Railfanning.org News Wire

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Commuter Rail

VRE Contracts for 50 More Bi-level Cars

August 2, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK — Virginia Railway Express exercised its option order for an additional 50 bi-level passenger rail cars from Sumitomo Corp. of America and its car builder partner Nippon Sharyo, Ltd. The contract was executed on July 27. It is in addition to the current VRE order for 11 bi-level cars that was issued last May. The cars for the contract will be similar to the 300 Gallery type bi-level passenger cars that were delivered in 2005 to Metra in Chicago. Due to the expanding VRE system and increased ridership, these bi-level cars will have a much larger capacity for
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Commuter Rail

N.J. Transit Approves 2007 Operating, Capital Budgets

August 1, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEWARK, N.J. — The N.J. Transit Board of Directors today adopted a $1.5 billion operating budget and a $1.3 billion Capital Program for Fiscal Year 2007 (FY07) that funds the transit system through June 30, 2007. Without raising fares, N.J. Transit will offer three million more miles of bus and rail service than last year to support anticipated record ridership of more than 860,000 passenger trips daily. “Our transportation network is central to our mobility, our economy, and our quality of life,” said Gov. Jon S. Corzine. “We are working to keep transit affordable and encourage transit usage as a
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Commuter Rail

Metro and Alstom Temporarily Stop Production of Railcars

July 31, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Metro and railcar manufacturer Alstom have jointly agreed to temporarily stop the delivery of rehabilitated railcars to the transit authority until a safety reinspection is completed Alstom has rehabilitated 194 of 364 2000-3000 series Breda made railcars for the transit authority. Today’s decision comes after Metro mechanics discovered a safety problem during a routine maintenance inspection earlier this week. Mechanics found the railcar doors were open on a recently rehabilitated 2000-3000 series railcar even though a signal light in the train operator’s cab showed that the doors were closed. The railcar was not in service. Metro managers ordered
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Transit

MARTA Posts First Profit in Nine Years

July 31, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire
ATLANTA — The city’s mass transit system has posted its first operating profit in nine years, it announced today. For fiscal year 2005-06, MARTA finished in the black by $19 million, The Associated Press reported. Officials has expected an $18 million loss. "It’s a very positive picture going into the future," AP quoted Richard McCrillis, MARTA’s interim general manager, as saying. "MARTA has its financial picture together."
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Legislation

Lott: Senate Bill to Provide Incentives

July 28, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — A U.S. Senate bill is aimed at addressing "the crisis in freight transportation by providing incentives for railroads and shippers to expand their freight capacity," according to U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss. The measure was introduced July 26. "With highways and airways becoming increasingly congested, pressure is on the railroads to accommodate the rising tide of freight," Lott said. "Freight railroads and railroad shippers could expand their operations — adding second or third tracks, rail spurs and signals — under my legislation, the Freight Rail Infrastructure Capacity Expansion Act." The bill would establish a 25 percent tax credit
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STB

STB Planning to Hold Grain Public Hearing

July 28, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Some time this fall, the Surface Transportation Board is planning to hold a public hearing to address "certain issues related to the rail transportation of grain," the agency announced in a news release. The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) on June 21 released preliminary observations on rates, competition and capacity issues within the American rail freight industry. GAO reported that the changes that have occurred in the rail industry since the Staggers Rail Act of 1980 are widely viewed as positive. The financial health of the industry has improved substantially as railroads have cut costs and boosted
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Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Names Thelen and Heilig to Operations Positions

July 28, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire
NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern Corp. named two people to key positions in its operations division, effective Aug. 1, 2006. Gerhard A. Thelen has been named vice president operations planning and support, headquartered in Norfolk. He will be responsible for the corporation’s operations planning, policies, budgets, research and tests and quality management functions. He has a masters degree from Pennsylvania State University and graduated from the Fachhochschule Munich (university for applied sciences). Thelen joined Norfolk Southern in 1977 and served in quality, engineering, research, and mechanical positions before being named vice president mechanical in 2004. Tim A. Heilig has been
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Miscellaneous

Turning Back the Clock in Detroit

July 28, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire
DETROIT — Starting Aug. 5, Tigers fans will have the opportunity to turn back the clock and travel to the game the nostalgic way. Olympia Development, the Detroit Tigers, Amtrak and the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) are teaming up to bring fans to Detroit aboard an existing metropolitan railway beginning in August. The Foxtown Tigers Train will board passengers at three suburban locations, beginning in Oakland County, and travel along existing rail lines that link these cities to Detroit. Passengers will then transfer to a special DDOT Tigers Trolley and conclude their trip at Comerica Park to see the
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Amtrak

Amtrak Pennsylvania Keystone Service Ridership Continues to Grow

July 28, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Amtrak Keystone Corridor trains, which operate between Harrisburg, Pa.; Philadelphia; and New York, continue to attract more riders, thanks to recent significant capital investments along the corridor underwritten in part by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Amtrak said. During the month of June, the Keystone service carried 72,091 passengers — a 20 percent increase over June 2005. Since the beginning of Amtrak’s fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2005) through June 30, 2006, Keystone ridership has increased nearly 13 percent to 615,124 passengers, according to Amtrak. "The Keystone service trains are continuing to deliver reliable service for our passengers every day,