Railfanning.org News Wire – Page 337

Amtrak Illinois Ridership Up Strongly

October 31, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO – Huge ridership gains are tied to increased Amtrak train frequencies in Illinois, with the three routes between Chicago and downstate communities showing large increases and helping Amtrak to set a new national record for passengers. In all, nearly 3.6 million passengers used Amtrak stations in Illinois, including all trains at Amtrak Chicago Union Station. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has more than doubled the size of its contract with Amtrak, providing three of the five round-trips on the Chicago-St. Louis corridor and two round-trips each on the Carbondale and Quincy routes, starting late last October. On the

Amtrak Hiawatha Service Ridership Up Strongly

October 31, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

MILWAUKEE – Amtrak ridership in Fiscal Year 2007 on Hiawatha Service trains between Chicago and Milwaukee increased by 2.6 percent and is approaching 600,000 annual riders. In all, more than 631,000 passengers used the three Wisconsin Hiawatha Service stations, including Amtrak Empire Builder passengers at Milwaukee’s downtown station. More than 2.8 million passengers used the two Illinois Hiawatha Service stations, including other trains at Amtrak Chicago Union Station. Amtrak operates seven daily round-trips on the route Mondays through Fridays, with six round-trips on Sundays. The ridership gain on the Hiawathas is slightly more than the national Amtrak ridership increase of

Amtrak Michigan Ridership Up Strongly

October 31, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

LANSING, Mich. – Amtrak ridership in Fiscal Year 2007 on trains in Michigan increased by more than 17,000 passengers, totaling nearly 682,000 riders on the three routes in the Great Lakes State. In all, Amtrak sold more than 750,000 tickets to and from locations in Michigan. Amtrak operates three daily roundtrips on the Pontiac-Detroit-Ann Arbor-Chicago route known as the Wolverine Service. The 2.4 percent ridership gain on the Wolverines matches the national Amtrak ridership increase and is the result of more than 449,000 passengers choosing rails instead of roads. The state-supported single-frequency daily routes in Michigan — Grand Rapids-St. Joseph-Chicago

Amtrak Honors California Department of Transportation, William Bronte with Prestigious President’s Service and Safety Award

October 31, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Amtrak has honored William Bronte, Chief, Division of Rail for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), for special recognition among state and local leaders across the nation for his support of Amtrak and his commitment to passenger rail service. During ceremonies here, Amtrak President, CEO Alex Kummant presented Bronte with Amtrak’s most prestigious award, the President’s Service and Safety Award for State Partner. He is one of three people who received the award nationally. “Your efforts exemplify initiative, commitment and dedication to Amtrak, and our entire organization extends to you our highest appreciation,” said Kummant. Recipients in the

Amtrak’s Keystone Service Sees Increases in Ridership and Revenue

October 30, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Amtrak is reporting double-digit growth in ridership and revenue during fiscal year 2007 on routes through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, most notably the Keystone Service. Operating between Harrisburg, Philadelphia and New York, the Keystones saw ridership grow to 988,454, an increase of 20 percent for FY07. Ticket revenue for the same period increased nearly 30 percent to $20,582,838. The Keystone Service ranks fifth in growth in ridership and revenue among all Amtrak services. “People traveling from Harrisburg and Lancaster to Philadelphia and back now have an even better option to beat traffic congestion,” said PennDOT Secretary Allen D.

Norfolk Southern Utilizes Wind to Power Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ohio

October 29, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

BELLEVUE, Ohio – Norfolk Southern is erecting a 50 kilowatt wind turbine at its Bellevue Yard in Ohio to power the yard’s wastewater treatment plant. Construction of the turbine is expected to begin in November and be complete by the end of the year. This is one of the first times wind has been used to provide power to a railroad facility in the U.S. “Norfolk Southern is assessing opportunities to utilize alternative renewable energy sources where practical,” said Chuck Wehrmeister, vice president safety and environmental. “We are confident that the wind turbine at Bellevue Yard will be an immediate

Appliance Manufacturing Employees Welcome at Union Pacific

October 29, 2007 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

‘Great Dome’ Car Added to Adirondack Service

October 28, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

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

Some Say Rail Safety Bill Focuses More on Appeasing Labor Than on Most Effective Safety Improvements

October 27, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

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

CSXT Employee Wins Rail Industry’s Professional Environmental Award

October 26, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Association of American Railroads granted its top award for environmental professionals, the 2007 North American Environmental Employee Excellence Award, to Keith A. Brinker, manager of environmental remediation at CSX Transportation. Brinker received the award during an annual railroad environmental conference. A 28-year railroad veteran, Brinker’s accomplishments include: helping to establish CSXT’s first Environmental Operations Department; devising numerous standard operating procedures for the use of chemicals and cleaners; and organizing CSXT’s internal Environmental Crimes Unit (ECU), which ensures compliance with government and company regulations. “Perhaps [the railroad industry’s] most important environmental advantage comes from dedicated employees like