Record revenues for Kansas City Southern
Despite some network issues, Kansas City Southern saw record revenues in the third quarter that were 6% higher at $699 million from a year ago.
Breaking News
Tunneling on LACMTA Purple Line Extension Project begins
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) has launched tunneling work on its Purple Line subway extension.
Butler moves up to CFO at Sound Transit
Sound Transit has appointed Tracy Butler, a longtime executive of the Seattle agency, as chief financial officer.
Cuomo urges federal help on Hudson tunnel repairs
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo toured one of the two North (Hudson) River rail tunnels on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor linking New Jersey and New York to view corrosion and damage, and called on President Trump to support funding for repairs.
Ironhorse Resources acquires San Pedro & Southwestern
Short line holding company Ironhorse Resources, Inc., has acquired Arizona-based San Pedro & Southwestern Railroad (SPSR). RR Mergers & Acquisitions, a specialist in the sale of rail sector companies, brokered the deal. SPSR will be renamed the San Pedro Valley Railroad (SPVR); the transaction is effective immediately.
Batory to industry: “Seize the fourth quarter”
Federal Railroad Administrator Ron Batory on Oct. 17 completed a second series of meetings with senior leadership of Positive Train Control (PTC) system suppliers that are directly associated with the eight railroads FRA has identified as “most at risk of not meeting statutory requirements by the end of the year.”
AAR hazmat awards honor Schoendorfer of NS, safe shippers
The Association of American Railroads announced the 2018 recipients of the Holden-Proefrock Award and the 2017 Non-Accident Release (NAR) Grand Slam Awards.
Puchala leading national communications and marketing for Operation Lifesaver
Operation Lifesaver, the national rail safety education organization, has hired Jessica Puchala as director of communications and marketing.
Crude pumps up weekly carload report
Commodity and intermodal rail traffic continued to finished in positive territory for the latest week, but at a much slower pace than earlier in the year.
Norfolk Southern, CSX continue recovery from effects of Hurricane Michael
The Class 1 carriers continue to make repairs and clean up lines a week after Hurricane Michael whipsawed the South with destructive winds and torrential rain.
Opinion
If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu
Editor’s Note: Following is an edited response to my editorial of Aug. 10, 2018, on a New Jersey Transit board meeting. See below for further clarification.
The clock is running on untreated OSA
Timely accident investigations are critical to the future of safe transportation operations, for a number of reasons. First, they must begin expeditiously. As the clock runs, evidence can deteriorate or become corrupted. Witness memories of events fade, sometimes to the detriment of actual fact-finding. Second, the search for cause factors and efforts to remediate are delayed, leaving people and property at risk of more accidents and incidents caused by the same risk factors. Third, as time passes, other accidents and incidents demand investigation, putting a strain on investigatory resources.
PTC, a different approach
Major train derailments and collisions can be spectacular. Their economic and environmental consequences are considerable, and they kill and injure people. In response, over the past 40 years, pressed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Congress (by statute in 2008) the railroads have been implementing Positive Train Control (PTC) systems to reduce the potential for these crashes.
The Amtrak era is over. It’s time for a replacement
Railway Age editor William C. Vantuono wondered recently what exactly Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson is trying to accomplish by truncating long-distance routes, replacing fresh dining-car meals with MREs*, and replacing station agents with nobody.
Amtrak reform: Attention must be paid
Watching Washington, October 2018: From operating plans to marketing to pricing, change is relentless in railroading. Where railroaders once every five years looked with suspicion at all aspects of their system, and made substantial changes after 10, scientific advances, new processes and innovative applications propelled by unremitting competition have put the transformation process on steroids.