Railfanning.org News Wire – Page 349

Rehberg Honored With Golden Spike Award

May 2, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The National Association of Railroad Passengers is honoring U.S. Representative Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., with the George Falcon Golden Spike Award. The award honors individuals for their contributions to the advancement of passenger rail. Rehberg was honored for his sustained leadership in funding intercity passenger rail. He chairs the Congressional Rail Caucus and was instrumental in securing funding for Amtrak in the last appropriations bill, fighting off amendments that would have crippled the railroad, or eliminated long distance trains. “Even in his earliest days as a freshman member of Congress, Representative Rehberg spoke out clearly and forcefully against efforts to bankrupt and shut down Amtrak, steadfastly supporting both Montana’s

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern to Offer Fastest Service Between Southern California and Southeast

April 30, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway will significantly improve eastbound domestic transcontinental service from Los Angeles to the Southeast on May 21. The service improvement in this important high-volume lane will result from shifting traffic from the Memphis gateway to the new Shreveport, La., gateway. This new route, combining Union Pacific’s Sunset Route between Los Angeles and Texas with Norfolk Southern’s and Kansas City Southern’s joint venture line between Shreveport and Meridian, Miss., is nearly 150 miles shorter than the current route, making it the shortest, fastest and most reliable intermodal route between Los Angeles and the Southeast. This change will result: Sandard service to Atlanta

Customers On SEPTA’s Paoli Line and Amtrak’s Keystone Corridor To Enjoy a Smoother Rider After Trackwork

April 25, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

PHILADELPHIA – Customers on SEPTA’s Regional Rail R5 Paoli-Thorndale Line and Amtrak’s Keystone Service will soon enjoy a smoother ride as Amtrak embarks on a major trackwork project between Paoli and Philadelphia. Scheduled to begin May 7 and continue through mid-November, the trackwork will cause adjustments to the schedules of trains that travel through the area, but in the end will result in more reliable service. During the project, SEPTA passengers will get a sneak peak at what the trackwork means to their daily commute as trains will operate over tracks that have already been upgraded. The trackwork, which is being funded by SEPTA, calls for the installation of concrete

Construction Begins on a New Metropark Station

April 23, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

ISELIN, N.J. – N.J. Transit today broke ground today on a $47 million project to rebuild Metropark Station on the Northeast Corridor. Originally designed as a suburban stop for Amtrak Metroliner trains, Metropark became New Jersey’s first “park and ride” station when it opened on November 11, 1971. The station quickly became a model of a “regional interceptor,” a station located near a major highway, providing adequate parking and convenient train options for rail travelers. Today, Metropark is the busiest outlying (non-terminal) station in the N.J. Transit commuter rail network, accommodating four million passenger trips each year—14,200 N.J. Transit customers and 1,000 Amtrak customers each weekday. Over the next three

Gala Celebration and Amtrak Equipment Display to Open Restored Hattiesburg Depot

April 19, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Long known as The Hub City, Hattiesburg now has an Intermodal Transportation Facility at 308 Newman Street that will enable passengers on daily Amtrak Crescent trains to enjoy visiting the Pine Belt community of more than 130,000 and to connect with local transit. In order to celebrate the official opening of the depot this weekend, a black-tie Grand Gala will be held at the station this Friday night and a ribbon-cutting will be staged this Saturday afternoon. Amtrak will display railcars and a locomotive at the station during the gala on Friday night and following the ribbon-cutting at 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 this Saturday evening. Hattiesburg is

Passaic-Bergen Rail Plan Advances

April 18, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWARK, N.J. – The plan to provide a new passenger rail service link between downtown Hackensack and the Main Line Station in Hawthorne moved ahead today with the N.J. Transit Board of Directors approving funds for the project’s final design. The project will introduce FRA-compliant Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) technology into the N.J. Transit fleet of rail equipment and will provide new passenger service along more than eight miles of existing freight track. “I am pleased to see steady progress in this project, which will provide new and efficient travel options to the residents who live along this corridor,” said Rep. Bill Pascrell. “I expect the service to promote economic

Amtrak Named “Best of America” by Reader’s Digest for Its Campus Visit Program

April 18, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Amtrak has been named “Best of America” by the editors of Reader’s Digest magazine for the railroad’s highly popular Campus Visit Program. The program which allows prospective college students to bring along a parent and or guardian for free on Amtrak, when visiting colleges and universities, is available to students nationwide. After speaking to hundreds of experts for this special issue, Reader’s Digest editors rated the Campus Visit Program as the “best transportation” and “travel twofer” under its “America’s 100 Best” category. The program is featured in the publication’s May, 2007 issue. “It is certainly gratifying for Reader’s Digest to acknowledge the popularity and the value provided by

FRA Releases Results of Track Inspections on CSX and Outlines Next Rail Safety Actions

April 18, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman today announced that 78 track defects and one serious violation were found by Federal Railroad Administration inspectors during a recent audit of CSX tracks in upstate New York. In addition, FRA’s ongoing review of rail safety in New York is being expanded to other railroads. Administrator Boardman added that as a result of the inspections, CSX has committed to strengthen track standards, deploy additional safety technology and develop a stronger safety culture. FRA will be vigilant in making sure CSX undertakes these preventative measures, especially improvements in the way they manage routine track inspections, and in fostering safety awareness among employees. “CSX

NARP: Don’t Cut Rail Service

April 17, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Citing increased demand for passenger rail service and rising gas prices, the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) urged Congress to invest $1.68 billion in Amtrak next year and to steer clear of route-cutting discussions. This amount is what Amtrak requested, and includes $100 million for matching grants for a state corridor development program. In a statement submitted to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, NARP Executive Director Ross Capon noted that expanding Amtrak’s network would drive economies of scale. “The most effective strategy to improve the economic efficiency of all of its routes is to focus on actions that increase

St. Lawrence & Atlantic Becomes First New England Short-Line Rail Carrier Certified by Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT)

April 13, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

GREENWICH, Conn. — Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) announced today that its St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (SLR) and its Canadian sister Chemin de fer St. Laurent & Atlantique (SLQ) have been certified by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as partners in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program. The role of a C-TPAT partner is to continue to ensure that appropriate security measures, based upon risk analysis and consistent with C-TPAT security criteria, are maintained in a documented and verifiable format throughout international supply chains. “We see certification as a necessity in being a cross-border carrier, and the C-TPAT objectives are consistent with our own,” said SLQ and SLR