news

Grain car leasing reported soft

Grain car lessors are reporting an extremely soft market for all but the largest of jumbo covered hoppers. (The jumbos are working and we couldn’t find any lessors that have this car type parked.)

Wabtec makes $88 million acquisition

Wabtec Corp. announced Thursday that it has acquired Mors Smitt Holding, a global provider of electronic components for rail and industrial markets, from Eurazeo PME, for about $88 million.

UP rolls out fleet of mobile classrooms

Union Pacific has unveiled a fleet of mobile classrooms that it says will bring “state-of-the-art operations and safety training” to locomotive engineer and conductor locations across its 23-state system.

Kasgro builds “World’s Largest Railroad Car”

A newly manufactured Schnabel Car, WECX 801, built by Kasgro Railcar, Newcastle, Pa., is being called the “World’s Largest Railroad Car.” The 231-foot, 400-ton, 36-axle behemoth rises 18 feet above top-of-rail and has a load limit of more than 1,000 tons.

U.S. freight carloads down (again); intermodal gains

U.S. freight carload volume for the week ending June 9, 2012, once again failed to match the comparable week in 2011, down 1.7%, the Association of American Railroads reported Thursday. The shortfall, however, was less severe than in the previous week, when freight carload volume was down 3.1% compared with a year ago. U.S. intermodal continued to offer a contrast, up 3.8% compared with the same week last year.

Parsons Brinckerhoff promotes Kelly, Eby

Parsons Brinckerhoff said Wednesday it has named Greg Kelly to the newly created position of global Chief Operating Officer (COO). Clifford Eby succeeds Kelly as president of Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Americas Transportation operating company.

Sacramento LRT extension set to open

California’s state capital, Sacramento, will add 1.1 miles of light rail transit to its expanding LRT system Friday, with the opening of a Green Line extension from the existing station at H and 13th streets to Richards Boulevard.

Commentary

Short line infrastructure grows for nat gas access

Pennsylvania’s Lycoming Valley Railroad will be the beneficiary of a new industry track construction project near Muncy, Pa. The project involves building 2,300 feet of new track and restoring another 1,800 feet of existing track.

CP director steps down from post

Canadian Pacific’s Board of Directors, significantly revamped last month through a proxy battler led by New York-based Pershing Square Capital Management, continues to change as David Raisbeck now has resigned from the board, citing personal reasons.

Study: Caltrain electrification will generate jobs

A study being released Tuesday by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute says California’s Caltrain service upgrades, including overhead electrification, “will create thousands of construction jobs, significantly increase property values, and generate billions of dollars in overall economic benefits.”

Schneider National, CSX announce pact

Schneider National, Inc. said Monday it has reached an agreement with CSX Transportation to broaden its services in northwestern Ohio. The agreement expands Schneider’s intermodal service to now include two rail ramps in the Buckeye State: Marion and North Baltimore.