Railfanning.org News Wire – Page 274

Norfolk Southern’s Shelocta Secondary Opens for Business

August 3, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

PHILADELPHIA – Norfolk Southern Corp. today announced that the first train will run on the new Shelocta Secondary on Monday (Aug. 7), culminating a five-year, $44 million project The line establishes a direct rail connection from Norfolk Southern’s Conemaugh Line in Saltsburg, Pa., to the coal-powered Keystone Generating Station in Shelocta, Pa. “The Shelocta Secondary is a new link in our network providing the Keystone Generating Station with an efficient direct connection to western Pennsylvania coal fields served by Norfolk Southern,” said Wick Moorman, Norfolk Southern’s chief executive officer. “Norfolk Southern’s investment in this project underscores our commitment to improving

New Clean Air Technology Tested at Roseville Rail Yard

August 3, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

ROSEVILLE, Calif. – An innovative technology to capture and treat emissions from diesel train locomotives is being unveiled today in Roseville as part of a project to demonstrate the system’s effectiveness in improving air quality near working rail yards, officials say. The new system, known as the Advanced Locomotive Emission Control System (ALECS), will apply technology used to capture emissions from industrial plants to near-stationary locomotives. ALECS is expected to reduce sulfur dioxide by 99 percent, particulate matter by 99 percent, nitrogen oxide by 95 percent and water-soluble volatile organic compounds by 50 percent from captured and treated locomotive emissions.

ARCADIS To Modernize Polish Rail

August 2, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

ARNHEM, the Netherlands — The Polish operation of international consultancy and engineering company ARCADIS is part of a consortium that has been awarded the contract for the supervision and project management of the modernization of a 37.2-mile long section of the railway. The section to be revamped runs from Skierniewice to Lodz, in Central Poland. The total construction sum for the project will be approximately $280.5 million; ARCADIS’ fees will amount to $3.8 million. The project is part of the 78.9-mile railway line between Warsaw and Lodz, two Polish urban areas with more than 3 million inhabitants. Modernization of the

Get That Monkey Outta Here

August 2, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW DELHI, India – Officials here are battling a unique problem: They’re trying to keep monkeys out of the city’s subway system. As part of the battle, officials have brought in the langur, which The Associated Press describes as “fierce-looking primate.” The subway system has paid a retainer to a langurwallah – a man who keeps the langur. The decision was made after a monkey made his way into a subway car in June, according to an AP report that cited the Hindustan Times newspaper.

VRE Contracts for 50 More Bi-level Cars

August 2, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW YORK — Virginia Railway Express exercised its option order for an additional 50 bi-level passenger rail cars from Sumitomo Corp. of America and its car builder partner Nippon Sharyo, Ltd. The contract was executed on July 27. It is in addition to the current VRE order for 11 bi-level cars that was issued last May. The cars for the contract will be similar to the 300 Gallery type bi-level passenger cars that were delivered in 2005 to Metra in Chicago. Due to the expanding VRE system and increased ridership, these bi-level cars will have a much larger capacity for

N.J. Transit Approves 2007 Operating, Capital Budgets

August 1, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWARK, N.J. — The N.J. Transit Board of Directors today adopted a $1.5 billion operating budget and a $1.3 billion Capital Program for Fiscal Year 2007 (FY07) that funds the transit system through June 30, 2007. Without raising fares, N.J. Transit will offer three million more miles of bus and rail service than last year to support anticipated record ridership of more than 860,000 passenger trips daily. “Our transportation network is central to our mobility, our economy, and our quality of life,” said Gov. Jon S. Corzine. “We are working to keep transit affordable and encourage transit usage as a

Metro and Alstom Temporarily Stop Production of Railcars

July 31, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Metro and railcar manufacturer Alstom have jointly agreed to temporarily stop the delivery of rehabilitated railcars to the transit authority until a safety reinspection is completed Alstom has rehabilitated 194 of 364 2000-3000 series Breda made railcars for the transit authority. Today’s decision comes after Metro mechanics discovered a safety problem during a routine maintenance inspection earlier this week. Mechanics found the railcar doors were open on a recently rehabilitated 2000-3000 series railcar even though a signal light in the train operator’s cab showed that the doors were closed. The railcar was not in service. Metro managers ordered

MARTA Posts First Profit in Nine Years

July 31, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

ATLANTA — The city’s mass transit system has posted its first operating profit in nine years, it announced today. For fiscal year 2005-06, MARTA finished in the black by $19 million, The Associated Press reported. Officials has expected an $18 million loss. "It’s a very positive picture going into the future," AP quoted Richard McCrillis, MARTA’s interim general manager, as saying. "MARTA has its financial picture together."

Lott: Senate Bill to Provide Incentives

July 28, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Senate bill is aimed at addressing "the crisis in freight transportation by providing incentives for railroads and shippers to expand their freight capacity," according to U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss. The measure was introduced July 26. "With highways and airways becoming increasingly congested, pressure is on the railroads to accommodate the rising tide of freight," Lott said. "Freight railroads and railroad shippers could expand their operations — adding second or third tracks, rail spurs and signals — under my legislation, the Freight Rail Infrastructure Capacity Expansion Act." The bill would establish a 25 percent tax credit

STB Planning to Hold Grain Public Hearing

July 28, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Some time this fall, the Surface Transportation Board is planning to hold a public hearing to address "certain issues related to the rail transportation of grain," the agency announced in a news release. The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) on June 21 released preliminary observations on rates, competition and capacity issues within the American rail freight industry. GAO reported that the changes that have occurred in the rail industry since the Staggers Rail Act of 1980 are widely viewed as positive. The financial health of the industry has improved substantially as railroads have cut costs and boosted