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Rail News Home MOW April 2017 Part 1 : 2017 MOW Spending Report Part 2 : 2017 MOW Spending Report - Class Is Part 3 : 2017 MOW Spending Report - Regionals/Short Lines Part 4 : 2017 MOW Spending Report - Passenger Railroads Rail News: MOW

This year, CN plans to replace 2.2 million wood ties.Photo – CN
BNSF Railway Co.2017 MOW budget: $2.4 billion
2016 MOW budget: $2.6 billion
Reasons for decrease: “Each year, we seek to establish a capital plan that reflects the future needs of customers and the constant need to keep its infrastructure in good working condition. This year’s capital plan ensures the railroad continues to operate a safe and reliable network while capturing the new opportunities presented to it.”
Rail: Replace or install 600 miles, all continuous-welded rail (CWR).
Double track: About 16 miles of new double and triple track are planned along the network.
Grinding/surfacing: Total of 20,000 miles.
Ties: Replace or install 2.7 million wood and 140,000 concrete ties.
Ballast: Install 5.1 million net tons.
Bridge work: This year’s capital plan includes the continuing replacement of bridges in Memphis, Tenn.; Bosworth, Mo.; and Media, Ill.Union Pacific Railroad2017 Engineering Plan: $1.86 billion (infrastructure replacement), also about $255 million for capacity work/commercial facilities*
2016 Engineering Plan: $1.85 billion (infrastructure replacement), also about $650 million for capacity work/commercial facilities**
Rail: Potentially replace/install about 657 miles of rail.*
Ties: Potentially install about 4.22 million ties.*
Bridge work: Bridge plans call for continuing a “strong” replacement program and accelerating a timber trestle replacement plan. Have increased maintenance funding for timber bridges. A majority of bridge projects will be performed in the South. A potential capacity and commercial facility project involves the Mississippi River bridge in Clinton, Iowa.*
Facilities: The 2017 capacity and commercial facility expansion projects include potential projects in Clarks Park, Texas, the Port Laredo intermodal facility in Laredo, Texas, the LATC intermodal yard and the Central Texas Classification Yard in Brazos County, Texas.*
* Information from UP’s presentation Jan. 9 at the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association Inc.’s (NRC) 2017 conference in Boca Raton, Fla.
** Budget figures from UP’s presentation at the NRC’s 2016 conferenceCN2017 MOW budget: $1.5 billion (in Canadian dollars)
2016 MOW budget: $1.5 billion (in Canadian dollars)
Rail: Replace or install 757 track miles, including 625 track miles of new and 132 track miles of partially worn rail.
Double track: Construct 10 miles of double track along Winnipeg-Edmonton corridor and advance yard capacity improvements.
Grinding/surfacing: Grind 19,170 pass miles and surface 10,500 miles.
Ties: Replace or install 2.2 million wood and
55,000 concrete ties.
Ballast: Install 1.4 million tons.
Bridge work: Budgeted $130 million for basic capital projects, including Aberdeen bridge program in Saskatchewan, $16 million; Fraser River Bridge strengthening program in Vancouver, $7 million; Oliver Bridge re-deck program in Superior, Wis., $7 million; Quebec Bridge life extension program, $7 million; and year 7 of 8 bridge strengthening program in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., $6 million.
MOW equipment to purchase or lease: Budgeted $26 million for various MOW equipment to be used across the system.Norfolk Southern Railway2017 MOW budget: $930 million
2016 MOW budget: $940 million
Rail: Replace or install 450 track miles, all CWR.
Double track: Construct 10 miles of second main and a new No. 20 universal crossover in Gretna, Va., funded by commonwealth, work underway and to be completed this year; build 12.5 miles of third main and 12 control points for the Indiana Gateway Project, including in Hammond (6 miles), Pine (4 miles) and Millers (2.5 miles), funded by Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) program, work underway; and construct 27.4 miles of second main and 5 No. 24 universal crossovers in North Carolina for Piedmont Improvement Project, including in Charlotte (12.2 miles), Kannapolis (10.2 miles) and Lexington (5 miles), ARRA funded through FRA, to be completed in 2017.
Sidings: Build 1.8-mile siding in Buechel, Ky., and 7,000 track feet of support tracks in Toledo, Ohio; and complete a siding speed improvement project involving 7,000 track feet in Elkhart, Ind.
Grinding/surfacing: Grind 18,000 pass miles.
Ties: Replace or install 2.35 million wood
and relay ties.
Ballast: Install 2.3 million tons.
Bridge work: Continue to replace the Portageville Bridge in Letchworth State Park in New York, $70 million, to be completed in late 2018.
Facilities: Build 4 support tracks and 215 parking spaces at the Calumet facility in Chicago; construct 1 support track, extend 12 tracks and create 250 parking spaces at the Rickenbacker facility near Columbus, Ohio; and convert 2 tracks and create
370 parking spaces in Jacksonville, Fla.
MOW equipment to purchase or lease: Plan a 17.8 percent decrease in replacement of various work equipment in 2017.Union Pacific Railroad’s 2017 engineering plan includes the potential to replace or install more than 650 miles of rail throughout its system. Union Pacific Railroad

