U.S. freight traffic slips as March ends
U.S. freight carload traffic and U.S. intermodal volume declined during the week ending March 30, 2013, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday, as the overall month ended in mixed fashion.
news
Railinc staff joins car-hire training at ASLRRA convention
Railinc will participate in car-hire training, including leading sessions, at the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) 2013 annual convention in Atlanta, April 27-May 1.
NCDOT names Worley Rail Division Director
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has named 25-year department veteran Paul Worley as the new director of the Rail Division.
Railinc issues 2012 Railcar Report
The size of the North American revenue-earning freight railcar fleet increased by 1% in 2012, but has not recovered to pre-recession population levels, according to Railinc’s annual North American Freight Railcar Review.
Greenbrier Cos. 2Q earnings fall, but beat Street
Lake Oswego, Ore.-based The Greenbrier Cos. Thursday reported net earnings of $13.8 million, or 45 cents per diluted share, in its second fiscal quarter ending Feb. 28, 2013. That was down 22% from earnings of $17.7 million in the comparable fiscal year 2012 quarter, but still topped Wall Street’s consensus estimate of 41 cents per diluted share. Revenue was $423.2 million.
MTA reopens (old) South Ferry Station
MTA New York City Transit’s old South Ferry Station reopened for business at 5:00 a.m. Thursday, re-establishing a subway-ferry transfer point severed since Hurricane Sandy flooded large portions of lower Manhattan late last October.
New Mexico offers BNSF fuel break
A new law in New Mexico will provide a tax break to lower the cost of locomotive fuel for the BNSF Railway Co., the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
Schnautz to lead NS research and technology group
Norfolk Southern has appointed Tom W. Schnautz assistant vice president research and advanced technology. Schnautz has assumed some of the responsibilities of Gerhard Thelen, including Positive Train Control (PTC) and research.
RSI promotes Brewin, Leach
The Railway Supply Institute has promoted Nicole Brewin to Vice President Government Affairs, and promoted Robyn Leach to Vice President Administration.
North Kansas City eyes nearby streetcar line
North Kansas City, Mo., is weighing the idea of reaching a pact with its larger neighbor for a feasibility study to extend the planned Kansas City starter line.
Study: Extend Ottawa O-Train, boost LRT use
An interagency report released Tuesday recommends Ottawa’s existing O-Train diesel light rail transit (DLRT) service be extended across the Ottawa River “to better integrate transit between the downtown cores of Ottawa and Gatineau.”
Boston South Station expansion focus faulted
Criticism of a proposed $850 million expansion plan for Boston’s South Station is coming not just from fiscal conservatives and anti-rail partisans, but now also from those arguing current plans ignore a long-sought link with the city’s North Station.
Operation Lifesaver releases 2012 annual report
Operation Lifesaver, Inc. on Tuesday released its 2012 Annual Report, which reviews the organization’s accomplishments, according to President and CEO Joyce Rose.
GAO audit lauds CHSRA
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) received politically critical praise April 1 that was no April Fool’s joke, as a Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit gave CHSRA good reviews for its conduct and procedures.
Commentary
Amtrak haters: Bullies with no public purpose
Conservative columnist and American Enterprise scholar Michael Barone, with degrees from Harvard and Yale, is a smart fellow. But a recent column about Amtrak suggests his research consisted of wandering into the posh Capitol Grill in Washington, D.C., and sitting at Amtrak baiter-in-chief Rep. John Mica’s luncheon table, absorbing Mica’s jihad against publicly funded intercity rail passenger service.
Phoenix Sky Train ready to debut
The Phoenix Sky Train, featuring Bombardier automated people mover (APM) equipment, will open for revenue service April 8, linking Sky Harbor Airport Terminal 4 to parking lots and Valley Metro light rail transit at 44th Street and Washington.
Next California city eyeing streetcars: Riverside
Riverside, Calif. Mayor Rusty Bailey is proceeding with plans for a 12-mile streetcar line linking University of California-Riverside with the city’s western boundary.
CP reopens line after Minnesota oil spill
Canadian Pacifc on Thursday said it had resumed service in western Minnesota after a derailment spilled up to 30,000 U.S. gallons of oil.
Commentary
Thank you, Betsy Morris (and the WSJ, too)
The Wall Street Journal has done a brilliant job of, as our Senior Consulting Editor Luther Miller likes to say, “making the obvious less obscure.”
New streak? U.S. carload freight up again
U.S. freight carload traffic logged a second straight week of gains, albeit modest ones, measured against the comparable period in 2012, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday.