Rail Industry News
An air cleaner: Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor service marks 25 years
(Source: Air Quality Matters, December 6, 2016) Amtrak Capitol Corridor trains hit the rails running, as it were, on Dec. 12, 1991. Such marked the first time since 1974 in California that a “new” regional Amtrak passenger-rail service was established – the regional...
Lake Forest opponents of Hiawatha expansion remain vocal
(Source: Pioneer Press, December 6, 2016) CHICAGO — Opponents of a proposed side track in west Lake Forest again expressed concerns about the project at a Dec. 5 City Council meeting, saying the environmental impacts might have been understated and the potential...
Niagara Falls train station opens to passengers
(Source: Niagara Gazette, December 6, 2016) NIAGARA FALLS — Albert McFadyen has always loved trains. He remembers reading books about trains when he was just a boy growing up in Niagara Falls. That’s why McFadyen, now a Lockport resident, wanted to ride the first...
Auditor accuses CN, CP of overcharging transit authority
(Source: BNN, December 1, 2016) MONTREAL — CN Rail installed partially-used parts on an Ontario transit project but charged taxpayers for new parts, according to a scathing new document by the province’s auditor general. Full story: www.bnn.com
Hoffa: TPP’s defeat is a win for workers
(Source: Column by Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa in the Detroit News, December 7, 2016) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. is entering a new era with a new president. And the Teamsters will roll up our sleeves and continue to create an economy that works for all...
Man charged in shooting death of CN security guard
(Source: ABC Chicago, December 6, 2016) HARVEY, Ill. — A man has been charged in the fatal shooting of a Canadian National Railroad security guard in south suburban Harvey, police said Tuesday. Full story: ABC Chicago
Rail advocates say NJ Transit needs more state money to help keep it safe
(Source: News Works, December 7, 2016) PHILADELPHIA — New Jersey Transit train riders who suspect their daily commutes are riddled with more service failures than their counterparts in other states aren’t imagining it. On average, NJ Transit train cars break down 12...
NJ Transit hearing focuses on PTC, crash prevention
(Source: The Record of North Jersey, December 6, 2016) NEWARK, N.J. — Lawmakers investigating the fatal NJ Transit crash in Hoboken focused Tuesday on automated systems designed to prevent collisions and derailments. Full story: www.lohud.com
Paulsboro derailment spurs new safety guidelines
(Source: www.nj.com, December 6, 2016) WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. railroads have agreed to change some procedures as a result of the 2012 Paulsboro derailment that caused a vinyl chloride spill. The railroads have agreed to rely solely on the federal Emergency Response...
With Dakota Access pipeline in limbo, more Bakken crude to move by rail
(Source: Reuters, December 6, 2016) HOUSTON — As oil prices recover and U.S. shale production picks up, energy companies that had planned to ship crude on the Dakota Access Pipeline will turn to rail, a transport method that poses its own risks to the environment and...
NTSB cites fatigue, alarm malfunction, lack of PTC for 2014 fatality in Hoxie, Ark.
(Source: Associated Press, December 6, 2016. BLET Editor’s Note: BLET member Chance J. Gober of Division 182 (North Little Rock, Ark.) was killed in the crash.) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Crew fatigue brought on by irregular work schedules and a moderate form of sleep apnea...
KCS Holiday Express, Santa’s factory bring Christmas smiles
(Source: Meridian Star, December 2, 2016) MERIDIAN — The Christmas spirit arrived in Meridian Friday evening by way of the Kansas City Southern Holiday Express' visit to Union Station and Santa setting up his Christmas Factory at the Soule’ Museum. Full story:...
DOT announces $300 million for university transportation center grants
(Source: U.S. Department of Transportation press release, December 5, 2016) WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced today $300.3 million in grants to 32 University Transportation Centers (UTCs) to advance research and education programs...
NS says count us out of Great Lakes Basin plan
(Source: www.nwitimes.com, December 6, 2016) MUNSTER, Ind. — Norfolk Southern railroad has reiterated to federal regulators that it will not use a railroad proposed by Great Lakes Basin Transportation as a bypass around Chicago's congestion. Full story:...
UP crews breach Great Salt Lake causeway to restore balance of salt, water levels
(Source: Salt Lake Tribune, December 2, 2016) SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The Union Pacific Railroad this week began breaching the 20-mile causeway that bisects the Great Salt Lake, allowing the waters from the lake's north arm and south arm to mix. Full story: Salt Lake...
Keolis launches ‘biometric’ time clock system at MBTA commuter rail facility
(Source: Progressive Railroading, December 5, 2016) Keolis Commuter Services, which operates Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) commuter-rail network, has launched a new time-clock system that uses "biometric" scanning to improve the accuracy of...
NS derailment damages 120 BMWs on their way to Port of Charleston
(Source: Post and Courier, December 5, 2016) COLUMBIA, S.C. — A Norfolk Southern freight train derailed northwest of Columbia on Sunday, damaging up to 120 BMW automobiles on their way to the Port of Charleston to be shipped overseas. Full story: Post and Courier
Rensselaer rail improvements expected to reduce delays
(Source: Albany Times Union, December 5, 2016) RENSSELAER — The Rensselaer train station has its long-awaited fourth track, and the added capacity is expected to reduce delays. The station, one of Amtrak's 10 busiest in the nation, was designed to have two platforms...
Is crumbling infrastructure inhibiting American productivity?
(Source: PBS News Hour, December 1, 2016) WASHINGTON, D.C. — In recent decades, American productivity growth has slowed. Yale University's Jacob Hacker has a possible explanation: the country’s outdated and deteriorating infrastructure. Hacker, co-author of “American...
Cost of UP oil train derailment in Mosier: $9 million and rising
(Source: Associated Press, December 3, 2016) VANCOUVER, Wash. — Six months after a train hauling Bakken crude oil derailed in the Columbia River Gorge, agencies in Washington and Oregon are still tabulating a bill to send to Union Pacific Railroad. Full story: Seattle...
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