March 2012 – Railfanning.org

Amtrak Niantic River Bridge Replacement Project Reaches Significant Milestone

March 27, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW YORK— Amtrak is reaching a significant milestone in its efforts to replace the existing 104-year old Niantic River Bridge in East Lyme, Conn., with the float-in of the new bascule lift span to the new alignment south of the existing bridge. After the float-in of the new bridge span is completed later today, crews will begin the process of connecting it to the new pivot girders located on the land side of the marine channel. As a result, access to the channel beneath the structure will be closed to the maritime community beginning March 26, through March 30 to

CN Sells Greater Toronto Area Rail Lines to Metrolinx for GO Transit Services

March 27, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

TORONTO — CN has sold two rail line segments in the Greater Toronto Area to Metrolinx for $310.5 million Canadian. GO Transit’s Richmond Hill commuter rail service operates over a portion of CN’s Bala Subdivision. Metrolinx is acquiring a segment of the subdivision from approximately Rosedale Valley Road north through the Don Valley to CN’s main east-west freight line north of Steeles Avenue near the Toronto-York Region border. Metrolinx is also acquiring a segment of CN’s Oakville Subdivision from a point near 30th Street in the Etobicoke area of Toronto and terminating just west of the Fourth Line in Oakville,

Amtrak to More Than Triple the Number of Track-Miles Equipped with Positive Train Control

March 25, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – By the end of 2012, Amtrak expects to more than triple the number of track-miles on its own railroad where Positive Train Control (PTC) safety technology is installed as part of an aggressive program begun more than two years ago. “PTC is the most important rail safety advancement of our time and Amtrak is strongly committed to its expanded use to enhance safety for our passengers, employees and others with whom we share the tracks across our national network,” said President and CEO Joe Boardman. PTC technology can control train movements to prevent train-to-train collisions, derailments caused by

Norfolk Southern Rolls Out First Heritage Locomotive

March 25, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

The first locomotive to be painted in Norfolk Southern’s 30th anniversary heritage paint schemes rolled out of the company’s Juniata Locomotive Shop here yesterday.

Railroad Running Well After Best-ever Year in 2011, Norfolk Southern CEO Says in Annual Report

March 25, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORFOLK, Va. — After setting performance records in 2011, Norfolk Southern Corp. looks ahead to its 30th anniversary in 2012 and beyond “with confidence, optimism, and a great deal of enthusiasm,” CEO Wick Moorman tells stockholders in the 2011 annual report, posted on the company’s website. “The railroad is running well, we have a strong capital budget, and the right projects are under way to enhance our business franchises,” Moorman says. Improving markets and corporate initiatives combined to make 2011 the company’s “best-ever year,” he notes, with record revenues, operating income, net income, and earnings per share. “Perhaps most importantly,

CN to Acquire 161 Locomotives

March 25, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

MONTREAL — CN announced a major locomotive acquisition program to accommodate anticipated traffic growth and to improve operational efficiency, enabling the railway to better serve its customers. CN will acquire 65 new high-horsepower locomotives as well as 96 second-hand high-horsepower locomotives that will be upgraded. “CN’s locomotive acquisition program represents a balanced, capital-effective approach to handle expected volume growth over the next two to five years and to meet the locomotive requirements resulting from customer focused service plans,” Keith Creel, executive vice-president and chief operating officer, said. “The new and used motive power will enhance operational efficiency and reduce fuel

FRA Administrator Szabo Joins Portland Officials to Review Portland-Seattle Train Project

March 18, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

PORTLAND, Ore. – Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo on March 16 joined local officials at Union Station to celebrate the Pacific Northwest Passenger Rail Corridor construction project in Portland. Through the High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Program (HSIPR), the U.S. Department of Transportation has invested $814 million to pay for upgrades to one of the busiest intercity passenger rail corridors in the nation, which runs between Vancouver, BC, and Eugene, OR. The upgrades are essential, as the number of roundtrips between Portland and Seattle is expected to increase by 50 percent in just five years. “All across the country,

N.J. Transit Board Approves Changes to Bloomfield Ave. Station

March 16, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWARK, NJ — Improvements to make Newark Light Rail’s Bloomfield Avenue Station accessible to customers with disabilities and more convenient for all customers will begin this spring, under a contract approved by the N.J. Transit Board of Directors. “Projects like this reinforce our steadfast commitment to enhancing the accessibility of our facilities and helping to ensure that public transportation is a viable option for all New Jersey residents,” said Transportation Commissioner and N.J. Transit Board Chairman James Simpson. The Board authorized a $5.2 million contract with DMR Construction of Waldwick, N.J., for the construction of accessibility improvements at the station,

Clarksville Forever Linked to Railroads

March 12, 2012 Todd DeFeo

Davy Jones, the lead singer of the 1960s group, The Monkees, died recently. Thanks to The Monkees, Clarksville‘s name will forever be linked with railroads.