Friday, July 18, 2008
US Freight Rail Congestion a Concern
Received the following news article via email. The article is from the Associated Press, dated 30 May 2008; and it appeared in several newspapers around the country. Here are some things to think about: Do the railroads want the taxpayers to subsidize their expansion of capacity? Why should we? Why can't the railroads raise the capital themselves?
(Also see our posting below titled Weekly Rail Carloading Report .)
US freight rail congestion a concern - Associated Press 30 May
CHICAGO — Railway executive Matthew Rose stood before fellow industry leaders, pointing to a map meant to tell the future of the U.S. rail freight network. It was drenched in red—east to west, north to south.
The blotches illustrated areas where, by 2035, traffic jams could be so severe trains would grind to a halt for days with nowhere to go.
"For those of you who've ever seen a good rail meltdown, this is what it looks like," Rose, CEO of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., said as the crowded hall shifted uncomfortably in their chairs. "It's literally chaos in the supply chain."
While the nation's attention is focused on air travel congestion and the high cost of fuel for highway driving, a crisis is developing under the radar for another form of transportation—the freight trains used to deliver many of the goods that keep the U.S. economy humming.
The nation's 140,000-mile network of rails devoted to carrying everything from cars to grain by freight is already groaning under the strain of congestion, with trains forced to stand aside for hours because of one-track rail lines.
And it's probably going to get worse over the next two decades, according to an analysis of government and industry projections by The Associated Press and interviews with experts on rail freight.
The damage to the U.S. economy could climb into the billions of dollars. Higher shipping costs would raise prices for everything from lumber to grain. One analyst said the rail crunch could add thousands of dollars to the price of a car.
"It's not rocket science to see we have a calamity coming down the road," said Paul Bingham, a transportation analyst at research firm Global Insight.
Congestion around the country has remained chronic, even as the ailing economy has led to a 3 percent dip in freight train traffic in the first few months of this year compared with last year. And a new U.S. Chamber of Commerce report warns demand for freight trains is expected to double over the next 25 years.
The problem is that there's no room.
"Even if the estimates are half wrong, we can't put even 25 percent more freight in the system right now without serious implications," said Randy Mullett, an analyst for the nonprofit Transportation Research Board.
Already, delays hamper the existing rail freight network. A lone train stopped in Chicago can force other trains to stop or slow as far away as Los Angeles or Baltimore.
"It's a ripple effect," said Scott Haas, a vice president for United Parcel Service, which uses 3,000 freight cars every day, more than any other U.S. business. "Everything in my system backs up."
Atlanta-based UPS hasn't determined the total cost of freight route congestion, but says that just five minutes of daily delays for each of its drivers amounts to $100 million in company losses a year.
Other modes of transport can't take up the slack: Trucking faces its own congestion problems, a shortage of drivers and high fuel prices. Ships and barges can't reach large parts of the country. Airplanes couldn't begin to carry the millions of tons of coal, waste, chemicals, grain and cars hauled by trains. And hauling freight by rail remains far more fuel-efficient than trucking.
Many politicians are joining rail executives in sounding the alarm.
"The amount of money we're investing nationally is pathetic," Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., said during a recent congressional hearing on congested freight routes. "We're heading toward fourth-world infrastructure."
Others suggest the railroads are being alarmist.
Kenneth Kremar, another Global Insight analyst, said talk of a looming crisis serves industry interests as rail companies jockey for more money from Congress. He said investment in larger, high-tech train cars and computer systems that better pace trains should help avert logjams.
"It's illogical to assume nothing will be done," he said. "Railroads have an inherent interest in doing something. The market will respond. There's no reason think they're headed for the abyss."
Amtrak, which shares the rails with freight trains, is also feeling the pinch. Its long-distance trains were on time just 42 percent of the time last year, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Transportation's inspector general.
The problem on the shared tracks has worsened in recent years as freight traffic has soared. Passenger trains move much faster than most freight trains, and in many areas there is only a single track, forcing trains to pull over onto side tracks and wait while trains coming in the other direction pass.
A solution won't come cheap.
The Chamber says expanding capacity on the more than 150-year-old U.S. rail system would cost $148 billion over 30 years. Private rail companies would have to pay most of it, with federal and state tax dollars covering much of the rest.
Any solution will have to include Chicago, which handles about 40 percent of all U.S. rail freight on 180,000 trains a year.
Expanding capacity here will cost $1.5 billion over six years, a coalition of officials and rail executives estimates. David Burns, an independent railroad engineering consultant based in the Chicago area, put the cost closer to $4 billion.
Bottlenecks crop up in other parts of the country, too.
Long stretches of busy Union Pacific Corp. lines in Southern California and the Southwest, vital routes for agricultural goods and Asian trading, have just a single track.
And Baltimore's long but low Howard Street rail tunnel, connecting mid-Atlantic states to the Midwest, has just one track and can't accommodate freight-train cars used elsewhere that carry twice the load, with one container stacked on top of another.
But the big choke point is Chicago, where it can take up to two days for trains to wind through the city.
Nearly all the major routes of the weblike rail freight system comes through one or more of the nearly 80 rail yards here. It's why a single delayed train here can force those thousands of miles away to stop or slow down.
The problem is that the Chicago hub was designed in the mid-1800s, when the area was a comparative backwater of 30,000 people. Now, 10 million residents sprawl into formerly rural areas where trains once rolled along unencumbered.
The 500 freight trains moving through Chicago each day also have to share tracks with—and yield to, according to protocol—700 daily commuter trains. In contrast, commuter trains in New York City don't share lines with freight.
Proposed solutions include building new overpasses to keep trains moving at track intersections. Elsewhere, single-line tracks could be expanded to double or triple. And some advocates want to restore tracks that fell out of use in the 20th century.
Jacksonville, Fla.-based CSX announced plans this month to spend $300 million on upgrades to allow trains with double-stacked freight cars to run from the East Coast to the Midwest.
That would mean raising clearance on bridges and tunnels on lines through the Appalachian Mountains. CSX would like the federal and state governments to kick in $400 million more.
