Railroad News

By Michael Popke

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has appointed Michael Mobbs counsel to the inspector general, effective Aug. 5. He will report to Inspector General Geoffrey Cherrington.

Mobbs most recently served as general counsel to the inspector general at the U.S. Department of State. Over the past decade, he has served as general counsel to the inspectors general at the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction and at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

In a new report, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) described the Short Line Safety Institute's (SLSI) "safety culture assessment" model to be the most comprehensive or robust approach in the U.S. rail industry's safety evaluation culture, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association announced yesterday.

Since 2015, the safety institute has been conducting voluntary, non-punitive and confidential assessments of safety culture at short lines and regionals. The institute defines safety culture as shared values, actions and behaviors that demonstrate a commitment to safety over competing goals and demands, based on a U.S. Department of Transportation Safety Council definition, according to the FRA's report.

The Washington State Department of Ecology is seeking public comments on proposed changes to regulations government railroads oil-spill response efforts in the state.

In 2015, the state began requiring railroads to have oil-spill contingency plans to ensure they are adequately prepared in case of a spill. Based on direction from the Washington Legislature, the department is streamlining requirements and "strengthen response to potential railroad spills," department officials said in a press release.

U.S. railroad traffic continued to slide during June's first full week, with combined carload and intermodal volumes falling 8.5 percent to 513,099 units compared with the same week last year, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Total carloads for the week ending June 8 plummeted 9.1 percent to 246,758 units, while intermodal traffic dropped 8 percent to 266,341 containers and trailers.

BMW Group and Mexican government officials last week marked the opening of the automaker's new plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

To be served by Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM), the more than $1 billion plant is designed to produce up to 175,000 vehicles annually. The facility will be used to produce the BMW 3 Series Sedan, the company's most successful model series, BMW Group officials said in a press release.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) yesterday announced the recipients of $326 million in grant funds under the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) and the Special Transportation Circumstances programs.

The grants will fund 45 projects in 29 states. Authorized by the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, the CRISI program funds projects that improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of intercity passenger- and freight-rail systems.

By Vesna Brajkovic, Associate Editor

Amtrak yesterday marked the 90th anniversary of the Empire Builder route, which travels across the northern United States from Chicago to Seattle and Portland.

Inaugurated by the Great Northern Railway (GN), the first westbound Empire Builder departed Chicago on June 10, 1929. It was christened the next day in St. Paul, Minnesota, where the GN had its headquarters and where its mainline to Seattle began, Amtrak officials said in a press release.

In May, the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) completed one of its largest construction projects over the past 10 years, and in a speedy fashion.

The agency replaced 18-year-old tracks and switches at two Main Street locations in 27 days, work that typically would take two months to complete.

The Coos Bay Rail Line has completed a $2.3 million rehabilitation project on 37 timber bridges along its line, which is owned and operated by the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay.

The port contracted Scott Partney Construction to complete the bridge work. Engineering firm Stantec Inc. will conduct the final inspections, port officials said in a press release.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) announced that Chief of Security Alex Wiggins has resigned to accept the chief executive officer position at the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority.

In addition, the authority announced a series of appointments to fill Wiggins' post and other vacancies on the senior leadership team. Metro named Nadine Lee chief of staff; James de la Loza, chief planning officer; Yvette Zoe-Robles Rapose, chief communications officer; Jonaura Wisdom, chief civil rights programs officer; and Aston Greene III, interim chief systems security and law enforcement officer.

Louisville & Indiana Railroad (LIRC) and Great Western Malting Co. have developed a new 33 rail-car transload facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

The rail-to-truck transfer facility, which will open tomorrow, features a covered, open-ended structure enclosing a 90-foot section of track with a concrete pad. A concrete pit below allows conveyors to load trucks for delivery of malting grain to customers.

The Florida Department of Transportation will receive a $17 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to improve safety at seven grade crossings in Jacksonville.

The $35.2 million project also involves CSX, Florida East Coast Railway and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). The partners aim to address conflicts between freight trains and vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle traffic at major arteries in downtown Jacksonville, including the heavily used San Marco Boulevard interchange. Crossing delays can last from several minutes to several hours due to the lack of appropriate storage track, communications and signaling, and switching infrastructure in the area, the project partners said.

A bill that would make the 45G short-line tax credit permanent has received support from a majority of U.S. House members, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) announced yesterday.

As of yesterday, 219 representatives are cosponsors of the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act, which would make permanent the tax credit that short lines and regionals can receive for investing in infrastructure maintenance. The credit expired in December 2017 and has not yet been extended.

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Metropolitan Council officials have narrowed the field of candidates for the position of Metro Transit police chief to two finalists: Minneapolis Police Inspector Eddie Frizell and Metro Transit Acting Chief of Police AJ Olson.

Frizell has served as a Minneapolis police officer since 1993 and is currently the inspector of the downtown's First Precinct. Olson has served as the acting chief of Metro Transit's police department since John Harrington resigned to lead the Minnesota Department of Public Safety earlier this year. He has nearly 38 years of law enforcement experience, having worked for Metro Transit since 2005, with 12 of those years as deputy chief of the department.

Amtrak's Northeast Regional, Lake Shore Limited and Vermonter trains returned to Union Station in Springfield, Massachusetts, yesterday after previously using a temporary stop as part of a station upgrade project.

Riders traveling in western Massachusetts will now see passenger information display boards, hear train announcements in the station and access a customer service desk that will be staffed from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. daily, Amtrak officials said in a press release.

Arrows Up Inc. founder John Allegretti has retired as the company's chief executive officer. Justin Renfro, president of Arrows Up affiliate OmniTRAX Energy Solutions (OES), has assumed leadership responsibilities for both entities, the companies announced yesterday.

The management and operations teams of Arrows Up have over 65 years of combined experience in the packaging and logistics industry, company officials said in a press release.