Railfanning.org News Wire

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Amtrak

Amtrak Restores Dining Car Service on Lake Shore Limited Trains

December 16, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
CHICAGO — To meet passenger demand for a higher level of food service, Amtrak said it is restoring dining car service to its long-distance Lake Shore Limited route that operates from New York and Boston to Chicago. The dining car service began Dec. 14 with Train 49, originating from New York. It provides an improved culinary experience for passengers with enhanced ambience and comfort, including trained chefs who will prepare freshly made meals. In addition, the 1950s era dining cars have been refurbished to meet current safety and operating standards and feature booth style seating, large picture windows and modern
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BNSF

Holiday Cheer Rolls Through Southern California Aboard BNSF’s Santa Claus Express

December 16, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
LOS ANGELES — Santa Claus and his merry helpers will ride the rails and distribute gifts to hundreds of deserving children on board the 19th annual BNSF Santa Claus Express train as it travels through Southern California beginning Dec. 17 through Dec. 21. Children are selected for the free rides by the Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children, Arrowhead United Way, Salvation Army Red Shield Youth and Community Center, Comprehensive Child Development Center, Mexican American Opportunity Foundation, City of Hope Hospital and Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center at Miller Children’s Hospital of Long Beach, among other organizations. BNSF employee volunteers will
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Union Pacific

Union Pacific Sets Monthly Record Moving Loaded Agricultural Unit Trains

December 15, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Railroad announced it set a monthly record for moving loaded agricultural unit trains from facilities across its network. In November, the railroad moved 400 agricultural unit trains, breaking the previous record of 381 trains during October 2006. Of the 400 trains, 338 of them were grain and soybean unit trains and 62 were grain product trains. “With record crop production levels, we knew this would be a busy year.  Every area, from operating to engineering to our dispatch center, was ready for the challenge and provided peak service levels for our customers,” said Paul Hammes,
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Amtrak

Provision Would Let Amtrak Passengers Carry Guns in Checked Baggage

December 14, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
Passengers could soon bring firearms in their packed luggage on Amtrak trains under a provision included in the Senate’s massive year-end spending bill. “This is an important victory for sportsmen and gun owners across the country, and it affirms congressional support of the Second Amendment,” U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said in a news release.  “Airline passengers in our country are allowed to transport firearms in secure, checked baggage when declared during the check-in process.  Law-abiding gun owners who choose to travel on America’s taxpayer-subsidized rail line should be given the same right.” The rule is the same as one
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Union Pacific

Union Pacific Railroad’s Pipeline Express Service Reaches 25,000 Rail Car Milestone

December 13, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Railroad’s Pipeline Express service has reached a milestone by delivering its 25,000th rail car of customer product. Formed in 2005, Pipeline Express has grown from moving approximately 1,700 rail cars in its first year to nearly 8,000 for its customers through year-end 2008. Pipeline Express serves the steel pipeline industry for oil and gas producers with truck-competitive transit times and a rail network that aligns well geographically with new pipeline projects. Union Pacific’s site selection support for customers is unmatched in the industry. “By offering the best value proposition to the natural gas industry, Union
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Canadian National

Arbitrator to Decide Wage and Benefit Issues for CN Locomotive Engineers

December 13, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
MONTREAL — Unresolved wage and benefits issues for 1,700 CN locomotive engineers in Canada will be submitted to binding arbitration after renewed negotiations between the company and Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) ended yesterday without a settlement. The company and union agreed, as part of the memorandum of settlement that ended the TCRC’s strike Dec. 2 to third-party arbitration of wage and benefits issues if further talks failed to resolve their contractual differences. The federal Minister of Labour will now appoint an arbitrator, who will have 90 days following his or her appointment to report to the Minister with a
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Union Pacific

Union Pacific Names Several to New Assignments

December 11, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific announced several executive assignments effective Jan. 1: Dennis J. Duffy, currently executive vice president  – Operations, will become vice chairman – Operations of the Union Pacific Railroad, remaining as the senior operations executive of the company. Lance M. Fritz, currently vice president – Labor Relations, will become vice president – Operations of the railroad, reporting to Duffy. William R. (Rick) Turner, currently assistant vice president – Labor Relations, will succeed Fritz as vice president – Labor Relations. Robert M. Grimaila, currently senior assistant vice president – Safety, Security and Environment, will be named vice president
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Amtrak

UP: New Track Adds Capacity and Reduces Delays for Amtrak Missouri River Runner Trains

December 10, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
OMAHA, Neb. — Representatives of the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), the City of California, Union Pacific Railroad and Amtrak officially opened a new $8.1 million, 9,000-foot railroad side track that adds capacity and will reduce delays on the route used by Amtrak Missouri River Runner trains between Kansas City and St. Louis. The new siding, located just west of California, Mo., helps unclog a major “bottleneck” that was caused by a 25-mile stretch of single-track and enables slower freight trains to move off the main line. This allows faster Amtrak trains to pass and is estimated to annually reduce