Bombardier joins AAR; committee seat nominations open
Bombardier Transportation has joined the Association of American Railroads as a new Gold Associate Member.
Management
A closer look at LNG
Over its roughly 200 years of history, the North American railroad industry has been shaped by numerous technological milestones, among which are steel rail, automatic knuckle couplers, air brakes, signals, electrification, dieselization, CTC, radio communications, AC traction, gensets, and—still under development—ECP brakes and PTC. Add LNG (liquefied natural gas) to the list of potential evolutionary, if not revolutionary, technologies.
CN: Capital-intensive, customer-driven
A model of efficiency and productivity, CN is investing strategically in its network to assure a safe, fluid system, and grow its service-oriented business.
CSX CFO outlines railroad’s intermodal strategy
CSX Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Fredrik Eliasson, in a presentation at the Baird Industrials Conference in Chicago, said that intermodal, “a key driver of growth,’’ now represents 40% of CSX’s overall volume and is expected to increase further, reflecting “the attractive economic value of converting freight from highway to rail.”
New tie plate production line debuts
Arkansas Steel Associates on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013, welcomed guests to its grand opening of its Robotic Vicor Tie Plate Production Line in Newport, Ark.
CSX’s Adkins wins AAR Environmental Excellence Award
The Association of American Railroads has awarded its highest honor for environmental professionals, the 2013 North American Environmental Employee Excellence Award, to CSX Manager of Environmental Remediation Matthew Adkins.
CSX, Huntington Locomotive Shop unions reach agreement
CSX Transportation Inc. has signed what it’s describing as a “landmark agreement with four labor unions that sets new standards of quality and productivity” at the company’s Huntington (W.Va.) Locomotive Shop. The agreement covers a variety of work, including locomotive rebuilds.
Norfolk Southern dedicates yard in honor of H. Craig Lewis
Norfolk Southern has renamed its Dillerville Yard in Lancaster, Pa., in honor of former vice President Corporate Affairs and Pennsylvania State Senator H. Craig Lewis, who died unexpectedly on Jan. 13, 2013, at age 68. After serving as state senator for the 6th District in Bucks County for five terms (1975-1994), Lewis joined NS in 1997, retiring from the railroad in 2009.
Freight car backlog will boost 2014 deliveries
The backlog of ordered and undelivered new freight cars stands at 73,800 units, “a relatively high level from an historical perspective,” according to Economic Planning Associates (EPA). That high number is expected to push deliveries to the 57,800-unit mark in 2014, a 13% improvement over the 50,400 deliveries expected for 2013. The 2013 projected figure is a 14.5% drop from 2012’s 57,700 units. Beginning in 2015, annual railcar assemblies are projected to expand gradually from 60,000 units to 64,000 cars and intermodal platforms in 2018.
Wabtec sets EVP/CFO transition
Wabtec Corp. said Sunday, Oct. 27 , 2013 Patrick D. Dugan has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer effective Jan. 1, 2014. Dugan will succeed Alvaro Garcia-Tunon, who is retiring, though Garcia-Tunon will remain with the company as a strategic adviser.