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Commuter Rail

New Signs announce January Yellow Line Extension to Fort Totten

WASHINGTON – Metro officials are starting to install more than 5,000 signs and maps in the Metrorail system that reflect the extension of the Yellow Line to Fort Totten. The extension will be effective starting Dec. 31. The Metro Board in April agreed to extend the Yellow Line from Mt. Vernon Sq/7th Street-Convention Center to the Fort Totten Metrorail station during off-peak hours (weekdays, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 7 p.m. to closing, and weekends) as part of the 18-month pilot. The District of Columbia will cover the $5.75 million cost of expanding service. By extending the Yellow Line to

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Amtrak

Service Restored on Missouri-Sponsored Amtrak Service on St. Louis-Kansas City Route

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Amtrak, the Missouri Department of Transportation and Union Pacific are celebrating the restoration of regular twice-daily round-trip trains on the St. Louis-Kansas City Missouri Mules route. “The interrupted service has been frustrating for several months for passengers,” said Missouri State Senate President Pro Tem Michael R. Gibbons. “We can all be thankful for the return of safer and smoother full service in time for the holiday season.” The celebration marks a $32 million rehabilitation of the 283-mile route, which is primarily owned by UP. Nearly 70 miles of track has been improved to make rail service

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Amtrak

Amtrak Service Alert: All Illinois, Missouri Trains To and From St. Louis Will Operate Tuesday

ST. LOUIS – All Amtrak service between Chicago and St. Louis in Illinois and between Kansas City and St. Louis in Missouri is restored as of Tuesday, Dec. 5, following a severe winter storm that disrupted Union Pacific Railroad portions of the routes northeast and west of St. Louis. All five Chicago-St. Louis round-trips will operate this Tuesday, along with both Kansas City-St. Louis round-trips. Service by Amtrak Texas Eagle Trains 21 & 22 between Chicago and San Antonio, Texas, via St. Louis, and service by Amtrak Southwest Chief Trains 3 & 4 between Chicago and Los Angeles, via Kansas

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Miscellaneous

Governor Rendell Announces $2.6 Million Investment in Rail Infrastructure Projects

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Gov. Edward G. Rendell has announced the investment of $2.6 million in 14 rail-freight projects across Pennsylvania. The projects are geared to preserve essential rail freight service in some areas, while stimulating economic development by generating new service in others, Rendell said in a news release. The investments represent the second phase of the 2006 Rail Freight Assistance Program (RFAP). “Investments in rail freight help fuel our ongoing economic recovery,” said Rendell, who this year increased the RFAP program from $8.5 million to $10.5 million. “Rail is an increasingly popular means of moving goods, not only throughout

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Miscellaneous

Wabtec Completes Acquisition of Becorit GmbH, a Leading European Rail Equipment Manufacturer

WILMERDING, Pa. – Wabtec Corp. has completed the acquisition of Becorit GmbH, a leading manufacturer of technology-based friction products for the European railway industry, for $52.2 million in cash. Last week, Wabtec announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire the company from U.K.-based BBA Aviation plc. Wabtec expects the acquisition to be accretive immediately. Based in Germany, Becorit has annual sales of about $30 million. Becorit manufactures a variety of brake shoes, pads and friction linings for passenger transit cars, freight cars and locomotives, including high-speed applications. The company also makes friction products for industrial markets such

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Commuter Rail

N.J. Transit Dedicates New Multilevel Rail Cars to Nine Communities

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — N.J. Transit dedicated its first multilevel rail cars to nine communities served by the state’s commuter rail system. At a Nov. 15 ceremony during the League of Municipalities gathering at the Atlantic City Convention Center, the cars were dedicated in recognition of the strong ties between N.J. Transit and the host communities of Trenton, Hamilton, West Windsor, Edison, Rahway, Woodbridge, Elizabeth, Newark and Summit. Each of the 234 multilevel cars will display a commemorative plaque in honor of a community served by the rail network as they are delivered over the next two years. “These municipalities

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FRA

Citizens Against Government Waste Names Sen. John Thune Porker of the Month

WASHINGTON — Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has named Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the Porker of the Month for helping a railroad company secure a record $2.3 billion federal loan guarantee. The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (DM&E) is seeking the largest federal loan to a private company in American history — a $2.3 billion in tax money from to finance a major rail expansion project through the Midwest. The loan guarantee from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) would allow the DM&E to expand and improve a rail line that is used primarily to transport coal from Wyoming to Minnesota.

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FRA

Iowa Northern Railway Receives $25.5 million RRIF Loan

WASHINGTON — The Iowa Northern Railway (IANR), a short line freight carrier located in northeastern Iowa, is receiving a $25.5 million loan from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The funds will be used to: upgrade mainline track from Linn to Waterloo and from Cedar Falls to Manly; construct new sidings at Palo, Shell Rock, and Nora Springs; and rehabilitate rail yards in Waterloo and Manly. These improvements will allow the railroad to accommodate heavier railcars and move freight more quickly, safely, and efficiently, according to the FRA. Agricultural products account for most of the cargo carried by the IANR, but