GWI adds Georgia short line to portfolio
Greenwich, Conn.-based Genesee & Wyoming Inc. on Wednesday announced the formation of a new subsidiary, the Hilton & Albany Railroad, Inc. (HAL), after signing an agreement with Norfolk Southern to lease and
news
Amtrak: Biodiesel trial results encouraging
Amtrak says that it found the use of a renewable biodiesel fuel blend to power its daily Heartland Flyer train “resulted in no more wear on the locomotive than traditional diesel fuels
California authority releases new business plan
The California High-Speed Rail Authority Tuesday released a new business plan that it says lays the foundation for an economically viable high speed rail system that will create 100,000 jobs in the
Amtrak revamps NEC business approach
Amtrak Tuesday said it was merging its planning and development efforts involving its existing Northeast Corridor with its proposed new dedicated 220 mph high speed rail plans for the NEC and elsewhere.
EPA: Freight car backlog
In spite of a struggling economy, “the railcar market continues to astonish on the upside,” Economic Planning Associates says in its latest quarterly report. “Third quarter orders of 20,165 units far outpaced
Melaniphy assumes top APTA post
Michael P. Melaniphy on Tuesday assumed his duties as president and CEO of the American Public Transportation Association, APTA said. Melaniphy succeeds William Millar, who retired on Oct. 31 after serving 15
GWI 3Q earnings rise
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. on Tuesday reported third-quarter net income of $32.9 million, compared with net income of $24.8 million in the third quarter of 2010. GWI recorded diluted earnings per share
Commentary
FROM THE EDITOR:
By William C. Vantuono, Editor In Abraham Lincoln’s day, the Illinois Central line linking Chicago with Springfield, Ill., and St. Louis was preferred for passenger service because, of the five major
Commentary
Perspective: Speed thrills, but performance wins (October 2011)
By Chris Taylor, for Railway Age Woody Allen once said, “I took a speed-reading course and read War and Peace in twenty minutes. It involves Russia.” Speed is compelling. From restaurant
For Volkswagen, versatility
Most, if not all, of the advances in motor vehicle transport by rail have come about through cooperative efforts involving the railroads, railroad suppliers, and manufacturers. Railroads transport about 70% of finished vehicles in specialized railcars equipped with mostly premium components that protect vehicles in transit from loss and damage.
The power of GREEN
In our environmentally conscious society, “green” is probably the most overused or misused word in the English language. Few industries can really stand up and shout that they’re green. The railroad industry, based on what it has been accomplishing with locomotives, is entitled to shout the loudest.
CN’s productivity pipeline
Writing a new chapter in an extraordinary success story.
Paul Tellier took Canadian National public with stunning success, Hunter Harrison’s Precision Railroading model took CN to performance levels that led many investment analysts to crown CN as the world’s finest freight railroad, and now Claude Mongeau, in command since Jan. 1, is taking steps to ensure that CN stays that way.
A natural fit?
No longer content with the “static quo,” Amtrak seeks to establish European-style HSR in the U.S. Northeast—and operate other planned U.S. HSR systems.
Amtrak Vice President-High Speed Rail Albrecht Engel makes two quick points: 1) Amtrak already is an operator of true HSR, “even under international ‘rules,'” courtesy of its Acela service on the Northeast Corridor; and 2) Amtrak wants, and needs, to do much more.
Automated asset management
Sophisticated data collection methods, along with high-tech systems to read and interpret the data, help railroads maximize their assets. Railroads are both asset-intensive and capital intensive. Knowing where and in what conditions those assets are, from rolling stock to sticks of rail or stacks of ties, is a big job, but new systems help with that immense task to help plan short- and long-term operations and maintenance.
CSX offers iPhone app to customers
CSX on Monday announced the release of a new iPhone application, ShipCSX, that allows customers to track freight shipments and trains across the CSX network. It also provides specifications of rail cars
PATH marks completion of 340-car order
PATH officials Monday hosted a ceremonial ride employing the final seven PA-5 rapid transit cars of a 340-car delivered by Kawasaki Rail Car Corp. to the bistate agency. The cars replace earlier
Activist hedge fund invests in CP
Pershing Square Capital Management, an activist hedge fund, reportedly has compiled a stake in Canadian Pacific Railway exceeding 12%. In a regulatory filing, New York-based Pershing Square said CP Rail shares are
NJ Transit Hoboken Division still hurt by storm
A Halloween feel was in place early Monday morning at New Jersey Transit’s Hoboken Terminal, with the venerable terminal’s concourse eerily deserted on a weekday due to service disruptions on much of
U.S. freight traffic remains mixed, AAR says
U.S. freight carload traffic fell 0.5% during the week ending Oct. 22, 2011, measured against the comparable week of 2010, the Association of American Railroads said. But U.S. intermodal volume rose 4.2%
Progress Rail locomotive shop up and running
Progress Rail Services Corp., a subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., announced that less than 10 months after construction began, its new locomotive assembly facility at Muncie, Ind., has already completed its first diesel-electric