RAILWAY AGE, NOVEMBER 2020 ISSUE: Light rail/streetcars, rapid transit, regional/commuter rail: Canada’s GTHA (Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area) in Ontario Province has it all, and under the auspices of Metrolinx, has been aggressively investing billions in new builds and expansion.
Some Amtrak employees are at risk of protracted prescription painkiller popping, Amtrak’s internal OIG (Office of Inspector General) says in a 40-page report, “SAFETY AND SECURITY: Expanded Random Drug Testing Could Help Further Detect and Deter Prescription Opioid Misuse.” The report notes that Amtrak “could strengthen its ability to detect and deter prescription opioid misuse among employees conducting safety-related work by expanding its random drug testing program.”
The Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) is presenting its annual Winter Meeting as a half-day online session on the afternoon of Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, 2021. The meeting will run from 1–5:15 p.m. CST (2 – 6:15 p.m. EST). All presentations will be live, and the speakers will field questions.
The Reading & Northern Railroad (RBMN) has delivered the first plastic pellet hopper railcars to IRIS USA, its newest customer in the Humboldt Industrial Park in Hazleton, Pa. IRIS, headquartered in Sendai, Japan, manufactures plastic organizational products and containers for home and office applications. Humboldt Industrial Park is its first location on the U.S. East Coast.
In a newly released video, Amtrak Vice President Northeast Corridor Service Line Caroline Decker takes viewers on a tour of the onboard amenities and features that customers will be able to enjoy when the next generation of Acela trainsets launches in 2021.
CSX Manager of Environmental Programs Meaghan E. Atkinson has received the 2020 Professional Environmental Excellence Award from the Association of American Railroads, described as “the highest honor for railroad industry environmental professionals.” The award “recognizes leading contributions to environmental responsibility and excellence in the industry.” Atkinson is the tenth CSX employee to receive this honor in the past 19 years.
The trend continues: Intermodal gains once again offset carload declines, as U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Oct. 24, 2020—522,653 carloads and intermodal units—rose 1.9% compared with the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Oct. 28.
Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner and Commuter Rail Coalition Co-Founder Joe Giulietti, accompanied by ConnDOT Public Transportation Bureau Chief Rich Andreski, discuss “Transformation and Innovation in the Commuter Rail Realm” with Railway Age
The American Short Line Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has selected the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA) as its 2020 Veterans Engagement Award winner for “focused and sustained efforts to recruiting veterans for employment, and for the railroad’s efforts beyond their workforce in supporting U.S. Veterans and their families in their community.”
U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Oct. 17, 2020, largely mirrored the previous week’s figures, with a significant intermodal gain surpassing a carload decline, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Oct. 21. Year-to-date figures largely confirm that intermodal has held up relatively well in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, compared to carload volume.