While the move would help congestion, it's not a cure-all. Double-stacked cars can't carry heavy, densely packed commodities, like coal, wheat and liquid chemicals, because of weight limits on tracks and because the heavy loads would make the trains dangerously unstable.
Expanding capacity to route trains around clogged cities may not sit well with suburban and exurban towns.
And then there's Amtrak. It already operates on tracks owned by the big railroads, which will be increasingly reluctant to make concessions to passenger trains.
But Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said it was only right that Amtrak also benefit from capacity upgrades. The service was formed in 1970 when Congress agreed to let railroads unload passenger service they said was dragging them down. In exchange, the railroads were required to give Amtrak priority on their tracks.
It may be impossible to keep both sides happy.
"There are areas, especially where there's just a single track, where Amtrak takes as much as 30 percent out of the capacity of freight rail. That's huge when you're in a capacity crunch," said Mullett, the analyst. "There will be hard public policy decisions, and that would include Amtrak."
(Also see our posting below titled Weekly Rail Carloading Report .)
US freight rail congestion a concern - Associated Press 30 May
CHICAGO — Railway executive Matthew Rose stood before fellow industry leaders, pointing to a map meant to tell the future of the U.S. rail freight network. It was drenched in red—east to west, north to south.
The blotches illustrated areas where, by 2035, traffic jams could be so severe trains would grind to a halt for days with nowhere to go.
"For those of you who've ever seen a good rail meltdown, this is what it looks like," Rose, CEO of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., said as the crowded hall shifted uncomfortably in their chairs. "It's literally chaos in the supply chain."
While the nation's attention is focused on air travel congestion and the high cost of fuel for highway driving, a crisis is developing under the radar for another form of transportation—the freight trains used to deliver many of the goods that keep the U.S. economy humming.
The nation's 140,000-mile network of rails devoted to carrying everything from cars to grain by freight is already groaning under the strain of congestion, with trains forced to stand aside for hours because of one-track rail lines.
And it's probably going to get worse over the next two decades, according to an analysis of government and industry projections by The Associated Press and interviews with experts on rail freight.
The damage to the U.S. economy could climb into the billions of dollars. Higher shipping costs would raise prices for everything from lumber to grain. One analyst said the rail crunch could add thousands of dollars to the price of a car.
"It's not rocket science to see we have a calamity coming down the road," said Paul Bingham, a transportation analyst at research firm Global Insight.
Congestion around the country has remained chronic, even as the ailing economy has led to a 3 percent dip in freight train traffic in the first few months of this year compared with last year. And a new U.S. Chamber of Commerce report warns demand for freight trains is expected to double over the next 25 years.
The problem is that there's no room.
"Even if the estimates are half wrong, we can't put even 25 percent more freight in the system right now without serious implications," said Randy Mullett, an analyst for the nonprofit Transportation Research Board.
Already, delays hamper the existing rail freight network. A lone train stopped in Chicago can force other trains to stop or slow as far away as Los Angeles or Baltimore.
"It's a ripple effect," said Scott Haas, a vice president for United Parcel Service, which uses 3,000 freight cars every day, more than any other U.S. business. "Everything in my system backs up."
Atlanta-based UPS hasn't determined the total cost of freight route congestion, but says that just five minutes of daily delays for each of its drivers amounts to $100 million in company losses a year.
Other modes of transport can't take up the slack: Trucking faces its own congestion problems, a shortage of drivers and high fuel prices. Ships and barges can't reach large parts of the country. Airplanes couldn't begin to carry the millions of tons of coal, waste, chemicals, grain and cars hauled by trains. And hauling freight by rail remains far more fuel-efficient than trucking.
Many politicians are joining rail executives in sounding the alarm.
"The amount of money we're investing nationally is pathetic," Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., said during a recent congressional hearing on congested freight routes. "We're heading toward fourth-world infrastructure."
Others suggest the railroads are being alarmist.
Kenneth Kremar, another Global Insight analyst, said talk of a looming crisis serves industry interests as rail companies jockey for more money from Congress. He said investment in larger, high-tech train cars and computer systems that better pace trains should help avert logjams.
"It's illogical to assume nothing will be done," he said. "Railroads have an inherent interest in doing something. The market will respond. There's no reason think they're headed for the abyss."
Amtrak, which shares the rails with freight trains, is also feeling the pinch. Its long-distance trains were on time just 42 percent of the time last year, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Transportation's inspector general.
The problem on the shared tracks has worsened in recent years as freight traffic has soared. Passenger trains move much faster than most freight trains, and in many areas there is only a single track, forcing trains to pull over onto side tracks and wait while trains coming in the other direction pass.
A solution won't come cheap.
The Chamber says expanding capacity on the more than 150-year-old U.S. rail system would cost $148 billion over 30 years. Private rail companies would have to pay most of it, with federal and state tax dollars covering much of the rest.
Any solution will have to include Chicago, which handles about 40 percent of all U.S. rail freight on 180,000 trains a year.
Expanding capacity here will cost $1.5 billion over six years, a coalition of officials and rail executives estimates. David Burns, an independent railroad engineering consultant based in the Chicago area, put the cost closer to $4 billion.
Bottlenecks crop up in other parts of the country, too.
Long stretches of busy Union Pacific Corp. lines in Southern California and the Southwest, vital routes for agricultural goods and Asian trading, have just a single track.
And Baltimore's long but low Howard Street rail tunnel, connecting mid-Atlantic states to the Midwest, has just one track and can't accommodate freight-train cars used elsewhere that carry twice the load, with one container stacked on top of another.
But the big choke point is Chicago, where it can take up to two days for trains to wind through the city.
Nearly all the major routes of the weblike rail freight system comes through one or more of the nearly 80 rail yards here. It's why a single delayed train here can force those thousands of miles away to stop or slow down.
The problem is that the Chicago hub was designed in the mid-1800s, when the area was a comparative backwater of 30,000 people. Now, 10 million residents sprawl into formerly rural areas where trains once rolled along unencumbered.
The 500 freight trains moving through Chicago each day also have to share tracks with—and yield to, according to protocol—700 daily commuter trains. In contrast, commuter trains in New York City don't share lines with freight.
Proposed solutions include building new overpasses to keep trains moving at track intersections. Elsewhere, single-line tracks could be expanded to double or triple. And some advocates want to restore tracks that fell out of use in the 20th century.
Jacksonville, Fla.-based CSX announced plans this month to spend $300 million on upgrades to allow trains with double-stacked freight cars to run from the East Coast to the Midwest.
That would mean raising clearance on bridges and tunnels on lines through the Appalachian Mountains. CSX would like the federal and state governments to kick in $400 million more.
While the move would help congestion, it's not a cure-all. Double-stacked cars can't carry heavy, densely packed commodities, like coal, wheat and liquid chemicals, because of weight limits on tracks and because the heavy loads would make the trains dangerously unstable.
Expanding capacity to route trains around clogged cities may not sit well with suburban and exurban towns.
And then there's Amtrak. It already operates on tracks owned by the big railroads, which will be increasingly reluctant to make concessions to passenger trains.
But Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said it was only right that Amtrak also benefit from capacity upgrades. The service was formed in 1970 when Congress agreed to let railroads unload passenger service they said was dragging them down. In exchange, the railroads were required to give Amtrak priority on their tracks.
It may be impossible to keep both sides happy.
"There are areas, especially where there's just a single track, where Amtrak takes as much as 30 percent out of the capacity of freight rail. That's huge when you're in a capacity crunch," said Mullett, the analyst. "There will be hard public policy decisions, and that would include Amtrak."
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Some CSX yellow and NS black...
(train sightings on 7-12-08)
on this Saturday (7/12) morning would find a good mix of NS and CSX passing by my vantage point in Manville. By time sequence, the trains spotted were as follows:
CSX @ 7:40- unknown symbol on this eastbound intermodal. This was a pleasant surprise since I can't recall the last time I saw a CSX intermodal this early on a Saturday morning. Motive power was CSX 5393 and CSX 7735.
CSX @ 8:02- unknown symbol once again on this empty garbage container train. Power would be CSX 5482, CSX 8199 and CSX 8208.
CSX @ 8:20- unknown symbol for the 111 cars of mixed freight that was taken east by CSX 5009 and CSX 248. About eighty cars back was a white Dupont caboose, a white Dupont boxcar and a white Dupont tank car with the marking "CAER". had no idea as to what the purpose of these three cars is.
CSX 301 @ 8:31- would have CEFX 3105 (SD40-2, ex-CN 5160) and CSX 7548 bringing 84 cars of mixed freight south over the Trenton Line. A photo of CEFX 3105 is included for the modeler's reference.
CSX @ 8:51- CSX 5309 and CSX 7871 bringing 42 cars south with loaded fifty-nine cubic yards containers of garbage-PU!
NS 21M @ 9:02- would have NS 9724, NS 2667 and UP 4244 for power.
NS 11J @ 9:15- seventy-two autoracks, measuring in at an estimated 6,800 feet, were taken west by NS 9340 and NS 9703.
NS 24V @ 10:00- had NS 7537 as its leader followed by NS 6708.
NS 214 @ 10:35- went the back way via the Port Reading Secondary. Motive power consisted of NS 9357, NS 9871 and NS 9462.
on this Saturday (7/12) morning would find a good mix of NS and CSX passing by my vantage point in Manville. By time sequence, the trains spotted were as follows:
CSX @ 7:40- unknown symbol on this eastbound intermodal. This was a pleasant surprise since I can't recall the last time I saw a CSX intermodal this early on a Saturday morning. Motive power was CSX 5393 and CSX 7735.
CSX @ 8:02- unknown symbol once again on this empty garbage container train. Power would be CSX 5482, CSX 8199 and CSX 8208.
CSX @ 8:20- unknown symbol for the 111 cars of mixed freight that was taken east by CSX 5009 and CSX 248. About eighty cars back was a white Dupont caboose, a white Dupont boxcar and a white Dupont tank car with the marking "CAER". had no idea as to what the purpose of these three cars is.
CSX 301 @ 8:31- would have CEFX 3105 (SD40-2, ex-CN 5160) and CSX 7548 bringing 84 cars of mixed freight south over the Trenton Line. A photo of CEFX 3105 is included for the modeler's reference.
CSX @ 8:51- CSX 5309 and CSX 7871 bringing 42 cars south with loaded fifty-nine cubic yards containers of garbage-PU!
NS 21M @ 9:02- would have NS 9724, NS 2667 and UP 4244 for power.
NS 11J @ 9:15- seventy-two autoracks, measuring in at an estimated 6,800 feet, were taken west by NS 9340 and NS 9703.
NS 24V @ 10:00- had NS 7537 as its leader followed by NS 6708.
NS 214 @ 10:35- went the back way via the Port Reading Secondary. Motive power consisted of NS 9357, NS 9871 and NS 9462.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Weekly Rail Carloading Report - Week 27, 2008
There is an interesting report available on the web that is "A Weekly Report of North American Rail Freight Traffic by Major Railroad and Commodity." It is currently showing data for week 27 of 2008. Take a look.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.
Note: This web site has new tables and graphs every Thursday. So, if I am late or miss a week with this blog posting, you can check for new data on Thursdays.
In the chart above you will note that Total Rail Traffic for 2008 (blue line) is running behind that for 2007 (green line). There is a table on the web site referenced above that breaks down the total traffic by commodity groups, and this table shows that some groups are up this year and some groups are down. Here is that breakdown.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.
Note: This web site has new tables and graphs every Thursday. So, if I am late or miss a week with this blog posting, you can check for new data on Thursdays.
In the chart above you will note that Total Rail Traffic for 2008 (blue line) is running behind that for 2007 (green line). There is a table on the web site referenced above that breaks down the total traffic by commodity groups, and this table shows that some groups are up this year and some groups are down. Here is that breakdown.
