Railroad News

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has chosen Matt Williamson, manager of environmental and industry safety for CSX Corp., to receive the 2017 Professional Environmental Excellence Award.

The award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated outstanding performance in environmental awareness and responsibility during the year. Considered the highest honor for environmental professionals in the rail industry, the award was presented to Williamson at the annual Railroad Environmental Conference at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) yesterday marked the completion of seven grade separation projects along a BNSF Railway Co. line running through Fullerton, Anaheim and Placentia, California.

The $663 million effort involved building vehicular bridges and underpasses to separate motorists and pedestrians from the rail line, which is used by at least 70 trains daily.

CN reported third-quarter net income fell 1 percent to CA$958 million, while diluted earnings per share rose 2 percent to CA$1.27 compared with third-quarter 2016's financial results.

Revenue for the quarter rose 7 percent to CA$3.2 billion; operating income climbed 4 percent to CA$1.5 billion; and adjusted net income increased 2 percent to CA$989 million compared with the same period a year ago, according to a company press release.

Norfolk Southern Corp. reported third-quarter net income rose 10 percent to $506 million, or $1.75 per share, from $460 million, or $1.55 a share, in the same period a year ago.

NS' bottom-line growth was driven by an 11 percent increase in railway operations income, yielding a record quarterly operating ratio of 65.9 percent compared with 67.5 percent a year ago, company officials said in a press release.

CSX Corp. announced today that three of its top executives — Cindy Sanborn, Fredrik Eliasson and Ellen Fitzsimmons — will leave the company effective Nov. 15.

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Sanborn and Executive Vice President and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Eliasson will resign. Fitzsimmons — who serves as executive vice president of law and public affairs, general counsel and corporate secretary — will retire, according to a CSX press release.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) recently authorized construction of grade-crossing improvement projects in Ashland, Butler, Champaign, Cuyahoga, Hamilton, Seneca and Wayne counties.

Railroads involved in the projects are the Northern Ohio & Western Railway (NOW), Norfolk Southern Railway, Ashland Railway (AR), Cleveland Commercial Railroad (CC), Indiana & Ohio Railway (IO) and CSX, according to a commission press release.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has begun deploying work trains that spray water jets to clear tracks of slimy leaf debris, the agency announced yesterday.

Crews are operating the trains on MTA Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad and Staten Island Railway.

The Jacksonville Port Authority's (JAXPORT) public sea terminals logged record growth in containers and overall tonnage during fiscal-year 2017, which ended Sept. 30.

JAXPORT moved more than 1 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a 7 percent increase over FY2016, which also was a record year in container volumes for the port.  JAXPORT moved 9.3 million tons of cargo in FY2017, up 7 percent over the previous fiscal year.

Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx have chosen Toronto Tunnel Partners as the preferred team to design, build and finance the development of an upgraded rail tunnel in the Toronto area.

The team is made up of EllisDon Civil and Strabag Inc. The project calls for building a second rail tunnel under Highways 401/409 to accommodate two tracks, allowing for more frequent GO Transit rail service.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) yesterday unveiled proposed fares for the upcoming CTrail Hartford Line between New Haven, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts.

A one-way trip between the two cities would cost $12.75, while a trip from New Haven to Hartford, Connecticut, would be $8.

Jebediah Stotter has been appointed president and chief executive officer of North Shore Railroad Co. & Affiliates. His appointment was effective Oct. 19.

Stotter most recently served as vice president and chief operating officer. He joined the North Cumberland, Pennsylvania-based railroad company in 2001, according to a press release issued by Chairman Gary Shields.

Thomas Kotel has joined the Chicago Regional Transportation Authority's (RTA) board.

Kotel currently serves as recording secretary of the Pipe Fitters Local Union No. 597. He was first elected to that position in 2006.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) on Wednesday will host the first of two public scoping meetings for a project to improve capacity on the Red and Purple subway lines.

The project involves widening a tunnel entrance between Los Angeles Union Station and the Red-Purple subway yards in the city's Arts District. The project also includes building new tracks in the yard to allow trains to turn around quickly.

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) announced late last week that Michael McLaughlin has been named chief of rail transportation.

McLaughlin joined the department after 20 years of service with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and U.S. Congress.

Sound Transit's board last week renamed Seattle Union Station's Great Hall after Joni Earl, the agency's former chief executive officer.

In May, the board adopted the motion to rename the hall after Earl, who served as CEO until 2016. She joined the agency in 2000.

Class Is employed 146,673 workers in the United States as of mid-September, down 0.44 percent since mid-August's employment figure and down 3.81 percent compared with mid-September 2016's level, according to Surface Transportation Board (STB) data.

All six employment categories reflected workforce decreases last month compared with August levels: Professional and administrative positions were down 1.82 percent; executives, officials and staff assistants, down 1.56 percent; transportation (other than train and engine), down 0.44 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, down 0.43 percent; maintenance of way and structures, down 0.41 percent; and transportation (T&E), down 0.01 percent.

Caltrain today will begin construction on a grade separation project at 25th Avenue in San Mateo, California.

Crews will start building the bridges and walls needed to elevate Caltrain's track above the road. The separation is aimed at reducing local traffic congestion and increasing safety for drivers and pedestrians, Caltrain officials said in a press release.