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Will business be better this year than it was last year? Will it be about the same? Worse? What are the key issues facing the rail finance and leasing sector in 2019?
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The initial 75 Charger units will be used primarily on Amtrak’s long-distance service routes.Photo – Amtrak
Late last month, Amtrak awarded an $850 million contract to Siemens Mobility for 75 diesel locomotives as part of the railroad’s plan to replace its aging national network fleet.
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Offered by nVent, the ERIFLEX Flexibar Advanced flexible busbar, shown here, is installed in an electrical panel.Photo – nVent
nVent offers an array of products, including nVent ERICO Cadweld, which is used for making exothermic welded connections on track. The company also offers the nVent ERIFLEX product line for electrical conduction and low voltage power distribution (AC/DC power conversion). Used across a range of industries, ERIFLEX products provide "unique advantages that are ideal for railways electrical systems, both onboard and trackside," the company said in an email.
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A grant will be used to help fund the Coos Bay Rail Line rehab project.Photo – Port of Coos Bay
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In our January 2018 issue, I wrote a column about E. Hunter Harrison’s passing — a big news story at the time since he had died Dec. 16, 2017. But by doing so, I didn’t get to share what had been the top news stories of 2017, at least according to our Daily News readers. So, I’ll get back to what I hope will become an annual tradition by relaying what I’ll call the Top 18 from ’18. These are the 18 Daily News stories that our ProgressiveRailroading.com readers clicked on the most often last year, ranked in order of total page views. It shouldn’t be surprising that items on Amtrak, CSX, Union Pacific Railroad, precision scheduled railroading (PSR) — or even Canadian Pacific’s holiday train — proved to be popular. Without further ado, here are the Top 18 from ’18, including the dates they ran:
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Part 1 : Locomotive makers expect relatively strong demand in 2019 for both new, rebuilt units
Shown: Tier IV locomotives in production at GE’s plant in Fort Worth, Texas.Photo – GE Transportation
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Amtrak is planning a $1.5 billion, six-span bridge to replace the Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River in New Jersey.Photo – Amtrak
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A rail bridge overpass (shown) in Landis/China Grove, North Carolina, was completed in 2017 to eliminate a crossing.Photo – North Carolina DOT
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Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Paul Wiedefeld plans to issue several key recommendations to the agency’s board this week, including a fiscal-year 2020 operating budget proposal that calls for no fare hikes and an effort to increase rail service.
Wiedefeld is seeking board approval to expand rush-hour service with more frequent trains later in the morning and evening; charge a flat $2 fare for all weekend Metrorail trips; extend the Yellow Line to Greenbelt to double rush-hour service at nine stations; operate all Red Line trains to Glenmont to double rush-hour service at an additional three stations; lengthen all trains to eight cars; and enhance the value of Metro unlimited rail and bus and passes.
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Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff.
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As of mid-September, U.S. Class Is employed a total 148,171 workers, up 0.02 percent compared with mid-August and up 1.02 percent compared with the same month in 2017, according to Surface Transportation Board data.
Four of six employment categories reflected decreases on a month-over-month basis. Categories that logged decreases since mid-August were executives, officials and staff assistants, down 0.54 percent to 8,414 employees; professional and administrative, down 1.04 percent to 11,852; maintenance of way and structures, down 0.36 percent to 32,493; and transportation (other than train and engine), down 0.67 percent to 5,662.
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American Railcar Industries Inc. (ARI) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to merge with a subsidiary of ITE Rail Fund LP in a transaction valued at $1.75 billion.
The merger is expected to close in the fourth quarter. ITE Rail Fund is managed by ITE Management LP.
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The California High-Speed Rail Authority's (CHSRA) board yesterday certified the final supplemental environmental impact report (EIR) for the Fresno-to-Bakersfield section of the state's plan to build a high-speed rail line between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The board also approved a high-speed rail alignment between Poplar Avenue in Kern County and the F Street station in downtown Bakersfield. The moves enable CHSRA to take additional steps toward advancing major work on the overall project, agency officials said in a news release.
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CSX Corp. yesterday reported third-quarter net earnings jumped 95 percent to $894 million, or $1.05 per share, from $459 million, or 51 cents per share, in the same period a year ago. The per-share earnings beat analysts' estimates for the quarter.
CSX's operating ratio of 58.7 percent set a company third-quarter record. A year ago, CSX posted a third-quarter operating ratio of 68.4 percent.
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Wood-tie suppliers began 2018 with inventories below optimal levels to meet demand, said Railway Tie Association’s Jim Gauntt.Photo – Gross & Janes Co.
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Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) has hired Jessica Puchala as director of communications and marketing.
She has more than 20 years of experience in communications and project management in the corporate, nonprofit, state government and media sectors.
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The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is 60 percent finished with design plans for the new Airport Metro Connector station, agency officials reported in a blog post yesterday.
The station will provide transfers from the Green Line and the future Crenshaw/LAX light-rail line to Los Angeles International Airport's new $4.9 billion automated people mover system.
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U.S. rail traffic rose 1.2 percent to 554,238 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Oct. 6 compared with the traffic during the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.
Railroads reported 269,634 total carloads for the week, up 0.7 percent compared with the same week in 2017. Intermodal volume inched up 1.8 percent to 284,604 containers and trailers compared with a year ago, according to an AAR press release.
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Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff.
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The U.S. High Speed Rail Association (USHSR) has selected Dan Richard as chair of its advisory board.
Richard currently chairs the California High-Speed Rail Authority — a position Gov. Edmund Brown appointed him to in 2012. Under his leadership, the agency has begun building the United States' first "true" high-speed rail network, USHSR officials said in a news release.
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