Rail News Home MOW April 2017 Part 1 : 2017 MOW Spending Report Part 2 : 2017 MOW Spending Report - Class Is Part 3 : 2017 MOW Spending Report - Regionals/Short Lines Part 4 : 2017 MOW Spending Report - Passenger Railroads Rail News: MOW

Along with other planned trackwork this year, the Alaska Railroad Corp. aims to replace tracks and panels at five grade crossings.Photo – Alaska Railroad Corp.
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (115 railroads in North America)2017 track and structure budget: $124 million (overall), $119 million (same railroads)*
2016 track and structure budget: $109 million*
Reason for budget increase: Work includes track and bridge upgrades in Central and Northeast regions*
Typical North American capital program scope: Work on 150 lineal miles of rail; install 750,000 ties and 40 switches; surface 2,000 track miles; construct 12,000 track feet of new sidings; and rehab 75 grade crossings.**
Bridge work: Budgeted at $20 million in typical North American capital program; about 80 percent of typical program focuses on timber repairs, including new tie decks, cap and stringer replacements, pile posting and bent framing. Three new bridge construction projects are in the pipeline for 2017. In addition, some select steel repairs will be performed for section loss.**
* Information from G&W’s fourth-quarter 2016 earnings presentation
** Information from G&W’s presentation Jan. 11 at the NRC’s 2017 conferenceWatco Cos. LLC (36 short lines)2017 capital spending: Estimated at $59.7 million (involves 151 projects)*
2016 capital spending: Estimated at $67.5 million (involved 194 projects)**
Note: The 2017 budget reflects projects submitted to the company’s Capital Committee for approval and doesn’t include routine or regular maintenance work.*
Combined budgets for work segments in three divisions: About $24.9 million for tie projects; $7.1 million for surfacing projects; $14.9 million for bridge projects; $8.4 million for rail projects; and $4.4 million for other work, such as crossing surfaces, switch ties and turnouts.*
* Information from Watco’s presentation Jan. 9 at NRC’s 2017 conference
** Information from Watco’s presentation at NRC’s 2016 conferenceOmniTRAX Inc. (21 short lines)2017 MOW budget: $35 million
2016 MOW budget: $35 million
Rail: Replace or install 14 miles of mixed rail. Rail projects are performed in conjunction with defective and curve rail replacement.
Major rail projects: Borger Yard rehab for Panhandle Northern Railroad; mainline rehab for the Great Western Railway of Colorado LLC, including 10,000 ties and 200,000 feet of surfacing; and mainline rail, turnout and crossing work for the Brownsville & Rio Grande International Railway, including 5,000 lineal feet of relay rail and 3 to 4 turnouts.
Grinding/surfacing: 260 miles. Surfacing projects are usually less than 25 miles of track by railroad.
Ties: Install 75,000 ties, including 10,000 ties for the Georgia and Florida Railway, 7,500 ties for the Nebraska, Kansas & Colorado Railway and 5,000 ties for the Kettle Falls International Railway. Ties are the primary focus, with projects varying in size from 1,500 to 20,000 ties.
Ballast: Install 50,000 tons.
Bridge work: Priority work and upgrades for 286,000-pound cars. Bridge repairs and upgrades continue as a significant part of the capital program.Conrail2017 MOW budget: $34.5 million
2016 MOW budget: $39 million
