

These results include a net increase in revenues of $14 million, or approximately $0.02 per share, as a result of developments in several coal rate disputes. Coal unit volumes were relatively flat principally due to mine production issues. Industrial Products revenues increased by $11 million, or 1 percent, to $962 million on 2 percent lower unit volumes.

Continued strong demand for petroleum products was offset by a decline in building and construction products as a result of weakness in the housing market.  Consumer Products revenues of $1.46 billion were $39 million, or 3 percent less than the third quarter of 2006. This was principally due to a decrease in unit volumes as a result of economic softness as well as reduced trans-pacific service of a large international customer.

Operating expenses for the third quarter of 2007 were up $50 million as a 4-percent reduction in compensation and benefits was more than offset by a 7-percent increase in the price of fuel.

– Special to Railfanning.org News Wire

Norfolk Southern Railway is the first railroad to operate revenue service trains equipped with ECP brakes under the waiver, Boardman said. BNSF Railway also received waiver approval and is expected to operate trains with the new, safer brake technology before the end of 2007.

“These railroads understand using ECP brake technology can bring significant safety and business benefits, and I encourage other railroads to follow their lead,” Boardman said.

In contrast to conventional air brake systems, which operate sequentially from one rail car to the next, ECP technology applies the brakes uniformly and instantaneously on every rail car in a train, Boardman explained. ECP brakes lead to better train control, shorter stopping distances and a lower risk of derailments.

The FRA waiver allows NS and BNSF trains equipped with ECP brakes to safely travel up to 3,500 miles — more than double the current maximum distance — with fewer stops for routine brake inspections than currently required by federal regulations, Boardman stated.

Since ECP brake technology provides continual electronic self-diagnostic system checks that inform train crews when maintenance is required, the need to stop for routine brake tests becomes unnecessary, he said. And, in September, FRA issued a proposed rule based on the provisions of the waiver designed to further promote the deployment of ECP brakes on more trains.

Boardman said that an intermodal container train equipped with ECP brakes originating from a West Coast port could operate all the way to Chicago without stopping, except for refueling and crew changes. Similarly, ECP brake-equipped coal trains are expected to make quicker deliveries from western coal fields to eastern and southern power plants because stopping for routine brake tests would be unnecessary.

To further ensure the safety of ECP-equipped trains, the waiver and proposed rule include several conditions such as requirements that the railroad clearly define a process for rectifying brake problems discovered en route; ensuring that ECP brake inspections are only performed by qualified mechanical inspectors; and providing appropriate training to train crew members.

– Special to Railfanning.org News Wire

To help improve security, BNSF Railway Company has expanded its Citizens for Rail Security program by launching two videos aimed at community groups and law enforcement agencies. The videos illustrate how effective these groups can be in the fight against terrorism and vandalism to protect global commerce.

These videos will help citizens and law enforcement officers become more educated on what to report and to whom.

Citizens and officers should be on the lookout for:

• Trespassers
• Suspicious packages or other articles left on or near railroad property
• Unusual conduct in neighborhoods near or around railroad tracks and yards
• Crimes in progress such as theft
• Threats or hostile language against railroads

One video is aimed at communities and residents who can help secure America’s rail network by knowing what to report and how best to describe the location or scene. The other video, aimed at law enforcement agencies, educates officials on railroad safety, who to call to report something or someone suspicious and basic railroad operations and terminology.

To learn more about helping to improve security, go to the Citizens for Rail Security website at http://www.citizensforrailsecurity.com.

– Special to Railfanning.org News Wire