Railroad News

BNSF Railway Co. recently unveiled the first of 10 locomotives with special paint schemes marking the railroad's 25th anniversary.

The General Electric ES44AC No. 5828 now displays a "25th Anniversary" label on the nose and side, as well as predecessor railroads that are part of BNSF's history: Burlington Northern; Santa Fe Railway; Great Northern; Northern Pacific; Spokane, Portland & Seattle; Colorado & Southern; and the Frisco, BNSF officials said in the Class I's Inside Track newsletter.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) yesterday announced it will allocate a total of $400 million for four transit infrastructure projects in Arizona, Indiana, Missouri and New Jersey. 

The projects are advancing towards readiness to receive a Full Funding Grant Agreement under the FTA’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program. The projects must meet additional requirements before a grant can be awarded.

CN yesterday announced it has hired Dominique Malenfant to serve as executive vice president and chief information and technology officer, effective Sept. 1.

Malenfant will lead the development and deployment of advanced technologies and digitalization to improve inspection reliability, provide data analytics, generate automation, and drive capacity and safety, CN officials said in a press release.

U.S. freight railroads' combined intermodal volume rose 5 percent to 285,086 containers and trailers during the week ending Aug. 22 compared with the same period a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data. 

Intermodal volume increased for the third straight week in the United States. But carload volume continued to fall — U.S. railroads logged 229,828 carloads, down 12 percent year over year. 

Brandon Whitaker, 37
Senior manager, telecom field operations
Union Pacific Railroad

Nominator’s quote: “By combining a highly technical engineering background with expertise in field operations and customer service, Brandon has been able to effectively leverage his passion for efficiency and improvement into measurable contributions and sustainable impact for the railroad.” — Beth Whited, Union Pacific

In March, Mechanical Rubber acquired Durox, a Wabtec Corp. company based in Strongsville, Ohio. The company is now Mechanical Rubber Ohio. Mechanical Rubber will continue to service all Wabtec worldwide divisions in the rail and transit markets, and continue to manufacture seals and gaskets for its existing customers, company officials said in a press release.

Motive Power Resources Inc. (MPR) has shipped the first EMD SW1200 locomotive of a four locomotive order for Steel Dynamics Inc.’s new facility in Sinton, Texas. The facility is scheduled to begin production in early 2021. The locomotives being supplied will be equipped with all new electrical wiring and control systems incorporating the latest TMV microprocessor technology, and feature newly rebuilt mechanicals, MPR officials said in a press release.

The deadline to nominate someone for the League of Railway Women's (LRW) Railway Woman of the Year Award is Friday.

Co-sponsored by Progressive Railroading, the award recognizes the contributions of North American female rail industry leaders who can best be described as confident trailblazers, influential luminaries and thoughtful visionaries, LRW officials say.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) yesterday kicked off a one-month scoping period to solicit input on additional freight facilities in Colton and Barstow, California, that are necessary for the construction and operation of a 30-mile section of high-speed rail from Los Angeles to Anaheim.

The Los Angeles-to-Anaheim project section will travel along the BNSF Railway Co.-owned rail corridor between Los Angeles and Fullerton. To accommodate the future high-speed rail service, a portion of BNSF’s freight service will need to be relocated from the corridor. 

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) yesterday announced it will shut down all Muni Metro light-rail lines and replace them with bus service for several weeks due to overhead electrical line failures and because an employee tested positive for COVID-19. 

The shutdown occurred just days after the agency reopened rail service following five months of being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Regional Transportation District of Denver’s (RTD) board last night selected Debra Johnson as the agency’s next general manager and chief executive officer.

Johnson — now deputy CEO of the Long Beach Transit bus service in California — will be the first female CEO in RTD's history, agency officials said in a press release. 

Bradley Walker, 38
Director of safety
Watco Cos. LLC

Nominator’s quote: “Brad often teaches in the field and classroom for four of Watco’s railroads that comprise about 1,500 of the company’s 5,400 short line freight miles and represent between 350 and 400 employees. He is the point man for Watco’s implementation of federally regulated programs, including making sure all operations on new properties are compliant on Day 1.” — Tracie VanBecelaere, Watco Cos. LLC

Six San Francisco Bay Area transit operators, including rail agencies, last week issued standards for keeping transit safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The “Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan” outlines actions such as frequent cleaning, personal protective equipment, face coverings, social distancing, ventilation and touchless fares.

Metro Transit in Minneapolis on Sept. 12 will expand its light-rail schedule by offering service every 10 minutes on the Blue and Green lines. 

In July, light-rail ridership was down about 75 percent compared to the same month last year, Metro Transit officials said in a press release.

A project to eliminate a grade crossing on MTA Long Island Rail Road's (LIRR) main line in the villages of New Hyde Park and Garden City has been completed two months ahead of schedule, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday.

The grade separation is the latest step in a broader LIRR expansion project that calls for adding a third track from Floral Park to Hicksville to reduce train congestion and delays. The New Hyde Park crossing is the third of eight crossings along the LIRR main line eliminated as part of the expansion plan.

Metra crews tomorrow will begin a $2.3 million project to replace a railroad crossing at 87th Street and Pulaski Road on the SouthWest Service Line in Worth Township, Illinois. 

Crews will reposition the crossing gates at the intersection closer to the tracks, add pedestrian gates and replace the signal bungalow. Work also will include the replacement of rail, ties and ballast.