Reason for decrease: Budget is consistent with planned capital spending forecast.
Rail: Replace or install 9.80 track miles with new 136-pound, relay 130-pound and relay 115-pound rail, all continuous-welded rail (CWR).
Major rail project: National Docks secondary track capacity improvements associated with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Greenville Yard project.
Sidings: Build 10,000-foot National Docks secondary from Johnson to Linden Ave. in Jersey City, N.J.; 4,800-foot siding in Paulsboro, N.J.; and 1,660-foot run around in Hainesport, N.J.
Grinding/surfacing: Grind 20 track miles and surface 41 track miles.
Ties: Install 35,000 wood ties.
Ballast: Install 11,600 tons of No. 3 stone ballast.
Bridge work: Rehab bridge on P&H Line involving bearings and trunnions/drums, $1.75 million; rehab pier on moveable P&H Line bridge, $700,000; replace bridge spans with box culvert on P&H Line, $400,000; rehab moveable bridge in Sayreville involving bearings and gears, $250,000; replace stringers and mechanics on moveable bridge in Penns Grove, $500,000; rehab piers on bridge in Camden, $75,000; rehab concrete piers on bridge in Lincoln, $400,000; and rehab counterweight steel bracing on Detroit Line moveable bridge, $375,000.
Facilities: Replace Port Reading Yard office; replace pad tracks at Ridgefield auto terminal; install digital radio repeater system at Port Newark Yard; replace yard air compressor at Morrisville Yard; replace communication backup generator at Paulsboro Yard; enhance lead in Marcus Hook, Pa.; enhance Stoney Creek Yard; replace yard air compressor at Sterling Yard; install 5 steel turnouts at Oak Island Yard in Newark; and install 2 steel turnouts at North Yard in Detroit.
MOW equipment or purchase or lease: Mark IV tamper.
Unusual MOW project: Flash-butt welding rail joints to generate CWR in yard and branch lines; continue to install and test PTC; replace 3 59-degree crossing frogs (diamonds) in Marcus Hook; and perform remote control of Delair Moveable Bridge.Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Co.2017 MOW budget: $12.9 million
2016 MOW budget: $13.7 million
Ties: Install 25,000 wood ties.
Ballast: Install 14,000 tons of 2-inch and 8,000 tons of 1-inch ballast.
Bridge work: Replace Thornton Road bridge in Riverdale, Ill., $6 million, started in March.
MOW equipment or purchase or lease: Leased complete tie gang equipment for 2017 tie work.Belt Railway Co. of Chicago2017 MOW budget: $12,872,000
2016 MOW budget: $13,744,000
Reason for decrease: Reduction in capex requirements.
Rail: Replace or install 2.8 miles of patch rail with 136-pound CWR.
Grinding/surfacing: Surface 35 miles.
Ties: Install 20,000 wood ties.
Ballast: Install 18,000 tons.
Bridge work: Repair bridge, $3.5 million; renew bridge deck ties at Calumet-Saganashkee Channel; and renew bridge deck at Chicago Avenue.
Facilities: Install water backflow preventer and renew vehicle fueling facility.
Unusual MOW project: Install fiber optic cable.As part of its $3.5 million MOW budget for 2017 — which is very similar to last year’s spending — Iowa Northern Railway Co. plans to install two miles of 80-foot, 115-pound rail.Iowa Northern Railway Co.

Rail News Home MOW April 2017 Part 1 : 2017 MOW Spending Report Part 2 : 2017 MOW Spending Report - Class Is Part 3 : 2017 MOW Spending Report - Regionals/Short Lines Part 4 : 2017 MOW Spending Report - Passenger Railroads Rail News: MOW

More subway infrastructure work is on tap for MTA New York City Transit this year, including the reconstruction of 1.3 track miles on the agency’s Concourse Line.Photo – MTA New York City Transit
Chicago Transit Authority2017 MOW capital budget: $1.13 billion
2016 MOW capital budget: $366.37 million
Reasons for increase: The higher capital budget reflects a variety of projects, including ongoing work associated with the $492 million Your New Blue O’Hare branch modernization project and, most notably, the receipt of matching federal funds for phase 1 of the Red Purple Modernization (RPM) project that’s estimated at $2.1 billion. Funding of $113.7 million previously was allocated for RPM phase 1 and an additional $1.7 billion is programmed in the current 5-year (2017-2021) capital improvement plan.
Significant rail/track projects: RPM — the largest capital improvement project in CTA’s history — calls for completely rebuilding the nearly century-old North Red Line from Belmont to Howard, and the Purple Line from Belmont to Linden in Wilmette, Ill. First phase improvements include the construction of a Red-Purple bypass in Belmont to address capacity constraints; the rebuilding of 1.3 miles of track, support structures, bridges and viaducts from Leland Ave. to near Ardmore Ave.; and the reconstruction of 4 Red Line stations. Work might begin in late 2017.
Ties: Install a number of creosote-soaked wood ties and concrete half-ties.
Stations/facilities: Ongoing work on 95th Street Terminal, $240 million, involves new terminal buildings, additional escalators and elevators, and expanded platforms, began in fall 2014 and is slated to conclude in late 2018; ongoing work to replace Wilson Station on the Red Line that was built in 1923, $203 million, involves reconstructing 2,200 feet of century-old elevated tracks, began in late 2014 and is expected to conclude in fall 2017; ongoing construction of the new Washington/Wabash Station to combine 2 century-old elevated stations on the Loop, $75 million, began in March 2015 and slated to finish in June 2017; ongoing rehab of Illinois Medical District Station, $23 million, includes upgrades to all 3 station entrances, began in September 2016 and slated for completion in late 2017; and Quincy Station accessibility improvements, $15.7 million, involves the addition of 2 new elevators, to begin in spring 2017.
Electrical/mechanical work: Upgrades to East Lake, Milwaukee and Illinois substations, which date back to 1910, $42.9 million, begin in spring 2017 and complete in spring 2020; and upgrade Ravenswood Connector signal, $32.6 million, involves replacement of 40-year-old signal system, began in late 2016 and slated for completion in late 2018.Amtrak2017 MOW capital budget: $1 billion
2016 MOW capital budget: $980 million
Reasons for increase: Allows for the implementation of full-year major track programs that include mechanized Track Laying Machine (TLM) replacement of concrete ties and the undercutter full ballast replacement on the Northeast Corridor (NEC); continues a high-speed rail project between Trenton and New Brunswick, N.J.; provides funding to continue the Springfield double-track project in Connecticut; helps advance the design of major structures and facilities; and provides for finalization of construction activities for Hudson Yard concrete encasement project in New York and advancement of preliminary design for the Hudson Tunnel from Secaucus, N.J., to Manhattan, N.Y.
Rail: Install 62 rail miles of new continuous-welded rail (CWR) and 13 miles of new track.
Significant rail/track projects: Install 22 miles of new CWR on Michigan Line; 30 rail miles of new CWR via TLM at various locations in the Mid-Atlantic and New York divisions; 6 miles of new CWR between the Dock and Erie interlockings in New Jersey; 3 miles of new track on Albany Line in New York; and 10 miles of new track on Springfield Line in Connecticut. Also, 19 miles of undercutting on Mid-Atlantic Division in Maryland.
Ties: Install 97,000 wood and 47,000 concrete ties.
Switches/turnouts/interlockings: Install
33 turnouts in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey; also additional turnouts to be installed by divisions in the NEC and at various yards systemwide.
Bridge work: Continue preliminary design, which is nearing completion for new B&P Tunnel and replacement of Susquehanna River Bridge in Maryland, $22 million; and initiate preliminary engineering for replacement of Pelham Bay Bridge in New York, along with preliminary design for Connecticut River Bridge, $750,000.
