The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 6, 2017.
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In April, the company launched its digital rail services division.Photo – Siemens By
Railroad News
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May
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5/15/2017
Rail News: Passenger Rail
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15
Rail News Home Passenger Rail 5/15/2017 Rail News: Passenger Rail
Trains pass through the Farragut West Station on the Orange and Blue Lines.Photo – WMATA/Larry Levine
Trains pass through the Farragut West Station on the Orange and Blue Lines.Photo – WMATA/Larry Levine
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) next month will increase fares and reduce service on its Metrorail system.
Peak period fares will rise 10 cents, while off-peak fares will increase 25 cents, effective June 25. The agency charges passengers based on a distance traveled; the new minimum fare for rides during peak hours will be $2.25, with a maximum of $6.
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5/15/2017
Rail News: Labor
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15
Rail News Home Labor 5/15/2017 Rail News: Labor
The Indiana & Ohio Railway (I&O) and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) have reached a tentative contract, the union announced last week.If ratified, the agreement would govern rates of pay and work rules for 50 engineers, conductors and trainees, according to a BLET press release.Ballots have been mailed to members working for the I&O, with voting set to conclude June 12.The BLET organized the I&O in August 2001. I&O members belong to BLET Division 282.A subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc., the I&O is a 570-mile short line in western Ohio. Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 5/15/2017
The Indiana & Ohio Railway (I&O) and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) have reached a tentative contract, the union announced last week.If ratified, the agreement would govern rates of pay and work rules for 50 engineers, conductors and trainees, according to a BLET press release.Ballots have been mailed to members working for the I&O, with voting set to conclude June 12.The BLET organized the I&O in August 2001. I&O members belong to BLET Division 282.A subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc., the I&O is a 570-mile short line in western Ohio. Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 5/15/2017
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May
15
U.S. Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) joined representatives from Arkansas & Missouri Railroad (A&M) for a tour and policy discussion May 12.
A&M took the group from Ft. Smith to Rudy, Ark., in one of the railroad's excursion cars, stopping along the way to tour the Arkansas River Bridge. The bridge is on of three rail bridges that would be repaired through a planned project with the city of Ft. Smith, which applied for a Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of National Efficiencies (FASTLANE) grant. President Trump signed an omnibus appropriations bill that allocates $850 million for a second round of FASTLANE grants. A short portion of A&M, including the Arkansas River Bridge, is included in the Strategic Rail Corridor Network, which provides access to essential military bases and supports installations for the deployment of military equipment during emergencies and natural disasters.
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May
15
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce released a new study conducted by Morning Consult on the opening day of Infrastructure Week 2017 that shows voters believe infrastructure matters and they support more investment in it.
"Voters want the federal government to invest more in the nation's transportation infrastructure, believe those investments would create jobs and help American businesses and want Congress to move forward now with an infrastructure package," the U. S. Chamber of Commerce said in a press release.
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The Morrison-Yamhill MAX improvements project reached a milestone over the weekend as the Portland streetcar resumed service.
The street is still closed to auto traffic and TriMet's MAX service will remain on an adjusted schedule as crews complete track and intersection improvements on SW Morrison and Yamhill streets at 11th and 1st avenues.
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May
15
5/15/2017
Rail News: Passenger Rail
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May
15
Rail News Home Passenger Rail 5/15/2017 Rail News: Passenger Rail
The 3.3-mile route runs along Detroit's Woodward Avenue.Photo – QLINE's Twitter
The 3.3-mile route runs along Detroit's Woodward Avenue.Photo – QLINE's Twitter
Detroit's new QLINE streetcar system late last week opened for passenger service.
M-1 Rail, which built the system, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and opened the system for riders on May 12 after a ceremonial trip with local officials, the Detroit Free Press reported.
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Rail News: People
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Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation
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Rail News Home Internet-Digital May 2017 Rail News: Internet-Digital
In April, the company launched its digital rail services division.Photo – Siemens ByThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , Associate EditorRailroads constantly are on the hunt for strategies to trim their operating costs. As the industry continues to creep into the digital era, predictive analytics may provide another way to do just that.By using sensors to continually monitor assets, railroaders may be able to fix components before they fail. That could significantly curtail maintenance expenses — not to mention boost efficiency and safety, say suppliers who tout the strategy. Siemens is one supplier hoping to capitalize on the predictive analytics trend. The company last month launched Siemens Digital Rail Services, a business unit with a stated goal of "digitalizing" the U.S. rail industry. Each year, trains generate billions of pieces of data; Siemens' aim is to help railroads make sense of that information and take action where appropriate."Data is the new currency," said Siemens spokesman Bob Bartels during a conference call announcing the new division. The challenge is finding a way to comb through that data and transform it into usable insights, such as warnings when wheels, brakes or other major components need to be replaced. Enter Railigent™, Siemens' cloud-based industrial data analytics platform.The platform uses real-time monitoring to provide insight on a train's state and location. In addition, Railigent employs data analytics to perform root cause analysis and remote vehicle and infrastructure diagnostics. In the future, Railigent also will feature cybersecurity services, according to Siemens. The platform is connected to Mindsphere, the company's Internet of Things (IoT) operating system. The overarching idea is to move away from "reactive maintenance" — that is, performing repairs after equipment fails — and focus instead on prediction-based maintenance. With this strategy, rail operators could one day boast 100 percent availability of their trains, Siemens officials claim."Predictive maintenance means that components are replaced when they are actually close to failure and not when the manual suggests. This means expensive components are used optimally, lowering total spend on parts and minimizing labor costs associated with maintenance," Siemens officials wrote in a whitepaper titled "The Data Opportunity."Siemens Digital Rail Services, which is part of the Siemens Mobility Services division, is based in Atlanta, where the company will continue a long-running relationship with the Georgia Institute of Technology. The two entities have forged a nearly 20-year-old partnership aimed at "pursuing manufacturing innovation through software," Siemens officials said.Siemens has installed a module on one of the Charlotte Area Transit System's light-rail units to gather data on overall performance.Photo – Charlotte Area Transit System
In April, the company launched its digital rail services division.Photo – Siemens By
The digital rail division's data analytics and applications center is housed on Georgia Tech's campus. Siemens aims to harness the school's "intellectual horsepower" to improve manufacturing design and automation, said Simon Davidoff, who heads the new digital rail division.
