Forest products gain in weekly carloads
Weekly U.S. rail traffic was 560,756 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Dec. 9, up 4% percent compared with the same week a year ago, according to the Association of American Railroads.
Short Lines
Conrail restores NJT service in less than three days
It took Conrail maintenance-of-way forces less than three days to repair heavy damage to its Lehigh Line, a busy main line used by New Jersey Transit Raritan Valley Line (RVL) passenger trains and CSX and Norfolk Southern freights, following the derailment of a 141-car CSX mixed freight late on the afternoon of Dec. 8.
ARRC elevates Hopp to COO
The Alaska Railroad (ARRC) has named Vice President of Engineering Clark Hopp as Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective Jan. 1, 2018, when current COO Doug Engebretson retires.
O Canada! Intermodal up 18% in latest week
Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 572,794 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.5% compared with the same week a year ago, according to the Association of American Railroads.
AAR, GoRail honor Rep. Shuster
The Association of American Railroads and GoRail have honored House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) with the Railroad Achievement Award.
Commentary
Santa baby, don’t forget the STB
For 54 weeks beginning in 2003, Roger Nober was the lone member of the Surface Transportation Board (STB), tormented that if he discussed cases with himself he would violate the Government in Sunshine Act, which prohibits a quorum from discussing anything of substance outside a properly noticed public meeting.
Two join Anacostia short lines staffs
Anacostia Rail Holdings announced two marketing and sales appointments at its Louisville & Indiana and Chicago South Shore & South Bend railroad affiliates.
Women in Rail 2017 – Corina Moore, Ontario Northland Railway
A native of the region served by Ontario Northland Railway, Moore joined the company in 2005 and worked her way up to Chief Operations Officer, when she helped lead an initiative to transform the company, which was threatened with defunding by the provincial government.
USDOT repeals ECP brake rule
The U.S. Department of Transportation on Dec. 4 repealed a 2015 Federal Railroad Administration rulemaking requiring freight railroads to employ electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes on certain trains hauling hazardous flammable commodities such as ethanol and crude oil in DOT-117 tank cars.
Women in Rail 2017 – Sharon Greene, HDR
Sharon Greene of HDR has been at the forefront of innovation in rail transportation finance and infrastructure development for more than 40 years. Specializing in transportation economics, infrastructure finance and transportation planning, she has developed innovative financial strategies for rail and transit organizations and managed programs for transit, intercity and commuter rail, as well as freight and goods movement.