August 2009 – Railfanning.org

$3B for Historic Mass Transit Tunnel

August 29, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWARK, N.J. — Gov. Jon S. Corzine welcomed U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s $650 million “down payment” toward a federal funding commitment of $3 billion for the historic Mass Transit Tunnel. LaHood and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff have notified Congress of the agency’s approval of a $1.35 billion Early Systems Work Agreement for the Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) Mass Transit Tunnel, money that will support the transit tunnel’s initial phases of construction. Some $650 million of the $1.35 billion in the agreement is from federal sources, including $130 million in stimulus funds under the American Reinvestment and

Rail Service to Meadowlands Starts

August 29, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWARK, N.J. — N.J. Transit rail service to major events at Giants Stadium launched July 26 for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final championship soccer match. “The startup of rail service to the Meadowlands Sports Complex is great news for New Jersey residents because it will be easier than ever to avoid roadway congestion and take our convenient public transportation system to world-class sporting and entertainment events,” said Gov. Jon S. Corzine. Trains to the Meadowlands Sports Complex will operate for select stadium events of 50,000 fans or more, including all Giants and Jets pre-season and regular season home games,

MARTA: New Economic Forecast Predicts Further Decline In Sales Tax Revenue

August 28, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

ATLANTA — MARTA “stands to lose” hundreds of millions in sales tax revenues over the next decade on top of an already projected $1.2 billion shortfall, according to a new economic analysis from the Georgia State University Economic Forecasting Center, the transit authority. This forecast shows “the urgent need for a new dedicated and reliable source of transit funding in the state and region,” MARTA said. About a month into the new fiscal year, MARTA is already re-evaluating its options to address a continuing shortfall in FY 2010 revenues, officials said. “This new report is extremely sobering. Unfortunately, we’ve continued

Union Pacific Invests Nearly $11 Million for Track Improvements to Its Hiawatha-to-Upland, Kan., Line

August 27, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Trains will run more efficiently and motorists will spend less time at crossings as a result of nearly $11 million in track improvements made by Union Pacific Railroad to its Hiawatha-to-Upland, Kan., line, the company said in a news release. When the project is complete, crews will have removed and installed more than 72,000 ties, spread more than 30,000 tons of rock ballast to ensure a stable roadbed, renewed road surfaces at 123 crossings and replaced rail in various curves on the line. Work began on the project today and is scheduled to be completed by the

Amtrak and Student Conservation Association Partner to Preserve Yosemite National Park

August 26, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OAKLAND, Calif. — Amtrak’s partnership this summer with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) is enabling high school and college age students from around the country to gain real, hands-on experience preserving Yosemite National Park, one of Amtrak’s most popular destinations. “Amtrak is a great way to travel to help preserve the environment and it is important to us to support efforts like SCA to help keep Yosemite National Park in top condition,” said Carol Shannon, Amtrak Director of West Marketing, adding each year thousands of visitors take the Amtrak San Joaquin trains to Yosemite via connecting motor coach service from

UP, Operation Lifesaver Campaign Urges Pedestrians to Use Common Sense Around Railroad Tracks

August 26, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Look both ways before crossing! Many of us heard this warning as children and common sense says to heed it when crossing streets.That same warning applies when crossing railroad tracks, where not looking can have deadly consequences. Union Pacific Railroad and Operation Lifesaver have joined forces in San Antonio to launch a bilingual awareness campaign aimed at promoting safety around railroad tracks. The campaign, which runs through September, reminds Alamo City residents to use common sense when approaching railroad tracks. The Common Sense Campaign is specifically aimed at 18- to 34-year-olds, the group most likely to

BNSF Provides Customers More Flexibility with 68 Intermodal Service Enhancements to Date in 2009

August 25, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — Since the beginning of 2009, BNSF Railway Co. has created 23 new intermodal services and established improved performance transit times on 45 different lanes. These enhancements were developed in direct response to feedback solicited from customers, providing customers with even more reliable freight transportation service and overall value. BNSF leads the industry in velocity with service that is approximately 20 percent faster than any other carrier and an on-time performance record of better than 94 percent. Its expansive network and state-of-the-art intermodal facilities help customers take advantage of the cost and time savings, as well as

Canadian Pacific Disclosure Practices Recognized

August 25, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

CALGARY — Canadian Pacific Railway Limited announced it has been awarded the Governance Gavel Award for Director Disclosure by the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG). The award recognizes excellence in shareholder communications, particularly through the annual proxy circular. A company’s disclosure is judged against best practices as defined by the CCGG. “This award recognizes our ongoing efforts to ensure the timeliness, clarity and transparency of communications with our shareholders,” said Kathryn McQuade, CP’s Chief Financial Officer. “At Canadian Pacific, we continually strive to improve our governance and disclosure procedures through review and comparison with best practices. We are pleased

Railfanning in Folkston, Ga.

August 20, 2009 Railfanning.org

Every day, upwards of 80 CSX trains pass through the Folkston Funnel, so named because two railroad lines merge just north of downtown. In fact, almost all Florida-bound freight trains pass through the city’s limits.

Amtrak Extends Fare Promotion on Northeast Regional Service

August 20, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Amtrak continues to make travel in the Northeast affordable by extending through December 16 its fare promotion which offers up to 25 percent off the lowest published coach fare on Northeast Regional service between Washington, New York and Boston. Sample one-way fares include $49 between either Washington and New York or New York and Boston. “Customer response to these new, low fares has been strong,” says Emmett Fremaux, Amtrak’s Vice President of Marketing and Product Management. “Amtrak is pleased to be able to extend this exceptional offer to continue to make travel in the northeast more affordable.” In