Major Commodity Groups – 2008 YTD vs. 2007 YTD
- Total (1.1%)
- Grain 15.5%
- Chemicals 2.3%
- Food 1.6%
- Forest (11.3%)
- Metals (2.3%)
- Coal 3.0%
- Autos (14.6%)
- Intermodal (3.1%)
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
It was a morning...
(train sightings on 7/3/08)
full of nice trackside surprises, some catching me off guard, on this Thursday morning along the Lehigh Line in Manville (NJ). The trains passing by my vantage point were as follows:
NS 18G @ 7:49- had in its power consist NS 9493, NS 8329, NS 3850 and NS 100. Those last two units caught me off guard as I wasn’t able to get any shots of either one (DARN!). NS 3850 was the six axle genset locomotive (model: 3GS21CDB) that has been making its way slowly east. NS 100 was a model RP20BD.
CP 38T @ 8:10- another nice surprise was the appearance of CP 38T. Motive power would be CP 8854 and CP 8774.
NS 212 @ 8:26- would have PRR 8441 (ex-CR 6268) as its leader followed by NS 2641 and NS 9578.
NS 214 @ 8:40- had UP 4417, NS 9312 and NS 2698 for power.
NS 21M @ 8:42- after holding for NS 212 and 214, 21M was on its way west behind NS 9431, NS 8955 and NS 9743.
NS 11J @ 9:07- fifty-eight empty autoracks would be headed west behind NS 9794 and NS 8888.
Not a bad way to start this July 4th holiday weekend off with a bang! Hope your holiday is both relaxing and safe.
full of nice trackside surprises, some catching me off guard, on this Thursday morning along the Lehigh Line in Manville (NJ). The trains passing by my vantage point were as follows:
NS 18G @ 7:49- had in its power consist NS 9493, NS 8329, NS 3850 and NS 100. Those last two units caught me off guard as I wasn’t able to get any shots of either one (DARN!). NS 3850 was the six axle genset locomotive (model: 3GS21CDB) that has been making its way slowly east. NS 100 was a model RP20BD.
CP 38T @ 8:10- another nice surprise was the appearance of CP 38T. Motive power would be CP 8854 and CP 8774.
NS 212 @ 8:26- would have PRR 8441 (ex-CR 6268) as its leader followed by NS 2641 and NS 9578.
NS 214 @ 8:40- had UP 4417, NS 9312 and NS 2698 for power.
NS 21M @ 8:42- after holding for NS 212 and 214, 21M was on its way west behind NS 9431, NS 8955 and NS 9743.
NS 11J @ 9:07- fifty-eight empty autoracks would be headed west behind NS 9794 and NS 8888.
Not a bad way to start this July 4th holiday weekend off with a bang! Hope your holiday is both relaxing and safe.
Weekly Rail Carloading Report - Week 26, 2008
There is an interesting report available on the web that is "A Weekly Report of North American Rail Freight Traffic by Major Railroad and Commodity." It is currently showing data for week 24 of 2008. Take a look.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.
Note: This web site has new tables and graphs every Thursday. So, if I am late or miss a week with this blog posting, you can check for new data on Thursdays.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Beneath a shady train...
(Train sightings on 6-28-08.)
on this hot and humid Saturday morning, this is what passed by my vantage point in Manville.
7:23-CSX 703 Thirty-nine cars of NY trash was being taken to southern landfills by CSX 5392 and CSX 8094.
7:37-NS 18N NS 9210 and NS 9271 were in charge of sixty-five loaded autoracks coming east.
7:45-NS 21M would have NS 9250, the "Operation Lifesaver" unit, as its leader along with NS 2669 and PRR 8441 (ex-CR 6268, renumbered April 26, 1999).
9:00-NS 212 would have an "open door policy" on its leader, NS 9461, perhaps to get a flow of some cooler air circulating through the cab. NS 7555 and NS 9359 would be the other two units in this trio of power.
9:05-NS 11J NS 2514 and NS 9484 were in charge of fifty-two autoracks, measuring in around 5,000 feet long.
Falling into the heard about but eventually coming down the tracks were NS 24V and NS 214.
Have to say that for the hour and a half I was there, the Lehigh Line was buzzing with activity.
on this hot and humid Saturday morning, this is what passed by my vantage point in Manville.
7:23-CSX 703 Thirty-nine cars of NY trash was being taken to southern landfills by CSX 5392 and CSX 8094.
7:37-NS 18N NS 9210 and NS 9271 were in charge of sixty-five loaded autoracks coming east.
7:45-NS 21M would have NS 9250, the "Operation Lifesaver" unit, as its leader along with NS 2669 and PRR 8441 (ex-CR 6268, renumbered April 26, 1999).
9:00-NS 212 would have an "open door policy" on its leader, NS 9461, perhaps to get a flow of some cooler air circulating through the cab. NS 7555 and NS 9359 would be the other two units in this trio of power.
9:05-NS 11J NS 2514 and NS 9484 were in charge of fifty-two autoracks, measuring in around 5,000 feet long.
Falling into the heard about but eventually coming down the tracks were NS 24V and NS 214.
Have to say that for the hour and a half I was there, the Lehigh Line was buzzing with activity.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
NJ Transit: Lackawanna Cutoff rail line won't carry freight
The following article appeared in The Star-Ledger on 6/19/08.
Also see our posting on Sunday 6-8-08.
NJ Transit: Lackawanna Cutoff rail line won't carry freight
by Jim Lockwood/The Star-Ledger
Wednesday June 18, 2008, 6:49 PM
A revived 7.3-mile stretch of the Lackawanna Cutoff in Sussex County would be for commuter trains only and would not be a freight line, officials said today during a public forum in Byram on the rail plan.
Responding to a resident's question about whether trash or freight would one day be hauled on the line, Jeff Stiles, an engineering consultant for NJ Transit, said, "NJ Transit does not and cannot operate freight. There are no plans or discussions on freight."
Stiles gave an overview of the $36.6 million rail-revival plan during a special meeting of the Byram Township Council. The session was held in response to the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority's June 4 funding approval of the cutoff section from Andover Township to Port Morris in Morris County.
