Articles by Railfanning.org News Wire

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CSX

Landstar Honors CSX Intermodal

April 24, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Intermodal (CSXI) has received the 2008 Intermodal Carrier of the Year award from Landstar System, Inc. Award criteria included on-time service, equipment availability and condition, ease of doing business, sales representation and customer service responsiveness, and damage prevention. CSXI was selected from a field that included other companies who use major U.S. railroads to transport intermodal containers and allied service providers. In making the selection, Landstar surveyed its independent agents who handle intermodal shipments. “On behalf of CSX Intermodal, I am proud to accept this distinguished honor,” said CSXI President Jim Hertwig. “We appreciate the continued
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Canadian National

CN Board selects Claude Mongeau to Succeed E. Hunter Harrison as President and CEO Effective Jan. 1

April 21, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
CALGARY — David G. A. McLean, chairman of the board of directors of CN, announced the board’s selection of Claude Mongeau to succeed E. Hunter Harrison as president and chief executive officer of the company at the end of 2009. Mongeau, 47, currently CN’s executive vice-president and chief financial officer, has held successively senior positions since joining the company in 1994. McLean said: “CN’s board of directors is delighted to announce the selection of Claude Mongeau. The board thoroughly reviewed the company’s future strategic priorities and the skills and attributes required of our new CEO. We are confident that Claude
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CSX

CSXT Announces First-Ever Environmental Award Winners

April 20, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation (CSXT) announced the winners of its first-annual Environmental Awards recognizing customers that have reduced their carbon emissions on the freight they ship by relying on CSX Transportation. CSXT is recognizing 19 customers who, together in 2008 avoided over 1.2 million tons of carbon emissions by shipping with CSXT versus the highway alternative. These customers are being recognized because they led their respective industry in using CSXT to improve emissions efficiency in 2008 compared to 2007 or they led their industry using CSXT to reduce their freight emissions. In addition, by choosing to ship via rail
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CSX

CSX Celebrates Continued Emphasis on Environmental Stewardship

April 17, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Corp. will celebrate Earth Day 2009 at its headquarters and across its rail system with tree plantings, cleanups and educational events that increase environmental awareness and improve the environment. “While CSX and its 30,000 employees respect the environment every day, Earth Day offers us an annual opportunity to acknowledge our accomplishments, learn something new and renew our commitment to continually increasing our role and responsibility as an environmental steward,” said Skip Elliott, CSX vice president for public safety and environment. CSX’s Earth Day programs emphasize the environmental stewardship that is consistently practiced and recognized at CSX.
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STB

STB: Nottingham Appoints Zimmerman as Chief of Staff

April 16, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Surface Transportation Board Vice Chairman Charles D. Nottingham announced his appointment of Scott M. Zimmerman as his chief of staff. Beginning in January 2007, Zimmerman served as former Chairman Nottingham’s attorney-advisor. Prior to that, he served in the Board’s Office of the General Counsel. Before joining the agency, Zimmerman practiced transportation and regulatory law as a partner at the law firm of Zuckert, Scoutt & Rasenberger, L.L.P. in Washington, D.C. Zimmerman holds a B.A. in Government from Cornell University (1985) and J.D. from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at The College of William & Mary (1992), where he
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Commuter Rail

Obama Calls U.S. High Speed Passenger Trains

April 16, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama, Vice President Biden and Transportation Secretary LaHood, announced a new U.S. push “to transform travel in America, creating high-speed rail lines from city to city, reducing dependence on cars and planes and spurring economic development.” The President released a strategic plan outlining his vision for high speed rail in America. The plan identifies $8 billion provided in the ARRA and $1 billion a year for five years requested in the federal budget as a down payment to jump-start a potential world-class passenger rail system and sets the direction of transportation policy for the future. The
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Canadian National

STB: CN Files First Compliance Reports

April 13, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board said that Canadian National Railway Company has filed its first compliance reports pursuant to the Board’s oversight of CN’s acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company in Canadian National Railway and Grand Trunk Corp. — Control — EJ&E West Co. The Board approved the acquisition on Dec. 24, 2008, subject to environmental mitigation and other reporting conditions, which require CN to submit monthly operational reports and quarterly environmental reports to the Board during a five year oversight period. CN’s monthly operating report includes data detailing train volumes, accidents and incidents, and street
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Amtrak

NTSB Hands Down Recommendations

April 10, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has handed down a number of recommendations. The NTSB made the following recommendations to the Federal Railroad Administration: — Establish uniform signal aspects that railroads must use to authorize a train to enter an occupied block, and prohibitthe use of these aspects for any other signal indication. — Study the different signal systems for trains, identify ways to communicate more uniformly the meaning of signal aspectsacross all railroad territories, and require the railroadsto implement as many uniform signal meanings as possible. — Require that emergency exits on new and remanufactured locomotive cabs provide
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Miscellaneous

Weather, Slow Economy Produce Rail Freight Traffic Decline

April 10, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Bad weather in Wyoming and the Upper Midwest combined with the slow economy to produce another down week for U.S. rail freight traffic during the first week of April, the Association of American Railroads reported today. U.S. railroads reported originating 262,624 cars during the week, down 20.5 percent from the comparison week in 2008, with loadings down 19.4 percent in the West and 22.0 percent in the East. Intermodal volume of 184,845 trailers or containers was off 14.7 percent from last year, with container volume falling 9.0 percent and trailer volume dropping 34.0 percent. Total volume was estimated