Matt Walsh, Chairman, ASLRRA Board of Directors

Walsh Appointed ASLRRA Board Chair

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has named Matt Walsh, Genesee & Wyoming Executive Vice President, Global Corporate Development, as Chairman of the Board, succeeding Stefan Loeb.

NS, SMART-TD Pause Conductor Redeployment Bargaining

Norfolk Southern (NS) and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD) on March 23 reported that they are discontinuing formal negotiations regarding conductor redeployment to focus their efforts on implementing other “immediate quality-of-life improvements” for employees.

Cordel Group PLC and D/Gauge Ltd. (part of the TÜV Rheinland Group) have landed a multi-year contract to provide Amtrak with a Rail Clearance Management system.

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, BART, CapMetro, CTDOT, PATH, TTC, WMATA

Amtrak awards Rail Clearance Management system contract. Also, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) lowers its ridership estimate for San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District’s (BART) extension through San José; CapMetro’s Project Connect in Austin, Tex., has five new light rail options; Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is developing a unified, statewide public transit information system for mobile devices; PATH introduces nine-car train service on the Newark (N.J.)-World Trade Center (N.Y.) line; the city of Toronto, Ontario, and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) bolster transit system outreach efforts; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) tests new fare gates.

Yannik Thomas (left) and Stefan Loeb are joining the Marketing division at Norfolk Southern.

NS Taps Thomas, Loeb for Marketing Roles

Norfolk Southern (NS) on March 23 reported elevating Yannik Thomas and appointing Watco veteran Stefan Loeb to Vice President positions in the Marketing division, effective April 2.

UP: Paid Sick Leave Added for Six Unions

Union Pacific (UP) on March 22 reported reaching agreements with six additional labor unions to provide access to up to seven paid sick days, effective April 1.

PHMSA Issues DOT-111 Tank Car Safety Advisory

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), on March 22 released a safety advisory, which it said was to “re-emphasize previously raised concerns about the survivability of DOT-111 tank cars and encourage tank car owners and shippers of flammable liquids to voluntarily upgrade their tank car fleets to the newest, and safest, available tank car design authorized for flammable liquid service—the DOT-117 specification tank car.”

FRA Issues SNPRM for Emergency Escape Breathing Apparatus Standards

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on March 22 released a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) to expand occupational noise exposure regulations and require railroads to provide locomotive crews with appropriate “atmosphere-supplying emergency escape breathing apparatuses” when their trains transport hazardous material.

The MCS consortium will integrate as a delivery partner with Metrolinx on its Scarborough Subway and Yonge North Subway extension projects, extending Toronto Transit Commission’s existing subway network by approximately 10 miles.

MCS Consortium Awarded Metrolinx GTA Contract

The Mace, Comtech and SYSTRA consortium (MCS) has been awarded the Delivery Partner Services contract to support Metrolinx’s Scarborough Subway and Yonge North Subway extension projects in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Greenbrier’s new orders—comprising tank cars, autoracks, boxcars and covered hoppers—“were consistent with Greenbrier’s expectations for the period,” the manufacturer said March 22.

Greenbrier Lands $580MM in New Railcar Orders

The Greenbrier Companies on March 22 reported receiving orders for 4,500 new railcars during the fiscal second quarter ended Feb. 28, 2023, for which it provided preliminary results, including deliveries of 7,200 units. TD Cowen offers insight.

As of March 21, NS has helped to remove 7,784 tons of waste soil from the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment site. (NS Photograph)

NS’s Shaw: ‘We Support Legislative Efforts to Enhance [Rail] Safety’

Ahead of a March 22 Senate hearing on “Improving Rail Safety in Response to the [Feb. 3] East Palestine Derailment,” Norfolk Southern (NS) President and CEO Alan H. Shaw has released his

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