Stations/facilities: Continue renovating facade ($30 million) and replacing fire alarm ($9 million) at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia; conduct preliminary design for Hudson Tunnel from Secaucus to Manhattan under Gateway program, $24.5 million; advance engineering for design and construction of maintenance of equipment facility at Sunnyside Yard in New York, $10 million; and advance engineering for new generation high-speed rail facility in Washington, D.C., $3.5 million.
Electrical/mechanical work: Continue constructing a Metuchen frequency converter facility in New Jersey, $19.3 million; and continue a joint program to upgrade the Safe Harbor frequency
converter in Pennsylvania, $13.3 million.Regional Transportation District of Denver2017 MOW capital budget: $514.2 million (per FTA standard cost categories, including guideway and track elements; stations, terminals and stops; support facilities; sitework; systems; vehicles; and rights of way, land and existing improvements)
2016 MOW capital budget: $439.2 million (per FTA standard cost categories, including guideway and track elements; stations, terminals and stops; support facilities; sitework; systems; vehicles; and rights of way, land and existing improvements)
Reasons for increase: Although the FasTracks Program is ramping down through completion in 2019, two projects with substantial construction remaining are ramping up in 2017.
Rail: Install 12.5 miles of track on the North Metro Red Line and 2.3 miles on the Southeast Rail Extension.
Significant rail/track projects: Installed 10.8 miles of track on the I-225 Line in Aurora, Colo., $687 million, opened in February; install 11.2 miles of track on the Gold-G Line in Denver area, $562 million, open in 2017; install 12.5 miles of track on North Metro (N) Line in Denver area, $764 million, open in 2018; and install 2.3 miles of track for Southeast Rail Extension in Lone Tree, Colo., $207 million, open in 2019.
Ties: Install 29,130 concrete ties on North Metro Line (27,000) and for Southeast Rail Extension (2,130).
Switches/turnouts/interlockings: Install 8 turnouts on North Metro Line and 1 crossover switch on Central Line, and replace 2 switches on Central Line.
Bridge work: Continue to build 9,528-foot Skyway bridge in Commerce City and Denver, started in June 2015, $24.8 million; continue to build 3 bridges in Lone Tree that began in 2016, $12.2 million; continue to construct 4 bridges in Denver that started in 2016, $8.97 million; continue to construct 3 bridges in Thornton and Northglenn/Thornton that started in 2015 and 2016, $4.8 million; and continue to rehab a bridge in Commerce City, work began in March 2016, $561,300.
Stations/facilities: Continue to build 6 commuter-rail at-grade stations in Commerce City, Denver, Northglenn and Thornton, work began in late 2015, 2016 or early 2017, $8.8 million; continue to construct 3 light-rail at-grade stations in Lone Tree, work began in February and March 2017, $16.5 million; and build a parking garage in Lone Tree, $20.6 million.
Electrical/mechanical work: Perform duct bank, occupancy control system (OCS), RH and signal work on North Metro Red Line; and perform parking garage, duct bank, OCS, traction power substation, RH and signal work for Southeast Rail Extension.MTA New York City Transit2017 MOW capital budget: $293.87 million
2016 MOW capital budget: $360.48 million
Reason for decrease: Focused on installing
CWR in critical areas in 2015 and 2016 — a total of 14.2 track miles of worn jointed rails and obsolete plates were replaced with new CWR and plates.
Rail: Rehab, replace or install 9.86 track miles of mainline and 0.3 track miles of yard track.
Significant rail/track projects: Install 0.79 track miles of type III panels and 0.34 miles of track reconstruction work on the Jerome line, $23.82 million; and reconstruct 1.28 track miles of subway on the Concourse line, $27.25 million.
Ties: Replace or install 16,450 wood (oak) ties; also install 20,180 oak and 1,760 concrete ties, and Ekki tie blocks for a total of 38,390 ties and tie blocks.
Switches/turnouts/interlockings: Install 27 mainline switches and 4 yard switches, with 20 switches to be installed on elevated structure and 7 in subway.
