Commuter Rail
Month: August 2004
Miscellaneous
Hurricanes Force Railroads to Change Service
As Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley moved towards Florida, railroads were altering their services to avoid the storm. “If Bonnie remains on its current track, it is expected to move northeast through the Florida Panhandle toward Atlanta, Ga., and then proceed toward the Carolinas and the Atlantic Coast,” CSX said in a statement. “CSX has no plans in place at this time to curtail operations at any location other than the area directly affected by the storm,” the statement continued. “Once the storm passes, tracks will be inspected and necessary repairs made before restarting rail traffic.” Bonnie was expected
Commuter Rail
Bloomberg and Pataki: President’s Support of Tax Conversion Proposal Paves the Way for a Lower Manhattan-JFK Rail Link
NEW YORK – President Bush’s approval of a request to redirect up to $2 billion in Liberty Zone tax benefits toward other key components of the rebuilding effort in Lower Manhattan likely paves the way for a rail link between Lower Manhattan JFK Airport, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Gov. George E. Pataki say. “By improving regional access to Lower Manhattan, we can continue the area’s dramatic rebirth from the attacks of September 11th, and ensure its future as an economic engine for the entire City,” Bloomberg said. “This is just the latest example of how we
Miscellaneous
Bombardier Awarded $320 Million Contract for Fully Automated Rapid Transit System in South Korea
MONTREAL – The Yong-In LRT Consortium has been awarded a 35-year Build-Transfer-Operate (BTO) concession contract by the City of Yong-In, Republic of Korea, for a fully automated 11.5-mile rapid transit system. The contract for the 5-year design-build portion of the concession contract is valued at approximately $600 million. Bombardier’s share of the design-build contract is approximately $200 million. The Yong-In LRT Consortium comprises Bombardier and Korean civil works contractors Daelim Industrial Co., Ltd., Hanil Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd., and Korea Development Co., as well as Korean electrical & mechanical system contractors Hanjin Heavy Industries Co. and Iljin Electric Co.
FRA
To Report or Not to Report? New York Times: Railroads Hamper Federal Investigations
Railroads, The New York Times reported July 11, have hampered federal investigations by failing to promptly report fatal crashes. The report immediately sparked criticism from Union Pacific and the Federal Railroad Administration. “It’s a systemic failure,” James E. Hall, a former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, told The New York Times. “It’s been something that has just not grabbed the attention, unfortunately, of the public.” The newspaper’s investigation called Union Pacific a “stark example of how some railroads, even as they blame motorists, repeatedly sidestep their own responsibility in grade-crossing fatalities.” “Their actions range from destroying, mishandling or
Short Line/Regional
Wheeling & Lake Erie to Get Overhaul
AKRON, Ohio – The Wheeling & Lake Erie (W&LE) Railway will get a much needed face lift thanks to a new loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation meant to boost the competitiveness of the railroad that serves as a key economic link in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. U.S. Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy Emil Frankel was on hand at the railroad’s Brittain Yard in Akron in late July to announce a $25 million loan to the W&LE for rehabilitation of 315 miles of track and replacement of over 168,000 rail ties. “Along the aging Wheeling and Lake Erie
BNSF
Amtrak
In Suspicion of Threat, Amtrak Train Stopped
Authorities, responding to a suspicious note, stopped an Amtrak train in Newark, N.J., and searched with bomb-sniffing dogs before letting it resume. The train, bound for Newark, N.J., was stopped July 11, after a suspicious note was found aboard the train. The Associated Press quoted an anonymous source as saying the note contained “pro-Muslin, anti-Jewish rhetoric.” The train was stopped for about an hour and a half before it was allowed to resume, according to various published reports. Police searched the train with bombsniffing dogs and videoed passengers, The Associated Press reported. Amtrak spokesman Dan Stessel told Reuters there was
FRA
Report: Railroads Hamper Federal Investigations
Railroads, The New York Times reported July 11, have hampered federal investigations by failing to promptly report fatal crashes. The report immediately sparked criticism from Union Pacific and the Federal Railroad Administration. “It’s a systemic failure,” James E. Hall, a former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, told The New York Times. “It’s been something that has just not grabbed the attention, unfortunately, of the public.” The newspaper’s investigation called Union Pacific a “stark example of how some railroads, even as they blame motorists, repeatedly sidestep their own responsibility in grade-crossing fatalities.” “Their actions range from destroying, mishandling or