Month: August 2009

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NTSB

Hart Designated Vice Chairman of NTSB

August 20, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has designated National Transportation Safety Board Member Christopher A. Hart as the agency’s Vice Chairman. Hart was sworn in as a Member of the NTSB on August 12 to a term that ends December 31, 2012. His term as Vice Chairman will run for two years. Vice Chairman Hart comes to the Board after a long career in transportation safety, including a previous term as a Member of the NTSB during the 1990s. He most recently was Deputy Director for Air Traffic Safety Oversight at the Federal Aviation Administration.  He is an aerospace engineer, attorney,

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Union Pacific

Union Pacific Railroad Increasing Train Speed On Line in Kennewick, Wash.

August 19, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Railroad will increase the speed of its trains from 10 mph to 20 mph on nearly 12 miles of its rail line located in Kennewick, Wash. The rail line generally parallels state highway SR 240 through Kennewick. The increased train speed will take effect September 1, 2009. Trains currently operate through the area at 10 mph due to track and operating constraints.  Recent track improvements will permit the higher speed. Union Pacific invested $2.8 million this year on track improvements in Kennewick. Crews recently completed the installation of approximately 23,500 new cross ties and 700

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BNSF

BNSF Logistics Selected to Top Ten List

August 19, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

SPRINGDALE, Ark. — BNSF Logistics, LLC has been named one of the top logistics providers for the sixth consecutive year by readers of Inbound Logistics magazine in its annual “Top 10 3PL Excellence” awards. More than 6,000 votes were cast in this year’s survey, for over 400 unique third-party logistics providers. “Inbound Logistics readers say great 3PL relationships are built not just on cost savings but on consistent customer service. Strategic supply chain vision is also a key measurement of 3PL excellence,” noted Felecia Stratton, Editor of Inbound Logistics. “Inbound Logistics readers were effusive in their praise of BNSF Logistics,

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Commuter Rail

WMATA: Metro Implements Stricter Hiring Standards

August 19, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Metro has implemented stricter hiring standards, including applicants for frontline and safety sensitive positions. The new standards went into effect earlier this month. “Our frontline employees are the face of Metro,” said Metro General Manager John Catoe. “We want the strongest applicants for every open position. These new hiring standards are meant to help us find only the best and brightest employees to help move more than one million customers each day.” Under the new hiring standards, job applicants for “frontline positions” will be disqualified from the applicant pool for any number of reasons, including one or more

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Union Pacific

Union Pacific Marks Silver Anniversary of Its First Southern Powder River Basin Coal Train

August 18, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Twenty-five years ago on Aug. 16, the first Union Pacific and former Chicago & North Western (C&NW) coal train moved out of Wyoming’s Southern Powder River Basin (SPRB) coal field over a new 107-mile rail line connecting Union Pacific to the region. The C&NW merged with Union Pacific in 1995. Since the line was opened between Joyce, Neb., and Shawnee Junction, Wyo., in 1984, several milestones have been met including the operation of the 100,000th train March 17, 2001, and the movement of the 200,000th loaded coal train May 10, 2009, out of the SPRB. “Capital investment