In West Virginia and Virginia, two Norfolk Southern owned and/or operated rail facilities—a state-financed intermodal terminal near Charleston, W.Va., and the railroad’s shop complex in Roanoke, Va.—have been impacted by closure and layoffs.
Union Pacific recently completed Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation, activating its final track segment. The technology is now implemented on all the company’s federally mandated rail lines, including required passenger train routes. Union Pacific will continue working with partner railroads on their interoperability efforts, ensuring seamless operation onto the company’s tracks.
US Development Group, LLC (through wholly-owned affiliate USD) and Gibson Energy Inc. (Gibson) jointly announced this week an agreement to construct and operate a diluent recovery unit (DRU) near Hardisty, Alberta, Canada. ConocoPhillips Canada has contracted to process 50,000 barrels per day of inlet bitumen blend through the DRU to be shipped by Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern to the U.S.
RAILWAY AGE, NOVEMBER 2019 ISSUE: The U.S. military’s long association with North American railroading exists on several levels. First, railroads fulfilled the military’s crucial need for movement of troops and equipment both at home and abroad, dating back to at least the Civil War. During World War I, the U.S. government assumed operation of the railroads, but the daily operation was still carried out by the roads’ employees. During World War II, U.S. railroads completed the Herculean task of serving not only the military, but the general boom in wartime traffic resulting from a strengthening economy and manufacturing needs generated mainly by the war. The Korean conflict and the Vietnam War also placed significant demands on the railroads, as have more recent conflicts in the Middle East. Also, railroad infrastructure on foreign soil during wartime required professional railroaders to join the military to build and maintain U.S. and Allied railroads near the zones of hot conflict.
Unless rail customers own their own railcars, they either use ones owned by the railroad or they lease them. One of the largest freight car and locomotive lessors is GATX Corp., which serves customers in several areas of the world. When a customer leases freight cars, the lessor expects them to be returned in good condition.
The Roanoke Times is reporting that FreightCar America plans to close its railcar manufacturing facility in Roanoke, Va., and open a new one in Castanos, Mexico. The new Mexico plant will be a joint venture with Fabricaciones y Servicios de México, and will cost $25 million.
RAILWAY TRACK & STRUCTURES at RAILWAY INTERCHANGE 2019: Collins Aerospace, a technology company that provides a variety of services to commercial and business aviation, military and defense, space flight, and airports is now in the railroad business – well, sort of. They offer positive train control (PTC) solutions, rail data, and analytics services, along with other technology solutions tailored for railroads.
Loram Friction Management recently welcomed John Coulam and Bruce Wise to the team.
Canadian National announced the signing of an agreement that will see CN acquire the Massena rail line from CSX, which represents more than 220 miles of track between Valleyfield (Quebec), in Canada, and Woodard (New York), in the U.S. The Massena rail line also serves many cities in the province of Quebec, including Beauharnois and Huntingdon, and in the state of New York, including Massena, Norwood, Potsdam, and Gouverneur.
CSX Corporation today announced that Adam Longson, a seasoned leader with expertise in energy and transportation analytics, is joining the company’s Sales and Marketing organization as vice president of Energy effective September 9, 2019.