R. J. Corman joins AAR
R. J. Corman Railroad Group has joined the Association of American Railroads as a full member.
Author: William C. Vantuono
Battery-powered railcar mover
DJ Products has just released the RailCarCaddy Rail Car Mover, a battery powered, compact mover “that makes moving railcars weighing up to 200,000 pounds entirely effortless, safer and easier,” the company says.
Baker to Senate: Short lines “more than a quaint name on the Monopoly Board”
In one of his first appearances before Congress as President of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), Chuck Baker testified before the Senate Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety on the role Class II and III railroads play in supporting intermodal connections across the U.S. surface transportation network.
Carloads up, intermodal down: AAR
U.S. carload traffic rose slightly during the week ended Feb. 23, 2019, but a decline in intermodal more than offset the gain, according to figures released by the Association of American Railroads on Feb. 27.
GDOT initiates crossing signage improvement program
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has partnered with five railroads with operations in the state—Norfolk Southern, Georgia Northeastern Railroad, Georgia Southern Railway, Ogeechee Railroad Co. and St. Mary’s Railway West—to add “Stop” or “Yield” signs at nearly 600 crossings that do not have automatic warning devices.
Groundwork completed for NEC Portal North Bridge
New Jersey Transit, with support from Amtrak, the Gateway Program Development Corporation (GDC) and federal partners, has completed preliminary construction on the 2.3-mile-long Portal North Bridge, a fixed span that will replace the existing, century-old-plus two-track moveable span on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) over the Hackensack River, between New Jersey and New York.
Feinberg nominated to NYMTA board
Sarah Feinberg, who served as U.S. Federal Railroad Administrator in the Obama Administration from 2015 to 2017, has been nominated by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to fill a vacancy on the NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority board.
Byford: Subway Action Plan and Save Safe Seconds getting results
Statistics released Feb. 22 by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) show that New York City Transit (NYCT) subway performance, bolstered by the Subway Action Plan and Save Safe Seconds Campaign, “continues its months-long trend of improvement, with the best on-time performance, and the fewest number of delays, that the system has seen in four years.” However, constrained funding will limit just how far these programs will carry improvements.
Scott, Garin join OmniTRAX Board
OmniTRAX, Inc. has elected Cameron Scott and David Garin to its Board of Directors. Scott’s addition coincides with his retirement as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Union Pacific Feb. 28, 2019; Garin’s service follows an extensive career that culminated in his most recent role as Group Vice President, Industrial Products at BNSF.
Trinity 4Q18: Orders, backlog grow
Trinity Industries, Inc., in announcing financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended Dec. 31, 2018, reported that its Rail Products Group posted railcar orders and deliveries of 8,045 and 5,285, respectively, during the fourth quarter, compared to orders and deliveries of 3,180 and 6,150, respectively, during the same period last year. The railcar backlog at year’s end stood at $3.6 billion, compared to $2.2 billion on Dec. 31, 2017.