Becker to Take the NRE Throttle
National Railway Equipment Company (NRE) has appointed Merritt Becker CEO, effective June 1.
Breaking News
San Pedro Bay Ports Set April Records
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., handled 887,357 TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) and 820,718 TEUs, respectively, in April 2022. Volumes are expected to grow this summer once COVID-19 lockdowns end in China.
Supply Side: Wabtec, Shift5
Wabtec has landed a contract to supply on-board doors for São Paulo (Brazil) Metro trainsets, to be built by Alstom. Also, Shift5 has been selected as a cybersecuity award finalist by CyberRisk Alliance.
ENSCO Elevates Stevens to President
Jeff Stevens has been promoted to President of ENSCO, Inc., succeeding Boris Nejikovsky, who will retire after 30 years of service.
First Look: Amtrak/Alstom Acela II
On May 23, Railway Age Publisher Jon Chalon and Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono toured Amtrak’s new Alstom-built Acela II high-speed Northeast Corridor trainset at Philadelphia 30th Street Station. Three of the 28-unit order are on the property.
Hyundai to Launch EV, Battery Plant in Georgia
Seoul, South Korea-based Hyundai Motor Group will invest $5.54 billion to open its first dedicated full electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing plant in the United States. It will be located in Bryan County, Ga., and served by Genesee & Wyoming’s Georgia Central Railway (GC).
Small-Road Briefs: Watco, FGA
Watco has completed a $3 million expansion of its Fairfield, Ala.-based training center. Also, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has awarded $3.2 million to Okaloosa County to expand roads, rail lines and utility infrastructure at the Shoal River Ranch industrial mega site, to be served by the Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad (FGA).
WMATA 7000-Series Cars to Return This Summer
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has reported that its 7000-series railcars are on schedule to resume service “later this summer,” after being sidelined last year due to a derailment.
FRA Issues FY21 Safety Enforcement Report
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has released its annual enforcement report summarizing the regulatory compliance inspections and audits conducted in the past fiscal year by FRA or state inspectors participating in FRA’s rail safety program, as well as the civil penalty enforcement actions arising from them.
CBC ‘Welcomes’ Face-to-Face Mediation
Leaders of the Coordinated Bargaining Coalition (CBC) Rail Labor Unions* say they are hopeful the in-person mediation sessions scheduled for May 24-26 before the National Mediation Board (NMB) “will help to settle their ongoing national contract dispute.”
For CN, a New Board Chair
Shauneen Bruder has been elected Chair of the CN Board of Directors, succeeding Robert Pace, who in March 2021 announced he would not seek re-election when his term expired.
For RBMN, a Fracking Success
Class II Reading & Northern Railroad (RBMN) took delivery of its first unit train of frac sand around 10:30 am on May 15. Norfolk Southern delivered the train to RBMN’s North Reading Yard.
Mike Knutton, Former IRJ Chief Editor, Dies
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Mike Knutton, former Editor-in-Chief of International Railway Journal, following a short illness. Mike worked at IRJ for 29 years and was chief editor for 19. He leaves behind his widow, Yan.
![“As MTS modernizes its Trolley fleet, we are very glad to see our older [second-generation] models continue to be put to use, serving the people of Mendoza to carry residents to work, school and other activities, just like they’ve been doing in San Diego for almost 30 years,” said Sharon Cooney, CEO of MTS, which ordered 45 new S70 low-floor LRVs from Siemens in 2016, the first of which was delivered in 2018. (Pictured: LRV ready to roll in Argentina.)](https://www.railwayage.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Trolleys-in-Arg-315x168.jpg)
San Diego Trolleys Making Their Way to Argentina
San Diego (Calif.) Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is donating up to 39 decommissioned Siemens SD100 LRVs (light rail vehicles) to the city of Mendoza, Argentina.
MxV Rail Breaks Ground on First Test Loop
Construction is under way at MxV Rail’s new railroad testing facility at the PuebloPlex campus in Colorado, which is set to open this fall.
Commentary
VIA Rail’s Existential Problem? It Never Existed
Cynthia Garneau on May 20 gave up VIA Rail Canada leadership with two years remaining in her nominal tenure.
Threat Lurks to STB’s Independence
Once upon a time, conservative jurists were the best friends to federal regulatory agencies such as the Surface Transportation Board (STB). When those agencies pushed the boundaries of their decision-making independence, federal courts considered them experts in their field and accordingly deferred to their interpretations of the statutes they administered.
Clear Evidence: Near-Zero PSR Service Improvements
Let’s admit it, and fix the expectation: U.S. Class I railroads have not experienced robust service recovery. Yet railroad optimism and expectations of satisfied customers persists. Why?
Why High-Speed Rail is Such a Heavy Lift
Railway Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono’s “From the Editor” about high-speed rail in America asking “Why is High-Speed Rail Such a Heavy Lift?” compelled me to put together some possible answers to the question. And to those I have added some other “fresh” ideas that people in the rail industry may not have seen in other places. First, some observations.
Potential Modal Shifts as Diesel Stays Hot: Cowen
U.S. diesel pricing remains elevated, passing along significant costs to shippers via fuel surcharges. At Cowen and Company, we believe sustained high diesel pricing will ultimately benefit the railroads and IMCs (intermodal marketing companies) as shippers explore different modes of transport.