Virginia Issues Draft 2022 Statewide Rail Plan
The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) has released a draft rail plan for public comment.
CSX
UP Selects HDR for Final Track Design, Engineering Services on CREATE Project
Union Pacific (UP) has selected HDR to provide final track design and engineering services for the UP-led portion of the 80th Street Junction Replacements (EW2) project, a major component of CREATE’s 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project.
Intermodal Briefs: GPA, Port Saint John
Nissan North America selects Georgia Ports Authority’s (GPA) Port of Brunswick, Ga., as a new point of entry to serve U.S. markets. Also, Canada’s Port Saint John in New Brunswick reaches a 100,000-TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) milestone.
NS, CSX Prep for Ian
As Hurricane Ian makes its way to the Florida Gulf Coast, with landfall expected between Sept. 28 and Sept. 30, Class I railroads Norfolk Southern (NS) and CSX are taking precautions to prepare for the storm’s impact.
CSX: ‘Santa Train’ Returning Nov. 19 (UPDATED)
Marking its 80th anniversary, the CSX Santa Train will be back on the rails this year for the first time since 2019, the Class I reported Sept. 27.
NTSB: Loose Debris from Mudslide Probable Cause of CSX Derailment
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently determined that the probable cause of a February 13, 2020, derailment of CSX Transportation (CSX) train K42911 on a railroad track that runs between a hillside and the Russel Fork River in Draffin, Ky., was loose mud, vegetation, sand, soil and rock from a mudslide that obstructed the track following excessive rain accumulation over several weeks.
Commentary
NEARS 2022 Conference: Day One Takeaways
At the NEARS (North East Association of Rail Shippers) Fall 2022 Conference, participants say they are still waiting to see consistency in rail service. Technical metrics are gradually improving, but in our view, fluidity will not show significant improvement until first-half 2023. On the first day of sessions (Sept. 21), many attendees expressed surprise that CSX reached outside the rail network for its new CEO. Also, Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin Oberman foreshadowed a more proactive STB. Our key takeaways follow.
People News: Connector, CSX, The Washington Companies
The Cincinnati (Ohio) Department of Transportation & Engineering appoints Lori Burchett as Deputy Director for Streetcar Services (Connector). Also, Florida’s Jacksonville Business Journal names CSX’s Funto Ajayi a Tech Leader of the Year; and The Washington Companies President and CEO Larry Simkins steps down.
Rail Safety Week Initiatives Accelerate (UPDATED)
As Rail Safety Week (RSW) (Sept. 19-25), a collaborative effort among Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI), state OLI programs and rail safety partners across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, continues to be observed, North American carriers and organizations are mobilizing to raise awareness about rail safety and to help stop track tragedies during this annual week-long event. Here is a roundup of the week’s initiatives.
Report: CSX Seeks Transfers to N.Y., Mass.
To address crew shortages, CSX will temporarily relocate T&E workers to Buffalo, Syracuse, and Selkirk, N.Y., as well as West Springfield, Mass., and Philadelphia, Pa., according to NewYork News.