Railfanning.org News Wire – Page 254

BNSF Burlington Bridge Upgrade Work Begins

September 23, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — Work has started to replace BNSF Railway’s 118-year-old swing span over the Mississippi River at Burlington, Iowa, with a modern lift span that will increase the river channel width from 150 feet to 307 feet 6 inches. The $70 million project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2011. Construction of the lift span is being financed in part through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and previous year appropriations under the Truman-Hobbs Act, which provides federal funds for the alteration of bridges found to be unreasonably obstructive to navigation. The Truman-Hobbs Bridge

CN Announces Enhanced Calculator to Estimate Greenhouse Gas-Emissions for Multi-Modal Shipments

September 23, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

MONTREAL — CN has unveiled an upgraded on-line greenhouse gas-emissions (GHG) calculator that estimates total carbon emissions for shipments across multiple modes of transportation. The new calculator, located at http://www.cn.ca/ghg_calculator, generates carbon-emission estimates for shipments using a combination of vessel, rail and truck – such as containers moving internationally from Asia to North American destinations along CN’s network — or domestic shipments using a combination of rail and truck or a single mode of transportation. “CN is more than a railway – today we offer the marketplace total transportation solutions involving rail, truck, vessel, as well as warehousing and distribution

NTSB Fills Senior Management Positions

September 23, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman this week filled two senior management positions at the agency. David L. Mayer was named Managing Director, the senior career position at the Safety Board. Mayer has been Deputy Managing Director since January 2005. Mayer began his career at the Safety Board in 1991 in the Office of Research and Engineering, where he was responsible for transportation safety databases, and for the design and management of safety studies. In 1996 he moved to the Office of Aviation Safety, where he worked on a number of the Board’s investigations. He was

Union Pacific Recognized Among Nation’s Top 50 ‘Best Places to Launch a Career’ by BusinessWeek

September 22, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has been named one of the nation’s top 50 “Best Places to Launch a Career” by BusinessWeek. The magazine ranks the railroad No. 28 on the list, up from No. 39 last year. “We are proud to be recognized again by BusinessWeek,” said Barb Schaefer, Union Pacific senior vice president – Human Resources. “While hiring levels have declined in conjunction with Union Pacific’s business levels during the global recession, we continue to look for ways to bring top talent into our organization. Over the next several years, we expect retirements and business growth will create

Last Steam Locomotive Built For Union Pacific Visits North Platte During Railroad Celebration

September 22, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Thousands descended on North Platte, Neb., to take in the sights and sounds of Union Pacific Railroad’s No. 844, the last steam locomotive built for Union Pacific, and UP’s Bailey Yard during the area’s RailFest celebration. “The crowds along the route have been tremendous and we sincerely appreciate those who have taken the time to come and experience a part of Union Pacific’s heritage,” said Steve Lee, Union Pacific’s manager – operating practices and one of No. 844’s engineers. “Union Pacific’s historical ties run deep in North Platte so it is only fitting that we display

DOT Presents MARTA With $10.8 Million for Solar Canopies

September 22, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

ATLANTA — The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded MARTA with a $10.8 million grant under the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) Grant Program. The grant will be used to install energy-efficient solar panels at the Laredo Bus Maintenance Facility in Decatur, Ga., resulting in considerable cost-savings for MARTA and creating much-needed economic opportunities for metro Atlanta, officials said. The TIGGER award represents “a timely and substantial contribution” to MARTA’s sustainability initiatives and continuing commitment to be innovative and cost-effective, MARTA said in a news release. The turnkey project will provide for shade structures with integrated, grid-tied

NTSB Identifies Signal Failure in DC Crash

September 22, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued nine safety recommendations, six of which are urgent, as part of its investigation into the collision between two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) trains on June 22, 2009. The trains crashed on the Red Line near the Fort Totten station in Washington. The NTSB’s recommendations address concerns about the safety of train control systems that use audio frequency track circuits, authorities said. As part of its investigation, the NTSB said it discovered that a failure occurred in which a spurious signal generated by a track circuit module transmitter mimicked

Feds: Transit Systems Should be Alert

September 22, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW YORK — Federal authorities sent warnings to transit systems, hotels and stadiums nationwide that Islamic terrorists might target them. Law enforcement continued to search for suspects in “a possible al-Qaida plot to set off hydrogen-peroxide bombs hidden in backpacks,” The Associated Press reported. The DHS and the FBI “have no information regarding the timing, location or target of any planned attack, we believe it is prudent to raise the security awareness of our local law enforcement partners regarding the targets and tactics of previous terrorist activity,” the groups said in a statement, according to The Associated Press. “The MTA

Play it Safe When it Comes to Railroad Crossings

September 22, 2009 Todd DeFeo

MARIETTA, Ga. – It was the Fourth of July, and the town square was packed with revelers waiting to see the evening’s fireworks display. The town square was closed for the event, and the nearby railroad tracks were quiet – or so it seemed. Before long, that unmistakable sound ruminated in the distance. The warning bells started to clang. Red lights flashed. The gates started to lower. A locomotive with freight cars in tow started to round the corner. The engineer sounded the customary warning horns – long, long, short, long. At that moment, it became obvious to some pedestrians

Amtrak’s ‘Great Dome’ Car Returning to Adirondack Service During Fall Foliage Season

September 18, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW YORK — Passengers riding Amtrak’s Adirondack train will once again have the unique opportunity to experience the spectacular view of New York State’s fall foliage season when the historic “Great Dome” rail car makes a special six-week return appearance from October 1 through November 10. With its partners the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the National Park Service Trails & Rails program, Amtrak worked cooperatively to bring its only dome car back to upstate New York. The car features an upper level with windows on all sides as well as overhead to provide passengers with panoramic