Freight

Sunlighting PRIIA—Which Should Be Sunsetted

When it comes to the news of Jan. 16, 2020 of Amtrak approaching the State of Tennessee to gin-up interest in its latest pitch for the highly questionable PRIIA legislation, it is best to remember what long-ago Supreme Court Associate Justice Louis D. Brandeis once said: “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.” As this action looks like a maneuver to manipulate Congress to allow Amtrak to disassemble long-distance trains and reallocate their equipment, I intend to ensure sufficient sunlight is evident here when Amtrak touts its newly discovered Nashville-Atlanta route.

Khatami Named HAIC President

Kimia Khatami, Director of Customer Service for Pacific Harbor Line (PHL), has been named President of the Harbor Association of Industry & Commerce (HAIC), a commercial and industrial trade association representing the business community of Long Beach and Los Angeles harbors.

AAR, GoRail Honor Clyburn

The Association of American Railroads and GoRail have presented House of Representatives Majority Whip Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) the Railroad Achievement Award “for his longstanding leadership on surface transportation issues, including matters that directly and indirectly affect both freight and passenger railroads in South Carolina and across the nation.” AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies presented Rep. Clyburn with the award at the North Charleston Intermodal Transportation Center.

A New Decade of Post-PSR Service Planning Starts Now

2019 will be remembered as the year of Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) and for the great traffic drought in North American railroading. PSR has indeed helped deliver the eye-popping levels of operating ratios (OR) that rail executives could once only dream about, and many of the Class I’s set record ORs throughout the year.

“Railways 2.0”: A Coming Bonanza?

One thing we have learned from Trump City and New York’s Hudson Yards project: There is gold buried in old rail yards. Once combined with advanced technology like AI (artificial intelligence) and automation, you could be seeing the next great infrastructure boom in America. The amazing thing is that “Railways 1.0” has quietly had a huge impact—but a much bigger one is coming.

ASLRRA: Yurasko New General Counsel; Reilly Signs On For PTC

Two experienced railroad professionals—Sarah Yurasko and Eileen Reilly—have joined the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) in legal and technology consulting roles, respectively. Yurasko is the Association’s new General Counsel, replacing Keith Borman, who retired after 15 years. Reilly’s company, Global Train Services LLC, has signed on as a consultant for Positive Train Control services.

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