Railfanning.org News Wire – Page 359

Coast Starlight to Originate in Portland, Cascades Service Operating Normal

December 19, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

SEATTLE – Amtrak service in the Pacific Northwest has returned to normal with the exception of the Coast Starlight, train No. 11.Train No. 11 will originate in Portland Monday, Dec. 18, with alternate transportation between Seattle and Portland. Amtrak Cascades will operate as scheduled. Passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com for additional information and train status updates. – Special to Railfanning.org News Wire

Pacific Northwest Service Resumes South of Seattle, Coast Starlight to Originate in Portland

December 17, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

SEATTLE – BNSF Railway has opened the railroad between Portland, Ore., and Seattle, Wash. following mudslides south of Seattle, and Amtrak service was to resume Saturday, Dec. 16, with the exception of the Coast Starlight, train No. 11. Train No. 11 will originate in Portland, with alternate transportation between Seattle and Portland. Amtrak Cascades will operate as scheduled. Passengers are encouraged to call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com for schedule information and train status updates. – Special to Railfanning.org News Wire

First-Class Service for Injured Troops on Liberty Limited

December 17, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT BELVOIR, Va. – The luxury railroad car Pennsylvania has seen its fair share of two things: precious cargo and the Army-Navy football rivalry. In 1961 the red Pennsylvania Railroad business car carried John F. Kennedy from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., along a temporary rail line put in place for the gridiron classic. Kennedy chose to take the car to the annual football game again in 1962. This year, the Pennsylvania carried more than one guest of honor as it began a familiar trip Dec. 6 from Washington’s Union Station to the 107th Army-Navy game. The car was part of “Liberty Limited 2006,” an 18-car vintage train filled with wounded

TTX Company Announces Senior Level Appointments

December 17, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO – TTX Company President and CEO Andrew F. Reardon announced the appointments of Thomas F. Wells to Executive Vice President and Patrick J. Casey to Vice President Fleet Management.In addition to his current duties, Wells will direct Strategic Planning as well as Strategy and Marketing for the Railcar Maintenance and Technology areas of TTX, the largest private railcar fleet in North America. Wells joined TTX in 2001 as Senior Vice President, Fleet Management. He brings over 20 years of industry experience, including 17 years with Norfolk Southern Railway’s Supply Management, Sales and Marketing, Operations and intermodal departments. A graduate of Muskingum College, Wells went on to obtain an MBA

Canadian Pacific Railway announces 2007 planned capital investment

December 17, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

CALGARY – Canadian Pacific Railway plans to spend $885 million to $895 million in 2007 on capital programs.This is an increase from its 2006 program of roughly $845 million. “CPR’s planned capital investments are targeted at further improving the fluidity of our network, while maintaining the reliability and safety of our infrastructure,” said Fred Green, President and Chief Executive Officer. “These investments support our strategic initiatives, our focus on execution excellence and drive to improve CPR’s operating ratio. This capital plan, implemented with the ingenuity of our employees, will keep us on track to become the safest, most fluid railway in North America.” 2007 investment will focus on track infrastructure,

N.J. Transit: Longer Platforms, Expanded Station Building Coming to Metropark

December 16, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWARK, N.J. – N.J. Transit is planning to renovate the station building and build longer, wider platforms at N.J. Transit’s busiest outlying rail station – Metropark Station on the Northeast Corridor in Woodbridge Township. “These improvements will ensure that Metropark Station remains an efficient and modern gateway for commuters in the growing Central New Jersey region,” said Transportation Commissioner and N.J. Transit Board Chairman Kris Kolluri. “While providing an enhanced customer experience, the project will also enable the station to serve more riders in the future to support capacity expansion projects such as the Access to the Region’s Core tunnel project.” The Board awarded a $29.8 million contract to Anselmi

BNSF: DM&E Plan Could Cause Delays

December 16, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas – If the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad were allowed to haul coal over the Powder River Basin (PRB) along the former I&M Rail Link’s (IMRL) line, it could cause substantial delays to time-sensitive BNSF Railway Co. trains at Savanna, Ill., the company said this week in a filing with the Surface Transportation Board. BNSF’s transcontinental main line between the Pacific Northwest and Chicago crosses the former IMRL line at grade at Savanna en route to the Chicago Gateway, where delays could be substantially increased by the addition of PRB coal trains regardless of what route into Chicago is used by DM&E, BNSF said. DM&E has requested

Pacific Northwest Amtrak Service Disrupted by Mudslides South of Seattle

December 16, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

SEATTLE – The BNSF Railway has imposed a curfew on passenger trains between Seattle and Portland, Ore., due to mudslides south of Seattle, Amtrak said. AMTRAK CASCADES: Service south of Seattle by Amtrak Cascades trains has been canceled through Saturday evening, December 16, with alternate transportation provided to and from Seattle and Portland. Service south of Portland to and from Eugene, Ore., is being maintained. COAST STARLIGHT: The Los Angeles-Seattle Coast Starlight will originate and terminate in Portland, instead of Seattle, through Saturday evening, December 16, with alternate transportation provided to and from Seattle and Portland. This information is subject to change and will be updated as conditions warrant. Passengers

DHS Targets High Risk Hazardous Materials in Transit

December 16, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff: Dec. 12, 2006, Press Conference WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security is proposing new rules it says will vastly strengthen the security of the nation’s rail systems in the highest threat urban areas. The proposed rule is part of a package of new security measures that will require freight rail carriers to ensure 100 percent positive hand-off of Toxic Inhalation Hazard (TIH) materials, establish security protocols for custody transfers of TIH rail cars in the high threat urban areas, and appoint a rail security coordinator to share information with the federal government, as well as formalizing the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) freight and passenger

FreightCar America Delivers 100,000th Aluminum Railcar

December 15, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

DANVILLE, Ill. – During a ceremony here, FreightCar America delivered the 100,000th aluminum railcar produced by the company. The milestone car, a BethGon II railcar for carrying coal, was part of an order totaling 2,695 cars for NRG Energy, Inc. of Princeton, N.J. Executives from NRG and FreightCar America attended the ceremony along with state and local officials. “The first new railcar we ever built in Danville was for an NRG predecessor company,” said Kenneth D. Bridges, FreightCar America’s senior vice president of operations. “Remarkably, NRG is now accepting the 100,000th aluminum railcar here.” Since 1997, NRG has acquired over 4,500 aluminum coal cars from FreightCar America, all of them