Railfanning.org News Wire – Page 292

Amtrak: Discover the Rail Way on National Train Day

March 23, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Amtrak will celebrate America’s love for rail travel with events across the country at its second annual National Train Day, May 9, 2009. Marking 140 years of connecting travelers from coast to coast, National Train Day commemorates the day the first transcontinental railroad was created and looks toward the future of rail travel with large scale events in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles, and many more locally organized events in communities nationwide. “Train travel is deeply rooted in American culture and it shows great promise to become a growing part of our country’s transportation future,” said

Kansas Officials Learn About Crossing and Pedestrian Safety Onboard Special Train

March 23, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

A special passenger train is making stops this week in several Kansas communities over Union Pacific Railroad lines to promote highway-railroad crossing and pedestrian safety through a program called Operation Lifesaver.”Operation Lifesaver” is the nationwide, non-profit public safety education and outreach program designed to eliminate collisions, deaths and injuries where streets and roads cross railroad tracks at grade and on railroad rights-of-way. Hundreds of community leaders, law enforcement officers and education officials are learning about highway-railroad grade crossing safety and the consequences of trespassing on railroad property. “This special train is just one way we can work to educate and

BNSF Named One of the World’s Most Admired Companies

March 23, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Co. was recently named one of the World’s Most Admired companies for 2009 by Fortune Magazine. Fortune’s World’s Most Admired list is considered the definitive report card on corporate reputations. FORTUNE’s survey partners at Hay Group, a global management consulting firm, started with some 1,400 companies: the FORTUNE 1,000-the 1,000 largest U.S. companies ranked by revenue; non-U.S. companies in Fortune’s Global 500 database with revenues of $10 billion or more; and the top foreign companies operating in the U.S. They then sorted the companies by industry and selected the 15 largest for each international

AAR: Another Down Week for Rail Freight Traffic

March 20, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads during the week ended March 14 remained down in comparison with a year ago, the Association of American Railroads reported. U.S railroads reported originating 279,287 cars, up 1.5 percent from the previous week this year but down 15.0 percent from the comparison week in 2008, with loadings down 14.2 percent in the West and 16.1 percent in the East. Intermodal volume of 176,840 trailers or containers was off 18.3 percent from last year, with container volume falling 13.4 percent and trailer volume dropping 34.5 percent. Total volume was estimated at 29.6 billion ton-miles,

Amtrak Opens Search To Find and Honor Retired Pullman Porters

March 20, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

Amtrak, as part of its ongoing celebration of the contributions of Pullman Porters to the development of the nation’s passenger railroad, is issuing a call for contact information for retired Pullman Porters currently living in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

CSXI President Applauds New Rail-Truck Opportunities

March 20, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Intermodal President James Hertwig says new technologies and improved cooperation between railroads and truckload carriers are producing new opportunities for both transportation modes. Hertwig made his comments recently in Orlando at the Truckload Carriers Association annual convention. He was part of a panel that included the moderator, Lana Batts, managing partner, Transport Capital Partners, LLC; John Hickerson, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, FFE Transportation Services, Inc.; and Patrick Quinn, president and co-chairman, U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc. The participants noted that the truckload industry faces long-term challenges that include fuel costs and driver shortages –

DOJ Sues Union Pacific for Allegedly Failing to Prevent Use of Rail Cars to Smuggle Narcotics Across Border

March 20, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – The government has filed two lawsuits against the Union Pacific Railroad Co. for allegedly failing to prevent the use of its rail cars to smuggle large quantities of narcotics into the United States, the Justice Department announced. The complaints, filed in San Diego and Houston, seek more than $37 million in monetary penalties. The government alleges the rail cars were brought across the border at the ports of entry at Calexico, Calif., and Brownsville, Texas. According to the complaints, Union Pacific Railroad, the largest provider of rail transportation services in North America, has substantial Mexico rail operations, serving

Union Pacific Announces Annual Distribution of Interest on Certain Bonds and Debentures

March 19, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Railroad Co. announced that it has determined the contingent interest and sinking fund payments due in respect of Available Net Income for 2008 under the terms of certain bonds and debentures originally issued by the Missouri Pacific Railroad Co. (MPRR). Union Pacific Railroad Company is required to publicly announce such annual determination. The bonds and debentures were assumed by Union Pacific Railroad Company as a result of the merger of MPRR with and into Union Pacific Railroad Company on Jan. 1, 1997. On April 1, 2009, Union Pacific Railroad Company will pay contingent interest ($4.75

BNSF and CSX Enhance Container Service to the Southeast

March 19, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Co. and CSX Intermodal recently expanded their current intermodal container service to include several new locations in the Southeast. BNSF and CSXI will now serve Charleston, S.C.; Savannah, Ga.; and Miami, Orlando and Tampa, Fla., in addition to current eastern hubs at Atlanta, Ga.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Charlotte, N.C. “BNSF and CSX expanded their original program because it proved to be very successful for both us and shippers,” said Steve Branscum, group vice president, Consumer Products. “Our combined service is competitive with highway carriers, saves shippers money and reduces fuel consumption for moving freight.

CN Reaches Mitigation Agreements for EJ&E Acquisition With Matteson and Vernon Hills, Ill.

March 19, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — CN announced agreements with the villages of Matteson and Vernon Hills, Ill., addressing the municipalities’ concerns with CN’s acquisition of the principal lines of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E). CN completed its EJ&E acquisition on Jan. 31. Under the agreements with south suburban Matteson, CN will fund the creation of quiet zones and noise mitigation, and provide emergency response personnel training, among other items. In north suburban Vernon Hills, CN will assist in the creation and maintenance of quiet zones, install safety fencing, and provide emergency response personnel training and emergency communication improvements. “CN continues