Railroad News

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Associate Editor

Union Pacific Railroad has named Clark Ponthier senior vice president-supply chain and continuous improvement. He begins his new job May 29.

Ponthier has more than 30 years of experience in broad supply chain, manufacturing and engineering at Fortune 500 companies. Most recently, he served as Ingersoll Rand's VP of operations and integrated supply chain-residential HVAC and supply.

Brightline will launch passenger-rail service to Miami from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on May 19.

Trains will travel from an existing station in Fort Lauderdale into MiamiCentral, a new 11-acre intermodal development in downtown Miami. The railroad will provide eight northbound and eight southbound trips each day between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Florida.

The governments of Canada and Quebec have agreed in principle to jointly fund the Lac-Megantic rail bypass project, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced late last week.

The government of Canada will fund 60 percent and Quebec the remaining 40 percent of the CA$133 million cost to build the nearly 8-mile bypass.

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Managing Editor

The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) auctioned off 367 pieces of equipment for a total $1.15 million at NRC's annual equipment auction held last month in Lonoke, Arkansas. The association raised a record $72,027 for its safety and education program, which receives a percentage of the value of all consignments from contractors, suppliers and railroads. The program also nets all proceeds from items donated to the auction. Equipment sold this year ranged from tampers and grapple trucks to tie inserters, spikers and ballast regulators.

The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority has chosen Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. to manage construction of a new storage and maintenance facility for the Redlands passenger-rail project. The 15,000-square-foot facility and storage tracks will accommodate six diesel multiple units at a time, and will be equipped with an inspection pit, pedestal and maintenance tracks with portable jacking pads. As construction management consultant, LAN will provide schedule evaluation, construction project advertising, bid analysis and award, construction inspection, materials testing and inspection, contractor interface, and contract administration services, according to a company press release. The financial value of LAN's contract wasn't disclosed. The 9-mile project crosses through the cities of San Bernardino and Redlands, California.

The City Council of Bakersfield, California, earlier this week approved a downtown high-speed rail station plan and environmental impact report.

The documents will serve as a guide to revitalization of and future development in downtown Bakersfield, according to a press release issued by the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA).

Pacific Harbor Line Inc. President Otis Cliatt II chaired World Trade Week 2018, which began earlier this month in Los Angeles.

The month-long program features events, seminars and workshops focused on the role of global trade in the greater Los Angeles economy. The week is sponsored by the the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has rejoined the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) after dropping out two years ago.

APTA Chairman Nathaniel Ford Sr. announced in a newsletter this week that MTA Managing Director Veronique "Ronnie" Hakim was elected May 5 to APTA's board, marking the return of MTA to the association's membership.

Five labor unions this week urged the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to prioritize safety as it weighs the benefits and costs of automation technology in the rail industry.

The message came in response to the FRA's call for public comments on the future of rail automation.

Former Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman is raising concerns about the national intercity passenger railroad's direction under its current management.

In an open letter to elected officials, which has been posted on the Rail Passengers Association (RPA) website, Boardman writes that current Amtrak management is endangering the national network's sustainability.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) today is conducting a pilot security screening program at the Port Authority Trans-Hudson's (PATH) World Trade Center Station.

The agency is deploying a new body scanning unit called Evolv Edge, which is designed to detect firearms, explosives and other weapons. The agency began the pilot yesterday and will wrap it up today.

Norfolk Southern Corp. is meeting key financial targets, improving operating efficiencies and advancing sustainable growth, Chief Executive Officer and President James Squires told shareholders attending the company's annual meeting held yesterday.

In 2017, the company delivered record results in several key financial measures, including all-time best earnings per share and operating ratio. Additionally, NS achieved productivity savings of $150 million, which were driven by efficiencies that included record locomotive fuel economy, said Squires, according to an NS press release.

By Steve Bolte, Jay Gowan and Trent Marshall

Our friend Robert Nathan (Nate) Henderson of Lexington, Kentucky, tragically passed away April 18. He was 43.

The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) later this month will begin renovating the East 162nd Avenue light-rail station at the Portland-Gresham border.

Slated to begin May 20, the project includes the installation of larger windscreens, updated lighting and security cameras, new shelter roofs, and new signs and digital TransitTracker displays.

Metra next month will complete a project to replace 10,000 ties along the Rock Island Line's Beverly Branch.

The project began late last week and will continue through June 10. Crews also will replace pedestrian crossings along the branch, including any rail that shows signs of deterioration due to salt spread during the winter months.

Metrolink on May 14 will open its new Burbank Airport-North Station.

The new station will provide daily service to the Hollywood Burbank Airport on the Antelope Valley Line.

Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) became the latest railroad company to announce it has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

BiTA was formed to develop and adopt a set of standards for blockchain applications within the trucking, transportation and logistics industries. Founded in August 2017, BiTA's goal is to provide clarity and direction for members in order to encourage widespread adoption of blockchain technology within the industry.

Norfolk Southern Railway yesterday announced it has partnered with startup accelerator Plug and Play to help drive innovations in freight-rail transportation.

NS joined Plug and Play's Supply Chain & Logistics Innovation Platform to work with startup companies that are focused on creating applications of artificial intelligence, machine learning, the industrial internet of things (IoT) and advanced analytics in supply chains.
 
"As we continually look for technology solutions to improve safety, better serve our customers and improve railroad operations, this partnership will give us greater access to technology startup companies and the broader Silicon Valley ecosystem," said Fred Ehlers, vice president information technology and chief information officer, in a press release.

U.S. railroads posted a 7.5 percent gain in carload and intermodal traffic for the week that ended May 5 compared with the same week a year ago, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total carloads for the week were 265,563 units, up 6.4 percent, while total intermodal containers and trailers were 280,374 units, up 8.5 percent, compared with the same week in 2017. Combined, U.S. railroads logged 545,937 carloads and intermodal units.