Miscellaneous

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Miscellaneous

Train Show Features Models, Memorabilia and More

April 4, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORCROSS, Ga. – The Great Train Expo hit town this weekend, offering everyone from avid railfans to first-timers the chance to peruse an assortment of railroad memorabilia, model trains and everything in between. Atlanta resident Ruth Mitcham attended her first train show. She enjoyed the show’s atmosphere, especially the model train layouts. “It’s just interesting to see this many people doing what they love,” she said as she watched a Florida East Coast locomotive pulling a mixed freight train on the Georgia Division of the Atlantic Coast S Gaugers’ layout. “Everybody seems to take such joy in it.” The Great

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Commuter Rail

10.7 Billion Trips Taken on U.S. Public Transportation in 2008

March 27, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

Despite falling gas prices and an economic recession, increasing numbers of Americans took 10.7 billion trips on public transportation in 2008, the highest level of ridership in 52 years and a modern ridership record, according to a report released today by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). This represents a 4 percent increase over the number of trips taken in 2007 on public transportation, while at the same time, vehicle miles traveled (VMTs) on the nation’s roads declined by 3.6 percent in 2008, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. “Even as gas prices fell for the second half of

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Miscellaneous

AAR: Rail Freight Traffic Continues to Reflect Slow Economy

March 27, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads continued to reflect the nation’s economic slowdown during the week ended March 21, the Association of American Railroads reported today. U.S. railroads reported originating 276,030 cars during the week, down 14.7 percent from the comparison week in 2008, with loadings down 13.0 percent in the West and 17.0 percent in the East. Intermodal volume of 183,795 trailers or containers was off 12.9 percent from last year, with container volume falling 7.7 percent and trailer volume dropping 30.9 percent. Total volume was estimated at 29.3 billion ton-miles, off 13.6 percent from 2008. Eighteen of

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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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Miscellaneous

AAR: Another Down Week for Rail Freight Traffic

March 20, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads during the week ended March 14 remained down in comparison with a year ago, the Association of American Railroads reported. U.S railroads reported originating 279,287 cars, up 1.5 percent from the previous week this year but down 15.0 percent from the comparison week in 2008, with loadings down 14.2 percent in the West and 16.1 percent in the East. Intermodal volume of 176,840 trailers or containers was off 18.3 percent from last year, with container volume falling 13.4 percent and trailer volume dropping 34.5 percent. Total volume was estimated at 29.6 billion ton-miles,

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Miscellaneous

Rail Freight Traffic Down During First Week of March

March 12, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads during the first week of March remained down in comparison with a year ago, the Association of American Railroads reported. U.S. carload freight totaled 275,105 cars, down 15.0 percent from the comparison week in 2008, with loadings down 11.9 percent in the West and 19.5 percent in the East. Intermodal volume of 180,047 trailers or containers was off 12.7 percent from last year, with container volume falling 6.0 percent and trailer volume dropping 34.0 percent. Total volume was estimated at 29.2 billion ton-miles, off 13.9 percent from 2008. All nineteen carload commodity groups

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Miscellaneous

Rail Freight Traffic Continues to Feel Effects of Economic Slowdown

March 2, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads continued to show the effects of the economic slowdown during the week ended February 21 as  volume remained well below totals reported during the comparison week last year,  the Association of American Railroads reported today. U.S carload freight totaled 278,827 cars, down 14.2 percent from the comparison week in 2008, with loadings down 12.8 percent in the West and 16.0 percent in the East. Intermodal volume of 168,194 trailers or containers was off 25.3 percent from last year, with container volume falling 23.4 percent and trailer volume dropping 32.3 percent.  This year’s total

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Legislation

Advocates: Rail-Friendly Policies Key to Getting the Nation’s Economy Back on Track

March 2, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Railroad advocates from around the country recently urged members of Congress to keep freight rail working for America by supporting policies that move the nation’s goods, build a green infrastructure and create jobs across the country. Local government officials, business leaders and environmentalists — in Washington as part of Railroad Day 2009 — told lawmakers that Congress must preserve the balanced regulation that has made America’s freight rail system the most cost-effective network in the world. Increased government intrusion in the railroads would cripple efficiency and the railroads’ ability to be the most fuel-efficient form of ground transportation

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CSX

RMI Announces Fourth Annual Fast Track Award Recipients

January 30, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

ATLANTA — RMI, the market leader and largest independent provider of accurate, reliable, comprehensive, and secure rail information services to the transportation industry, has announced its 2009 Fast Track Award winners. Now in its fourth year, the Fast Track Award program honors RMI customers who exemplify RMI’s goal to streamline processes and improve procedures in the rail industry. This year’s award recipients will be recognized in the 2009 Fast Track calendar. The Fast Track award is designed to recognize RMI’s RailConnect and ShipperConnect “power users,” those organizations that maximize the value of RMI’s services by implementing procedures resulting in more