Month: August 2009

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STB

New STB Chairman Sworn Into Office

August 14, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Daniel R. Elliott III was sworn in Aug. 13 as the Board’s chairman, pledging to bring an open mind and sense of fairness to the Board’s economic regulation of railroads. Elliott, 46, served for 16 years as associate general counsel to the United Transportation Union. Earlier, he practiced at law firms in Washington and Cleveland. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in political science in 1985 and earned a law degree from Ohio State College of Law in 1989. He was nominated to the Board by President Barack Obama on June 20, 2009 for

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Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Provides $100,000 Grant to Penn State Altoona for Railroad Engineering Degree Program

August 13, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

ALTOONA, Pa. — The Norfolk Southern Foundation has given $100,000 to Penn State Altoona to assist in the development of a four-year Rail and Transit Engineering (RTE) degree program. This innovative Bachelor of Science program will include existing Penn State civil engineering courses, coupled with new customized courses in rail business, mechanical systems, track, operations, communications, and regulation. The program is designed to produce graduates who will quickly acclimate to the rail industry and its suppliers. “On behalf of the entire Penn State Altoona community, I express heartfelt appreciation to Norfolk Southern for the vital role it is playing in

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Commuter Rail

WMATA Train Kills Man on Tracks

August 12, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

ARLINGTON, Va. — A 45-year-old Arlington man was killed after being an Orange Line Metro train at the West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail station. At 11:18 a.m. Aug. 12, the six-car train headed in the direction of New Carrollton struck the resident, who “was on the tracks intentionally” as the train pulled into the station., Metro said.

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Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Selects Greencastle Site for New Franklin County Regional Intermodal Facility, Supporting Crescent Corridor Initiative

August 12, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern said it will construct a new intermodal terminal in Greencastle, Pa., to serve the Mid-Atlantic region, as part of the railroad’s multi-state Crescent Corridor initiative to establish a high-speed intermodal freight rail route between the Gulf Coast and the Northeast. The $95 million facility, at which freight moving in containers and trailers will be transferred between train and truck, will occupy a 200-acre site adjacent to the planned Antrim Commons Business Park and is expected to open in late 2011. “Because of its strategic location to key markets in the Mid-Atlantic region, the new Franklin

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Amtrak

Second Amtrak Cascades Train between Seattle and Vancouver to Begin Service Aug. 19

August 12, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), the Province of British Columbia, and Amtrak announced that the long awaited second daily Amtrak Cascades train between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. will begin service on Wednesday, August 19, 2009. The second train is an extension of the existing service between Bellingham and Vancouver, B.C. “Amtrak typically needs 90 days to start up service, so getting the second roundtrip train to BC going so quickly is a major accomplishment for everyone involved,” said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary. “The August launch of the new service

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Norfolk Southern

Hart Sworn in as NTSB Member

August 12, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Christopher A. Hart was sworn in as a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board. Member Hart joins the Board after a long career in transportation safety, including a previous term as a Member of the NTSB. Most recently, Member Hart was Deputy Director for Air Traffic Safety Oversight at the Federal Aviation Administration. He was previously the FAA Assistant Administrator for the Office of System Safety. He served as a Member of the NTSB from 1990 to 1993. After leaving the Board, he served as Deputy Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. He had been

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Union Pacific

Union Pacific Reports Second Quarter Earnings

August 10, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Corp. reported 2009 second quarter net income of $468 million, or $0.92 per diluted share, compared to $531 million, or $1.02 per diluted share for the second quarter 2008. Included in the second quarter 2009 net income is $72 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, related to a June land sale to Colorado’s Regional Transportation District. Union Pacific produced solid second quarter results despite a business environment that continues to be extremely challenging,” said Jim Young, Union Pacific chairman and chief executive officer. “This performance demonstrates our unrelenting focus on safety, productivity and customer service,

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Amtrak

Amtrak Returns to Service the First Superliner Passenger Car Restored With Recovery Funds

August 7, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

BEECH GROVE, Ind. — Amtrak unveiled the first of 21 passenger railcars to be removed from storage, restored to good condition, and returned to service as part of a $19.3 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funded program at the Amtrak Beech Grove (Ind.) maintenance facility that will add seating capacity primarily to its trains operating on routes in the Midwest and West. “Restoring and returning passenger railcars to service is another concrete example of how Amtrak is rebuilding and renewing the nation’s railroad,” said Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman, noting that many other infrastructure improvement projects including

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CSX

CSXT, Locomotive Engineers Reach Tentative Agreement

August 7, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have reached a tentative agreement on a five-year extension to a combined wage and performance bonus package. In addition to wage increases, CSXT engineers will continue to be eligible for payments from a Performance Bonus Plan that links that portion of their compensation to company financial performance. “This is an important evolution in the agreement that directly aligns the interests of our more than 5,000 locomotive engineers with company goals to meet the expectations of our customers and shareholders,” said Lisa Mancini, senior vice president-human resources. “We