2009 – Page 7 – Railfanning.org

BNSF Receives Working for Clean Air Award

November 12, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Co. was recognized last week as a Clean Air Champion by the North Texas Clean Air Coalition. The Working for Clean Air awards publicly recognize civic-minded businesses that have developed internal corporate programs to improve the quality of air, quality of life, and the health of the north Texas community. “BNSF is committed to operating in a way that protects the environment, our employees, our communities and the economy overall,” said Mark Schulze, vice president, Training and Operations Support. “I am proud that BNSF has been recognized for its green efforts at our corporate

NTSB Announces Hearing on Fatal WMATA Wreck

November 12, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board today announced that it will hold a public hearing on February 23-24, 2010, as part of its ongoing investigation into the collision of two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail Red Line trains on June 22 that occurred between the Fort Totten and Takoma Park stations in Washington, D.C. As a result of this accident, there were nine fatalities and numerous injuries. The two-day hearing will convene on Tuesday, February 23, 2010, at the NTSB’s Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington. The purpose of the hearing will be

Norfolk Southern Named a Top ‘Green’ Company

November 10, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern Corp.’s sustainability initiatives have earned the company recognition as one of 25 green supply chain partners named by Inbound Logistics magazine. The magazine said its inaugural G25 list was created “to celebrate companies that are on the cutting edge of green; and we want to provide shippers with examples of how service providers are making the sustainability leap, and justification for why they are a cut above.” Norfolk Southern was singled out for its “Green Machine,” a carbon footprint analyzer that allows businesses to estimate the emissions savings of choosing rail transportation. The magazine also

GE PowerHaul Locomotives for Freightliner Arrive in UK

November 10, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWPORT, Wales — Freightliner Group Ltd. and GE Transportation said that Freightliner have taken delivery of the first PowerHaul locomotives – introducing state-of-the-art technology to the UK’s rail freight market. Representing GE Transportation’s entry to the UK and European marketplace, the PowerHaul locomotives were manufactured in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA where comprehensive testing was completed. The locomotives were shipped from Virginia on 23 October. Providing greater hauling capacity and significant improvements in fuel economy, the PowerHaul locomotives will now undergo commissioning before entering service and complementing Freightliner’s existing fleet of more than 160 locomotives. During an unveiling ceremony at Newport Docks,

BNSF, BLET Reach Tentative Agreement

November 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Co. announced it has reached a tentative agreement with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen to settle wage and work rule matters concerning BNSF’s locomotive engineers for the major round of collective bargaining that will begin Jan. 1, 2010. The agreement will settle wage and work rule issues through Dec. 31, 2014. Health and welfare issues, however, will be addressed in upcoming industry-wide negotiations. BLET will release details of the new agreement to its membership as part of the ratification process. However, the agreement affords a general wage increase in each year of

G.I. Jobs Names Union Pacific Railroad Top Military-Friendly Employer

November 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. – G.I Jobs has named Union Pacific as America’s top military-friendly employer for 2009. It is the sixth time in seven years the magazine, the nation’s premier career guide for military job seekers, has named Union Pacific to its list. “Union Pacific values the commitment, training and diversity that our armed forces bring to the workplace,’ said Barb Schaefer, Union Pacific senior vice president – Human Resources. “Our continued efforts to attract veterans have resulted in a win-win situation for the company and the veterans we have hired. “Military veterans typically are goal-oriented and bring a strong work

Canadian Pacific Salutes Fallen Soldiers

November 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — On Nov. 11, all Canadian Pacific and Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad trains will safely halt at 11AM local time, observe two minutes of respect in silence and then sound a long train whistle in tribute. A Remembrance Day and Veterans Day service will also be held at CP’s headquarters in Calgary. “On this day, Canadian Pacific will recognize the contributions our employees made in times of war. On land, at sea and in the air, at home and abroad, the company, its people, its resources, its ingenuity and expertise were needed,” said Fred Green, Canadian

CN EVP-Sales and Marketing Leaving Railroad

November 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

MONTREAL — CN announced that James M. Foote, CN executive vice-president, Sales and Marketing has decided to leave the Company after 14 years at CN. “Jim has been a key player at CN since the Company’s privatization,” E. Hunter Harrison, president and chief executive officer, said. “Since 2000, Jim has been responsible for the strategic direction and leadership of the Company’s Sales and Marketing group and made tremendous contributions to CN over the years.” Jean-Jacques Ruest, CN senior vice-president, Marketing and Stan Jablonski, CN senior vice-president, Sales, as well as the Sales and Marketing organization as a whole, will report

CSXT Continues to Invest in New Technology to Drive Efficiency and a Reduction in Emissions

November 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — CSX Transportation said it continues to invest in technology to make its fleet of more than 4,000 locomotives as efficient as possible. Efficient locomotives, pulling an average of 7 million carloads of freight annually on CSXT, allow freight railroads to be the most environmentally friendly way to move goods over land, CSX said. “Since 2000, CSXT has invested more than $1 billion in technology to upgrade its locomotive fleet, allowing for a 90 percent improvement in fuel efficiency since 1980,” Carl Gerhardstein, CSXT director of environmental systems said at the “Greening of Transportation” panel discussion at the Fall

Operation Lifesaver Warns Hunters to Avoid Train Tracks

November 8, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — With deer hunting season in full swing in many states, Operation Lifesaver is reminding outdoor enthusiasts that hunting on or near train tracks is not only illegal trespassing, it could be deadly. Last year, 456 people died and 429 were injured while trespassing on railroad property nationwide, according to preliminary federal statistics. Operation Lifesaver is taking action to save lives by issuing pedestrian safety tips in time for hunting season. In addition, a new Operation Lifesaver hunting safety video has been posted on YouTube. A number of state Operation Lifesaver programs also are running billboard campaigns urging pedestrians