Railfanning.org News Wire – Page 281

Amtrak Trains Roll Out of New Orleans Starting Oct. 9

October 9, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Passenger rail service from New Orleans, suspended since Hurricane Katrina pounded the Gulf Coast in later August, returned to the Big Easy Oct. with the departures of the City of New Orleans to Memphis and Chicago and the Crescent to Atlanta and New York, according to Amtrak. The New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, Amtrak facilities and the rail lines owned by the CN Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway leading into the city sustained extensive damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina. “We are proud to restore our operations to and from New Orleans to both serve passengers and

Norfolk Southern Reopens New Orleans Intermodal

October 3, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk Southern Corp. on Oct. 3 reopened its intermodal terminal in New Orleans. The facility had been closed since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast Aug. 29. The terminal is now accepting inbound and outbound shipments at the gate. The yard is located at 2900 Florida Ave. in New Orleans. Due to local curfews, the terminal will operate from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. “The restoration of intermodal service will assist with the transportation of reconstruction and relief materials to the Gulf Coast region,” said Bob Huffman, vice president intermodal operations. “We are working closely with our

BNSF Railway Makes $1 Million Contribution, Offers Transportation Help to Hurricane Victims

September 2, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas – A contribution of $1 million to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina was announced Sept. 2 by BNSF Railway Company, along with an offer to the governors of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to provide railroad transportation in support of hurricane relief and recovery efforts. The contribution by the railway, a subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation, will be made to the American Red Cross via the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation. “All of America grieves at the unfolding tragedy and our Company and employees are anxious to help. We understand there are matters more immediate than

Poor Management Leads to Millions in Losses

September 1, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Poor management controls of Amtrak’s food and beverage service lead to millions in losses annually, reports reveal. The Amtrak Inspector General (IG) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO), at a recent Congressional hearing, outlined their separate reviews of Amtrak’s food and beverage service and the substantial losses incurred by Amtrak due to poor management. According to the IG’s review, Amtrak’s food and beverage operations lose up to $150 million each year. The IG figures do not incorporate losses resulting from theft, which were discussed in the hearing as being significant. The GAO review found that for every dollar

Amtrak: New, More Convenient Schedules Between New York and Florida

July 25, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Beginning Monday August 1, Amtrak’s daily Silver Service trains will operate on new schedules between New York and Miami, creating more desirable arrival and departure times in several cities along the trains’ routes and improving connections to trains traveling to other areas of the country. The new schedules mean: Later southbound arrival times in Jacksonville and Orlando, allowing passengers a little more sleep and breakfast on-board before reaching their destinations. Earlier northbound departures from Miami allowing passengers from Jacksonville and Orlando an improved choice of afternoon and evening departures for New York and other northeast cities. Passengers from

MARTA Board Approves FY06 Operating and Capital Budget

June 7, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

ATLANTA – The Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority today passed a $770.7 million Operating and Capital Budget for Fiscal Year 2006, which begins on July 1, 2005. In conjunction with their decision, the Board also passed a new policy requiring that an amount equivalent to 10% of the prior year’s operating budget be maintained in an operating reserve account. "After careful thought and deliberation, this board has passed a budget that is responsible and that will allow us to continue to provide the best possible service to our customers through enhancements to our operations as well

Canadian Pacific Railway names Kamloops’ interchange in honor of Chinese rail worker

May 27, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

KAMLOOPS, British Columbia – In a ceremony highlighted by a Lion Dance that symbolizes good luck and good blessings, Canadian Pacific Railway named a railway interchange in Kamloops in honor of Cheng Ging Butt, a railway laborer who represented the dedication of those who came forward to work on the CPR transcontinental line in the British Columbia interior, the company announced. Thousands of Chinese railway workers helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway from the West Coast to Eagle Pass in the Monashee Mountains of Western Canada and many perished. "Cheng Ging Butt is representative of the extraordinary people who withstood

MARTA Opens 33-Acre Rail Facility

May 24, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) celebrated the opening of its largest rail maintenance and storage facility during a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony on May 23, 2005.

BNSF to Expand Use of Environmentally Friendly ‘Green Goat’ Switch Engines in Los Angeles Area and Texas

May 23, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway Company and RailPower Technologies Corp. have announced that BNSF will keep its Green Goat, an environmentally friendly hybrid switch engine, in service for five years in the Los Angeles area and that it is acquiring four cabless Green Goat units for use in Texas. In Los Angeles, the Green Goat(R) joins BNSF’s four Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) locomotives in service elsewhere in the area; the four are the only LNG locomotives in the country. The Green Goat uses a relatively small, clean, efficient, diesel genset in conjunction with over 300 batteries to improve fuel

Railroads Set Safety Record in 2004

May 19, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Employees at the nation’s railroads reported their lowest employee casualty rate in history during 2004, Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, said May 19 at a luncheon ceremony honoring railroads with the best employee safety records last year. Twelve railroads received gold, silver or bronze E.H. Harriman Memorial Safety Awards in four separate categories at the awards luncheon. Hamberger told the audience that last year’s employee casualty rate was nine percent lower than it was in 2003, when the previous record was set. "And for the first two months of this year,