Railroad News

​The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 1, 2017, as well as volumes for June 2017.

U.S. railroads originated 1,065,976 carloads in June 2017, up 4.4 percent, or 45,174 carloads, from June 2016. U.S. railroads also originated 1,113,575 containers and trailers in June 2017, up 4.6 percent, or 49,425 units, from the same month last year. Combined U.S. carload and intermodal originations in June 2017 were 2,179,551, up 4.5 percent, or 94,599 carloads and intermodal units, from June 2016.
 
In June 2017, eight of the 20 carload commodity categories tracked by the AAR each month saw carload gains compared with June 2016. These included: coal, up 40,333 carloads or 13.2 percent; crushed stone, gravel, and sand, up 16,747 carloads or 18.5 percent; and chemicals, up 4,888 carloads or 4.1 percent.  Commodities that saw declines in June 2017 from June 2016 included motor vehicles and parts, down 7,168 carloads or 9.5 percent; petroleum & petroleum products, down 6,724 carloads or 15.2 percent; and metallic ores, down 2,025 carloads or 7.7 percent.
 
“Rail traffic indicators of the economy remain mixed. While some commodity groups, such as intermodal, chemicals, and crushed stone and sand (driven heavily by frac sand) set new all-time first half records and a few others like grain and coke set post-recession records, several other traffic categories continue to struggle,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray.  “All of this indicates an industrial economy that may not yet have a clear direction forward and one that continues to undergo structural change. It is a sign of the reality railroads constantly face: changing markets that are difficult to foresee and plan for.”

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) re-opened the South Ferry Terminal Complex July 2, marking a major milestone in its Superstorm Sandy recover and resiliency efforts.

The South Ferry Terminal's electrical and mechanical systems were completed destroyed when 15 million gallons of salt water entered the station during the storm in October 2012. Waterfilled the entire station from the track level to the mezzanine and caused extensive damage to critical equipment throughout the station, which sits a few hundred feet from New York Harbor.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) re-opened the South Ferry Terminal Complex July 2, marking a major milestone in its Superstorm Sandy recover and resiliency efforts.

The South Ferry Terminal's electrical and mechanical systems were completed destroyed when 15 million gallons of salt water entered the station during the storm in October 2012. Waterfilled the entire station from the track level to the mezzanine and caused extensive damage to critical equipment throughout the station, which sits a few hundred feet from New York Harbor.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) re-opened the South Ferry Terminal Complex July 2, marking a major milestone in its Superstorm Sandy recover and resiliency efforts.

The South Ferry Terminal's electrical and mechanical systems were completed destroyed when 15 million gallons of salt water entered the station during the storm in October 2012. Waterfilled the entire station from the track level to the mezzanine and caused extensive damage to critical equipment throughout the station, which sits a few hundred feet from New York Harbor.

The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) has selected Thomas Murta as its executive director, effective July 10, 2017.

"Tom comes to the SLSI with significant industry knowledge in the areas of compliance assessment, risk reduction, crisis management and emergency planning. In addition to his rail expertise, Tom has experience working in and with government agencies, as well as serving on not-for-profit boards, which will provide important context for his work in taking the Safety Institute to the next level," said Linda Bauer Darr, president of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) and SLSI Board of Directors member.

The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) has selected Thomas Murta as its executive director, effective July 10, 2017.

"Tom comes to the SLSI with significant industry knowledge in the areas of compliance assessment, risk reduction, crisis management and emergency planning. In addition to his rail expertise, Tom has experience working in and with government agencies, as well as serving on not-for-profit boards, which will provide important context for his work in taking the Safety Institute to the next level," said Linda Bauer Darr, president of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) and SLSI Board of Directors member.

The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) has selected Thomas Murta as its executive director, effective July 10, 2017.

"Tom comes to the SLSI with significant industry knowledge in the areas of compliance assessment, risk reduction, crisis management and emergency planning. In addition to his rail expertise, Tom has experience working in and with government agencies, as well as serving on not-for-profit boards, which will provide important context for his work in taking the Safety Institute to the next level," said Linda Bauer Darr, president of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) and SLSI Board of Directors member.

SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. completed the CA$3.6-billion (US$2.77-billion) acquisition of WS Atkins plc on July 3.

SNC-Lavalin says the acquisition of Atkins creates a global fully integrated professional services and project management company – including capital investment, consulting, design, engineering, construction, sustaining capital and operations and maintenance.

SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. completed the CA$3.6-billion (US$2.77-billion) acquisition of WS Atkins plc on July 3.

SNC-Lavalin says the acquisition of Atkins creates a global fully integrated professional services and project management company – including capital investment, consulting, design, engineering, construction, sustaining capital and operations and maintenance.

SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. completed the CA$3.6-billion (US$2.77-billion) acquisition of WS Atkins plc on July 3.

SNC-Lavalin says the acquisition of Atkins creates a global fully integrated professional services and project management company – including capital investment, consulting, design, engineering, construction, sustaining capital and operations and maintenance.

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) has received $4.5 million from the Salt Lake County Council to double track a portion of its S-Line streetcar route, the agency announced late last week.

The move will enable UTA to run streetcars every 15 minutes along the 2-mile route, agency officials said in a press release.

Caltrain's board on July 6 will solicit public feedback on proposed changes to fares and parking rates.

Under the proposal, the cost of traveling within one of Caltrain's zone would remain the same, but fares for additional travel would increase by 25 cents per zone.

The probable cause of a BNSF Railway Co. ethanol train derailment two years ago in South Dakota was related to the railroad’s decision to defer track maintenance and continue operating high-hazard flammable unit trains on the Aberdeen subdivision, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced last week.

The incident occurred Sept. 19, 2015, when the train derailed at a small bridge near Lesterville, S.D. The train was hauling three locomotives, 96 loaded tank cars and two hopper cars filled with sand, according to the NTSB report.

Sound Transit has begun building light rail in the center lanes of the Homer M. Hadley floating bridge across Lake Washington. The work on Interstate 90 is part of the agency's 14-mile East Link light-rail extension project.

Constructing light rail across a floating bridge marks a world-first achievement, Sound Transit officials said in a press release. The track on the bridge was engineered to compensate for six ranges of lake motion, according to the agency.

Northern Plains Railroad (NPR) has launched a new logo as it celebrates its 20th year in business serving customers in Minnesota and North Dakota.

Launched in 1997, NPR first operated out of a small office in Devils Lake, N.D., where it served the surrounding area on the former Soo Line/Canadian Pacific Railway "wheat lines," NPR officials said in a press release.

Amtrak last week provided an update on its infrastructure renewal work at Penn Station in New York City.

Engineering crews recently completed projects that include:
• renewal of 125 feet of station track 7 at east end limits, including the replacement of 600 railroad ties;
• total switch replacement in several sections within tracks in the "A" interlocking on the station's west side;
• wood, timber and rail replacement within the "JO" interlocking on the station's east side;
• replacement of 96 block ties in Line 1 of the East River tunnels;
• replacement of block ties within station tracks 2 and 10; and
• positioning of equipment in New York and New Jersey in preparation for the extensive summer work in July and August.

Transport Canada recently proposed new regulations aimed at lowering the risk of terrorism on the Canadian rail system.

Published in the Canada Gazette last month, the regulations would apply to freight trains that transport dangerous goods such as flammable or radioactive materials.

The North County Transit District (NCTD) on Wednesday will kick off a revenue service demonstration with its positive train control (PTC) system.

Herzog Technologies Inc. is implementing the technology for the San Diego-area commuter railroad.

The Kansas City Streetcar Authority (KCSA) late last week received approval from the Kansas City Council to purchase two additional streetcars.