September 2006 – Railfanning.org

GE to Supply 310 Locomotives to Kazakhstan

September 29, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

ERIE, Pa. – General Electric Company signed a contract to supply 310 new Evolution Series locomotives for Kazakhstan’s national railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ). The locomotives will be used to help KTZ move record amounts of goods and materials by rail, driven in large part to strong demand for transit, intermodal traffic and petroleum products. “By choosing Evolution Series locomotives, KTZ is investing in the very best technology available,” said John Dineen, President and CEO of GE Transportation. “I am proud that KTZ and GE are extending our relationship, one that has proven to be very beneficial to both

McCrillis named MARTA General Manager

September 27, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

ATLANTA – Richard J. McCrillis has been named general manager and Chief Executive officer of the authority of MARTA. He has served as interim general manager/CEO since January. “Richard McCrillis brings a wealth of experience to the table and is the clear choice to lead MARTA at this critical time in our history,“ MARTA Board Chairman Edmund Wall said. “As Interim General Manager, Richard has charted a course focused on fiscal responsibility, customer-focused service planning and regional transportation development, and the Board is excited to continue working with him to achieve these goals.” McCrillis joined MARTA in 1985 as Director

Amtrak Saluki to Start Running Oct. 30

September 26, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

CARBONDALE, Ill – Illinois’ partnership with Amtrak will more than double state-sponsored passenger rail service downstate, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich announced. Beginning Oct. 30, state-supported roundtrips will increase from three daily roundtrips to seven daily roundtrips between Chicago and downstate destinations – including the Saluki, the new Chicago-Carbondale train. The expanded service comes after news that all state-sponsored Amtrak routes posted record ridership levels for Illinois’ Fiscal Year 2006; the expansion includes an additional round-trip on the Chicago-Carbondale line. Tickets for the new routes went on sale Sept. 25. “Amtrak is an affordable travel option, and in many communities it’s

37 States Experience Fewer Train Accidents During First Six Months of 2006

September 25, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Thirty-seven states experienced fewer train derailments and collisions during the first half of 2006 as compared to the same period last year Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman announced earlier this month. Boardman also said that railroads were doing a better job focusing on safety performance. A review of the preliminary statistics compiled by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for January through June 2006 reveals that railroads had 262 fewer train accidents, or a 16.1 percent reduction, when compared to the first half of 2005, Boardman said. Specifically, the number of derailments decreased by 13.6 percent and train-to-train

Labor Agreement Ratified between CPR and United Steelworkers

September 24, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

CALGARY, Alberta – Canadian Pacific Railway and its clerical and intermodal workers, represented by the United Steelworkers (USW), have ratified a collective agreement. The three-year agreement extends to the end of 2009. It provides improvements for wages and benefits. In addition, a number of work-life balance provisions have been implemented, which are designed to improve retention of current employees and to make the various positions more attractive for people looking for a career in the rail industry. “We are pleased with this settlement and believe it provides value for both our employees and our company as a whole,” said CPR

Transrapid Collision in Germany Kills 23

September 23, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

A Transrapid maglev train traveling on the system’s test track in Lathen near the Netherlands border in Germany collided with a maintenance vehicle on the track, killing 23 people and severely injuring 10, according to Karl-Heinz Brueggeman, a spokesman for the rescue effort. The driverless train was estimated as operating at above 120 mph when the crash occurred around 9:30 a.m. local time. The unmanned train with 31 passengers aboard crashed into a maintenance wagon containing 2 workers. The train traveled about 0.6 miles from its departure station when it struck the maintenance vehicle. Debris from the accident was spread

NTSB: Rail Fatalities Decrease in 2005

September 21, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Overall, transportation fatalities in the United States increased last year, but the number of rail fatalities decreased, according to preliminary figures released by the National Transportation Safety Board. Deaths from transportation accidents in the United States in 2005 totaled 45,636, up from 45,092 in 2004. “It is very disturbing to see transportation fatalities rising,” said NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker. “In all modes, but especially on our roads and highways, we need a concerted effort by government, industry and the traveling public to establish a strong downward trend in the number of fatal accidents.” Despite the overall increase

Indian Railways to Use Wireless Communications to Improve Safety

September 20, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

BOMBAY, India – Indian Railways will use wireless railway communications technology to help improve the safety and efficiency on one of the most important and busiest rail arteries in India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, officials announced. The Nortel GSM-R network will provide highly sophisticated wireless communications along the 751-km, 90-station line connecting the major Uttar Pradesh industrial and business centers of Ghaziabad and Mugalsarai, according to Nortel. The wireless system will be used to connect train conductors, on-board crew, train dispatchers, station personnel and other operations groups, such as those responsible for attaching and separating rail cars at station

Five Killed in Egypt Wreck

September 19, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

CAIRO, Egypt – The collision of a freight train and a passenger train just north of Cairo in the town of Shebin al-Qanater claimed five lives and injured another 30 people Sept. 4. It was reported that one of the dead was the engineer of the freight train. In August the director of rail service in Egypt was fired after a similar accident killed 58 people in the town of Qalyoub. A public inquiry into that accident is underway amid growing criticism of the goverment for lax rail safety and transport regulation. Mohammed Mansour, Egypt’s new director of transport has

N.J. Transit to Extend Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Line

September 19, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

Plans to extend Hudson-Bergen Light Rail service in Bayonne are moving forward, as the N.J. Transit Board of Directors agreed to advertise a design/build contract to construct a one-mile extension of the track alignment and a new station at 8th Street.