Short Line/Regional – Page 14

Proposed Maine Abandonment Would Force More Trucks Onto Roads

April 9, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Section of Environmental Analysis at the Surface Transportation Board issued a draft environmental assessment on the proposed abandonment of 233 miles of rail line in the northern Maine counties of Aroostook and Penobscot. The draft review found that the abandonment of this line could divert onto Maine’s highways as many as an additional 73,344 truck trips per year, consuming an additional 3.3 million gallons of fuel per year. However, the draft review, which estimated it would take four trucks to replace every rail car, found that the diversion of rail traffic onto trucks would appear to be

STB to Hold Hearing on Plan to Abandon Main Rail Line

March 14, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board will hold a public hearing this spring in Maine on the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway’s application to abandon 233 miles of rail line in Aroostook and Penobscot counties.

AAR: 2009 Safest Year Ever for Nation’s Freight Railroads

March 12, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads announced that 2009 was the safest year in freight railroad history, with preliminary year-end data indicating the train accident rate, employee casualty rate and grade crossing incident rates were all at record low levels last year.

AAR Reports Monthly Carload Declines Slow in February 2010

March 10, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported that in February 2010, U.S. freight railroads saw a 1.5 percent decline in carloads compared with the same month last year and a decline of 15.6 percent compared with the same month in 2008.

AAR: Rail Carload Freight Reaches Highest Level in More Than a Year

March 7, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Carload freight volume on U.S. railroads reached its highest level in more than a year during the week ended Feb. 27, the Association of American Railroads reported. U.S. railroads originated 290,261 carloads during the week ended Feb. 27, up 2.6 percent from the comparable week in 2009 and the highest level reported since the week ended Dec. 6, 2008. However, the total was still down 13.5 percent from comparison week in 2008. In order to offer a complete picture of the progress in rail traffic, AAR now reports 2010 weekly rail traffic with comparison weeks in both 2009

Three on Trestle Killed When Struck by Train

February 21, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

MELBOURNE, Fla. — Three teenage girls were killed after they were struck by a freight train. Authorities said they were crossing a railroad trestle when they were struck by a Florida East Coast Train.

L. B. Foster Company to Acquire Portec Rail Products

February 17, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

PITTSBURGH — L. B. Foster Co. and Portec Rail Products Inc. announced the signing of an Agreement and Plan of Merger, under which L. B. Foster will make, through its wholly owned acquisition subsidiary, a cash tender offer to acquire all of Portec’s outstanding shares of common stock for $11.71 per share. “The proposed acquisition will bring together two organizations with a rich history of successfully delivering products and services to the global rail industry,” said Stan Hasselbusch, L . B. Foster’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “The addition of Portec will complement our existing array of products and furthers

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Limited Sign Rail Services Agreement

February 16, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

GREENWICH, Conn. — Genesee & Wyoming Inc. said that GWI and a newly formed GWI subsidiary, Western Labrador Rail Services (WLRS), have entered into a long term agreement with Bloom Lake Railway Company (BLRC), a subsidiary of Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Limited (CLM), for WLRS to provide rail transportation services to BLRC. Operated as part of GWI’s Canada Region, WLRS will haul unit trains of iron ore over BLRC’s newly constructed 31-kilometer railway from CLM’s Bloom Lake mine, located in the province of Quebec on the south end of the Labrador Trough, to Wabush, Labrador. The iron ore will then travel

Illinois Railroads Ordered to Compensate Employee Fired for Reporting Work-Related injury

February 12, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

KANSAS CITY — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered the Illinois Central Railroad Co. and the Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad, both headquartered in Homewood, Ill., to pay a former railroad employee more than $80,000 in back wages, compensatory damages and attorney’s fees. OSHA investigated the employee’s allegation that the railroads terminated his employment in retaliation for reporting a work-related injury he sustained while performing his job. OSHA’s investigation found that officials from both railroads ordered an investigation into the cause of the employee’s injury, which ultimately resulted in their decision to terminate

Genesee & Wyoming Reports Results for the Fourth Quarter of 2009

February 8, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

GREENWICH, Conn. — Genesee & Wyoming Inc. reported net income in the fourth quarter of 2009 of $18.3 million, compared with net income of $25.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. GWI’s diluted earnings per share (EPS) in the fourth quarter of 2009 were $0.44 with 41.3 million weighted average shares outstanding, compared with diluted EPS of $0.70 with 36.4 million weighted average shares outstanding in the fourth quarter of 2008. GWI’s results for the fourth quarter of 2009 included gains on the sale of assets of $0.8 million ($0.5 million after-tax, or $0.01 per diluted share). Fourth quarter