History
Month: August 2006
Historic Profiles
Rome Railroad
ROME, Ga. – The Rome Railroad was founded on Dec. 21, 1839, as the Memphis Branch Railroad and Steamboat Company of Georgia. The line’s 20-mile route between Rome, Ga., and Kingston, Ga., was completed in 1849. The following year, the company changed its name to the Rome Railroad Company. “From Rome, cotton and other commodities were shipped down river on the Coosa to Gadsden, Alabama and other points,” reads a historical marker in Kingston. The route was sold to the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway in 1894, which by that time leased the Western & Atlantic Railroad, which passed
FRA
FRA to Revise Rail Safety Rules to Support Deployment of Improved Train Braking Technology
WASHINGTON – Calling it the most significant development in railroad brake technology since the 1870s, Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman announced his intention to propose revised federal rail safety regulations to facilitate the installation of Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) brake systems capable of preventing derailments and shortening train-stopping distances. “ECP brakes are to trains what anti-lock brakes are to automobiles—they provide better control,” Boardman said. “It offers a quantum improvement in rail safety,” he added. ECP brakes are applied uniformly and virtually instantaneously on every rail car throughout the train, rather than sequentially from one rail car to the
Commuter Rail
CTA Forecasts $8 Billion in Capital Needs
CHICAGO – An $8 billion capital investment is needed in the next five years in order to allow the CTA to continue to provide safe and reliable service and meet growing transit need, CTA’s vice-president of capital programs said. The announcement came after an Aug. 9 Chicago Transit Board meeting. Including all planned rail line extensions would increase the figure to more than $10 billion. Of the projected $8 billion need, CTA staff has identified about $2.2 billion that could be available through federal funding or CTA-issued bonds, leaving a potential unfunded need at $5.8 billion. A decision on an
World
Southern Section of Dutch High-Speed Rail Line Receives Certificate of Availability
LONDON – The Dutch government presented the Certificate of Availability for the southern section of a high-speed rail connection between Rotterdam and the Belgian border. The certificate is an important step in achieving The Netherlands’ first high-speed rail link as the southern section is now open for operation. The certificate was presented July 28 to David Gedney, chief executive of Infraspeed and senior vice president operations of Fluor’s Infrastructure business line. The Fluor-led Infraspeed consortium was selected by the Dutch government to design, build, finance and maintain the HSL-Zuid high-speed rail connection for a period of 5 years for construction
World
Wabtec to Refurbish Passenger Cars for U.K. High-Speed Trains
WILMERDING, Pa. – Wabtec Corp.’s Wabtec Rail subsidiary has signed a $27 million contract to refurbish 103 passenger cars for high-speed trains operated by Great North Eastern Railway Limited (GNER) of London. The project will begin immediately, with deliveries scheduled for 2007-08. “This contract represents an important milestone in the growth of our vehicle refurbishment capabilities at Wabtec Rail,” said Albert J. Neupaver, Wabtec’s president and chief executive officer. Under the contract, Wabtec Rail will refurbish the interior of the cars, including new seating, luggage racks and lighting, and will paint the exterior. The work will be performed at Wabtec
Short Line/Regional
Surface Transportation Board Approves DM&E Request
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) has approved DM&E’s application to utilize a separate subsidiary to build and operate a new 280-mile rail line into the Powder River Basin. “We’re pleased with this latest victory,” said Kevin V. Schieffer, DM&E president and CEO. “It’s another step closer to our goal of creating the best, safest, most efficient and most modern railroad in the United States.” The STB’s decision, released late yesterday, will help expand the market for financing the $6 billion project. “We have to attract a lot of private financing regardless of the outcome of
Short Line/Regional
Minnesotans Overwhelmingly Support DM&E Railroad Plan to Upgrade Track in Southern Minnesota
NEW ULM, Minn. – By a 7-to-1 margin, Minnesotans favor Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad’s plan to upgrade its existing tracks in southern Minnesota, according to a new statewide survey of Minnesota voters about the railroad improvement plan. Asked why they favor it, supporters most often said that it would improve rail safety. The statewide survey found that 74 percent favor the DM&E plan, 10.4 percent oppose it and 15.7 percent did not know or refused to answer. Minnesotans voiced an equally strong conviction that the project would benefit farmers. The survey found that 71 percent believed the DM&E upgrade
Amtrak
Amtrak Adjusts Schedule of Pere Marquette to Accommodate Track Work
CHICAGO – Amtrak is temporarily adjusting the schedule for the Pere Marquette service on the Chicago-Grand Rapids route to accommodate major track work planned by CSX Transportation, the owner of the train’s route in Michigan. The temporary schedule will begin Aug. 14 and continue through at least Sept. 7. The changes will compensate for anticipated delays due to the track work. Amtrak is contacting current reservation holders to inform them of the schedule adjustments and will announce when the normal schedule will be resumed. The westbound Pere Marquette will be scheduled to operate one hour earlier from all stations. In