Railfanning.org News Wire – Page 302

Wabtec Signs Agreement To Acquire Standard Car Truck

September 16, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WILMERDING, Pa. — Wabtec Corp. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Standard Car Truck, a leading rail equipment supplier, for cash of about $300 million. Based in Park Ridge, Ill., Standard Car Truck has annual sales of about $225 million and manufactures engineered components for locomotives and freight cars. Wabtec expects the transaction to be completed in the fourth quarter and to be accretive in the first year. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and antitrust clearance under the Hart Scott Rodino Act. Wabtec plans to finance the transaction with proceeds from a new, $500 million credit facility and has already received a commitment from a group

CSX Invites TCI Group Nominees to Join Board

September 16, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Following a decision by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, CSX Corp.’s Board of Directors has invited TCI Group nominees Christopher Hohn and Timothy O’Toole to join the board immediately. Hohn and O’Toole would succeed Dr. William C. Richardson and Dr. Frank S. Royal, each of whom has resigned effective upon his successor taking office. “We are very pleased with the Court’s decision. We hope CSX will now acknowledge that four of our nominees were elected,” TCI said in a statement. “It is time for the entire duly elected Board, including Chris Hohn and Tim O’Toole, to get to work and make progress on

Norfolk Southern and BLET Reach New Agreement

September 16, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern Railway Company and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) have reached a new agreement that will continue to link engineer compensation to company performance through 2014. The BLET has participated in such a bonus program since 1996. The new agreement covers approximately 5,000 engineers and provides each engineer the opportunity for an annual bonus payment based on company financial and service performance metrics and, for the first time, his or her work availability in the previous year. Other highlights of the agreement include annual wage increases totaling 19 percent from 2009 through 2014, enhancements to the BLET’s 401k plan, increased incentive pay for

Amtrak Service Alert: Pacific Surfliner & Coast Starlight Service Restoration Plan

September 16, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

LOS ANGELES — Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains, which ordinarily operate between San Luis Obispo and San Diego, and the Coast Starlight, which ordinarily operates between Los Angeles and Seattle, will resume normal operations north of Los Angeles this afternoon, Sept. 16. Pacific Surfliner Service and Related Thruway Motorcoaches Normal service will resume Sept. 16, starting with northbound Train 775 and southbound Train 784 and their related Amtrak Thruway Motorcoaches. Pacific Surfliners and their connecting Thruway Motorcoaches between Los Angeles and San Diego were not affected by this service interruption. Coast Starlight, Trains 11 & 14 The northbound Coast Starlight, Train 14, originated in Santa Barbara September 16, with alternate transportation

Metrolink Spokeswoman Resigns Following Comments

September 16, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

LOS ANGELES — Metrolink spokeswoman Denise Tyrrell has resigned following comments she made to reporters in the wake of a fatal wreck. A Metrolink commuter train and a Union Pacific freight train collided on on Sept. 12 near Chatsworth, Calif., killing 25 people and injuring more than 130 more. Tyrrell and Metrolink quickly blamed human error for the crash, but the National Transportation Safety Board says it is still investigating. “Her teary comments and surprising candor elicited a flood of encouragement from Metrolink staff members and commuters from as far as London and Vietnam,” The Los Angeles Times reported. “By Monday, Tyrrell had resigned her $86,000-a-year post amid intense criticism

Amtrak Tracks Remain Closed Due to Collision — Pacific Surfliner & Coast Starlight Affected

September 16, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

LOS ANGELES — Railroad tracks remain closed following a fatal Metrolink crash, Amtrak officials said. A Metrolink commuter train and a Union Pacific freight train collided on on Sept. 12 near Chatsworth, Calif., killing 25 peopel and injuring more than 130 more. As a result, Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner trains with connecting Thruway Motorcoach buses will not operate north of Los Angeles Sept. 15 and Sept. 16. Pacific Surfliner Service and Related Thruway Motorcoaches There will be no service by Pacific Surfliners and their connecting Thruway Motorcoach buses on September 15 and 16, between San Luis Obispo and Goleta, California, and Los Angeles, pending restoration of the route. No alternate transportation

CSX Corp. Names Michele Mastrean Vice President-Compensation and Benefits

September 15, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Corporation has appointed Michele Mastrean as vice president-compensation and benefits, effective immediately. The position reports to Bob Haulter, CSX Corporation’s senior vice president-human resources and labor relations. Mastrean will direct the delivery of broad-based compensation programs as well as health, retirement and savings benefits for CSX. She will also develop compensation policies to continue to provide employees with competitive pay and maintain compatibility with business goals. Most recently, Mastrean was vice president-HR Total Compensation, for Halliburton Company. “Michele brings diverse human resources experience to CSX, including significant accomplishments in the design and delivery of innovative compensation and benefits programs that will continue to make CSX a

Norfolk Southern is One of the Best Places to Launch a Career

September 15, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern is one of the 50 “Best Places to Launch a Career,” according to the Sept. 15 issue of BusinessWeek magazine. BusinessWeek‘s annual list is based on a survey of U.S. employers, college career services directors, and some 40,000 college undergraduates. Norfolk Southern’s place on the list improved from last year, and the magazine noted, “High oil prices wreaked havoc on everything from air carriers to freight delivery companies. The one beneficiary: rail.” “Railroading today is a growth industry,” said Cindy Earhart, NS vice president human resources. “With our focus on safety and service, our light impact on the environment, and our efforts to build an

Pacific Surfliner & Coast Starlight Service Restoration Plan

September 15, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

LOS ANGELES — Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Service trains, which ordinarily operate between San Luis Obispo and San Diego, and the Amtrak Coast Starlight, which ordinarily operates between Los Angeles and Seattle, will resume normal operations north of Los Angeles this afternoon (Sept. 15). Pacific Surfliner Service and related Thruway Motorcoaches Normal service will resume in the afternoon, starting with northbound Train 775 and southbound Train 784 and their related Amtrak Thruway Motorcoaches. Morning trains between Los Angeles and Goleta/San Luis Obispo are cancelled. These are northbound Trains 799, 763 & 769 and southbound Trains 768 & 774. Amtrak Pacific Surfliners and their connecting Thruway Motorcoaches between Los Angeles and San

Conductor May be Key to Metrolink Investigation

September 15, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHATSWORTH, Calif. — Investigators probing a fatal Metrolink crash want to interview the train’s conductor and also hope that recordings of verbal safety checks will help paint a fuller picture of what happened in the moments leading up to the crash. “He’ll be able to tell us whether he recalls the engineer calling out and him confirming those signals,” The Associated Press quoted Kitty Higgins of the National Transportation Safety Board as saying about the conductor. Metrolink has already blamed human error for the Sept. 12 crash that killed 25 people and injured 130 more. However, the National Transportation Safety Board says it is still investigating. The wreck is said