Stotter new chief at North Shore RR
North Shore Railroad Co. & Affiliates has promoted Jebediah Stotter to president and chief executive officer, succeeding chairman Gary Shields, who has retired.
Short Lines
Farmrail is BNSF Shortline of the Year
BNSF Railway selected Farmrail as its 2017 Shortline of the Year at its annual Shortline Conference. The holding company for Class 3 carriers Grainbelt Corp. and Farmrail Corp. was recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit and diligence in attracting new customers.
Weekly carloads gain, no thanks to coal
Total U.S. rail traffic was 548,264 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.1% for the week ending Oct. 14 compared with the same week in 2016, according to the Association of American Railroads.
34th CREATE project under construction
Ground has been broken on Phase III (construction phase) of the CREATE (Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency) Program’s 34th initiative, Project B1, “Canadian Pacific Crossover Upgrades.” Metra and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) will upgrade signals and add several crossover tracks, principally within the Metra Milwaukee District West right-of-way.
Canada gives OmniTRAX 30 days to repair flood-damaged Hudson Bay Railway
The government of Canada is giving OmniTRAX 30 days to repair and restore service on the Hudson Bay Railway to Churchill, Manitoba, or risk a lawsuit for breach of contract.
Olmstead named Strato Quality Assurance VP
Paul Olmstead has joined the Strato, Inc. executive management team as Vice President of Quality Assurance. He brings more than 25 years of international experience in engineering, manufacturing, and quality assurance programs.
For OmniTRAX, a concrete fly ash solution
Charah®, LLC has opened a fly ash storage and rail-to-truck transloading terminal in Colorado, in partnership with OmniTRAX. The new terminal, located in Kelim, Co. near Denver, is part of Charah’s expanding MultiSource™ network, a distribution system of multiple sourcing locations across the country that ensures a steady and reliable supply of Class C and Class F fly ash for ready-mix concrete producers.
CP, G&W in Ohio intermodal pact
Canadian Pacific Railway announced a new partnership with Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and Bluegrass Farms of Ohio that will open up the Ohio Valley to CP intermodal customers and further extend its reach into key North American heartland markets.
Cohn back as chair of sulphur trade group
The Sulphur Institute announced that Jack Cohn, Senior Vice President and Industry Unit Leader at Savage Services Corp., has assumed responsibilities as Chairman of the Washington-based trade organization.
Commentary
Can labor deal survive a social media attack?
A tentative national agreement on wages, benefits and work rules has been reached between major railroads and seven of their 13 labor unions. Almost two-dozen unionized regionals and short lines also are participating in the talks.