Railfanning.org News Wire

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NTSB

Rosenker Stresses the Need for Sleep During Sleep Awareness Week

March 5, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said the occasion of National Sleep Awareness Week (March 3-9) should remind operators of vehicles in all modes of transportation about the inherent dangers of fatigue. “The Safety Board is very concerned about reducing accidents and incidents caused by human fatigue,” Rosenker said. “We have seen numerous accidents where human fatigue was the probable cause or a contributing factor.” Fatigue has been on the Board’s Most Wanted List of safety improvements since the list’s inception in 1990. Throughout its 41-year history, the NTSB has seen the issue of fatigue reoccur
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Union Pacific

Union Pacific Listed among the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by Corporate Responsibility Officer Magazine

March 4, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has been named one of the “100 Best Corporate Citizens for 2008” by CRO (Corporate Responsibility Officer) magazine. Large-cap companies in the Russell 1000 Index were ranked based on their efforts and performance in these areas: climate change, employee relations, environment, financial, governance, human rights, lobbying and philanthropy. Union Pacific ranked highest among companies listed in the railtrack industry subgroup in the employee relations and financial categories and was among the highest in the categories of governance, philanthropy and climate change. “Being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens is truly an honor,” said
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Kansas City Southern

KCS Announces the Appointment of Brian H. Bowers as Senior Vice President Intermodal & Automotive

March 3, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern announced the appointment of Brian H. Bowers as senior vice president intermodal and automotive. Bowers will direct The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCSR) and advise Kansas City Southern de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (KCSM) on the sales and marketing of these business units. Bowers will report to executive vice president sales and marketing Daniel W. Avramovich. “KCS has a vast number of opportunities for business growth, especially in the NAFTA corridor and International Intermodal Corridor,” Avramovich said. “With 32 years of transportation leadership experience, Brian will play a critical role in helping
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Amtrak

Amtrak to Celebrate National Train Day

March 3, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON – To raise awareness of the vital role rail plays in our nation’s transportation system, Amtrak announced that it will celebrate its first annual National Train Day during six weeks of celebrations culminating on May 10. “With ridership growing to record levels, we continue to see a strong demand for rail travel as a link between growing communities,” said Alex Kummant, President and CEO of Amtrak. “Passenger and freight service is on the rise, and there’s never been a better time to celebrate the railroad industry and passenger rail service in the U.S.” Amtrak’s celebration of National Train Day
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Miscellaneous

Duos Awarded Contract from Major Rail Company to Provide Intelligent Video Surveillance for Critical Northeast Bridge

March 3, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — One of the nation’s major railroad companies has selected Duos Technologies Inc. to provide an intelligent video system securing a major rail bridge along the Delaware watershed. Duos developed this solution to give its client the ability to monitor a critical lift bridge in real time. The bridge carries rail traffic over an active waterway, and its secure operation is essential. This system allows rail personnel to observe the bridge structure and waterway, and oversee the lift operation and the integrity of the rail tracks. This turnkey solution combines Duos Praesidium intelligent video platform with an array
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Amtrak

Jury Returns $2.5 M Verdict Against Amtrak

March 1, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
CHICAGO – A Cook County, Ill., jury returned a $2.5 million verdict against Amtrak for not maintaining a safe work environment in an engine at Chicago’s Union Station, a Chicago law firm said. A 59-year-old engineer’s back injury required two operations and a claimed inability to return to work. Amtrak argued that the engineer had planned to retire within 8 months of the accident, which was disputed by the engineer, and showed excerpts from 5 years of secret surveillance videos of the plaintiff to the jury claiming the engineer was exaggerating, faking, and/or hiding the unrelated real cause for his
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Union Pacific

Union Pacific Elects Lance M. Fritz Vice President-Labor Relations

February 29, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific said that Lance M. Fritz has been elected vice president-labor relations, succeeding John Marchant, who has announced he is retiring at the end of June. Fritz is currently the regional vice president for the Southern Region. The company also announced that Gregory D. Workman has been elected to succeed Fritz as the vice president-southern region. Workman, currently the assistant vice president-operations for the southern region will be succeeded by the superintendent of the Houston service unit, Daniel J. Shudak. Brian McGavock will succeed Shudak as general superintendent of the Houston service unit. Fritz joined Union
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Kansas City Southern

KCS Board of Directors Announce the Election of Henry R. Davis

February 28, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern said that Henry R. Davis of Mexico City, D.F., was elected as a member of the company’s board of directors by a unanimous vote of the current KCS board members at a meeting held Feb. 28 at the company’s headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. Davis was elected to fill a vacancy created by the resignation from the board of Arthur L. Shoener, KCS’ president and chief operating officer, who resigned in order to allow the company to increase the number of independent directors on its board without increasing the size of the board.
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Amtrak

Amtrak Celebrates Black History Month with Special Ceremony Honoring Pullman Porters

February 27, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON – Amtrak, in partnership with the A. Philip Randolph Museum, hosted a ceremony Feb. 25 at Washington Union Station to honor the contributions of the legendary Pullman Porters to the nation’s railroads. Amtrak employees gathered to give heartfelt thanks in person to three Pullman Porters who proudly served as far back as the mid-1940s.& Honored were E. Donald Hughes, retired sleeping car porter, from Columbia, Md., William H. Costen, retired chair car porter, from Hartford, Conn., and Thomas E. Dunn, retired dining car cook, from Washington, D.C. “Today’s celebration is an opportunity for Amtrak’s current employees to express their