Author: Douglas John Bowen

St. Paul Green Line: Ridership good, trips slow

Light rail transit ridership on the new Green Line (Central Corridor) in St. Paul has been strong, exceeding some projections, in its first weeks of operation, even as complaints about trip times have surfaced.

Wabtec acquires Brazilian manufacturer

Wabtec Corp. said Thursday, Aug. 21, 2014 it has acquired Dia-Frag, a manufacturer of friction products based in Monte Alto, Brazil. Dia-Frag has annual sales of about $40 million. Wabtec did not disclose any financial details of acquisition.

Oregon OKs CBR terminal expansion

One day after Oregon denied a permit for a coal export terminal on the Columbia River, a separate state body has approved plans to expand a crude-by-rail (CBR) transfer terminal serving trains and barge traffic.

Chesapeake, Va., intensifies LRT effort

Seeking to maintain recent momentum to add light rail transit, the Chesapeake, Va., City Council on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014 voted to officially ask Hampton Roads Transit, operator of The Tide LRT, to help Chesapeake locate adequate funding for a $1.8 million study of the proposal.

Class I employment gains again in July

Figures released by the Surface Transportation Board show total Class I railroad employment as of mid-July 2014 rose 1.94% to 167, 138, from mid-July 2013, and also added 99 positions from mid-June 2014, a rise of 0.6%.

STB summons CP, BNSF to service hearing

The Surface Transportation Board late Monday, Aug. 18, 2014, announced it will hold a public field hearing on Sept. 4, 2014 “to provide interested persons and parties the opportunity to report on service problems in the United States rail network, to hear from rail industry executives on their efforts to address service problems, and to discuss additional options to improve rail service.”

Oregon rejects coal export terminal plan

Oregon’s Department of State Lands on Monday, Aug. 18, 2014, denied a permit for construction of a coal export project on the Columbia River to bolster international coal export.

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OmniTRAX Canada suspends CBR moves

OmniTRAX Canada said Monday, Aug. 18, 2014 it would “suspend its plans to ship crude oil for the foreseeable future,” even as it “anticipates a record shipping season in 2014.”

Waterloo Region preps for LRT construction

Ontario’s Region of Waterloo has launched a new website designed to keep residents and other interested parties updated on ION light rail transit construction, set to become intensive as 2015 begins.