Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. – With nearly 40 percent of its workforce reaching retirement age in the next ten years, Union Pacific Railroad continues to recruit and hire new employees to ensure consumer products, ethanol, automobiles, coal and food continue to move across the nation’s rail system. This could be great news for the 550 employees affected by the recent plant closing in the Newton, Iowa area. “While we don’t expect all of our employees to take retirement the minute they are eligible,” said Barb Schaefer, senior vice president Human Resources, “we do want to add employees now so they will have

WASHINGTON — Beginning Monday, Oct. 22, through Monday, Nov. 12, passengers riding Amtrak’s Adirondack train, which operates between New York City and Montreal, will have the unique opportunity to experience the spectacular view afforded by the historic “Great Dome” car between Albany and Montreal. Named for their design that features an upper level with windows on all sides as well as overhead, dome cars provide passengers with panoramic views of passing scenery. The dome car is temporarily assigned to the Adirondack, and provides views of fall foliage and Lake Champlain as the train travels through upstate New York and across

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation to reauthorize the Federal Railroad Administration and fund federal rail safety programs for the next four years. The Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007 renames the agency the “Federal Railroad Safety Administration” and seeks to address a number of issues pertaining to employee fatigue, grade crossing safety, employee training and positive train control. The bill passed the House by a 377-38 vote. “I am concerned that this rail safety bill concentrates too much on accommodating a big labor wish list rather than on the most effective means to improve