Railfanning.org News Wire

Washington Metro to Install More Red Platform Edge Lights

June 7, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — It’s going to get a lot easier for Metrorail riders to know when the next train is arriving. The transit authority is installing new red platform edge lights at the Fort Totten, L’Enfant Plaza, Metro Center, Smithsonian, Union Station, Stadium-Armory and Eisenhower Avenue Metrorail stations during the next several weeks. In late February, Metro installed new red LED (light-emitting diode) platform edge lights on the Red Line platform at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metrorail station as part of a pilot program. “As we continue the next phase of installation of the new LED lights, we hope our customers will

The Carlyle Group Acquires Majority Ownership of Atlanta-based RMI

June 6, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

ATLANTA — RMI has announced that global private equity firm The Carlyle Group has acquired a majority stake in the company. Financial terms were not disclosed. Founded in 1979, RMI provides critical web-based transportation and logistics solutions for a variety of participants in the transportation industry, including short-line, regional, Class I and terminal switching railroads, railcar leasing companies, rail shippers and barge operators. RMI’s mission-critical, integrated services assist customers with many aspects of managing their operations, including transportation, equipment, freight and revenue management services. “Now is the right time to re-capitalize the company by bringing in a new equity investor,

RailAmerica Goes Green: Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Line First to Utilize Environmentally-Friendly Locomotives

June 6, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

BOCA RATON, Fla.– RailAmerica, Inc. announced that its Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad (DGNO) is the first of its 42 roads to put the new N-ViroMotives to work on the line. The DGNO purchased two N-ViroMotives from National Railway Equipment Co. to help reduce fuel costs and lower emissions. Each locomotive is powered by two diesel engine-generator sets that produce 700 horsepower each; if they sit idle for more than 20 minutes, the engines shut down and can be restarted automatically by positioning the reverser lever, which controls the locomotive’s direction of movement. “We are quite happy to be the first

TCRC-MWED and Canadian Pacific reach tentative contract agreement for maintenance of way workers

June 6, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

OTTAWA — The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference – Maintenance of Way Employees Division (TCRC-MWED) and Canadian Pacific reached a tentative three-year contract settlement. The agreement follows a national strike which began on May 15th. Workers could be back in their positions over the next few days. The Memorandum of Settlement will be sent to the union membership for ratification over the next few days. TCRC-MWED represents 3,200 maintenance of way workers — PRNewswire-FirstCall

On Its Anniversary, Norfolk Southern Thanks Supporters

June 1, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern Corporation today marked the 25th anniversary of its formation, thanking the customers, shareholders, employees and communities that the railroad serves. “Any success we claim is a result of their support and willingness to be true partners,” said Chief Executive Officer Wick Moorman. “No company serves a better group of stakeholders.” Norfolk Southern was formed June 1, 1982, from the consolidation of two of the country’s most successful railroads, Southern Railway and Norfolk and Western Railway, which traced their beginnings respectively to 1827 and 1836 and the earliest days of railroading in North America. A top

Amtrak Adjusts Schedule of Pere Marquette to Accommodate Track Work

May 31, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO – Amtrak is temporarily adjusting the westbound schedule for the Pere Marquette service on the Chicago-Grand Rapids route to accommodate track work planned by CSX Transportation, the owner of the train’s route in Michigan. The temporary schedule will begin June 4 and continue through June 21, 2007. The westbound Pere Marquette (Train 371) will be scheduled to operate one hour earlier from all stations. The eastbound Pere Marquette (Train 370) schedule is unaffected. These changes will compensate for anticipated delays due to the track work. “While we recognize this temporary schedule change might cause some inconvenience for our passengers,

Amtrak Delivers Study of Passenger Rail Service between St. Louis and Springfield, Mo.

May 23, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO – Amtrak has provided a report to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) that shows formidable obstacles to possible passenger rail service between St. Louis and Springfield, Mo. The report requested by MoDOT found strategic merit to the proposed route, including serving the state’s third largest metropolitan area, tourism potential, and connections to Amtrak’s national rail service. However, it would also require an initial significant capital investment and ongoing state operating support. The lack of a competitive trip time versus that of automobiles and a lower than expected ridership projection were also cited as concerns. Specifically, the report found

Reducing Human Error and Strengthening Hazardous Materials Tank Cars Top Rail Safety Agenda for 2007, says DOT Secretary Peters

May 22, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Department will issue a final rule to prevent human factor-caused train accidents and complete research for new hazardous materials tank car design standards this year to continue recent improvements in rail safety, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters said as part of a progress report on a Department campaign to improve rail safety. She noted that preliminary data for 2006 shows the number of train accidents declined for the second year in a row and there were fewer highway-rail grade crossing collisions. Last year, train accidents dropped 11.3 percent over 2005 resulting in a train accident rate

CTA Trains, Buses Back to Normal

May 20, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — Chicago Transit Authority rail and bus service is back to normal, a day after elevated trains and several bus routes that serve the Loop were temporarily rerouted due to a crane accident at a downtown construction site. CTA routes No. 20 Madison, No. 56 Milwaukee, No. 60 Blue Island/26th and No. 120 Navy Pier have returned to their regular routing eastbound. All CTA buses and trains rerouted due to the crane accident downtown are operating along their regular routes. Southbound Red Line trains will continue to operate over the elevated tracks until 1 a.m. Monday, May 21 due

CTA Trains and Buses Rerouted

May 19, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — Chicago Transit Authority elevated trains and several bus routes that serve the Loop are temporarily rerouted due to a crane accident at a downtown construction site. Although trains are running, elevated trains will not serve stations along Wabash and Lake. Buses that normally travel on Washington and Madison are being rerouted. The following routes are affected: Green Line: Trains are operating into and out of the Loop via Van Buren and Wells. Brown Line: Inbound trains will only operate as far as the Belmont station before turning back. There will be no Brown Line service at Loop stations.