To start off, Siemens Digital Rail Services is working with two clients: the Atlanta Streetcar and the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) in North Carolina. Both agencies use Siemens-built trains.
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5/15/2017
Rail News: Canadian Pacific
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May
15
5/15/2017
Rail News: Canadian Pacific
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Rail News Home Canadian Pacific 5/15/2017 Rail News: Canadian Pacific
Canadian Pacific and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Maintenance of Way Employees Division (TCRC-MWED) announced late last week that they have reached a tentative five-year contract agreement.Details of the agreement will be presented to the union for ratification. TCRC-MWED represents 2,000 workers at CP."We have been working collaboratively and proactively with the TCRC-MWED leadership on a deal that makes sense for both sides and provides stability over the long term," said CP President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Creel in a press release. "CP has worked hard, and will continue to work hard, to achieve long-term, innovative agreements with its unions that provide the framework for continued success for the company and its valued employees," Creel added. Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 5/15/2017
Canadian Pacific and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Maintenance of Way Employees Division (TCRC-MWED) announced late last week that they have reached a tentative five-year contract agreement.Details of the agreement will be presented to the union for ratification. TCRC-MWED represents 2,000 workers at CP."We have been working collaboratively and proactively with the TCRC-MWED leadership on a deal that makes sense for both sides and provides stability over the long term," said CP President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Creel in a press release. "CP has worked hard, and will continue to work hard, to achieve long-term, innovative agreements with its unions that provide the framework for continued success for the company and its valued employees," Creel added. Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff. More News from 5/15/2017
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May
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5/15/2017
Rail News: Passenger Rail
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May
15
Canadian Pacific (CP) and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Maintenance of Way Employees Division (TCRC-MWED) announced they have reached a tentative five-year agreement.
"We have been working collaboratively and proactively with the TCRC-MWED leadership on a deal that makes sense for both sides and provides stability over the long-term," said CP's President and CEO Keith Creel. "CP has worked hard, and will continue to work hard, to achieve long-term, innovative agreements with its unions that provide the framework for continued success for the company and its valued employees."
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May
15
Trams carried passengers along Woodward Avenue in Detroit for the first time in 61 years on May 12 with the inauguration of the 3.29-mile Q Line from Larned Street to West Grand Boulevard.
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May
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Rail News Home Rail Industry Trends May 2017 Rail News: Rail Industry Trends
BNSF Railway Co. has posted strong growth in its finished motor vehicle segment.Photo – BNSF ByThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , Senior Associate EditorAs the auto industry's turmoil reverberated through the economy during the Great Recession in 2008, freight railroads felt the pain through diminished auto traffic.By the end of 2009, total motor vehicle and equipment traffic had plummeted 31 percent to 834,476 units compared with 1,211,095 units in 2008, and 39 percent when compared with 1,375,424 units in 2007, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.But by 2010, things started to turn around for the auto industry. And that recovery continued to roll on at least through 2016, when a record 17.5 million new cars and light trucks were sold in the United States.The industry's comeback over the past six years also has benefited railroads' business of moving finished cars, light trucks and auto parts for their customers, Class I executives say. And automotive remains a strong segment, although this year it may level off in some areas depending on railroads' locations and the automotive plants they serve.Some of that leveling off has been reflected in the AAR's weekly traffic data reports. Through the first 15 weeks of 2017, all North American railroads reporting to AAR logged 407,051 carloads of motor vehicles and parts, down 3.5 percent compared with volumes during the same period in 2016.For BNSF Railway Co., the automotive segment in terms of finished vehicles has registered strong growth, says Dave Fleenor, BNSF assistant vice president for automotive marketing. BNSF serves two automotive plants directly: Toyota's plant in Tupelo, Miss., and the automaker's plant in San Antonio, Texas."Obviously, the overall automotive growth has been pretty significant," Fleenor says. "This year is relatively flat [in auto sales] for the industry."Still, the average age of vehicles is 11 years old, so there’s still significant pent-up demand for new cars in upcoming years, Fleenor adds.BNSF has added capacity — track and parking areas — to accommodate the growth of its automotive business. BNSF Railway Co.
BNSF Railway Co. has posted strong growth in its finished motor vehicle segment.Photo – BNSF By
"The [auto] industry forecasters are predicting approximately the same volume for the next four or five years," he says. "I think there is potential for an upside. If the economy and job situation were to improve from where it is today, I believe that would result in increased sales for our manufacturers."
Railroads serve SUV demand
Also, the decline in gasoline prices starting in 2014 has contributed to growth in the number of small trucks and SUVs being sold. In that year, finished automobiles represented about 50 percent of vehicles sold; this year, they’re on pace to represent about 37 percent. SUVs, small trucks and crossovers are expected to represent the majority of vehicle sales, says Fleenor.
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