Railfanning.org News Wire – Page 235

Amtrak, Metra, TSA and Local Law Enforcement Deploy Across Chicago Area Rail Stations

June 25, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO – During today’s morning and evening commutes, Amtrak Police, Metra Police, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel and law enforcement officers from more than 100 federal, state, local and rail police agencies are being deployed at more than 100 passenger rail stations in Illinois and the neighboring states of Wisconsin and Indiana in an exercise of expanded counterterrorism and incident response capabilities. The multi-force security surge across Chicagoland and in two other states is not in response to any threat or incident. Rather, today’s deployment is part of Operation ALERTS (Allied Law Enforcement for Rail and Transit Security), a coordinated

Bloomberg BusinessWeek Names Union Pacific to Top 50

June 24, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Bloomberg BusinessWeek has named Union Pacific to its top 50 list, an annual ranking of the 50 top-performing stocks of the last five years. Union Pacific is ranked No. 44 with a five-year return of 127.9 percent. During this same period – from March 31, 2005 to March 31, 2010 – the S&P 500 Index returned 10 percent. “While we are proud of our performance over the past five years, which includes one of the biggest downturns the U.S. economy has ever seen, we know the importance of remaining focused on safety, service and efficiency,” said Jim Young, Union Pacific

CSX Obtains LEED Green Building Certification

June 23, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Corp. has obtained its first LEED green building certification from the U.S. Green Business Council. The LEED® certified building is a newly constructed 22,500-square-foot division headquarters in Florence, South Carolina, which includes 32 offices, a large conference room, a fitness center and a dispatch center. “CSX is committed to implementing innovative and sustainable practices throughout the company’s network,” said W. Wayne Bostic, AIA, CSX director of facility design. “Reducing our carbon footprint is a major focus of our everyday operations and that translates to constructing facilities which are environmentally-friendly.” The building, constructed by Breaking Ground Contracting

Amtrak Apologizes to MARC Passengers

June 23, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – On June 21, MARC Train 538 lost power soon after leaving Washington Union Station, resulting in loss of air conditioning and “uncomfortable conditions for passengers” who waited about two hours for a resolution. “On behalf of Amtrak, I extend my most sincere apologies to the passengers of Train 538 for having to withstand unacceptable conditions and inconveniences during this service disruption,” President and CEO Joseph Boardman said. “We fell short of providing the service we strive to deliver. “In conjunction with the Maryland Transit Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration we are conducting a thorough investigation of the

CP, TSI Sign Productivity and Performance Agreement

June 23, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

VANCOUVER — Canadian Pacific and TSI Terminal Systems Inc., a subsidiary of Global Container Terminals, have entered into an agreement to enhance the future flow of containers through the Vancouver gateway. “This agreement moves us down the path of a high performance, efficient and reliable supply chain,” said Michael Moore, President and Chief Executive Officer of Global Container Terminals. “We will measure performance changes, share best practices, and work cooperatively toward growth for the benefit of our mutual customers.” TSI is the largest container terminal operator in Canada, handling more than 70 per cent of the containerized cargo that moves

Eco-Friendly Intermodal Cranes Will Improve Efficiency and Aid Economic Competitiveness

June 17, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

TOLEDO, Ohio — CSX has joined with the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority and the National Gateway to celebrate today the arrival of five new ultra-efficient intermodal cranes at the Port of Toledo. The cranes are bound for the new Northwest Ohio Intermodal Terminal in North Baltimore, Ohio. “These cranes represent a major part of the revolution in environmentally-friendly freight transportation taking place in this region,” said Peter Craig, terminal superintendent, CSX Intermodal. “Once installed, the cranes will reduce emissions and improve the efficiency of our operations throughout the Midwest, while increasing the economic competitiveness of the entire country.” Manufactured by

Union Pacific Railroad’s Legendary Steam Locomotive To Be Part of Centennial Celebration

June 17, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Railroad’s historic steam locomotive, No. 844, will travel to Milliken, Colo., from its base in Cheyenne, Wyo., to help the community celebrate its centennial and the railroad’s history and heritage. The “City of Milliken Centennial Special” will depart Cheyenne on June 25 at 5 p.m. and arrive in Milliken at 7:30 p.m. No. 844 will be on public display at the Broad St. crossing in Milliken on June 26 beginning at 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., before it departs Milliken at 7 p.m., arriving back in Cheyenne at 10:30 p.m. “This will be the first

Amtrak is Working on the Railroad in Chicago

June 17, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO – Amtrak is using $115 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to improve tracks, buildings and control systems in Chicago this construction season, as part of a $1 billion construction program to fund capital projects designed to rebuild the critical infrastructure of America’s Railroad. “We are investing in our infrastructure in Chicago to improve our operations and support the growing demand to travel by Amtrak,” said President and CEO Joseph Boardman. He noted America’s intercity passenger railroad posted a ridership increase of more than seven percent nationally in the last nine months, including double-digit increases

Amtrak: National Rail Plan Needs to Recognize the Value of Amtrak’s Intercity Passenger Rail Network

June 12, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Amtrak is urging the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to be bold and unambiguous in its vision for the future of the national rail system, including the Amtrak network, as it develops a long-range National Rail Plan (NRP). “Amtrak’s existing national intercity passenger rail system should be recognized in the NRP as the foundation for the development of an expanded network of high-speed and conventional rail services spanning key corridors across the United States,” said Amtrak Vice President, Policy and Development Stephen Gardner. Gardner explained that Amtrak is America’s intercity passenger railroad and the only high-speed rail service provider

BNSF to Replace Burlington Bridge Approach Spans Construction of Lift Span Begins This Summer

June 12, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH — BNSF Railway Company will begin work this month on replacing seven approach spans on the Mississippi River bridge at Burlington, Iowa. Construction of the new approaches will complement a separate construction project that began last year to replace the bridge’s swing span with a new lift span over the navigation channel. Construction of the replacement approach spans will use new reinforced concrete foundations with 250-foot steel bridge spans. When combined with the replacement of the movable span over the navigation channel, the entire bridge will have been rebuilt to 21st century engineering standards. “The Burlington Bridge is