CAGTC turns 18; adds to Board
The Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC) recently elected two and re-elected four members to its Board of Directors, as the freight advocacy organization celebrated its 18th anniversary.
Breaking News
RCR Hempstead Logistics Park holds groundbreaking ceremony
With an aim to serve myriad industries with efficient rail access, RCR Hempstead Logistics Park recently held a groundbreaking reception.
BR&L acquires ARS
Rail and track material provider Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. (BR&L) recently announced that it has acquired Austintown Rail Supply (ARS), a supplier of switching materials and other railroad track products.
Registration open, theme revealed for MARS Summer Meeting
The Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) recently announced that its Summer Meeting will have a theme of “Precision Scheduled Railroading and the Shipper Impact.”
Talgo-SYSTRA tapped for rail-car rebuild
The Southern California Regional Rail Authority recently awarded the Talgo-SYSTRA tandem a contract worth $138.9 million to rebuild up to 121 Metrolink-operated Bombardier Rail Cars. The base order is for 50 cars with an option for up to 71 additional units.
Simpson, Bryant join TSI management team
The Sulphur Institute (TSI) recently announced that Tom Simpson has assumed the role of Chairman of the Board and John Bryant has taken over as President and CEO.
Bentley acquires Keynetix
Infrastructure design, construction and operations software provider Bentley Systems, Inc. recently announced its acquisition of Keynetix, a U.K.-based provider of cloud-based software for the capturing, visualizing, modeling and sharing of geotechnical data.
AECOM named Employer of the Year
Global infrastructure service firm AECOM recently announced that it has been named the 2019 Employer of the Year by the Chicago chapter of the Women Transportation Seminar (WTS).
Rocky Mountaineer pays homage to McLean
Canadian rail-tour company Rocky Mountaineer recently revealed that it dedicated one of its new bi-level GoldLeaf Service rail cars in honor of David G.A. McLean.
Road & Rail Services receives safety award
Louisville, Ky.-based Road & Rail Services, Inc., a provider of third-party logistics in North America, was recently honored with the Platinum Award by the Mosaic Company.
Opinion
Part 3 of 6: Is This Tunnel Really Necessary?
Ever since Hurricane Sandy devastated the New York and New Jersey region in October 2012, the tunnels under the Hudson River between New Jersey and Penn Station New York have been described as a ticking time bomb, subject to complete failure at any time; at least any time after 2021, and more likely after 2034.
Amtrak: Freedom From Responsibility is Illusory
THE FINANCIAL EDGE, MAY 2019 – In a recent TED talk, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey suggested that, in an attempt to combat abusive speech and harassment, Twitter would consider moving from threads written by individuals to topic threads. Dorsey suggested these interest networks would be easier to monitor for Twitter code of conduct breeches.
Requiem For a Heavyweight
FROM THE EDITOR, MAY 2019 – By the time you read this, the largest steam locomotive ever built will have thundered her way from Union Pacific’s Steam Shop in Cheyenne, Wyo., to Ogden, Utah, to take part in ceremonies marking the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike, which completed the nation’s first transcontinental railroad.
Shipper Frustration Turns Contemptuous
WATCHING WASHINGTON, MAY 2019 – Oh, the contempt that drippeth from a judicial petition of the Western Coal Traffic League (WCTL), whose members ship and receive by rail some 175 million tons of coal annually. It accuses the Surface Transportation Board (STB) of impersonating a regulatory agency by not acting on long-pending rulemakings, and asks a federal court to order the STB to do as its statute instructs—timely decide cases brought before it.
PSR: Short-term gains, but at what cost?
Much is being made in the railroad industry and transportation media about the Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) wildfire sweeping from coast to coast. Proponents of PSR will tell you that it will prove to be the industry’s savior. But it also begs the following question: Just what does the industry need to be saved from?