Railfanning.org News Wire

Amtrak and Capitol Corridor Support California Rail Safety Month

September 4, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OAKLAND, Calif. — Amtrak and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) are joining efforts during September to raise public awareness about highway-rail grade crossing safety and trespass prevention as part of California’s first ever “Rail Safety Month.” Working with California Operation Lifesaver, freight and passenger railroads and other rail safety partners, Amtrak will participate in “Officer on the Train” events in cities throughout the state during the month of September. The key element of this program is to have local law enforcement officers ride in the locomotive to witness what train engineers observe daily — motorists driving illegally through

AAR Reports Rail Traffic Continues to Register Gains

September 4, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported that rail traffic continues to register incremental gains on a week-to-week basis, but remains down year over year. Rail carloadings were at their highest level since the week ended Dec. 13, 2008. For the week ended Aug. 29, 2009, U.S. railroads reported originating 285,580 cars, down 16.2 percent compared with the same week in 2008. Regionally, carloadings were down 16 percent in the West and 16.6 percent in the East. Intermodal traffic of 202,553 trailers or containers on U.S. railroads was down 15.6 percent from the same week last year. Container

UP: Joliet Intermodal Terminal Investment Supports Customer Growth; State-of-the-Art Facility Part of Centerpoint’s Integrated Logistics Center

September 4, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

JOLIET, Ill. — Union Pacific’s new Joliet Intermodal Terminal will support customer growth by increasing the railroad’s international and domestic container capacity and improving rail traffic efficiencies in Chicago, the nation’s largest rail center, the railroad said. Once on line, customers from across Union Pacific’s network will benefit from Joliet’s annual capacity of 500,000 ocean-going containers. Officials and customers gathered today to celebrate the construction commencement of Union Pacific’s nearly $370 million, 785-acre Joliet Intermodal Terminal and CenterPoint Intermodal Center – Joliet (“CIC – Joliet”), a 3,900-acre state-of-the-art integrated logistics center. “Our new intermodal terminal demonstrates Union Pacific’s unwavering commitment

BNSF Names Bischler Vice President, Chief Sourcing Officer; Piggott Vice President Planning & Studies and Controller

September 4, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — Paul Bischler has been named vice president and chief sourcing officer, responsible for BNSF Railway Company’s sourcing efforts, effective Oct. 1. He will report to Carl Ice, executive vice president and chief operations officer. Bischler succeeds Dennis Johnson who will leave the company on Sept. 30 to dedicate more time to family and other personal interests. Julie Piggott, previously vice president finance and treasurer, will succeed Bischler and assume the role of vice president planning & studies and controller. She will report to Tom Hund, executive vice president and chief financial officer. Piggott will also have

WMATA ‘Reimbursed’ $3.4 Million for Inauguration Expenses

September 3, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Washington Metro officials were notified by the U.S. Department of Justice that $3.4 million in federal funds would be returned to the transit authority to cover expenses associated with providing Metro service for the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. Metro had already received $475,000 in reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, so Metro’s total federal reimbursement was for $3.9 million. “The work of the regional Congressional delegation – Senators Mikulski, Cardin, Webb, and Warner and Representatives Hoyer, Moran, Norton, Wolf, Van Hollen, Edwards and Connolly — to include funding for Inaugural expenses in the FY2009 appropriations bill

$3B for Historic Mass Transit Tunnel

August 29, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWARK, N.J. — Gov. Jon S. Corzine welcomed U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s $650 million “down payment” toward a federal funding commitment of $3 billion for the historic Mass Transit Tunnel. LaHood and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff have notified Congress of the agency’s approval of a $1.35 billion Early Systems Work Agreement for the Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) Mass Transit Tunnel, money that will support the transit tunnel’s initial phases of construction. Some $650 million of the $1.35 billion in the agreement is from federal sources, including $130 million in stimulus funds under the American Reinvestment and

Rail Service to Meadowlands Starts

August 29, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWARK, N.J. — N.J. Transit rail service to major events at Giants Stadium launched July 26 for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final championship soccer match. “The startup of rail service to the Meadowlands Sports Complex is great news for New Jersey residents because it will be easier than ever to avoid roadway congestion and take our convenient public transportation system to world-class sporting and entertainment events,” said Gov. Jon S. Corzine. Trains to the Meadowlands Sports Complex will operate for select stadium events of 50,000 fans or more, including all Giants and Jets pre-season and regular season home games,

MARTA: New Economic Forecast Predicts Further Decline In Sales Tax Revenue

August 28, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

ATLANTA — MARTA “stands to lose” hundreds of millions in sales tax revenues over the next decade on top of an already projected $1.2 billion shortfall, according to a new economic analysis from the Georgia State University Economic Forecasting Center, the transit authority. This forecast shows “the urgent need for a new dedicated and reliable source of transit funding in the state and region,” MARTA said. About a month into the new fiscal year, MARTA is already re-evaluating its options to address a continuing shortfall in FY 2010 revenues, officials said. “This new report is extremely sobering. Unfortunately, we’ve continued

Union Pacific Invests Nearly $11 Million for Track Improvements to Its Hiawatha-to-Upland, Kan., Line

August 27, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Trains will run more efficiently and motorists will spend less time at crossings as a result of nearly $11 million in track improvements made by Union Pacific Railroad to its Hiawatha-to-Upland, Kan., line, the company said in a news release. When the project is complete, crews will have removed and installed more than 72,000 ties, spread more than 30,000 tons of rock ballast to ensure a stable roadbed, renewed road surfaces at 123 crossings and replaced rail in various curves on the line. Work began on the project today and is scheduled to be completed by the

Amtrak and Student Conservation Association Partner to Preserve Yosemite National Park

August 26, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OAKLAND, Calif. — Amtrak’s partnership this summer with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) is enabling high school and college age students from around the country to gain real, hands-on experience preserving Yosemite National Park, one of Amtrak’s most popular destinations. “Amtrak is a great way to travel to help preserve the environment and it is important to us to support efforts like SCA to help keep Yosemite National Park in top condition,” said Carol Shannon, Amtrak Director of West Marketing, adding each year thousands of visitors take the Amtrak San Joaquin trains to Yosemite via connecting motor coach service from