2009 – Page 2 – Railfanning.org

Metrolinx Acquires Full Ownership of Toronto-Barrie Rail Commuter Corridor

December 15, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

TORONTO — Metrolinx purchased from CN the lower portion of the Newmarket Subdivision in central-north Toronto for C$68 million. The transaction gives Metrolinx end-to-end ownership of the 60-mile-long Barrie-Bradford GO Train corridor between downtown Toronto and Barrie, Ont. – a first for the government transit agency. Metrolinx is the Ontario government Crown corporation responsible for delivering an integrated, multi-modal transportation network in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), from York and Durham through Toronto, Peel Halton and Hamilton. GO Transit, the operating division of Metrolinx, provides commuter rail and bus services in the GTA. The Metrolinx line acquisition fills the rail

Provision Would Let Amtrak Passengers Carry Guns in Checked Baggage

December 14, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

Passengers could soon bring firearms in their packed luggage on Amtrak trains under a provision included in the Senate’s massive year-end spending bill. “This is an important victory for sportsmen and gun owners across the country, and it affirms congressional support of the Second Amendment,” U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said in a news release. “Airline passengers in our country are allowed to transport firearms in secure, checked baggage when declared during the check-in process. Law-abiding gun owners who choose to travel on America’s taxpayer-subsidized rail line should be given the same right.” The rule is the same as one

Union Pacific Railroad’s Pipeline Express Service Reaches 25,000 Rail Car Milestone

December 13, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Railroad’s Pipeline Express service has reached a milestone by delivering its 25,000th rail car of customer product. Formed in 2005, Pipeline Express has grown from moving approximately 1,700 rail cars in its first year to nearly 8,000 for its customers through year-end 2008. Pipeline Express serves the steel pipeline industry for oil and gas producers with truck-competitive transit times and a rail network that aligns well geographically with new pipeline projects. Union Pacific’s site selection support for customers is unmatched in the industry. “By offering the best value proposition to the natural gas industry, Union

Arbitrator to Decide Wage and Benefit Issues for CN Locomotive Engineers

December 13, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

MONTREAL — Unresolved wage and benefits issues for 1,700 CN locomotive engineers in Canada will be submitted to binding arbitration after renewed negotiations between the company and Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) ended yesterday without a settlement. The company and union agreed, as part of the memorandum of settlement that ended the TCRC’s strike Dec. 2 to third-party arbitration of wage and benefits issues if further talks failed to resolve their contractual differences. The federal Minister of Labour will now appoint an arbitrator, who will have 90 days following his or her appointment to report to the Minister with a

WDW Monorail Passengers Stranded After Power Failure

December 13, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

Hundreds of Walt Disney World monorail passengers were stranded for hours following a power outage early this morning, according to published reports. Seven monorails were operating at the time of the power failure, according to a report on WOFL-TV’s Web page. The report indicated one train was empty, three were at stations and three others were between stations at the time of the power outage. The Associated Press reported that firefighters evacuated some passengers from the trains, but the bulk of passengers disembarked after the monorails were towed to stations. — Railfanning.org News Wire

Union Pacific Names Several to New Assignments

December 11, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific announced several executive assignments effective Jan. 1: Dennis J. Duffy, currently executive vice president – Operations, will become vice chairman – Operations of the Union Pacific Railroad, remaining as the senior operations executive of the company. Lance M. Fritz, currently vice president – Labor Relations, will become vice president – Operations of the railroad, reporting to Duffy. William R. (Rick) Turner, currently assistant vice president – Labor Relations, will succeed Fritz as vice president – Labor Relations. Robert M. Grimaila, currently senior assistant vice president – Safety, Security and Environment, will be named vice president

UP: New Track Adds Capacity and Reduces Delays for Amtrak Missouri River Runner Trains

December 10, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Representatives of the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), the City of California, Union Pacific Railroad and Amtrak officially opened a new $8.1 million, 9,000-foot railroad side track that adds capacity and will reduce delays on the route used by Amtrak Missouri River Runner trains between Kansas City and St. Louis. The new siding, located just west of California, Mo., helps unclog a major “bottleneck” that was caused by a 25-mile stretch of single-track and enables slower freight trains to move off the main line. This allows faster Amtrak trains to pass and is estimated to annually reduce

CN Signs Voluntary Mitigation Agreement with Village of Plainfield, Ill.

December 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — CN announced it has reached a voluntary mitigation agreement (VMA) with the Village of Plainfield, Ill., located 35 miles southwest of Chicago, addressing the municipality’s environmental issues with CN’s acquisition of the principal lines of the former Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E). With this agreement, CN has VMAs with 21 municipalities of the 33 communities situated on the EJ&E in Illinois and Indiana. CN’s latest VMA will provide funding for environmental measures including maintenance of an existing quiet zone, operations mitigation, emergency response training, safety initiatives, and improved communication. CN completed its EJ&E acquisition on Jan.

CSX Comments on Florida Rail Plan

December 8, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Corporation today released the following statement following the Florida Legislature’s action on the statewide rail plan: “CSX Corporation commends the Florida Legislature for endorsing this important investment in the future of our home state,” the company said. “Legislative approval of the comprehensive statewide rail legislation is an important step toward fully leveraging the efficient and environmentally friendly benefits of rail. This investment will have tremendous benefits for Florida’s economy by creating jobs and increasing the state’s economic competitiveness by moving both passengers and freight more effectively. “CSX will continue to work with Florida’s elected leaders to

Norfolk Southern Joins U.S. Green Building Council

December 8, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern has joined the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit, membership-based organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for the nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. Through its latest public-private partnership initiative, the Crescent Corridor Intermodal Freight Program, NS will capitalize on the inherent efficiencies of rail transportation to substantially reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. As part of the Crescent Corridor program, NS has committed to submitting buildings from three of its proposed intermodal terminals in Birmingham, Ala., Greencastle, Pa., and Memphis, Tenn., for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)