Short lines and new revenue streams
Your short line faces higher fuel prices, health costs escalating at a rate you can’t predict, limited ability to increase per-car divisions with your Class I connections, and has about worn out
news
Suppliers eye market for ‘hybrid’ streetcars
Washington, D.C. and Cincinnati may become the first U.S. cities to purchase dual-power streetcars—and they’ll have plenty of options to choose from.
The long and the short of distributed power
Canadian Pacific has harnessed the latest train control and planning technologies to drive forward its successful long-train program.
The first half of 2009 was a tough time for Canadian Pacific Railway. In the grip of a sharp global economic downturn, the company saw year-on-year volumes plummet by up to 35%, and the railroad was running at less than 55% of capacity.
Performance, productivity, profitability
Kansas City Southern looks to its new international intermodal corridor for sustained growth.Kansas City Southern is “the best growth story in rail.” That proclamation, made recently by Dahlman Rose Director-Equity Research and Railway Age Contributing Editor Jason Seidl, characterizes a railroad that for the past 15 years has grown and prospered under the leadership of Mike Haverty, one of this industry’s great entrepreneurs.
MBTA bets big on rail
An elder statesman among the growing crowd of U.S. transit properties, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority—the “T”—holds to its vision: expand its service area and service options. Watch Boston TV, listen to a radio station, and/or read a Boston-area newspaper (or news/opinion website) even casually and you’ll find feedback on Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
STB updates and lowers user fees
The Surface Transportation Board released Friday a new user fee list that incorporates a recent decision to reduce fees for filing formal complaints, including rate complaints and unreasonable practice complaints, to $350,
GATX Rail quarterly profit nearly doubles
GATX Rail earned a profit $56.7 million in the second quarter of 2011, compared with $29.4 million to second-quarter 2010. GATX Corp. said the improvement in Rail segment profit was driven by
COASTER and Amtrak
An agreement between Amtrak and the North County Transit District will allow California COASTER customers to supplement monthly passes with a COASTER-Rail2Rail-UPGRADE. The upgrade opens access to Amtrak California Pacific Surfliner trains
Pennsylvania maglev firm files for bankruptcy
McKeesport, Pa.-based Maglev, Inc., the frontrunner expected to land any maglev project serving Pittsburgh International Airport, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as it attempts to reorganize and await a $28 million
NYMTA unveils bold plan to fill capital gap
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced an “innovative and pragmatic financing strategy” to fill a $$13.6 million funding gap that looms in the final three years of its 2010-2014 capital program.
Metro Gold Line Extension passes key milestone
The Los Angeles Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority has awarded a $485.9 million design-build contract to Foothill Transit Constructors, a Kiewit Parsons joint venture. Authority directors called the contract “a
For RailAmerica, a record second quarter
RailAmerica, Inc. second-quarter results include income from continuing operations of $8.7 million, or 17 cents per diluted share, compared with a loss from continuing operations of $4.2 million, or 8 cents per
U.S. freight traffic makes
U.S. freight carload traffic for the week ending July 23, 2011 advanced 1.4% compared with the same week in 2010, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday. U.S. intermodal volume edged up
ARI notches second-quarter profit
St. Charles, Mo.-based American Railcar Industries late Wednesday reported a second-quarter profit of $569,000, or 3 cents per share, compared with a loss of $5.9 million, or 28 cents per share, in
APTA
Effective November 1, Michel P. Melaniphy will succeed William Millar as president of the American Public Transportation Association. APTA’s Board of Directors on Wednesday unanimously approved Melaniphy’s selection. APTA says Melaniphy’s entire
T
TÜV Rheinland has appointed Suzanne Murtha as its business development manager for its Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) group. Murtha will develop and manage TÜV Rheinland’s North American consulting, assessment, analysis, verification, validation,
Trinity 2Q earnings grow, as does backlog
Dallas-based Trinity Industries, Inc. Wednesday reported a second-quarter earnings of $30.0 million, or 37 cents per diluted share, up from $18.4 million, or 23 cents per diluted share, in the second quarter
China crash mars stellar HSR safety record
The collision of two high speed rail trains near Wenzhou, China, on July 23 has triggered doubt, both domestically and internationally, not of HSR’s viability but of China’s expertise to implement its
San Antonio master plan eyes LRT, streetcars
San Antonio’s VIA Metropolitan Transit has adopted a master plan that includes adding both light rail transit and streetcar operations to its existing bus network. VIA Metro Transit’s Board unanimously approved the plan Tuesday, July 26, 2011.
Flooding bogs down CP 2Q profitability
Flooding kept Canadian Pacific from joining its Class I brethren in setting record-breaking second-quarter results, with CP Wednesday reporting its second-quarter net income fell to C$128 million (US$135.7 million), or 75 Canadian