Articles by Railfanning.org News Wire

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Amtrak

NTSB to Discuss 2007 Amtrak Wreck

March 26, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public Board meeting March 31 on its investigation of a collision of Amtrak(National Railroad Passenger Corporation) and Norfolk Southern Railway Company (Norfolk Southern) trains near Chicago. At 11:23 a.m. on Nov. 30, 2007, Amtrak’s Pere Marquette, consisting of one locomotive and three passenger cars, struck the rear of standing Norfolk Southern freight train 23M. The forward portion of the Amtrak locomotive came to rest on top of a container on the rear car of the freight train. Sixty-six passengers and five crewmembers were transported to hospitals; 2 passengers and one
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Commuter Rail

MTA Board Approves Service Reductions and Fare/Toll Increases

March 26, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board approved a series of resolutions that will allow the MTA to move forward with fare increases of 25 to 30 percent and service reductions that will affect customers throughout its service area. These actions were required to implement the balanced budget passed by the Board in December, which closed an approximately $1.2 billion deficit, the board said. The fare and toll increases will be effective on the following dates: New York City Transit, MTA Bus and Long Island Bus (subway, buses and Staten Island Railway): May 31 Long Island Rail Road and
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Commuter Rail

MTA: Staten Island Railway Ridership Figures Show ‘Impressive Gains’ for 2008

March 25, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK — Last year, MTA Staten Island Railway (SIR) saw an impressive gain in ridership attributable to a series of factors, including the increase of p.m. rush hour express service and the unprecedented jump in gasoline prices which persuaded many commuters to leave their cars at home. From 2007, annual ridership climbed 6.1 percent to 4.38 million in 2008 while the average number of customers using SIR on an average weekday rose 5.1 percent to 15,713. “We greet these ridership figures with great enthusiasm,” said SIR General Manager John Gaul, who noted that there was no single reason for
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Commuter Rail

G Line Customers Grade Their Service a ‘D-Plus’ in 2nd Annual Rider Report Card Survey

March 25, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK — MTA New York City Transit released the results from the 2nd Annual Rider Report Card Survey on the G line which was done in mid-December 2008. The G line again received an overall grade of “D-plus,” unchanged from 2007. The customer satisfaction index of 75 percent was, however, slightly lower than 2007’s 76 percent. Customers sent in 1,746 Rider Report Cards by mail and 150 via the internet, totaling 1,896 responses, to gauge customer satisfaction on the line. Twenty-one separate service attributes were graded on the G line, which runs from Smith-9th Streets in Brooklyn to Long
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World

GE Transportation Delivers 3,000th Locomotive to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy

March 25, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
ERIE, Pa. — GE Transportation announced that Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) has taken delivery of the 3,000th Evolution Series locomotive produced at GE Transportation’s Erie, Pa., manufacturing site. One Evolution Series locomotive can pull the equivalent of 170 Boeing 747 “Jumbo Jet” airliners. In 2006, KTZ ordered 310 GE Evolution Series locomotives and the first ten units, including the 3,000th, have arrived in Kazakhstan. Three hundred additional locomotives will be assembled in Kazakhstan starting at the end of 2009 from kits and parts produced in Erie. This is the 3,000th Evolution Series locomotive since its introduction to the market in
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Miscellaneous

New Locomotives for Staten Island Railway

March 25, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK — MTA New York City Transit’s Staten Island Railway has taken delivery of four new diesel locomotives manufactured by the Brookville Equipment Corporation of Brookville, Penn. The locomotives traveled by rail to Port Newark and then by barge to the Stapleton Home Port. The cars were lifted by crane and trucked to the Clifton shop, where they were again lifted by crane and placed onto the tracks. They will undergo testing for about a month before entering service. These new locomotives will replace four old second-hand locomotives: two that date from 1968 and two that date from 1940s.
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Commuter Rail

6 Line Customers Grade Their Service a ‘C’ in 2nd Annual Rider Report Card Survey

March 24, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK — MTA New York City Transit released the results from the 2nd Annual Rider Report Card Survey on the 6 line which was done in early January. The 6 line again received an overall grade of “C,” unchanged from 2007. However, the customer satisfaction index of 92 percent was slightly lower than 2007’s 93 percent. Customers sent in 5,392 Rider Report Cards by mail and 177 via the internet, totaling 5,569 responses, to gauge customer satisfaction on the line. Twenty-one separate service attributes were graded on the 6 line, which runs from Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx
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Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Names Manion COO; Vice Chairman Tobias Retires

March 24, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
NORFOLK, Va. — Mark D. Manion, a 34-year veteran of railroad operations, has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer for Norfolk Southern Corporation, with headquarters in Norfolk, effective April 1. He succeeds Stephen C. Tobias, who retires March 31 as vice chairman and chief operating officer. “As Norfolk Southern’s chief operating officer, Steve has earned an unparalleled legacy for employee safety and operational efficiency. Our company today is a clear reflection of his vision and constancy,” said CEO Wick Moorman. “Mark and his team are positioned to build on these successes, and I am confident that NS
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Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Names Stewart and Allison to Key Finance Positions; Romig Retires

March 24, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
NORFOLK, Va. — Marta R. Stewart has been named vice president and treasurer, and C.H. “Jake” Allison, Jr. has been named vice president and controller for Norfolk Southern Corporation, with headquarters in Norfolk, effective April 1. Stewart succeeds William J. Romig, who retires March 31 after a 32-year career at Norfolk Southern. Stewart joined NS in 1983 as assistant manager of accounting systems and served as manager financial reporting, director corporate accounting, and assistant vice president corporate accounting before being named vice president and controller in 2003. She holds an accounting degree from The College of William & Mary and