Association of American Railroads (AAR) Senior Economist Luisa Fernandez-Willey will host “U.S. Freight Railroads and the U.S. Economy,” the League of Railway Women’s (LRW) inaugural webinar in its new “Railroading 101” series.
CSX Transportation has contracted with Trainyard Tech, LLC for a CLASSMASTER™ hump yard process control system and ROUTEMASTER™ receiving yard NX system at Selkirk Yard (former New York Central/Penn Central/Conrail), near Albany, N.Y. “This will bring Selkirk Yard up to 2018 standards and beyond for increased throughput, safety and user-friendly control and reporting,” Trainyard Tech said.
Jay Walder, who spent several years at the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in executive-level positions, has accepted the CEO post at Virgin Hyperloop One (VHO), one of several companies competing to build the first revenue-service version of the hyperloop, Elon Musk’s sub-sonic (700-mph) maglev-vehicle-inside-a-frictionless-vacuum-tube concept. Walder will replace Rob Lloyd, who headed VHO for three years.
In observation of Veterans Day (Nov. 12) in the United States, Kansas City Southern (KCS) unveiled 4006, a 13-year-old EMD SD70ACE based at the railroad’s Shreveport, La., Locomotive Shop, newly painted in a U.S. flag- and military-inspired scheme. KCS hosted a photo shoot with the locomotive and its Shreveport-based military active-duty and veteran employees.
The Railway Supply Institute (RSI) has named veteran railcar professional Randall Thomure Director of Regulatory Affairs and Safety, with oversight responsibility for technical and regulatory strategies related to safety and operations. He will also manage RSI’s project committees, and collaborate with members and stakeholders “to promote policies that incentivize new technologies to improve safe, efficient railroad operations.”
Canadian Pacific reports that it has broken all-time records for grain shipments, moving 2.64 million metric tonnes (MMT) of Canadian grain and grain products in October, the railroad’s biggest month ever for this commodity. The previous record was set in September 2017. CP also set a new record for biofuel shipments.
Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) has exercised a $340 million (C$448 million) option on an October 2010 contract with the consortium of Bombardier Transportation and Alstom for 153 additional AZUR rubber-tired metro cars, configured as 17 nine-car trainsets. Bombardier’s share is valued at $213 million (C$281 million), Alstom’s at $127 million (C$167 million).
In a move that some observers call surprising (and others not), New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Joe Lhota resigned his post on Nov. 9, only one week after he expressed his intention to stick with the MTA at a board meeting.
Kansas City Southern’s 18th annual Holiday Express will distribute a $171,756 in gift cards to The Salvation Army its 27-stop journey through 22 communities in eight states. The gift cards are designated for the purchase of warm clothing and other necessities for children in need.
The incoming National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC) Chairman is Brendan M. Branon (inset), who was most recently Managing Director-Labor and Employee Relations at Delta Air Lines, the principal negotiator, attorney and company spokesman with the company’s domestic labor unions.
