Twin Cities suburb OKs LRT route option
Golden Valley, Minn.’s City Council, reversing an earlier stance, has narrowly given approval for a proposed light rail transit route linking Brooklyn Park, Minn., and Minneapolis. The vote was 3-to-2.
news
LACMTA addresses LRT track gauge flaw
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to repair a flawed junction where its Blue Line and Expo Line light rail transit routes converge.
MTA chairman expected to relinquish post
Joseph J. Lhota, the chairman of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, will be stepping down from his position on Friday, Dec. 22, according to a report in today’s New York Times. He is expected to pursue a candidacy for New York City mayor as a Republican.
Greenbrier plus ARI: Let the games begin
The Greenbrier Companies, one of only a handful of remaining domestic railcar manufacturing companies, late yesterday said that Carl Icahn’s current attempt to have American Railcar Industries (ARI), of which he is majority shareholder, acquire Greenbrier (in which he also has a stake) “grossly undervalues the company and is not in the best interests of Greenbrier stockholders.”
PATH again links Hoboken and Manhattan
After nearly two months of extensive round-the-clock repair efforts following Hurricane Sandy, PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) rapid transit trains are resuming service between Hoboken Terminal in New Jersey and the 33rd Street station in Manhattan. Trains were scheduled to start rolling at 5:00 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 19, and will operate until 10 p.m. seven days a week.
Employment up year-over-year, past month
Figures released by the Surface Transportation Board show Class I railroads employed 162,766 people in mid-November, up 1.65% from November 2011, and up 0.20% from October 2012.
ARI offers to buy rival Greenbrier Cos.
American Railcar Industries Inc., controlled by well-known investor Carl Icahn, has offered to buy Lake Oswego, Ore.-based The Greenbrier Cos. Inc. for about $543 million.
NTSB issues first report on NJ bridge incident
The National Transportation Safety Board on Monday released its preliminary report on the Paulsboro, N.J. train derailment Nov. 30, but the initial release does not identify the cause of the accident.
BNSF CEO sees record 2013 capex
BNSF Railway CEO Matt Rose says his railroad set a company record for capital investment in 2012, but expects to exceed that level in the coming year. BNSF has yet to release a specific figure for 2013.
Florida’s capital yearns for Sunset Limited
Tallahassee, Fla., is urging Amtrak to restore passenger rail service to the state capital.
Maryland sets MARC Inauguration Day service
Maryland Transit Administration has announced “special MARC Train services” for Jan. 21 Inauguration Day ceremonies in Washington, D.C. , incorporating reserved trains to the nation’s capital.
Cape Cod (summer) rail service returns in 2013
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority trains will link Boston and Hyannis, Mass., beginning Memorial Day weekend 2013, re-establishing seasonal passenger rail service to Cape Cod.
Commentary
Adore or abhor income protection? Thank Jim Hodgson
Perhaps no individual so significantly affected the payment of income protection to rail workers as did President Nixon’s labor secretary, James D. Hodgson, who died Nov. 28 at age 96.
A capital system keeps growing
In the April 12, 1976 cover story of Railway Age, “Day 1 on the Washington Metro,” Editor-In-Chief Luther Miller wrote: “Maybe it won’t last … But let it be recorded that on March 29, 1976, Washingtonians embraced their new Metro with affection, enthusiasm, and the indulgent understanding that an infant crawls before it walks and sometimes even falls flat on its face.”
When the trains stopped
Hurricane Sandy stranded millions for days. It will take billions to fully recover from the monster storm’s windy, watery wallop.
Thoughts from a well-positioned operating lessor
This month, we turn to an old friend in the operating leasing fraternity to see what we could learn: Harry Zander, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Macquarie Rail. Since 2006, Macquarie
The supply side: We’re always dodging rain clouds
Railway suppliers are a resilient and optimistic bunch. They know that if times are tough, a better day will come. Over 1,300 railroaders and suppliers attended the September 2012 RSI/CMA meeting, and I detected a sense of optimism. I’d like to explore some of the reasons why.
Wall Street view: Stuck in neutral?
Looking ahead to 2013, we find the same central question facing us that we have over the past few years, and that is what the economic environment will look like. We have maintained the basic premise that the North American economy will grow modestly in 2013. There are several issues that likely will determine the direction of railroad equities in the coming year.
2013 Freight Rail Outlook: The challenge of change
Resilience and resourcefulness are two terms that have become closely associated with North American railroads in recent years. The industry has emerged from the worst economic recession since the Great Depression in relatively solid shape, and enters 2013 positioned for growth.
Stepping up the ol’ grind
Professionals juggle the miscellany of variables associated with grinding to ensure a target profile to manage and extend rail life. Rail remains one of the railroads’ most expensive assets, and employing maintenance practices to meet its useful life can save the industry millions every year.