Railfanning.org News Wire

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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
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Canadian National

CN Signs Voluntary Mitigation Agreement with Village of Plainfield, Ill.

December 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
CHICAGO — CN announced it has reached a voluntary mitigation agreement (VMA) with the Village of Plainfield, Ill., located 35 miles southwest of Chicago, addressing the municipality’s environmental issues with CN’s acquisition of the principal lines of the former Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E). With this agreement, CN has VMAs with 21 municipalities of the 33 communities situated on the EJ&E in Illinois and Indiana. CN’s latest VMA will provide funding for environmental measures including maintenance of an existing quiet zone, operations mitigation, emergency response training, safety initiatives, and improved communication. CN completed its EJ&E acquisition on Jan.
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CSX

CSX Comments on Florida Rail Plan

December 8, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Corporation today released the following statement following the Florida Legislature’s action on the statewide rail plan: “CSX Corporation commends the Florida Legislature for endorsing this important investment in the future of our home state,” the company said. “Legislative approval of the comprehensive statewide rail legislation is an important step toward fully leveraging the efficient and environmentally friendly benefits of rail. This investment will have tremendous benefits for Florida’s economy by creating jobs and increasing the state’s economic competitiveness by moving both passengers and freight more effectively. “CSX will continue to work with Florida’s elected leaders to
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Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Joins U.S. Green Building Council

December 8, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern has joined the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit, membership-based organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for the nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. Through its latest public-private partnership initiative, the Crescent Corridor Intermodal Freight Program, NS will capitalize on the inherent efficiencies of rail transportation to substantially reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. As part of the Crescent Corridor program, NS has committed to submitting buildings from three of its proposed intermodal terminals in Birmingham, Ala., Greencastle, Pa., and Memphis, Tenn., for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
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FRA

DOT Announces $7 Million for Bridge Repair

December 5, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Company (CRANDIC) will receive $6.965 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation for repair of the CRANDIC railroad bridge in Cedar Rapids, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced. The bridge sustained substantial damage during flooding of the Cedar River in 2008, resulting in the disruption of freight shipments in the area. “The people of Cedar Rapids depend on railroads to deliver the goods and supplies that are so critical to the local economy,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. “We are pleased that this grant will help get the city’s rail
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Commuter Rail

U.S. Transportation Secretary Announces $280 Million for Streetcars

December 3, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the availability of $280 million for urban circulator projects such as streetcars, buses, and bus facilities to support communities, expand business opportunities and improve people’s quality of life while also creating jobs. The money represents the first batch of taxpayers’ money by the Obama Administration for its Livability Initiative, a joint venture of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “This represents a significant effort to promote livable communities, improve the quality of life for more Americans and create
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Canadian National

CN Locomotive Engineers’ Strike to End Immediately

December 2, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
MONTREAL — The strike by locomotive engineers at CN will end immediately as a result of an agreement to resolve the parties’ contractual disagreements through further negotiations and, if necessary, binding arbitration. The union began its strike Nov. 28. E. Hunter Harrison, president and chief executive officer, said: “CN is pleased that an agreement has been reached to end the strike by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) immediately and to move forward with a process that gives the parties flexibility to negotiate issues further, but also ensures finality through binding arbitration of issues that remain in dispute. We have