How private enterprise can strengthen Amtrak
House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) has made no secret of his disdain for Amtrak, often referring to it as our “Soviet style rail system.”
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Friction control for better productivity
Gauge-face, top-of-rail, mobile, wayside: it’s not so much the method as the end result
Railroading in a post-9/11 world
The recent 10th anniversary of 9/11 gave us all pause to think about those tragic events and reflect on whether life is different today because of them. On Sept. 12, 2001, national security and protecting America became the new priority for our society. Across all spectrums people got on with the task of addressing homeland security.
RAIL TRANSIT’S future touted at APTA Expo 2011
Though not the only mode on display, streetcars dominated the APTA Expo 2011 floor show. Bombardier, Siemens, Kinkisharyo, Kawasaki, Brookville Equipment Corp., and United Streetcar all showed prototypes.
The public interest in continued rail service
In Abraham Lincoln’s day, the Illinois Central line linking Chicago with Springfield, Ill., and St. Louis was preferred for passenger service because, of the five major lines that connected the two major Midwest cities, it offered the straightest, flattest, most direct route. Lincoln himself used it to travel from Springfield to Chicago.
Raising the bar on crossing protection
Improved technology from suppliers backs up a continuing campaign to keep accident trends going in the right direction.
Safety: A collaborative process
The FRA and the AAR’s Safety Appliance Task Force have joined forces to improve these safety-critical pieces of hardware. The FRA recently amended regulations related to safety appliance arrangements on railroad equipment.
TTCI R&D: How healthy are your castings?
In-service failures of large freight car castings have resulted in a comprehensive review of the specifications governing their manufacture, inspection, and repair.
L.B. Foster supplies materials for industrial line
L.B. Foster Co. is delivering rail and trackwork products valued at $3.4 million for the construction of 8.5 miles of track at the new Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes Star Steel pipe mill in Youngstown, Ohio. The contractor is Wintrow Construction of Barberton, Ohio.
Three more unions ratify freight railroad agreements
Members of three more unions have ratified new contracts with U.S. freight railroads, it was announced Tuesday.
NYMTA: FASTRACK a solid success
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority says its new FASTRACK maintenance strategy has produced ” unprecedented productivity gains.” Under that strategy, while lines are closed overnight for track maintenance, a first for a 108-year-old subway system that has taken pride in running its trains 24/7.
Faiveley Transport buys into Graham-White
Faiveley Transport says it has signed an agreement to acquire a controlling interest in Graham‐White, a designer and manufacturer of compressed air drying technology and brake components for locomotives and rail transit markets.
Schneider National extends CSX contract
Green Bay, Wis.-based Schneider National, Inc., announced Tuesday it has signed a new, multiyear agreement with CSX Transportation, under which the Class I railroad will serve as one of Schneider’s primary rail providers. The agreement sets the stage for sustained, long-term service within the Eastern U.S. as Schneider’s intermodal freight volumes continue to increase, the company said.
INIT adds new manufacturing facility
Chesapeake, Va.-based INIT Innovations in Transportation, Inc. said Tuesday that, in partnership with Simtech, LLC, a supplier of customized electronic products, it has opened Superior Quality Manufacturing (SQM) to produce a variety of electronic modules and devices featuring components such as computer boards and LED panels.
RailComm upgrades BNSF Chicago yard
Fairport, N.Y.-based RailComm said Monday it has upgraded its existing yard system at BNSF Corwith’s mechanical facility in Chicago.
Registration deadline looms for InnoTrans 2012
Representatives of InnoTrans 2012 note the deadline for registering is Feb. 15, “only four weeks,” for the event, set on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds in Germany Sept. 18-21.
Railroad Day on Capitol Hill nears
Registration is now open for this year’s Railroad Day on Capitol Hill, set for Thursday, March 8. Attendance is open to all Class I, II, and III railroad personnel, shippers, state and local government representatives, as well as members from the supplier community with an interest in furthering the political goals of the railroad industry.
At Norfolk, NS breaks coal transload mark
Norfolk Southern has loaded the largest volume cargo in the history of its Pier 6 coal transloading facility at Lamberts Point in Norfolk, Va. Early on Jan. 12, NS finished loading 159,941.45 net tons (145,097.93 metric tons) of metallurgical coal into the M/V Cape Dover, destined for China. That quantity can be used to make about 207,000 tons of steel, or enough to build 230,000 automobiles.
2012 RAILROADER OF THE YEAR: Dave Starling, making the right connections
When you talk with Kansas City Southern President and CEO David L. Starling about how KCS, the smallest Class I in mileage, has extended its reach and developed new frontiers, you quickly find out that “making the right connections” has a whole new meaning.
2012 PASSENGER RAIL OUTLOOK: In troubled times, still growing
In long-range perspective, the story of North American passenger rail is one of extraordinary growth. The story isn’t over.