Author: William C. Vantuono

With Railway Age since 1992, William C. Vantuono has broadened and deepened the magazine's coverage of the technological revolution that is so swiftly changing the industry. He has also strengthened Railway Age’s leadership position in industry affairs with the conferences he conducts, among them Next-Generation Train Control, Light Rail, and Rail Insights. He is the author or co-author or editor of several books, among them All About Railroading; John Armstrong’s The Railroad: What It Is, What It Does; Railway Age’s Comprehensive Railroad Dictionary; and Planning, Engineering, and Operating Light Rail, With Applications in New Jersey.

Buckingham Branch launches Norfolk Division

Buckingham Branch Railroad on Aug. 1 launched its new Norfolk Division, which will serve the Norfolk, Va., region via a seven-mile line linking Coleman Place in Norfolk with Little Creek in Virginia Beach, Va.

HSR in the PNW?

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is envisioning a 250-mph “ultra-high speed ground transportation system” connecting Vancouver, B.C.; Seattle, Wash. and Portland, Ore., with Seattle-Vancouver and Seattle-Portland travel times reduced to one hour each. Engineering and professional services consultancy WSP will be preparing a business case analysis for what WSDOT describes as “an international, public-private partnership of WSDOT; the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT); the British Columbia Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology; and Microsoft Corp.”

Freight car market climbing toward 60K: EPA

Freight car deliveries will reach nearly 60,000 units by 2022, driven by strength in boxcars, covered hoppers, mill gondolas, intermodal equipment, and tank cars, according to the most recent forecast issued by Economic Planning Associates.

G&W “heading in the right direction”: Cowen analysis

Genesee & Wyoming’s second-quarter 2018 adjusted EPS (earnings per share) of $0.94 “was at the high end of guidance and just ahead of our and consensus expectations,” according to Cowen and Co. Managing Director and Railway Age Wall Street Contributing Editor Jason Seidl. “The company enjoyed freight demand improvement in all geographies, something that should begin to translate into operating leverage in the second half. Full-year guidance was largely in line with that provided last quarter. We’re raising our estimates and target and maintaining our Outperform rating.”

Like your Z? UP moved it, damage-free

If you drive a Nissan or Infiniti, whether it’s a Versa sub-compact, Sentra econobox, midsize Altima, upscale Maxima, massive Armada, luxury QX60, or any one of dozens of other models, including an iconic sports car like the 370Z or the $100K GT-R supercar, chances are most of its journey to the dealership occurred in a Union Pacific motor vehicle train.

APC, Strathmore forge distribution agreement

Avon, Ohio-based Advanced Polymer Coatings, Inc. (APC), a manufacturer of high-performance linings for industrial applications, has entered into an exclusive North American distribution agreement with Houston, Tex.-based Strathmore Products for APC-engineered linings for the rail industry. The new agreement, termed “Partners in Performance,” is “a significant opportunity to combine the strengths of two companies to bring new custom linings solutions to the rail industry,” APC and Strathmore said.

Commentary

Amtrak to passengers: Keep Out!!

A reliable rail industry source who wishes not to be named related this story to me from on board a recent trip on Amtrak 19, the long-distance Crescent. The words speak for themselves. They are unedited: