Railfanning.org News Wire

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Commuter Rail

L.B. Foster Receives Continuous Welded Rail Orders; Rail to be Used in Two California Transit Projects

September 14, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
PITTSBURGH — L.B. Foster Company said it has been awarded business in northern and southern California for continuous welded rail (CWR) for two transit projects. They include the following: — 1,812 tons of 136# New Rail for Caltrain, which will be used for future capital improvements on the 145-year-old railroad. Caltrain is owned and operated by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. Caltrain runs from San Francisco to San Jose, with commuter-hour service to Gilroy. Delivery of the CWR is to begin in the late third quarter of 2008. — 1,813 tons of 136# New Rail for the Southern California
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Short Line/Regional

Pacific Harbor Line Becomes First All Low-Emission Railroad in U.S.

September 14, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Pacific Harbor Line Inc. said it has completed renewal of its locomotive fleet, becoming the first all low-emission railroad in the nation. All PHL locomotives now meet or exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s stringent “Tier 2” standards to reduce air pollutants. In addition to consuming less fuel, particulate and nitrogen oxide emissions have been cut by at least 70 and 46 percent, respectively, according to PHL President Andrew Fox. PHL ran the last of its older non-low emission (pre-Tier 0) locomotives in May 2008. The $30 million project enabled PHL to replace its fleet with 22
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Commuter Rail

Human Error May be to Blame for Fatal Crash

September 13, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
LOS ANGELES – Metrolink officials believe a fatal crash may have been caused by human error. At least 17 people were killed, and as many as 135 people were injured when a crowded commuter train collided with a freight train outside Los Angeles Friday. The NTSB is investigating the crash. “At this time, Metrolink’s preliminary investigation has revealed that yesterday’s incident may have been the result of human factors and/or the railroad signal system on Metrolink’s part,” Metrolink said in a statement. “We will be working with the NTSB to complete a thorough investigation as to the exact cause of
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Miscellaneous

Weather Impacts Rail Freight Traffic to Start September

September 13, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — At least partly because of weather-related issues (Hurricane Gustav at the beginning of the week and Tropical Storm Hanna later in the week), freight traffic on U.S. railroads was off during the first week of September in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today. Both this year’s week and the comparison week from last year included the Labor Day holiday. Total volume was estimated 32.0 billion ton-miles, down 3.3 percent from the comparable week last year. Carload freight in the week totaled 306,340 cars, off 3.5 percent from last year.
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Amtrak

Pacific Surfliner Service & Coast Starlight Railroad closure due to collision

September 13, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
An incident involving a Metrolink commuter train and a freight train near Chatsworth, California, has resulted in a temporary closure of the railroad route used by Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains and the Amtrak Coast Starlight, north of Los Angeles. Amtrak extends condolences to those involved in the commuter train incident and has offered any available assistance. Pacific Surfliner Service and related Thruway Motorcoaches There will no service by Amtrak Pacific Surfliners and their connecting Thruway Motorcoach buses on September 13, between San Luis Obispo and Goleta, California, and Los Angeles, pending restoration of the route. No alternate transportation is available.
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Amtrak

Service Alert: Hurricane Ike — Sunset Limited, Crescent, Texas Eagle, Heartland Flyer & City of New Orleans Affected

September 13, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
Amtrak has begun to restore some service temporarily suspended due to the landfall of Hurricane Ike. Nevertheless, all passengers who have travel plans through September 15 in the affected areas on the Los Angeles-San Antonio-New Orleans route of the Amtrak Sunset Limited, Chicago-Fort Worth-San Antonio route of the Amtrak Texas Eagle or Chicago-Memphis-New Orleans route of the Amtrak City of New Orleans are urged to call Amtrak at 800-USA-RAIL. Those passengers with telephone contact information in their reservations are being called by Amtrak and offered options including future travel dates. Ticketed passengers affected by this service suspension will be eligible
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Norfolk Southern

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

September 12, 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, 2008, 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