Railfanning.org News Wire

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Legislation

AAR: Rail Anti-Trust Bill Will Impose Confusing, Overlapping Regulatory Scheme

March 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Legislation approved that will repeal the railroads’ limited anti-trust exemptions creates an unprecedented and confusing regulatory scheme that could alter current economic oversight of the railroads, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). The legislation to eliminate the railroads’ few anti-trust exemptions was reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee. At the same time, the Senate Commerce Committee will be developing legislation that could subject railroads to still more economic regulation by the Surface Transportation Board (STB). “We face two disparate schemes that spell nothing but confusion for the railroads and those charged with enforcing the regulations,” said
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Short Line/Regional

Railway Age Names Pacific Harbor Line ‘2009 Short Line Railroad of the Year’

March 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
LOS ANGELES — Railway Age magazine has named Wilmington, Calif.-based Pacific Harbor Line, Inc. 2009 Short Line Railroad of the Year for replacing and expanding its entire locomotive fleet with 22 low-emission diesel-electric units. Doing so also made Pacific Harbor Line the greenest railroad in America. The railroad estimates fuel savings of seven to nine percent. Particulate emissions have been cut by at least 70 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions are 46 percent lower. Pacific Harbor Line began operations in 1998 serving the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which are the two busiest container ports by volume in
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NTSB

NTSB: We’re Committed to Consequences of Fatigue

March 6, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board, in recognition of National Sleep Awareness Week, reiterated its commitment to eliminating human fatigue in the transportation industry. The Safety Board said it has long been concerned about the effect of human fatigue in transportation and the consequences of fatigue on those who perform critical functions in all modes of transportation. “Fatigue in transportation presents unnecessary risks to the traveling public,” said NTSB Board Member Deborah Hersman. “Fatigue can impair a person behind the wheel or at the helm much like alcohol or other drugs. We must ensure that as much as possible
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Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Mechanical Employees Set Safety Record

March 4, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
NORFOLK, Va. — Employees in Norfolk Southern’s mechanical department turned in a history-making safety performance in 2008. The employees completed the year with a reportable injury ratio of 0.53, the lowest ever achieved by any operating department at Norfolk Southern. The ratio represents the number of reportable injuries for every 200,000 man-hours worked, the industry standard for measuring safety performance. NS has 5,800 mechanical department employees responsible for maintaining the railroad’s 3,976 locomotives and 94,660 freight cars. In 2008, they worked a total 11.9 million man-hours. Tim Heilig, vice president mechanical, Atlanta, leads the department. The mechanical and other NS
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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

Blumenauer Announces Green Approach to Funding Infrastructure

March 2, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., last month announced a series of principles for financing our nation’s transportation infrastructure. One part of Congressman Blumenauer’s initiative suggests an innovative funding strategy designed to support green infrastructure expansion that reduces our carbon footprint. The tremendous advantages of freight rail are recognized by this proposal as part of the solution to meeting both our transportation and environmental challenges. Moving more freight by rail makes good environmental sense.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that every ton of freight that moves by rail instead of truck reduces greenhouse gases by more than two-thirds.  In
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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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Transit

MARTA and Transit Stakeholders Discuss the Future of a Regional Rail System during a Three-Day Symposium

March 1, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
ATLANTA — MARTA joined with regional leaders and transit stakeholders during an informative three-day rail symposium on Feb. 18-20. Participants received information on the latest trolley, streetcar and light rail technologies and discussed how these systems could be used for future expansion projects included in the so-called “Concept 3” regional transit plan. “As we move toward implementation of an expanded regional transit system, it is essential that we take a thoughtful and creative look at the transit technologies that will work best for us,” said MARTA General Manager/CEO Dr. Beverly A. Scott.  “These invaluable professional exchanges allow us to work
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Transit

MARTA Completes Extensive Rail Car Rehabilitation Program

February 28, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
ATLANTA — MARTA has completed an extensive rail car rehabilitation program overhauling 218 of its oldest cars to extend each car’s life line by 15 years. The cost-effective program has already resulted in an increase in MARTA’s rail service reliability by 22 percent and has also improved on-time performance substantially. MARTA General Manager/CEO Beverly A. Scott unveiled the final two rehabilitated rail cars on Feb. 18 during a special celebration at the authority’s Armour Rail Yard. For a cost of $246 million, MARTA contracted with New York based-Alstom Transportation, Inc. USA to take each vehicle down to its shell and