That was a big step in a long-awaited plan to restore passenger rail service between Hoboken and Scranton, Pa., via the defunct 28-mile Lackawanna Cutoff in Warren, Sussex and Morris counties. The Andover-to-Port Morris section of the cutoff would be a spur off NJ Transit's existing Boonton line.
Asked about the project timeline, Stiles said, "If all the moons aligned, it would be three-to-four years at least before a train would be running in Andover."
Concerns also were expressed about the location and safety of a train station proposed to be built on rural, isolated Roseville Road in Andover Township, between Andover Borough and Byram. An "unmanned" station would consist of a boarding platform and parking for 65 vehicles. Stiles said NJ Transit would work with the local police departments on safety issues.
The rail plan is still in the environmental-assessment phase. If the Federal Transit Administration finds no significant impacts, as is expected, the plan would move on to engineering and design, and then to construction.
Restoring the cutoff is a key to a $551 million plan to revive a passenger rail line between Hoboken and Scranton. A revived line would ultimately link to New York City's Penn Station by connecting to NJ Transit's Montclair-Boonton and Morris & Essex trains.
Proponents of the plan see it as necessary to remove cars from congested Route 80 in New Jersey. Opponents say it would cause more sprawl and traffic in Sussex and Warren counties and the neighboring Poconos, and would not remove cars from Route 80.
Also see our posting on Sunday 6-8-08.
NJ Transit: Lackawanna Cutoff rail line won't carry freight
by Jim Lockwood/The Star-Ledger
Wednesday June 18, 2008, 6:49 PM
A revived 7.3-mile stretch of the Lackawanna Cutoff in Sussex County would be for commuter trains only and would not be a freight line, officials said today during a public forum in Byram on the rail plan.
Responding to a resident's question about whether trash or freight would one day be hauled on the line, Jeff Stiles, an engineering consultant for NJ Transit, said, "NJ Transit does not and cannot operate freight. There are no plans or discussions on freight."
Stiles gave an overview of the $36.6 million rail-revival plan during a special meeting of the Byram Township Council. The session was held in response to the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority's June 4 funding approval of the cutoff section from Andover Township to Port Morris in Morris County.
That was a big step in a long-awaited plan to restore passenger rail service between Hoboken and Scranton, Pa., via the defunct 28-mile Lackawanna Cutoff in Warren, Sussex and Morris counties. The Andover-to-Port Morris section of the cutoff would be a spur off NJ Transit's existing Boonton line.
Asked about the project timeline, Stiles said, "If all the moons aligned, it would be three-to-four years at least before a train would be running in Andover."
Concerns also were expressed about the location and safety of a train station proposed to be built on rural, isolated Roseville Road in Andover Township, between Andover Borough and Byram. An "unmanned" station would consist of a boarding platform and parking for 65 vehicles. Stiles said NJ Transit would work with the local police departments on safety issues.
The rail plan is still in the environmental-assessment phase. If the Federal Transit Administration finds no significant impacts, as is expected, the plan would move on to engineering and design, and then to construction.
Restoring the cutoff is a key to a $551 million plan to revive a passenger rail line between Hoboken and Scranton. A revived line would ultimately link to New York City's Penn Station by connecting to NJ Transit's Montclair-Boonton and Morris & Essex trains.
Proponents of the plan see it as necessary to remove cars from congested Route 80 in New Jersey. Opponents say it would cause more sprawl and traffic in Sussex and Warren counties and the neighboring Poconos, and would not remove cars from Route 80.
Bayonne update...train noise
Received the following via email. This is from a posting to CRRNJ@yahoogroups.com on 6/20/08.
How's Bayonne???? click on the link below (or cut and paste it to your browser)
http://wcbstv.com/video/?id=113746@wcbs.dayport.com
As of today, 6/20/08 4 main is still in use by us. We made the news on Thursday 6/19/08...seems some people who bought houses next to the RR (just East of 22nd St station) are complaining about the noise of the freight trains "Barreling through at all hours" Now if you can watch the video, we're shoving off some gondolas that were behind the tank cars in the video and those tank cars were for the EJR. We're going by the camera at a whopping 8mph!!!! They do say that we're a slow moving train but the residents told the reporter that we're slower than the trains they were complaining about....track speed is 10mph. If I haven't mentioned before, my partner in crime is exCNJ Cdr Andy Chromey. Andy's got 46yrs on the job...
How's Bayonne???? click on the link below (or cut and paste it to your browser)
http://wcbstv.com/video/?id=113746@wcbs.dayport.com
As of today, 6/20/08 4 main is still in use by us. We made the news on Thursday 6/19/08...seems some people who bought houses next to the RR (just East of 22nd St station) are complaining about the noise of the freight trains "Barreling through at all hours" Now if you can watch the video, we're shoving off some gondolas that were behind the tank cars in the video and those tank cars were for the EJR. We're going by the camera at a whopping 8mph!!!! They do say that we're a slow moving train but the residents told the reporter that we're slower than the trains they were complaining about....track speed is 10mph. If I haven't mentioned before, my partner in crime is exCNJ Cdr Andy Chromey. Andy's got 46yrs on the job...
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Before summer begins...
(train sightings on 6/21/08.)
I wanted to take advantage of this last spring morning trackside, here is what passed by my vantage point in Manville, NJ along the Lehigh Line:
NS 212 @ 8:13- would have NS 9840, NS 9385 and PRR 8362 (ex-CR 6131) heading down track 2.
NS 21M @ 8:16- after holding on track 1 for 212, NS 9515 and BNSF 4995 would take this intermodal west on the Lehigh Line.
NS 20G @ 9:43- PRR 5413 (ex-CR 6722), BNSF 7698 and BNSF 4601. This train got my nomination as the second most colorful lashup for Saturday.
NS 24V @ 10:30- had NS 9540 and PRR 8403 (ex-CR 6202) as its power.
NS 213 @ 10:37- the leader was BNSF 4030, NS 532? and PRR 673?. Have to apologize for not getting those last digits!
CSX Q300 @ 10:45- after working Manville yard, the most colorful lashup of the day was this dynamic duo. UP 5989 and UP 7118 would bring seventy-two cars of mixed freight east.
NS 18G- was holding on the Royce Runner after being told to "...hold on the Royce Runner as there was no place to go."
Not a bad way to end this last spring morning...
I wanted to take advantage of this last spring morning trackside, here is what passed by my vantage point in Manville, NJ along the Lehigh Line:
NS 212 @ 8:13- would have NS 9840, NS 9385 and PRR 8362 (ex-CR 6131) heading down track 2.
NS 21M @ 8:16- after holding on track 1 for 212, NS 9515 and BNSF 4995 would take this intermodal west on the Lehigh Line.
NS 20G @ 9:43- PRR 5413 (ex-CR 6722), BNSF 7698 and BNSF 4601. This train got my nomination as the second most colorful lashup for Saturday.
NS 24V @ 10:30- had NS 9540 and PRR 8403 (ex-CR 6202) as its power.
NS 213 @ 10:37- the leader was BNSF 4030, NS 532? and PRR 673?. Have to apologize for not getting those last digits!
CSX Q300 @ 10:45- after working Manville yard, the most colorful lashup of the day was this dynamic duo. UP 5989 and UP 7118 would bring seventy-two cars of mixed freight east.
NS 18G- was holding on the Royce Runner after being told to "...hold on the Royce Runner as there was no place to go."
Not a bad way to end this last spring morning...
Monday, June 23, 2008
Factory to Foxhole
Received the following via email. Article was posted on TrainOrders.com.
Arlington, Va., June 20, 2008: Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) announces the completion of the first direct-to-dock rail delivery of U.S. military cargo at the new APM Terminals facility in Portsmouth, Va. MLL partnered with APM Terminals Virginia, also a part of the A.P. Moller- Maersk Group, and Norfolk Southern, a major U.S. rail company, to complete this operation, which is more efficient and environmentally friendly than traditional cargo delivery and loading activities.
In this case, hundreds of up-armored Humvees were loaded onto railcars at the manufacturer and delivered directly via rail to the APM Terminals Virginia facility in Portsmouth, which currently features six on-dock rail tracks, with potential expansion to twelve. APM Terminals Virginia is the largest privately-owned ocean terminal in North America.
In this case, hundreds of up-armored Humvees were loaded onto railcars at the manufacturer and delivered directly via rail to the APM Terminals Virginia facility in Portsmouth, which currently features six on-dock rail tracks, with potential expansion to twelve. APM Terminals Virginia is the largest privately-owned ocean terminal in North America.
Traditional delivery and loading of military ocean cargo to seaports often employs diesel-powered trucks to move Humvees and other vehicles in small batches from their point of origin to the ocean terminal, where they are offloaded, transferred to flatracks if necessary, and then stowed aboard a ship.
With direct-to-dock rail, cargo is loaded aboard railcars in larger batches at its point of origin, moved directly to a seaport via rail, then stowed aboard a ship for transit. This process increases operational efficiency by streamlining the flow of cargo from its source to the terminal, protects cargo by reducing handling and reduces emissions by eliminating multiple trips by over-the-road trucks.
Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) is an American company that provides U.S. government agencies and their prime contractors with comprehensive maritime and transportation services around the globe. With the unparalleled experience, expertise and intermodal resources of the A..P. Moller- Maersk Group, MLL utilizes industry-leading technology to provide reliable, cost-effective transportation and maritime solutions.
Arlington, Va., June 20, 2008: Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) announces the completion of the first direct-to-dock rail delivery of U.S. military cargo at the new APM Terminals facility in Portsmouth, Va. MLL partnered with APM Terminals Virginia, also a part of the A.P. Moller- Maersk Group, and Norfolk Southern, a major U.S. rail company, to complete this operation, which is more efficient and environmentally friendly than traditional cargo delivery and loading activities.
In this case, hundreds of up-armored Humvees were loaded onto railcars at the manufacturer and delivered directly via rail to the APM Terminals Virginia facility in Portsmouth, which currently features six on-dock rail tracks, with potential expansion to twelve. APM Terminals Virginia is the largest privately-owned ocean terminal in North America.
In this case, hundreds of up-armored Humvees were loaded onto railcars at the manufacturer and delivered directly via rail to the APM Terminals Virginia facility in Portsmouth, which currently features six on-dock rail tracks, with potential expansion to twelve. APM Terminals Virginia is the largest privately-owned ocean terminal in North America.
Traditional delivery and loading of military ocean cargo to seaports often employs diesel-powered trucks to move Humvees and other vehicles in small batches from their point of origin to the ocean terminal, where they are offloaded, transferred to flatracks if necessary, and then stowed aboard a ship.
With direct-to-dock rail, cargo is loaded aboard railcars in larger batches at its point of origin, moved directly to a seaport via rail, then stowed aboard a ship for transit. This process increases operational efficiency by streamlining the flow of cargo from its source to the terminal, protects cargo by reducing handling and reduces emissions by eliminating multiple trips by over-the-road trucks.
Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) is an American company that provides U.S. government agencies and their prime contractors with comprehensive maritime and transportation services around the globe. With the unparalleled experience, expertise and intermodal resources of the A..P. Moller- Maersk Group, MLL utilizes industry-leading technology to provide reliable, cost-effective transportation and maritime solutions.
Weekly Rail Carloading Report - Week 24, 2008
There is an interesting report available on the web that is "A Weekly Report of North American Rail Freight Traffic by Major Railroad and Commodity." It is currently showing data for week 24 of 2008. Take a look.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.
Note: This web site has new tables and graphs every Thursday. So, if I am late or miss a week with this blog posting, you can check for new data on Thursdays.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Keep on trucking...
Received the following via email, but don't know who to credit with the text and pictures. Apparently this has been around awhile since the pictures have a 23-3-2007 date stamp on them. Also note that the truck is from a Canadian trucking company. Do they drive differently up there?
