Railroad News

Last week, the U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump's nominations of Robert Sumwalt III to serve as chairman and Jennifer Homendy to serve as a member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Sumwalt was confirmed to serve a three-year term. He was sworn in as the 14th NTSB chairman on Aug. 10, 2017. Sumwalt began his tenure at the NTSB in August 2006 after President George W. Bush appointed him to the board and designated him to serve as vice chairman.

The Port of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) marked "significant gains" in auto volume during the first six months of 2019 versus the same period last year, port officials announced in a recent blog.

PANYNJ logged a 6.4 percent increase in automobile volume during the six-month period, including a 34.3 percent increase in autos moved during June.

Metrolink yesterday announced it appointed the following to its leadership team: Eric Hosey, chief operating officer; Darrell Maxey, chief mobilization officer; and Noelia Rodriguez, chief of staff. 

As COO, Hosey will oversee dispatching and operations of Metrolink’s 538-mile network. He has more than 25 years of experience in freight and passenger rail. He is a former assistant vice president of transportation for Amtrak’s Southwestern division, and a brakeman and locomotive engineer at Norfolk Southern Railway. Hosey also served in the U.S. Navy, Metrolink officials said in a press release. 

The Stillwater Central Railroad last week notified the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) that it won't meet a provision of its 2014 sale agreement to provide passenger-rail service by its Aug. 4 deadline.

As part of the ODOT’s $75 million sale of the Sooner Sub rail line to Stillwater Central Railroad in 2014, the company agreed to conduct a six-month pilot program to provide daily passenger-rail service between Del City and Sapulpa, Oklahoma, at no cost to the state or taxpayers, ODOT officials said in a press release.

The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) announced yesterday that Steve Branscum and Michael Wilson will be honored next month with the 2019 Silver Kingpin Award.

The Silver Kingpin recognizes an individual's long-term contributions to intermodalism. The award was initiated in 1977 by the National Piggyback Association. Branscum and Wilson will receive their awards during the Intermodal EXPO in Long Beach, California, on Sept. 16.

Kimia Khatami, 27
Director of customer service
Pacific Harbor Line Railroad

Nominator’s quote: “Pacific Harbor Line is a complex, growing railroad and it serves a critical role as a last-mile railroad for carload business, and an origin point for four-plus dozen intermodal trains per day. Kimia is a major key to our success and she is relied upon regularly by the operating team as well as the executive team here at Anacostia.” — Eric Jakubowski, Anacostia Rail Holdings Inc.

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) will suspend weekend light-rail service Aug. 10-11 and Aug. 17-18 at some Red Line stations to allow rail bridge construction in Midvale, Utah. 

Utah Department of Transportation work to widen 7200 South street will require closures of Historic Gardner Station in West Jordan, Bingham Junction Station in Midvale and Fashion Place West Station in Murray. 

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) crews will begin on Aug. 25 work to upgrade the electrical traction power system in downtown San Francisco.

Crews will replace the power cables that power BART light-rail trains with modern shielded cabling. The cabling technology and substations currently channeling energy to the system is outdated, BART officials said in a press release. 

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) beginning Aug. 9 will close its trolley tunnel from 13th Street to 40th Street for 10 days to perform repairs and preventive maintenance. 

During the closure of the 5-mile tunnel, SEPTA crews will replace curved track and switches, clean track beds and drainage systems, install lighting, and replace and upgrade track circuit and signal wires, according to the project website. 

Stanley Herzog, president of William E. Herzog Enterprises Inc. and chairman of Herzog Contracting Corp., died Aug. 2 at his home in Missouri. He was 70.

Stanley and his brother Randy were instrumental in helping their father, William "Bill" Herzog, found Herzog Contracting Corp. in 1969. Stanley became the company's first official employee, starting out as a foreman on regional asphalt paving projects, according to a Herzog press release.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is now accepting applications for the 2019 Rail Transportation Assistance (RTAP) and the Rail Freight Assistance (RFAP) programs.

Eligible organizations — including freight railroads, freight railroad-served shippers and economic development entities — may apply for funding through either program. Applications are available on the website, PennDOT officials said in a press release.

Linda Hernandez, 36
Industrial development manager
Kansas City Southern

Nominator’s quote: “Linda has been the primary driver to KCS' growth in the Mexican energy sector, as well as a tireless champion for her customers, an avid student of the Mexican business environment and an extraordinary team leader. As such, she was entrusted with the task of formulating our sales strategy for the opening of the Mexican energy market.” — David Eaton, Kansas City Southern

The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) last week launched a redesigned trip-planning mobile application for Tri-Rail commuter-rail riders.

The app’s functions allow riders to customize their trip plans and save multiple recurring trips made on Tri-Rail trains to revisit in the future, SFRTA officials said in a press release. 

The Regional Transportation District of Denver (RTD) intends to explore other autonomous shuttle services following last week’s conclusion of a six-month autonomous shuttle pilot program. 

In an effort to test the viability of using autonomous vehicles as a first- and last-mile connection, RTD’s four-stop shuttle service transported commuter-rail riders between the 61st and Pena Station, two businesses and a park-and-ride lot in Denver, RTD officials said in a press release.

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) last week partnered with the city of Valparaiso, Indiana, to operate a weekday shuttle service providing first- and last-mile transportation options for South Shore Line riders. 

The shuttle will operate on a 30-minute route between a ChicaGo Dash parking lot and the South Shore’s Dune Park Station. ChicaGo Dash is an express bus service which runs between Chicago and Valparaiso, NICTD officials said in a press release.

Virgin Trains USA, which has proposed building a high-speed passenger-rail line from Las Vegas to Southern California, is seeking financing for the project by selling tax-exempt bonds in Nevada and activity bonds in California, according to Las Vegas news media reports.

Formerly known as Brightline, Virgin Trains has applied to the Nevada Department of Business and Industry for the right to sell $200 million worth of private activity bonds, the Las Vegas Sun reported. The cost of building the rail line from Las Vegas to Victorville, California, is estimated to cost more than $4 billion.

TransLink last week received the first of its 12-train order scheduled to enter service early next year on the SkyTrain Canada Line in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

The remaining two-car trains will be shipped by Hyundai Rotem in South Korea and arrive throughout the year and into early 2020, TransLink officials said in a press release.