Rail Industry News
RRB names Chief Financial Officer
(The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board issued the following on March 21, 2011.) CHICAGO — The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has appointed George V. Govan as its Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Govan currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air...
Rail deal clears way for fast Charlotte passenger train
(The following appeared on the Charlotte Observer website on March 22, 2011.) CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After months of wrangling with a reluctant Norfolk Southern railroad, the N.C. Department of Transportation says it has won the agreement it needed to secure $461 million...
MBTA set to begin replacing 147,000 defective railroad ties
(The following appeared on the Patriot Ledger website on March 21, 2011.) BOSTON — Come late April and into May, you can forget about grabbing a weekend train up to Boston for a jaunt to the museums or Back Bay shops. That’s because rail workers have resumed the $91.5...
In Canada, railways fume over coming rule changes
(The following appeared at www.CBC.ca. on March 21, 2011.) OTTAWA — Canada's largest railways say they are disappointed in Ottawa's conclusion that further legislation may be needed to improve the quality of service they provide their customers, arguing it runs the...
Canadian government maps out next regulatory moves after reviewing freight-rail service
(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on March 21, 2011.) On Friday, the Canadian government released a final report on the Rail Freight Service Review, which was launched in 2008 to address supply chain concerns about freight-rail service....
Norfolk Southern expects to pay $58 million for Graniteville derailment
(The Associated Press circulated the following on March 21, 2011.) NORFOLK, Va. — Railroad operator Norfolk Southern says it will record an expense of at least $58 million from a 2005 derailment that led to nine deaths and a massive evacuation in Graniteville, S.C....
Wisconsin Teamsters involved in recall campaign
(The International Brotherhood of Teamsters issued the following on March 21, 2011.) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wisconsin's Teamster locals are putting some muscle behind the drive to recall eight of the Senate Republicans who voted to end collective bargaining rights for...
Union Pacific tax break bill gets OK from New Mexico Senate
(The following appeared on the Las Cruces Sun-News website on March 18, 2011.) SANTA FE, N.M. — Union Pacific will not pay locomotive fuel taxes in New Mexico if it opens a $418 million rail center in Santa Teresa. The state Senate on Friday approved a bill to forgive...
Freight rail faces many challenges in Maine
(The following appeardd on the Bangor Daily News website on March 20, 2011.) BANGOR, Maine — The railroad industry’s ability to move huge volumes of goods over long distances is also its biggest enemy in Maine, where a dwindling manufacturing base means customers who...
Resurgence of coal shipping pays dividends in W.Va.
(The following appeared on television station WBOY's website on March 20, 2011.) CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — The resurgence of coal shipments, fueled in part by an improving export market, is paying off in West Virginia. “In the last eight months, the Pocahontas Division,...
Weekend power issues cancel Amtrak trains throughout Mid-Atlantic
(The following appeared on the Baltimore Sun website on March 19, 2011.) BALTIMORE — Widespread electrical problems along railroad lines Saturday morning sent Amtrak riders in the Mid-Atlantic region scrambling to reschedule their weekend plans. The outage occurred at...
Florida high-speed rail plan stays in the ditch
(The following appeared on the Lakeland Ledger website on March 18, 2011.) LAKELAND, Fla. — U.S. Sen Bill Nelson, D-Florida, announced Friday that a last-ditch attempt to salvage the project via an agreement with Amtrak has failed. High-speed rail supporters have been...
Senate panel moves nominees for rail, maritime agencies
(The following appeared on The Journal of Commerce website on March 18, 2011.) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved President Obama's nominees for appointments to the Surface Transportation Board and Federal...
On the way to Biden ceremony, Amtrak CEO opts for car when train stalls
(UPI circulated the following on March 20, 2011.) WILMINGTON, Del. — The head of Amtrak said he had to automobiles to make the dedication of train station in Delaware re-named after Vice President Joe Biden. Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman planned roll into...
Vice President Joe Biden lauded for service to passenger rail system
(The following appeared on the News Journal website on March 20, 2011.) WILMINGTON, Del. — Vice President Joe Biden's daily commute from the Wilmington Amtrak station to Washington for 36 years is something of the rail line's legend. Biden, a longtime proponent of the...
BLET pact with MBCR includes wage increases
(The following appeared on the Boston Globe website on March 19, 2011.) BOSTON — Unions representing Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co. conductors and locomotive engineers agreed to a new contract Thursday, ending more than two years of negotiations. Labor talks...
NTSB to revamp its Most Wanted List process
(The National Transportation Safety Board issued the following on March 18, 2011.) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) voted unanimously this week to change its Most Wanted List Safety Recommendations Program Board Order. The Board Order...
Rail suicides leave lasting scars for train crews
(The following appeared on the San Francisco Examiner website on March 20, 2011. Tim Smith is Chairman of the California State Legislative Board.) SAN FRANCISCO — Deaths on the Caltrain tracks have gone down since 2009’s near-record high prompted increased safety and...
Teamsters praise Wisconsin judge for temporarily blocking collective bargaining bill
(The International Brotherhood of Teamsters issued the following on March 18, 2011.) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Teamsters everywhere are hailing today’s decision by a Wisconsin judge who temporarily issued a restraining order that will keep Gov. Scott Walker’s bill severely...
Opinion: Deficit reduction requires shared sacrifice
(The following column by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) appeared on the Huffington Post website on March 13, 2011.) The rich are getting richer. What is the Republican solution to the deficit crisis? More tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. Savage cuts in...
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