Railfanning.org News Wire

Amtrak Names H. Edgar Trainor Chief Information Officer

January 7, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Amtrak announced the appointment of H. Edgar “Ed” Trainor, Chief Information Officer (CIO), effective Dec. 16. An Amtrak veteran, Trainor previously served as Assistant Vice President, Computer Services at Amtrak from 1976 to 1985. Trainor has held senior level positions at several large firms, including Vice President and CIO for Flying Tigers – once the world’s larges air cargo carrier prior to being acquired by Federal Express – and Vice President and CIO for Southern California Gas Co. from 1987 through 1993. Since 1994, Trainor served as Senor Vice President/CIO and for Paramount Pictures, where he led large

Two Years Since Fatal Graniteville Wreck

January 6, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

GRANITEVILLE, S.C. — Today marks the two-year anniversary of a fatal train wreck here. On Jan. 6, 2005, a northbound Norfolk Southern Railway freight train encountered an improperly lined switch that diverted the train from the main line onto an industry track where it struck an unoccupied, parked train. Among the derailed cars were three tank cars containing chlorine, one of which was breached, releasing chlorine gas. The train engineer and eight other people died as a result of chlorine gas inhalation. Nine people were killed in the derailment and hundreds more were evacuated because of spilled chemicals. — Railfanning.org

Man Jumps on NYC Subway Tracks to Save Another

January 5, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW YORK – A Harlem resident jumped onto subway tracks to save a man who fell into harm’s way after suffering a seizure. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg subsequently presented Harlem resident Wesley Autrey with the Bronze Medallion for his bravery in saving the life of Cameron Hollopeter, a film student who fell on the No. 1 line subway tracks following a seizure on Jan. 2. “Wesley’s astonishing bravery – saving a life in the face on an oncoming subway car – is an inspiration not just to New Yorkers, but the entire world,” Bloomberg said. “His courageous rescue of a

Gearing up on the Railways

January 4, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Marines rush over top, around and beside a mammoth-looking line of railcars, as Lance Cpl. Brent G. Vines and his fellow Marines finish preparing and loading various combat gear to be sent to Fort Polk, La. for Cajun Viper. The railway is both efficient and good training for the Marines of 10th Marine Regiment. This is the first serious railway operation they have conducted in support of infantry training since 2002. The units participating in operation Cajun Viper, including 1st and 2nd Battalion of the 10th Marine Regiment, will train in Louisiana for approximately a month

Streetcar Service Returns to St. Charles Line

January 4, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW ORLEANS – Streetcar service is returning to the historic St. Charles line in New Orleans now that a federally funded project to replace electrical lines used to power the system is complete, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters said. “Today, the streetcars’ familiar sounds return to St. Charles Avenue for the first time since Katrina hit, heralding to the world the resilience of this city,” Peters said. “Where cable hung following the storm, today neat rows of overhead wires stand ready to power New Orleans on a streetcar we should call Revival.” Peters noted that the Department of Transportation’s

NTSB Finishes Field Portion of WMATA Investigation

January 4, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The National Transportation Safety Board has wrapped up the field portion of an investigation into the deaths of two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) track inspectors. The workers were killed Nov. 30 after they were struck by a train near the Eisenhower Avenue Metro station in Alexandria, Va. The NTSB continues to investigate. A sight distance test was completed in early December, and investigators have recordings and transcripts of radio conversations between the train operator and dispatchers and are reviewing them. A security camera video from the station platform that shows the accident is being enhanced.

Chealander Newest NTSB Member

January 4, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Steven R. Chealander was sworn in today as a member of the National Transportation Safety Board. Chealander brings a wealth of both civilian and military aviation experience to the NTSB. Prior to joining the Board, he was with American Airlines, serving since 1991 as a pilot and Captain qualified on the DC-10, B-737, MD-80, and F-100 aircraft, and as a Chief Pilot in Los Angeles. At American, he also was a flight safety manager, performing safety and compliance audits and participating in investigations, and was most recently the Manager of Flight Operations Efficiency. From 1964 to 1991, Chealander

Bombardier Transportation Signs $549 Million US Contract With Spanish National Railways

January 3, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

BERLIN – Bombardier Transportation signed a contract with Spanish National Railways (RENFE) for the supply of 100 TRAXX F140 DC locomotives for freight transportation. The total contract is valued at about $549 million US (416 million euros) and also includes a 14-year maintenance service agreement for this fleet of locomotives. Delivery of the first freight locomotives is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2008 and continue until 2010. Bombardier Transportation was selected to supply the new freight locomotives for RENFE on Nov. 7. Under the contract, a portion of the vehicles will be manufactured by Bombardier at RENFE’s

MARTA to Review Station Gaps

January 2, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

ATLANTA — MARTA, metro Atlanta’s mass transit system, is reviewing the so-called station gaps, the distance between subway stops, according to a report in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Officials hope adding more stations to the 48-mile line will attract more riders. Extending the rail line would cost roughly $100 million per mile, while building the “infill stations” might be a cheaper approach. “MARTA’s approach has always been to extend the line, and once they’ve built that, development would come,” Lara Hodgson, a member of metro Atlanta’s regional Transit Planning Board, told the newspaper. “But what if you did the opposite?” she

2006: Another Record Year

January 1, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

Click here to read the January 2007 edition of The Cross-Tie WASHINGTON — For the ninth consecutive year, total freight volume on U.S. railroads as measured in ton-miles has set an annual record, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported. Meanwhile, for the fifth consecutive year — and the 18th time in the past 20 years — intermodal freight on U.S. railroads has set an annual record, according to the AAR. Total freight volume for the first 51 weeks of 2006 reached 1.712 trillion ton-miles during the week ended December 23, breaking the 52-week record of 1.696 trillion set during