Groundbreaking for Tex-Mex bridge project
The Texas Department of Transportation and Texas Pacifico Transportation held a groundbreaking for the reconstruction of the international rail bridge at Presidio.
Breaking News
Chicago South Shore earns ASLRRA safety award
Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad’s safety record in 2017 was recognized with the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association’s (ASLRRA) prestigious President’s Award.
Oregon sites vying for inland box hub
As a way to circumvent the highway congestion around the Port of Portland, neighboring sites are vying to develop an inland intermodal facility in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
Kiamichi Railroad is BNSF Shortline of the Year
BNSF Railway Company selected Kiamichi Railroad Company as its 2018 ‘Shortline of the Year’ during its annual Shortline Conference.
Denver rail park along Union Pacific line taking shape
Development is under way on what is being billed as the largest rail-served industrial park in the Denver area.
Record revenues for Kansas City Southern
Despite some network issues, Kansas City Southern saw record revenues in the third quarter that, at $699 million, were 6% higher from a year ago.
Record quarter right “on schedule” for Canadian Pacific
The math for North America railroads is simple: A surging economy plus Precision Scheduled Railroading equals record profits.
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.
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.