This may be a first: The San Mateo County Transit District Board of Directors recently approved entering into an agreement with a development team composed of Facebook, Inc. and Plenary Group, an infrastructure developer specializing in public-private partnerships (P3s), to explore the feasibility of advancing the Dumbarton Transportation Corridor. This could mean reopening the Dumbarton Rail Bridge for passenger service.
Canadian Pacific plans to invest more than a half-billion dollars in nearly 6,000 new high-capacity grain hopper cars, and expects to place more than 500 in service before the end of 2018, increasing capacity of its unit grain trains. National Steel Car, Hamilton, Ont., has received CP’s initial order for 1,000 units.
American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association President Linda Darr on June 5 announced her resignation, effective July 27, from the organization she has led since late 2014. She has accepted the CEO position at the American Council of Engineering Companies, a trade association described by ASLRRA Chair Judy Petry as “a considerably larger organization and industry.” Twenty percent of ACEC members are companies that do business is the railway space.
Operation Lifesaver, Inc. Interim President Wende Corcoran announced new State Coordinators for the nonprofit rail safety education organization in three states. Jeffrey Pitcher now leads Maine Operation Lifesaver (ME OL); Alan Stouder leads Ohio Operation Lifesaver (OH OL); and Kathy Zander is Operation Lifesaver of the Dakotas (ND/SD) leader.
Amtrak’s just-instituted practice of providing sleeping car customers, beginning with the Lake Shore Limited and Capitol Limited, with “contemporary and fresh dining choices” is “nothing more than a cold snack in a cardboard box being delivered to passengers in their rooms,” the Amtrak Service Workers Council (ASWC) of the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) announced last week. “Riders are paying close to $1,000 a ticket, only to be fed yogurt and sandwiches?”
Suzanne Silverman has joined the New York City office of Denver-based Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell LLP as a partner. She will be part of the firm’s Rail, Transit, Highways, and Infrastructure practice group, working with Adam Giuliano, an attorney involved in leading the KK&R’s public-private partnership (P3) and alternative project delivery practice group.
You think Amtrak has problems with long-distance train punctuality? VIA Rail Canada recently has been experiencing debilitating delays with the Canadian, its premier, first-class Toronto-Vancouver train, renowned for luxurious accommodations, excellent on-board service, and—oh yes—dining cars. But I’m not going to broach that subject just now.
Railinc Corp. has promoted Joan Smemoe to Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Vice President of Information Technology, effective June 11. She will be responsible for Railinc’s data, product development and information systems platforms.
Trainyard Tech, LLC has configured its CLASSMASTER™ Process Control System (PCS) into a hybrid system for an eastern Class I to simultaneously provide humping and flat switching in a railcar classification yard.
IRIS USA, a manufacturer and distributor of injection-molded plastic products, is building a new manufacturing plant at the Humboldt Industrial Park, Hazleton, Pa., on the Reading & Northern Railroad (RBMN).
