Kansas City OKs streetcar, hires HDR Inc.

Eligible voters in a special assessment district have approved plans for a two-mile streetcar line to run through downtown Kansas City, Mo.

New Ohio short line announced

Hannibal Real Estate of White Plains, N.Y., and Carload Express of Oakmont, Pa., on Wednesday jointly announced agreement to operate the 12.2-mile Omal railway line in Monroe County, Ohio, naming it the Ohio Terminal Railway Co.

UP, L.B. Foster extend crosstie contract

L.B. Foster and Union Pacific have agreed on a multiyear extension of a contract for the supply of prestressed concrete ties from the supplier’s Tucson, Ariz., facility. The previous contract was set to expire Dec. 31.

CN blasts rail regulation legislation

Claude Mongeau, president and chief executive officer of Canadian National, says there is no evidence of systemic rail service problems warranting the Canadian government’s introduction Tuesday of legislation that would expand rail regulation to impose level of service obligations.

Progress Rail acquires welding company

Progress Rail Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., said Tuesday it has purchased mobile welding assets from RibbonWeld LLC, a rail welding company based in Springfield, Mo.

Obituary: Dr. William J. Harris, 94

Dr. William J. Harris, who contributed to several industry improvements and who served with the Association of American Railroads from 1970 to 1985, died Dec. 5 at age 94 at his home in East Falmouth, Mass.

UP opens Austin, Tex., info tech center

Union Pacific said Tuesday it has opened a new information technology center in Austin, Tex., bringing the railroad closer to the top talent located in what it calls one of the hottest U.S. technology hubs.

UIC honor bestowed to TTCI FAST program

The Association of American Railroads Tuesday lauded the Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) on its receipt of the International Union of Railways’ (UIC) Innovation and Railway Research Award in the “Rail Freight Services” category for the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST) Program.

NJT: 261 passenger cars need post-Sandy fix

Questioned Tuesday by New Jersey’s Assembly Transportation Committee—but not as harshly as some expected—New Jersey Transit Executive Director Jim Weinstein said the company had sustained $100 million in damage to its rail equipment, including 62 locomotives and 261 passenger cars, due to Hurricane Sandy.

CP, Teamsters Canada workers reach accord

The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference-Maintenance of Way Employees Division (TCRC-MWED), representing 2,600 maintenance of way workers, and Canadian Pacific reached a tentative historic five-year contract settlement, CP announced Tuesday.
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