History
Month: April 2009
Miscellaneous
Man Killed by Train in Tennessee
HARRIMAN, Tenn. — A 42-year-old man was killed after he was struck by a freight train, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Amtrak
NTSB Hands Down Recommendations
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has handed down a number of recommendations. The NTSB made the following recommendations to the Federal Railroad Administration: — Establish uniform signal aspects that railroads must use to authorize a train to enter an occupied block, and prohibitthe use of these aspects for any other signal indication. — Study the different signal systems for trains, identify ways to communicate more uniformly the meaning of signal aspectsacross all railroad territories, and require the railroadsto implement as many uniform signal meanings as possible. — Require that emergency exits on new and remanufactured locomotive cabs provide
Miscellaneous
Weather, Slow Economy Produce Rail Freight Traffic Decline
WASHINGTON — Bad weather in Wyoming and the Upper Midwest combined with the slow economy to produce another down week for U.S. rail freight traffic during the first week of April, the Association of American Railroads reported today. U.S. railroads reported originating 262,624 cars during the week, down 20.5 percent from the comparison week in 2008, with loadings down 19.4 percent in the West and 22.0 percent in the East. Intermodal volume of 184,845 trailers or containers was off 14.7 percent from last year, with container volume falling 9.0 percent and trailer volume dropping 34.0 percent. Total volume was estimated
STB
STB Releases Report on Capacity and Infrastructure Investment
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board announced that Christensen Associates, a Madison, Wisc.-based economic consulting firm, has completed a supplemental report to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board on Capacity and Infrastructure Investment. The report augments the findings of Christensen Associates’ November 2008 independent study entitled A Study of Competition in the U.S. Freight Railroad Industry and Analysis of Proposals that Might Enhance Competition. The Report looks at different measures of railroad capacity and analyzes how that capacity is affected by anticipated changes in the demand for rail services and the productivity of rail assets. As with Christensen Associates’ 2008 Study,
Norfolk Southern
Toyota Recognizes Norfolk Southern With Logistics Awards
NORFOLK, Va. — Toyota Logistics Services has awarded Norfolk Southern Corp. the 2008 President’s Award for overall logistics excellence among rail carriers, its highest award given to a logistics provider. The award is based on overall performance in customer service, on-time performance, and quality. Norfolk Southern has received the President’s Award six times since the program began in 1996. “For more than two decades, Norfolk Southern has been a strong logistics partner with Toyota,” said David Julian, NS president, automotive and supply chain services. “We remain committed to that partnership, and we look forward to continuing to meet Toyota’s high
Rail Blog
Commuter Rail
FRA Awards Intercity Capital Grant for Planning of Midwest Rail Corridors
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded a $297,000 grant to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative (MWRRI) to continue rail corridor planning, which may lead to the development of several high-speed rail corridors. MWRRI is a 3,000-mile system providing improved intercity passenger rail service that serves nine states with a combined population of 60 million people, using Chicago as a regional hub. The MWRRI member states will match the $297,000 grant. The project includes an alternative routes analysis; system cost updates; equipment, train control and operational plans; and the preparation of public outreach
Miscellaneous
STB Vice Chair, Rail Marketing Chiefs are 2009 NARS Meeting Attractions
CHICAGO — Surface Transportation Board vice Chairman Charles D. Nottingham and a panel of railroad marketing chiefs will highlight the 2009 North American Rail Shippers meeting. The meeting will be held May 26-28 at the Downtown Marriott Hotel in Chicago. James R. Young, chairman of the Association of American Railroads and chairman, president and CEO of the Union Pacific, will offer his perspectives about the railroad industry. “The annual NARS meeting — ‘On Track for the Future’ — is an excellent opportunity to hear the top marketing officers from all eight major North American railroads,” said NARS Executive Director Leo
BNSF
BNSF Crew Begins Replacing 90,000 Ties in Minnesota and Wisconsin
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Co. dispatched a maintenance crew of 43 people to begin replacing railroad ties between East Winona, Wis., and St. Croix Tower, Minn. The crew is expected to replace more than 1,300 ties a day through July. This maintenance project will cost approximately $10.5 million. “Expanding and maintaining our infrastructure along this stretch of trackage and throughout the system not only allows us to provide customers with efficient and reliable rail service but it also benefits the overall efficiency of America’s supply chain,” said Dave Freeman, BNSF vice president, Engineering. BNSF expects to spend about