Railroad News

U.S. railroads' total carload traffic fell 2 percent to 256,863 units during the week ending July 22 compared with the same week in 2016, marking the first decline in carloads in several weeks, according to Association of American Railroads' (AAR) data.

U.S. intermodal volume rose 4.1 percent to 277,289 containers and trailers during the week compared with a year ago. Total U.S. weekly rail traffic increased 1.1 percent to
534,152 carloads and intermodal units compared with last year's weekly total.

Exhibit space for the Railway Interchange 2017 conference has sold out, event organizers announced this week.

The exhibition, the largest rail industry trade show in North America, will be held Sept. 17-19 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Technical and educational sessions will take place Sept. 18-20, according to a Railway Interchange 2017 press release.

Union Pacific Corp. announced yesterday that Bhavesh "Bob" Patel has been elected to the company's board.

Patel is chief executive officer and chairman of the management board of LyondellBasell Industries, one of the world's largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies.

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development on Tuesday approved a fiscal-year 2018 appropriations bill that would provide funding for Amtrak's long-distance routes.

The proposal slots $1.6 billion for the national intercity passenger railroad's Northeast Corridor and national network. The funds would enable Amtrak to continue service for all current routes, according to a press release issued by the subcommittee.

Kansas City Southern yesterday announced two new appointments to its business units in energy and short-line relations and intermodal operations.

Ginger Adamiak has been named vice president sales and marketing for energy and short-line operations, while Darin Selby has been named vice president intermodal operations. Selby will succeed Morris Godwin, who announced his retirement effective Sept. 1.

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) has awarded a $400.5 million contract to Hitachi Ansaldo Baltimore Rail Partners LLC to provide 78 new subway cars and a communications-based train control (CBTC) system.

Robert “Joe” Gordon, 39

Job description: Gordon has been involved in railroading since 2000. In 2014, he joined the NTSB, where he participates in or leads investigations into high-profile rail accidents, then presents the findings to the board. He also conducts outreach for the NTSB and provides training and guidance to the rail industry.

Education: Electrical apprenticeship, post high school; railroad industry training and education

Bay Area Rapid Transit's (BART) 'Fleet of the Future' rail cars are scheduled to begin carrying passengers in late September.

Since November 2016, the agency's 10 pilot cars have completed 42 weeks of testing on the main tracks during non-business hours. That was preceded by months of runs along test tracks at BART's Hayward Maintenance Facility beginning in April 2016.

Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority (ACE) representatives and other civic and private-sector officials gathered earlier this week to mark the opening of train service in a newly built trench in San Gabriel, California.

Construction began on the $313 million project in 2012 and final completion is scheduled for early next year.

During the first two weeks of Amtrak's emergency repairs at New York City's Penn Station, the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) rail system carried an average of more than 22,000 additional weekday riders.

Most of those riders normally use New Jersey Transit's Midtown Direct service but are being diverted to the Hoboken Terminal for the duration of the repair work, according to a PATH press release.

An SUV driver's actions are the probable cause of a fatal 2015 collision between the vehicle and an MTA Metro-North Railroad train at a grade crossing in Valhalla, New York, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced yesterday.

The collision resulted in the deaths of the SUV driver and five passengers on the train in the Feb. 3, 2015, accident. The passengers were killed when 343 feet of the third rail, which powers the train, penetrated the floor of the first rail car and struck passengers, NTSB said in its final report on the accident investigation.

Association of American Railroads (AAR) President and Chief Executive Officer Edward Hamberger yesterday testified before the Surface Transportation Board's (STB) regulatory reform task force on proposed regulatory measures.

In prepared remarks, Hamberger reiterated AAR's call for the STB to promote and defend the economic regulatory structure Congress established through the Staggers Act, which deregulated aspects of railroad pricing and routing.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman Joseph Lhota yesterday unveiled an action plan aimed at stabilizing and improving MTA New York City Transit's subway system.

The plan's initial phase will focus on the key drivers of nearly 80 percent of the major incidents that cause delays on the system. Those incidents include problems with signals, track and power, MTA officials said in a press release.

CN logged "solid" second-quarter 2017 financial results on strong volume growth across most commodity groups, the Class I reported yesterday.

CN's Q2 net income surged 20 percent to CA$1.03 billion, or CA$1.36 diluted earnings per share, compared with CA$858 million, or CA$1.10 diluted EPS, in the same period a year ago, according to a CN press release.

Norfolk Southern Corp. second-quarter 2017 net income rose 23 percent to $497 million, or $1.71 per diluted share, compared with the same quarter a year ago, the Class I reported this morning.

The profit growth was driven by a 15 percent increase in railway operations income, and an all-time record operating ratio of 66.3 percent, according to an NS press release.

Laura Fotiou, 28

Job description: Fotiou has worked in the railroad industry for nearly four years. At Amtrak, she ensures compliance with environmental regulations at stations, yards and facilities; enhances recycling and sustainability initiatives; and tracks greenhouse gas emissions for Amtrak’s corporate reduction goal and its annual report to the Carbon Disclosure Project. Fotiou also volunteers for the family assistance branch of the Amtrak response team that helps passengers and their families at accident sites.

Education: Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, B.S. in chemistry; University of Pennsylvania, M.S. in applied geosciences

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has reopened the Illinois Medical District Station's Damen Avenue entrance, the agency announced yesterday.

The development marked a milestone in CTA's $23 million renovation of the Blue Line station, which serves more than 940,000 riders each year and provides access to four major hospital systems.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao yesterday announced the appointment of David Horner and Steve McMillin to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) board.

Effective yesterday, the appointments come at a critical time for WMATA, Chao said in a press release.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Keolis Commuter Services yesterday announced plans to improve the agency's ticket checking system for its commuter-rail network.

The initiative includes a revenue-sharing partnership between the agency and Keolis, which operates the MBTA's commuter-rail system. The agreement expands a marketing and ridership growth initiative aimed at allowing additional investment into the system, Keolis officials said in a press release.

Union Pacific Railroad has received a Telly Award for its "Your Life is Worth the Wait" videos that urge drivers to stop for trains at grade crossings, the Class I announced yesterday.

The video series, which reached 32 million viewers on social media, was part of UP's 2016 public safety awareness campaign, according to a UP press release.