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Daily Headlines
Mexico rail freight sector mulls legal fight to proposed reform
(Source: Reuters, February 6, 2014) GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- Two companies that control almost all of Mexico's rail freight market said on Thursday that proposed legislation to open up the industry ignores a concession granting exclusivity for another 14 years and are...
AAR: Rail industry sets weekly intermodal record in January 2014
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, February 6, 2014) WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported increased total U.S. rail traffic for January 2014, with intermodal and carload volume increasing overall...
Loser in MBTA bidding process vows to appeal
(Source: Associated Press, February 7, 2014) BOSTON -- The loser in the battle for a $2.68 billion state contract to operate the Massachusetts commuter rail trains says it plans to appeal the decision. Executives from the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co. tell...
Transport Canada keeps exemptions on rail safety secret
(Source: CBC News, February 7, 2014) OTTAWA -- Transport Canada refuses to discuss why it grants exemptions to freight rail companies on issues such as brake inspections and safety rules, claiming it is private information. CBC News this week revealed that Canada’s...
The ‘traveling bombs’ that could devastate a major American city
(Source: Think Progress, February 6, 2014) SPOKANE, Wash. -- Railroads made this eastern Washington city a commercial powerhouse in the inland Northwest. First, in 1881, came the Northern Pacific, followed by the Union Pacific, the Great Northern and other lesser...
Extra-flammable crude oil headed for trains was not labeled properly, investigation shows
(Source: Think Progress, February 5, 2014) NEW YORK -- Three independent companies that transport North Dakota crude oil by train have not been properly labeling the oil as it goes en route from cargo tanks to the actual train, investigators for the U.S. Pipeline and...
Amtrak to launch first locomotive in fleet of 70 from Boston’s South Station
(Source: Boston Globe, February 6, 2014) BOSTON -- The new locomotives are designed to self-diagnose and solve technical problems. Heating and cooling within the cabs have been improved, and so have crash management mechanisms, officials said. Full story: Boston...
In Amtrak’s new locomotive, Biden sees work that helps move the economy
(Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, February 7, 2014) PHILADELPHIA -- Vice President Biden used a trip to 30th Street Station on Thursday to tout Amtrak's newest locomotive as an engine of the economy and a savior of middle-class jobs. Full story: Philadelphia Inquirer
Bakken oil shipments of any size need emergency plans, report urges
(Source: Globe and Mail, February 6, 2014) TORONTO -- Cities, firefighters and industry are calling on Transport Canada to require companies that ship as little as one car of volatile Bakken oil by rail to have detailed emergency response plans. The recommendation is...
FRA to deploy new track inspection program in Casselton, N.D., Sen. Heitkamp says
(Source: Progressive Railroading, February 6, 2014) U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) on Wednesday announced she secured a commitment from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to deploy a new track inspection program in the Casselton, N.D., area, where a BNSF...