6/18/08 Update. Received the following information about this incident. "My research found that the incident actually occurred near Brandon, Manitoba and the consensus is that the driver fell asleep at the wheel." So it happened in Manitoba, not Montana.
Can you believe someone would even THINK of doing this - 'here's your sign'.... duh!!
According to the person who sent this, the driver has only been in the U.S. a few months. He had missed his turn by Billings MT. and figured he could go over the hill and continue on the road. Apparently he didn't know there were rail tracks on top of the grade which doesn't matter, he'd be stuck anyhow..... The truck owner figures he had to hit the angle at over 55 miles an hour in order to make the top. If you look close at some of the pictures you will see that it is only when the trailer pinched the rear tires of the truck that the truck stopped......
6/18/08 Update. Received the following information about this incident. "My research found that the incident actually occurred near Brandon, Manitoba and the consensus is that the driver fell asleep at the wheel." So it happened in Manitoba, not Montana.
Can you believe someone would even THINK of doing this - 'here's your sign'.... duh!!
According to the person who sent this, the driver has only been in the U.S. a few months. He had missed his turn by Billings MT. and figured he could go over the hill and continue on the road. Apparently he didn't know there were rail tracks on top of the grade which doesn't matter, he'd be stuck anyhow..... The truck owner figures he had to hit the angle at over 55 miles an hour in order to make the top. If you look close at some of the pictures you will see that it is only when the trailer pinched the rear tires of the truck that the truck stopped......
I love the third picture that shows the tracks going through the field to get there. What a genius!!!
I'm surprised he didn't take the power/communication line down with him!
I wish I had pictures of him standing in front of his boss.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Saturday's sightings...
(Train sightings on 6/14/08.)
saw only four trains pass by my vantage point in Manville as it seemed to be a rather quiet morning both trackside and listening in on the scanner. The trains I saw were as follows:
CSX Q439 @ 9:10- would have as power CSX 5232 and CSX 5201. Behind them were 143 cars of mixed freight.
NS 20K @ 9:30- had NS 2642 as its leader followed by NS 2758, NS 2754 and NS 2743 heading east over tracks 2 of CRSA Lehigh Line.
saw only four trains pass by my vantage point in Manville as it seemed to be a rather quiet morning both trackside and listening in on the scanner. The trains I saw were as follows:
CSX Q439 @ 9:10- would have as power CSX 5232 and CSX 5201. Behind them were 143 cars of mixed freight.
NS 20K @ 9:30- had NS 2642 as its leader followed by NS 2758, NS 2754 and NS 2743 heading east over tracks 2 of CRSA Lehigh Line.
NS 65J @ 9:36- the reason 20K was switched over to Track 2 was that 65J was holding on Track 1. It had been there since 8:45 when 65J was told 20K "...was 45 minutes to an hour away." 65J's power was two SD40-2's, NS 3413 (ex-CR 6503) and NS 3383 (ex-CR 6449). NS
21M @ 9:50- had NS 6801 and NS 2553 for power on what seemed to be a longer than usual intermodal train. I speculated that maybe the high cost of diesel fuel for trucks is giving the railroad more intermodal business?
With 21M's passing, decided to call it a morning and head out.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Weekly Rail Carloading Report - Week 23, 2008
There is an interesting report available on the web that is "A Weekly Report of North American Rail Freight Traffic by Major Railroad and Commodity." It is currently showing data for week 23 of 2008. Take a look.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.
Note: This web site has new tables and graphs every Thursday. So, if I am late or miss a week with this blog posting, you can check for new data on Thursdays.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Saturday's trackside sightings...
(Train sightings on 6/7/08)
With the heat and humidity getting up into the uncomfortable zone, I got my first real taste of summertime. With the official start of summer still being two weeks away (June 21st), I hope this wasn’t a sample of what we can expect for the summer. Standing beneath a shade tree, these were the trains that passed my cool vantage point;
8:50-NS 20K; an intermodal that had NS 7653 and PRR 5408 as power.
8:53-NS 21M; after holding for 20K, 21M would head west with NS 9267 and NS 9326 as its power.
9:10-NS 11J; NS 9531 and PRR 8408 would bring sixty-six empty auto racks west.
9:20-CSX L176; CSX 4732 and CSX 7871 would bring a very long consist of empty bare tables east off the Trenton Line.
9:35-CSX Q438; this mixed freight would have CSX 5401, CSX 5212, CSX 4676, CSX 4800 and an unidentified fifth unit bring a mixed freight east. A image of a Wisconsin Central gondola has been included for reference.
10:00-NS 18G; another mixed freight of sixty-five cars. Power for this train was NS 9525 and NS 8431.
With the heat and humidity getting up into the uncomfortable zone, I got my first real taste of summertime. With the official start of summer still being two weeks away (June 21st), I hope this wasn’t a sample of what we can expect for the summer. Standing beneath a shade tree, these were the trains that passed my cool vantage point;
8:50-NS 20K; an intermodal that had NS 7653 and PRR 5408 as power.
8:53-NS 21M; after holding for 20K, 21M would head west with NS 9267 and NS 9326 as its power.
9:10-NS 11J; NS 9531 and PRR 8408 would bring sixty-six empty auto racks west.
9:20-CSX L176; CSX 4732 and CSX 7871 would bring a very long consist of empty bare tables east off the Trenton Line.
9:35-CSX Q438; this mixed freight would have CSX 5401, CSX 5212, CSX 4676, CSX 4800 and an unidentified fifth unit bring a mixed freight east. A image of a Wisconsin Central gondola has been included for reference.
10:00-NS 18G; another mixed freight of sixty-five cars. Power for this train was NS 9525 and NS 8431.
10:41-NS 213; my last train of this morning would have NS 9665 and NS 9546 for power.
I kept hoping that a Harsco rail grinding train would come off the siding but it never did. Due to the close quarters of where it was parked, this was the only shot I could get of this train’s “caboose”. Note the water nozzles on each side of the platform.
Bound Brook train station renovations
Following article is from the Courier News of 6/5/08.