Stations/facilities: Began work in March on first 3 stations of modernization project involving more than 30 stations, involves renovations to Prospect Avenue, Bay Ridge Avenue and 53rd Street stations on R line in Brooklyn, $72.1 million, design-build contractor is Citnalta-Forte Joint Venture, to be completed by year’s end.
Electrical/mechanical work: Projects in both 2016 and 2017 include or included key-by timers (phase 4), $12.1 million; AC to DC (phase 2B), $8.4 million; control line extension (phase 6), $9.6 million; CBTC (rolled out in 2016), $10.7 million; and pre-construction on 8th Avenue Line (59th to High Street) in 2017, $1.2 million.Metra2017 MOW capital budget: $158 million
2016 MOW capital budget: $127 million
Reasons for increase: Additional funds were budgeted for yard improvements and for the installation of a PTC system.
Rail: 4.5 miles of in-track welding.
Ties: Replace or install 40,000 wood ties.
Switches/turnouts/interlockings: Work on Lake Street interlocker near the Ogilvie Terminal Station, where 3 Metra lines operated by UP converge.
Bridge work: Replace single-track Bridge Z-100 built in 1881 over the Fox River in Elgin on the Milwaukee West Line with a double-track bridge, start in fourth quarter, $34 million ($14 million to be funded by Metra); replace 11 more than century-old bridges along UP-North Line between Grace and Balmoral streets in Chicago and complete inbound portion of Ravenswood Station, start 30-month project in second quarter, about $45 million; and rehab 4 bridges on Rock Island Line, with the work typically including the reconstruction of steel sheet piling, concrete panels or the bin wall to prevent deterioration of the above roadbed.*
Stations/facilities: Complete yard improvements in all districts, $28.5 million; replace Healy Station and upgrade station facilities on the Milwaukee North Line, $7.3 million; replace Calumet Station and upgrade station facilities on the Metra Electric Line, began in first quarter, $5 million; and build new Romeoville Station on the Heritage Corridor, $5 million.
Electrical/mechanical work: Augment traction power system on the Metra Electric Line through the conversion of the 51st Street tie station to a substation by adding 12 kv switchgear, transformers and rectifiers.
* Some information from Metra press releases issued in February and MarchMTA Long Island Rail Road2017 MOW capital budget: $75 million
2016 MOW capital budget: $65 million
Reasons for increase: Executing 2 concrete tie programs and doubling the quantity of wood ties to be installed during the mechanized tie program compared with the 2016 program.
Rail: Replace, rehab or install 5 miles of rail.
Significant rail/track projects: Rail and concrete tie replacement on the Montauk Branch (Rocky to Port), install concrete ties along 10 miles of track, $28.5 million; wood tie replacement along 11 miles of the Montauk Branch (Merrick to Babylon and Speonk to East Hampton), $13.3 million; and CWR replacement at various locations throughout the Babylon Branch, $4.6 million.
Double-track project: Build an additional track from Farmingdale to Ronkonkoma to support ridership growth, first phase involved adding 4.7 miles of track between Central Islip and Ronkonkoma using a new track construction machine, second phase is underway and involves the remaining 7.9 miles of new second track from Central Islip to Farmingdale and signal installation between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma.
Ties: Install 31,380 wood and 25,000 concrete ties.
Switches/turnouts/interlockings: Install 5 No. 10 and 3 No. 15 switches on the Main Line, $4.4 million.
Bridge work: The 2017 program includes structural renewal, waterproofing and painting work, and complete replacement of several rail bridges in locations that include Glendale, Long Beach, Queens, Queens Village and Westbury, N.Y., $40.6 million, to start in third and fourth quarters, in addition to other work that continued from 2016 into 2017’s first and second quarters.
Stations/facilities: The 2017 program includes station rehabs, platform and platform railing replacements, signage and elevator installations at various stations; also work has started to build an additional platform at Jamaica Station and rehab Hicksville Station, $240 million.
Note: All MOW data pertains to the 2017 annual track program only.The 2017 MOW program for Santa Clara VTA includes the installation of 12 switches, 6 turnouts, 3 interlockings and 2 crossovers in San Jose and Santa Clara, Calif. Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

