Railfanning.org News Wire

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Canadian Pacific

Canadian Pacific Drives for Greater Efficiency

November 13, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
CALGARY —  In advance of its Investor Conference in Toronto, Canadian Pacific said it is aiming for “greater efficiency.” “Canadian Pacific is driving greater efficiency into all aspects of the business,” said Fred Green, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are accelerating our efficiency efforts and will continue with our disciplined approach to pricing and yield to deliver value to our shareholders despite the uncertainty of the economic climate.” “Canadian Pacific plans capital investment in 2009 consistent with the current economic conditions,” said Kathryn McQuade, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. “We are pacing our capital investments to match
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Amtrak

Name the Train Contest Announced for Amtrak St. Louis to Kansas City Service

November 10, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
ST. LOUIS – A celebration of 30 years of state-supported passenger rail across Missouri, as well as major service improvements in the works, are the reasons the Missouri Department of Transportation and Amtrak are pleased to announce a contest to give the trains a brand-new name. The “Name the Train” contest will rely on train fans everywhere to first suggest and then select the best “brand-name” for the service between St. Louis and Kansas City.There will be three phases to the contest. First, submit your favorite name between Nov. 10 and Dec. 10. Contest entries may be submitted online at
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Canadian Pacific

DM&E Joins CP Holiday Train in a Decade of Giving

November 10, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
MINNEAPOLIS — Food banks in more than 100 North American communities will be front and center when Canadian Pacific’s tenth annual Holiday Train gets underway. A brightly decorated CP train will collect food and money for local food banks, raise awareness in the fight against hunger and, help communities across CP’s newly expanded network celebrate the holiday season. “The Holiday Train is North America’s largest rolling fundraiser and a cherished tradition for our employees and the communities where we operate,” said CP President and CEO Fred Green. “We’re especially pleased to welcome employees and communities throughout our newly acquired DM&E
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Canadian National

STB to Discuss CN’s Proposed Takeover of EJ&E

November 7, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board will hold a public meeting on Nov. 18 concerning the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) related to Canadian National Railway’s proposed acquisition of the principal lines of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Co. During the public meeting, STB members will be briefed by, and will discuss the EIS with, staff of the agency’s Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA). The meeting will be open for public observation, but not public participation. On Oct. 30, 2007, Canadian National and Grand Trunk Corp. (collectively known as CN) filed an application with the STB seeking the agency’s approval
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Amtrak

Amtrak Adds Northbound Weekday Frequency at Aberdeen

November 7, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON – In response to growing demand for rail service, Amtrak has increased by one the number of trains making a stop at its Aberdeen, Md. station. Northeast Regional train 130, which operates between Washington, DC and New York, will now make a morning stop at Aberdeen at 7:39 am each weekday. This brings the total number of trains stopping at Aberdeen to 12 each weekday, 13 each Saturday, and 12 each Sunday. The schedule for train 130 is ideal for business travelers heading north out of Aberdeen with stops at Wilmington at 8:06 am and Philadelphia at 8:30 am.
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Amtrak

Amtrak Downeaster and Empire Service Show Dramatic Increases in Ridership and Revenue

November 7, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK – As Amtrak ridership across the country grew last fiscal year, some of the largest increases were seen in routes that travel through New England. The Downeaster, operating daily between Portland, Maine and Boston, Mass., showed a dramatic 31 percent increase in comparison to passenger counts for the same time period a year ago. Downeaster trains carried 474,492 passengers during Fiscal Year 2008, which ended Sept. 30, 2008. Ticket revenue climbed by over 36 percent to over $6.5 million during the same period compared to Fiscal Year 2007. “Our continued ridership growth is certainly impacted by the global
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STB

STB Issues EA for Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project

November 7, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board announced that its Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) have issued an Environmental Assessment (EA) for public review and comment concerning the proposed Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project (Project) in the State of Washington. Working together as co-lead agencies on the Project’s environmental review, the Board and WSDOT are providing the public 30 days—until Dec. 8 —for the filing of comments on the EA.
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Amtrak

Amtrak: Piedmont and Carolinian Ridership Surges

November 6, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON – North Carolina’s Amtrak corridor trains experienced record ridership gains in and posted double-digit ticket revenue increases Fiscal Year 2008. Collectively, the North Carolina state-supported Carolinian and Piedmont services carried 361,368 passengers and brought in more than $17 million in ticket revenue. Amtrak’s long-distance trains that travel through North Carolina also saw significant growth in FY08. Nationwide, Amtrak ridership in Fiscal Year 2008 increased to 28,716,407, marking the sixth straight year of gains and setting a record for the most passengers using Amtrak trains since the National Railroad Passenger Corporation started operations in 1971. The fiscal year ended September
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Amtrak

Amtrak: Oklahoma City-Fort Worth Passenger Counts Still Soaring

November 6, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
OKLAHOMA CITY — Final figures for the Amtrak fiscal year show more people are opting for the Amtrak Heartland Flyer train between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, with ridership rising by more than 18 percent to total 80,892 for the 12 months ending Sept. 30.Amtrak operates the Heartland Flyer (Trains 821 & 822) under contracts with the Oklahoma and Texas state transportation departments. These are two of the 14 states for which Amtrak operates service that supplements the national network of Amtrak trains. “We continue to be excited about the growth in ridership numbers of the Heartland Flyer,” said David