Robert J. Halperin, 77
Robert J. "Bob" Halperin, age 77, of Erie, Pa., died Saturday, May 28, at the VA Medical Center in Erie. Halperin was vice president of Ambler, Pa.-based LTK and was a renowned
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University of Maryland ends LRT ROW squabble
The University of Maryland at College Park has ended its dispute with the Maryland Transit Administration over the proposed alignment for MTA’s Purple Line light rail route along Campus Drive.
University of Illinois, state DOT to study 220 mph HSR
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Thursday announced a partnership between the University of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation, and a special advisory group to study the feasibility of 220 mph passenger
U.S. freight carload traffic holds firm: AAR
U.S. freight carload traffic for the week ending May 28, 2011 edged up 0.7%, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday. Intermodal volume for the week did even better, up 4.2% compared
Ontario regional council spurns LRT referendum
Ontario province’s Waterloo-Kitchener-Cambridge Regional Council on June 2 voted 7-3 not to reopen the debate on its regional transportation plan via a referendum, despite calls for such a move by some municipal officials, led by Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran.
CSX launches community service project
CSX Corp. said Thursday it has begun an eight-month-long community service project, entitled Beyond Our Rails: Project Sanctuary (www.beyondourrails.org), that infuses five days of management training between now and February 2012 with
Rail accidents/incidents down 10% in 1Q
This year’s first quarter saw continued overall improvement in railroad safety, with the total number of accidents/incidents down 10.1% compared with the first quarter of last year. Train accidents declined 5.3% to
Wabtec forms new joint venture in China
Wabtec Corp. announced Tuesday that it has formed a joint venture with Zhuzhou CSR Times Electric Co., Ltd., to manufacture and service brake equipment for Chinese transit systems. Prior to forming the
New name for MTU Detroit Diesel
Tognum America, Inc. made its debut Wednesday, June 1, as the new moniker supplanting MTU Detroit Diesel, Inc. Tognum America is the North American subsidiary of Friedrichshafen, Germany-based Tognum AG, responsible for
2011 Guide to Equipment Leasing
The view from the top
Before we move on to our CEO interviews, we thought it might be appropriate to reflect upon an event that has been reported in the financial press and that should be of interest to everyone reading this special issue: the potential sale of GE Railcar Services.
Stress state balancing act
NS discovers that managing the wheel/rail dynamic in a heavy haul environment comes down to finding equilibrium among several factors.
Creating a safety culture
Creating a culture that promotes individual safety and eliminates injuries is not an easy thing to do in the railroad industry.
Railinc: Fleet remains young
Despite a higher average age, the revenue-earning fleet comprises mostly “young” freight car sub-fleets, based on a 50-year life span.
High productivity fault detection
The proverbial ounce of prevention is worth more than any cure when it comes to keeping heavy tonnage on track.
Amtrak ACS-64: Speed, power, efficiency
In June 2009, Amtrak called for proposals for up to 70 new electric locomotives. The key requirements were conformity to all FRA regulations, Buy America compliance, acceleration capability to avoid impacting Acela Express high speed train schedules, and the capability to haul 18 single level Amfleet coaches at a sustained speed of 125 mph.
ALP-45DP: Two locomotives in one
There are two constants about regional rail that most agencies will agree upon: 1) Customers prefer a one-seat ride. 2) Electrification has many benefits, but it’s very expensive. This locomotive, Bombardier Transportation’s ALP-45DP dual-power, which NJ Transit and AMT (Montreal) are acquiring in a joint procurement, addresses both these issues.
Freight cars: A red-hot market
What the sudden surge in orders means for carbuilders and their customers. A giant bulge in freight car orders in this year’s first quarter sent waves of optimism through an industry that is the bedrock of the railway supply business. There were also undercurrents of concern.
Who will build this train?
The stakes are big in the race to build a new generation of American high speed trains. “If we can get one high speed system up and running, others will follow.”
New Orleans readies streetcar extension work
New Orleans’ Regional Transit Authority next week expects to select one of six bids submitted for extending streetcar service along Loyola Avenue to link Canal Street with Union Passenger Terminal. Transportation Secretary
Ansaldo STS wins contract for Milan metro line 4
Ansaldo STS has been provisionally awarded the tender to build Line 4 of the Milan (Italy) Metro, as part of a temporary consortium. The consortium includes Impregilo, Astaldi, Ansaldo STS, AnsaldoBreda, Sirti,