4/10/2017    

Rail News: Passenger Rail

4/10/2017    

Rail News: Intermodal

4/10/2017    

Rail News: C&S

4/10/2017    

Rail News: Short Lines & Regionals

4/10/2017    

Rail News: Safety

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (LACMTA) Transit Safety Programs (TSP) is partnering with the navigation app Waze to provide rail-crossing safety alerts for drivers beginning April 10.

 

4/10/2017    

Rail News: Mechanical

Chicago's Metra and its railroad partners announced plans to begin $216 million worth of infrastructure investments in 2017.

 

4/10/2017    

Rail News: People

4/10/2017    

Rail News: High-Speed Rail

Rail News Home Federal Legislation & Regulation April 2017 Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation

— By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., EditorOn March 2, railroaders, suppliers and rail shippers met with congressional leaders for the annual Railroad Day on Capitol Hill. Congressional offices hosted meetings for 456 visitors — a Railroad Day record, according to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.As they have in previous years, the rail lobbyists for the day asked their elected representatives to oppose bigger and heavier trucks, and preserve “balanced regulation” and the short-line tax credit. Regarding the latter: They requested that their respective congressional reps cosponsor the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy Act, or BRACE Act. The legislation calls for making permanent the 45G tax credit, which expired Dec. 31, 2016. With all the tax reform talk, 45G has a real shot at becoming permanent this year, some believe.From the meetings I sat in on, and from the conversations I had throughout the long day in D.C., it once again was clear that rail citizen advocates continue to get better at making their voices heard on Capitol Hill. Some of the more effective connections I witnessed involved railroaders and customers tag-teaming lawmakers or aides on the merits, say, of 45G. They connected it to jobs, to the efficient movement of goods, to the dot-connecting that is rail when it works.In their zeal, some railroaders couldn’t help asking legislators/aides what they thought of the Trump administration’s talk of a $1 trillion infrastructure package. Considering that few details had been issued, and given the competing priorities (from health care to tax reform to any number of otherwise uncategorizable things we continue to read about), most lawmakers I heard demurred or attempted to tamp down expectations — for direct investment, certainly. Perhaps for good reason: Unveiled March 16, President Trump’s proposed federal budget would cut the U.S. Department of Transportation’s budget by 13 percent and terminate federal support for Amtrak’s long-distance service; eliminate the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (aka TIGER) discretionary grant program; and limit funding for the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Program to projects with existing full funding grant agreements only.Meanwhile, rumblings about the infrastructure bill persisted as this issue went to press. Some congressional leaders maintain it’ll pass this year; others say they hope to pass something in time for the 2018 election cycle. So, the legislative murkiness likely will linger awhile. Which is one reason Railroad Day participants were encouraged to tell their real-world rail stories on the Hill. From what I saw and heard, they did.
Keywords Browse articles on Railroad Day 45G tax credit BRACE Act infrastructure bill Trump TIGER grants Amtrak Federal Transit Administration Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff.

4/7/2017    

Rail News: Shippers

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Rail News: Short Lines & Regionals

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Rail News: Intermodal

4/7/2017    

Rail News: Short Lines & Regionals

Rail News Home Canadian National Railway - CN 4/7/2017 Rail News: Canadian National Railway - CN
CN yesterday recognized 32 shippers for employing sustainability practices that are aligned with the objectives of the Class I's EcoConnexions program.Through its EcoConnexions Partnership Program, CN seeks partner companies that pledge to reduce their carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency — a central focus of the Class I's sustainability objectives, CN officials said in a press release.The 32 shippers that earned recognition from the railroad are Alcoa Corp.; Atlantic Container Line; Bunge North America; Bonduelle Canada; Canfor; Cenovus Energy Inc.; CMA CGM (America) LLC; COSCO Shipping Lines (North America); Domtar Corp.; E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.; Fairmount Santrol; Ford Motor Co.; Hapag-Lloyd; Kruger Products LP; Labatt Breweries of Canada; Loblaws Inc.; Maersk Line; MOL; Mondelez International; NYK Line; OOCL (Orient Overseas Container Line); PepsiCo Canada; Resolute Forest Products; Teck Resources Ltd.; Tembec; Tenaris; UPS; Verso Corp.; Walmart Canada; West Fraser; Weyerhaeuser; and Yang Ming Group."CN is proud to partner with these companies and congratulates each of them on their sustainability efforts," said Jean-Jacques Ruest, CN's executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "In partnership with Tree Canada, [we] will plant 100,000 trees in the spring in recognition of [these] customers' commitment to sustainable business practices." Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 4/7/2017

4/7/2017    

Rail News: Canadian National Railway - CN