Hawthorne named NYAB president
New York Air Brake has appointed Michael J. Hawthorne as president, effective July 1, 2012, upon the retirement of J. Paul Morgan.
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Truckers forecast steady rise in intermodal
The American Trucking Associations’ Freight Transport to 2023 forecast, released Monday, predicts that rail intermodal tonnage will rise 6.2% a year between 2012 and 2017, slowing to 5.4% annually through 2023.
CATS extension gets FTA nudge
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on Tuesday gave Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) approval to proceed to Final Design of Charlotte’s 9.3-mile LYNX Blue Line Extension project, also called the “Northeast Corridor.”
GE expands New York battery factory
General Electric Co. Tuesday said it will expand its new, advanced manufacturing battery factory in Schenectady, N.Y., which is part of the company’s new Energy Storage business.
NJT RiverLINE resumes regular service
New Jersey Transit Monday said its RiverLINE passenger rail service has resumed regular service, more than 10 months after Hurricane Irene savaged large swaths of the Northeast.
Railroad accidents decline
The latest Federal Railroad Administration accident report, covering this year’s first four months, again shows strong safety gains for railroads.
Amtrak touts NEC needs as HSR gathering looms
Timing its latest revision of plans for the Northeast Corridor (NEC) to coincide with an international high speed rail conference this week in Philadelphia, Amtrak Monday released an updated vision of NEC HSR, estimating the cost at $151 billion.
CN beefs up B.C. North Line capacity
Canadian National announced that it will build five extended sidings this year as part of a multiyear C$155 million program to expand capacity in the Edmonton, Alta.-Prince Rupert, B.C., corridor.
“Other” Arlington, Va., streetcar route OK’d
Members of the Arlington Transportation Commission in Virginia voted 10-0 last Thursday to support the proposed Columbia Pike Streetcar initiative, overshadowed in recent weeks by a second streetcar effort being advanced by Arlington County and neighboring Alexandria, Va.
China acquires Bombardier tram technology
Bombardier Transportation has signed an agreement providing CSR Puzhen, a subsidiary of China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corp. with a 10-year license to manufacture and sell 100% low-floor trams with Bombardier technology in China.
U.S. freight carload volume sluggish again
U.S. intermodal volume continued its torrid 2012 pace for the week ending June 30, but U.S. freight carload traffic resumed falling short of 2011 volume, the Association of American Railroads reported. U.S. freight carload volume fell 2.5% compared with the same week last year; U.S. intermodal volume advanced 7.0%.
California legislature OKs state HSR effort
California’s state Senate Friday afternoon, in a close vote, approved $5.8 billion to initiate the state’s high speed rail network, following a less contentious vote by the California state Assembly Thursday to approve (or retain) initial funding for the state’s 700-mile high speed rail project.
Railroad Development Corp. wins legal battle
Pittsburgh-based Railroad Development Corp. Thursday said it “has prevailed in its five‐year international arbitration against the Republic of Guatemala brought under the Dominican Republic‐Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).”
Santa Ana streetcar funding options weighed
Orange County, Calif., transportation officials are weighing the practicality of expanding Interstate 405 capacity, while also considering a proposed streetcar system for Santa Ana, the county seat.
UP’s Koraleski sees “slow, continual growth”
Union Pacific President and CEO Jack Koraleski said Monday that he sees nothing “right now” to indicate the economy is softening, and added: “We see a slow, continual growth pattern.”
Caltrain testing real-time info system
Caltrain said Tuesday it will begin testing a Predictive Arrival/Departure System that will tell riders in real time when their train will arrive at the station and whether the train is on time.
TriMet: New LRT bridge 41% complete
Portland, Ore.’s TriMet says its light rail bridge crossing the Willamette River was 41% complete as construction entered its second year July 2.
Transport bill maps course for two years
MAP-21, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, is the latest “ISTEA” transportation funding measure approved by Congress June 29, laying out $127 billion in federal ground transport funding for the next 27 months.
UP marks “150 years of building America”
The Union Pacific Railroad on Sunday officially celebrated its 150th birthday. On Monday, UP President and CEO Jack Koraleski visited the New York Stock Exchange with 11 other UP employees to ring the closing bell.
Penn Station “upgrade” plans float yet again
Local New York-area media report MTA Long Island Rail Road seeks to revamp Penn Station yet again in an effort to upgrade architectural quality and attract more upscale customer retail services. Unlike previous upgrades, however, the LIRR seeks to pursue improvements in conjunction with Penn Station’s other major users, Amtrak and New Jersey Transit.