Railroad News

U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) announced last week that Denny Wirtz has been appointed staff director of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials.

Wirtz has served as Shuster's legislative director since 2015, after joining the T&I Committee's staff when the congressman became chairman in January 2013, according to a committee press release.

Retail imports at the nation's major container ports hit a record in July, the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates announced late last week.

Ports covered by the Global Port Tracker handled 1.78 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) in July, a 5 percent increase from June and a 9.2 percent increase from July 2016, NRF officials said in a press release.

Metropolitan Council Chair Alene Tchourumoff has recommended rejecting all four civil construction bids for the Minneapolis area's Southwest light-rail project.

The submitted bids didn't meet the council's cost expectations and other requirements for the proposed $1.9 billion project, Met Council officials said in a press release.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is making improvements in on-time performance, with fewer train offloads and unscheduled delays in its rail service, agency officials announced yesterday.

In August, 89 percent of trips taken on the rail system arrived on time, which marked an improvement since WMATA concluded its SafeTrack emergency maintenance program in June, agency officials said in a press release.

President Donald Trump has nominated CSX Corp. Vice President Howard "Skip" Elliott to serve as administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

A 40-year veteran of the U.S. freight-rail industry, Elliott is group vice president of public safety, health, environment and security for CSX. His responsibilities cover hazardous materials transportation safety, homeland security, railroad policing, crisis management, environmental compliance and operations, occupational health management, and continuity of business operations.

The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) late last week recommended shrinking the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) board to 12 members from 16.

Under NVTC's proposal, three members would represent each of WMATA's three jurisdictions, along with three individuals to represent the federal government.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) late last week appointed Thomas Post director of engineering.

In the role, Post will ensure that all engineering elements of the state's high-speed rail program are delivered within scope, quality standards, budget and schedule, CHSRA officials said in a press release.

The outlook for rail cars has "brightened considerably" due to strong gains in certain commodity groups in the first half of 2017, according to Economic Planning Associates Inc.'s (EPA) latest report.

Strong traffic is certain to lead to increased investments — including in rolling stock — by the railroads, the report stated.

MTA Metro-North Railroad today will begin a round of infrastructure improvements on the Port Jervis Line.

Crews will perform structural repairs at the Moodna and Woodbury viaducts, as well as remove a defunct overhead bridge at Day Road in Campbell Hall, New York.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has named Elizabeth O'Neill interim general manager and chief executive officer.

A 22-year MARTA veteran, O'Neill currently serves as the agency's chief legal counsel. She will succeed Keith Parker, who last week announced he will resign to accept a position as president and CEO of Goodwill of North Georgia.

To mark its 30th anniversary, Montana Rail Link (MRL) this month will conduct eight employee appreciation train trips across its network in and around Missoula, Helena, Livingston, Billings and Laurel, Montana.

The railroad launched business on Oct. 31, 1987, with more than 500 employees who joined the company from more than 30 different railroads, according to an MRL press release.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo yesterday unveiled a "Keep It Clean" initiative aimed at discouraging subway littering in New York City.

The campaign features a new public service announcement that warns riders about the dangers of leaving trash on the system. The ad also notes that passengers who litter will receive $100 fines.

Caltrain has released a report to summarize and highlight its sustainability achievements between fiscal years 2010 and 2016. It’s the first time the commuter railroad has issued a sustainability report.

Over the past several years, the railroad has experienced "unprecedented ridership growth," which helps keep vehicles off the road and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in the San Francisco Bay area, Caltrain officials said in a press release.

CN officials yesterday unveiled the renamed Claude Mongeau National Training Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The Class I announced earlier this year that it would name its national employee training center after former President and Chief Executive Officer Claude Mongeau, who stepped down from his post for health reasons in June 2016.

The House has passed an amendment that would provide funds to support medical fitness standards for rail workers.

Introduced by U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), the amendment calls for setting aside $1 million for the Federal Railroad Administration to establish medical fitness standards for critical safety personnel at railroads.

Canadian Pacific and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference — Train & Engine division (TCRC-T&E) have agreed on a one-year renewal of an existing collective agreement, the railroad announced yesterday.

If ratified by members, the pact would offer the Class I's Canadian conductors and engineers a number of benefits and certainty over the next year, while also protecting the interests of customers and future customers, CP officials said in a press release.