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.
Commentary

Gateway chess game stalls Batory FRA confirmation

Confirmation of career-railroader Ronald L. Batory as Federal Railroad Administrator has been delayed by New Jersey and New York’s Senate delegation—Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Kirsten Gillibrand ((D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)—over what they say is concern that the federal government will not provide funding for the Gateway Project.

EEOC sues CSX over sex discrimination

CSX’s situation continues to get tougher. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Aug. 2 filed a lawsuit against the railroad, claiming that it has been discriminating against women by using a physical strength test to determine employment eligibility.

First ES43ACmi bound for India

GE Transportation has completed the first of 1,000 ES43ACmi broad-gauge diesel-electric locomotives for Indian Railways as part of a $2.5 billion order. The Evolution Series locomotive, Indian Railways class WDG4G, sports the railroad’s new paint scheme, a distinctive red and yellow pattern holding special meaning in India, with red and yellow representing “energy” and “freshness,” respectively.

UPDATE: CSX train derails, spills hazmat in western Pennsylvania

Thirty-two cars of a 178-car, 18,000-plus-ton CSX freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed early Wednesday, Aug. 2, in the small town of Hyndman (Bedford County), Pa., setting railcars and a garage on fire and prompting emergency officials to evacuate hundreds of nearby residents. No injuries were reported.

FTA NPRM promotes transit P3s

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Private Investment Project Procedures (PIPP), “to facilitate public-private partnerships for public transportation capital projects that will help the federal government develop more-effective approaches to spurring private participation and investment in areas such as project planning, development, finance, design, construction, maintenance and operations.”

CSX shippers look to NS, trucks: Cowen report

More than 80% of respondents to a CSX Service Quality survey issued by Cowen and Company say they have experienced service issues since the company initiated President and CEO Hunter Harrison’s Precision Railroading. According to Cowen Managing Director and Railway Age Wall Street Contributing Editor Jason Seidl, “nearly 40% [of respondents] have switched some freight to Norfolk Southern, and 67% have transferred freight to a trucker.”