Railfanning.org News Wire

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STB

STB to Hear Arguments in Major Cases

October 7, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Surface Transportation Board Chairman Daniel R. Elliott III announced that the Board will begin holding public oral arguments in major cases. The oral arguments will give parties an opportunity to directly address the Board and allow Board members a chance to ask questions before making a decision. The format will be similar to oral arguments held in federal appellate courts. While the proceedings will be open to the public, only counsel for the parties will be allowed to present argument. “This is another way to demystify the process,” said Elliott, who has made bringing additional openness and transparency
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Miscellaneous

National Gateway Announces Addition of More Than 50 New Supporters

October 7, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The National Gateway, an unprecedented public-private partnership dedicated to improving the nation’s freight capacity, today announced the addition of nearly 50 new supporters since June 1, 2009, bringing the total number of coalition supporters to more than 140. The National Gateway is an $842 million, multi-state public-private infrastructure initiative which will create a more efficient freight rail route between Mid-Atlantic ports and Midwestern markets. Planned improvements include raising bridges, increasing tunnel clearances and building new terminals along existing rail corridors to support the movement of double-stacked containers on rail cars. The coalition has the support of both public
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FRA

FRA Receives Applications to Develop Passenger Rail Programs

October 6, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration said it “received numerous applications from states and groups of states for the development of high-speed and intercity passenger rail programs for grant funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.” “These include 45 applications from 24 states totaling approximately $50 billion to advance high-speed rail corridor programs. We also received 214 applications from 34 states totaling $7 billion for corridor planning and smaller projects,” FRA Administrator Joseph C. Szabo said in a statement. “Due to the overwhelming response and our desire to lay the groundwork for a truly national high-speed and intercity passenger
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Union Pacific

Union Pacific and Progress Rail Services Ultra-Clean Diesel Locomotive for Intermediate Line Haul Service Achieves 500 Service Hours Milestone

October 5, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Railroad and Progress Rail Services announced that the ultra-clean diesel PR30C-LoNOx locomotive being tested in intermediate line haul service has successfully achieved more than 500 operational hours. The locomotive — powered by a 3516 Caterpillar engine — has been retrofitted with a state-of-the-art after-treatment system, making it one of the cleanest locomotives operating in the United States. The prototype intermediate line haul locomotive has more power than the typical 2000-horsepower 4-axle Genset “switching” locomotive used around terminals, but is less powerful than the 4400-horsepower 6-axle “line haul” locomotives used for transcontinental freight service. Union Pacific
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Union Pacific

Union Pacific Railroad Officially Opens One of North America’s Tallest Double-Track Railroad Bridges

October 3, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Chairman and CEO Jim Young, Iowa Department of Transportation Director Nancy Richardson and Boone, Iowa, Mayor John Slight commemorated one of North America’s tallest double-track railroad bridges, the new Kate Shelley Bridge in Iowa spanning the Des Moines River. Young, Richardson and Slight rode a Union Pacific train over the bridge, which is more than 2,800 feet long and 190 feet high. Representing an investment of more than $50 million by Union Pacific, the structure improves operating efficiency, supports growth in Union Pacific’s customers’ businesses and delivers increased freight capacity on the railroad’s busy corridor
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BNSF

NTSB Releases Info on Fatal Iowa Wreck

October 2, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — In its continuing investigation of a freight train accident in July in Iowa, killing two, the NTSB has developed the following factual information: — At approximately 2:08 a.m. CDT on July 14, 2009, a southbound Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (DME) train consisting of two locomotives and 83 freight cars collided with railcars that had been placed on a track on the west side of the Bettendorf rail yard (located in the city of Bettendorf, Iowa) by a BNSF train crew. Both of the crewmembers on the DME train, an engineer and a conductor, were fatally injured in
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Canadian Pacific

Canadian Pacific Announces 2009 Holiday Train Campaign

October 1, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
MINNEAPOLIS — Canadian Pacific’s brightly decorated Holiday Train returns to the rails in late November, raising food, money and awareness for food banks across North America. Last year, the Holiday Train helped raise more than $500,000 and 250,000 lbs of food and there is greater need this year. “Canadian Pacific is proud to support communities where we operate, raising more than $4 million in funds and two million pounds of food in the Holiday Train’s first decade,” said CP President and CEO Fred Green. “Each year, the Holiday Train’s message gets stronger and the impact on our employees and in
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Safety

Transportation Fatalities Down in 2008

September 29, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Transportation fatalities in the United States decreased by almost 10 percent in 2008 from 2007, according to preliminary figures released by the National Transportation Safety Board. This marks the third consecutive year of decreasing transportation fatalities. “While the statistics reveal an encouraging trend line, there is still much work to be done to ensure that fewer families each year will face losing a loved one in a transportation accident,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. “We at the NTSB will continue to press hard advocating improvements in all modes of transportation to keep this trend moving in the