Repairs to begin at Bound Brook station
MICHAEL DEAK
STAFF WRITER
The fortune of this borough always has been dependent on railroads.
In the 19th century, three major railroads — the Central Railroad of New Jersey, the Reading Railroad and the Lehigh Valley Railroad — came to the town, which became the flourishing industrial hub of Somerset County.
The passenger station on East Main Street served both the Central and Reading railroads, and people could board a train to either New York or Philadelphia.
But as the nation's commerce switched from the railroads to the interstate highways in the 1950s and 1960s, the fortunes of the three railroads began to fail and all declared bankruptcy. Passenger service stopped on the Reading, while trains on the Central still go to Newark with a transfer to New York.
As the railroads suffered, so did the main train station and the platform on the eastbound tracks of the Central Railroad, which also served the Reading line.
Officials see the railroads as a key component of Bound Brook's future with its designation as a transit village and the state still studying the reactivation of passenger service on the Reading tracks, which connects with Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority service in West Trenton.
The main station, now owned by the borough, became a restaurant in the mid-1980s, but the eastbound platform has fallen into a state of disrepair, its historic architectural features camouflaged by grafitti.
But that's all about to change.
Using both grant money and funds left over from other capital projects, the borough council has voted to go ahead with the restoration of the eastbound platform. Both the eastbound platform and the main station were placed on the state and federal Registers of Historic Places in 1984.
In 2005, Bound Brook received a $500,000 grant from the state Department of Transportation for the project, said Council President Jim Lefkowitz.
The borough hired Dennis Kowal Associates, an architectural firm, to draw up plans and specifications for the project.
The project then went out to bid in fall 2007, after several public hearings and protracted meetings between the borough and state Transportation Department officials.
But the project was derailed as the bids came in about $150,000 above grant funding, Lefkowitz said.
The borough then worked with the architectural firm to cut costs and, at its May 27 meeting, the council voted to use the money left over from other projects to make up the difference.
"It was time we put our money where our mouths were," Lefkowitz said.
The $625,000 restoration will be in two phases, Lefkowitz said.
The first phase will concentrate on the interior of the structure and will include a new electrical system, lighting, ceiling fans, heating and a new public address system. The brick building will have new insulation, wall coverings, ceramic tiles, painting and windows.
The second phase will focus on the renovation of the existing canopy, a new fence and new exterior lighting.
Lefkowitz said the work is expected to begin in August with a completion date in early 2009.
Michael Deak can be reached at (908) 707-3134 or mdeak@mycentraljersey.com.
Repairs to begin at Bound Brook station
MICHAEL DEAK
STAFF WRITER
The fortune of this borough always has been dependent on railroads.
In the 19th century, three major railroads — the Central Railroad of New Jersey, the Reading Railroad and the Lehigh Valley Railroad — came to the town, which became the flourishing industrial hub of Somerset County.
The passenger station on East Main Street served both the Central and Reading railroads, and people could board a train to either New York or Philadelphia.
But as the nation's commerce switched from the railroads to the interstate highways in the 1950s and 1960s, the fortunes of the three railroads began to fail and all declared bankruptcy. Passenger service stopped on the Reading, while trains on the Central still go to Newark with a transfer to New York.
As the railroads suffered, so did the main train station and the platform on the eastbound tracks of the Central Railroad, which also served the Reading line.
Officials see the railroads as a key component of Bound Brook's future with its designation as a transit village and the state still studying the reactivation of passenger service on the Reading tracks, which connects with Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority service in West Trenton.
The main station, now owned by the borough, became a restaurant in the mid-1980s, but the eastbound platform has fallen into a state of disrepair, its historic architectural features camouflaged by grafitti.
But that's all about to change.
Using both grant money and funds left over from other capital projects, the borough council has voted to go ahead with the restoration of the eastbound platform. Both the eastbound platform and the main station were placed on the state and federal Registers of Historic Places in 1984.
In 2005, Bound Brook received a $500,000 grant from the state Department of Transportation for the project, said Council President Jim Lefkowitz.
The borough hired Dennis Kowal Associates, an architectural firm, to draw up plans and specifications for the project.
The project then went out to bid in fall 2007, after several public hearings and protracted meetings between the borough and state Transportation Department officials.
But the project was derailed as the bids came in about $150,000 above grant funding, Lefkowitz said.
The borough then worked with the architectural firm to cut costs and, at its May 27 meeting, the council voted to use the money left over from other projects to make up the difference.
"It was time we put our money where our mouths were," Lefkowitz said.
The $625,000 restoration will be in two phases, Lefkowitz said.
The first phase will concentrate on the interior of the structure and will include a new electrical system, lighting, ceiling fans, heating and a new public address system. The brick building will have new insulation, wall coverings, ceramic tiles, painting and windows.
The second phase will focus on the renovation of the existing canopy, a new fence and new exterior lighting.
Lefkowitz said the work is expected to begin in August with a completion date in early 2009.
Michael Deak can be reached at (908) 707-3134 or mdeak@mycentraljersey.com.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Passenger Trains Coming Back to Part of the Lackawanna Cutoff - maybe
Following article is from the Star-Ledger dated 6/5/08.
Rail link to Pa. closer to revival
Lackawanna Cutoff rebuilding endorsed
Thursday, June 05, 2008
BY JIM LOCKWOOD
Star-Ledger Staff
A long-awaited plan to restore passenger rail service between Hoboken and Scranton, Pa., via the defunct Lackawanna Cutoff in Warren, Sussex and Morris counties took a major step forward yesterday.
The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority in Newark included in its transit plans a 7-mile stretch of the cutoff from Andover Township in Sussex County to Port Morris in Morris County.
The nod of recognition makes this segment of the dormant rail line, estimated to cost $36.6 million to revive, eligible for federal funding. Trains could be running from Andover to Port Morris within "a few years," said Richard Roberts, chief planner for NJ Transit, the agency that would construct and operate the rails.
"We're going to build 7.3 miles of track," Roberts said. "The intention with this action is that something is going to happen."
Restoring the 28-mile Lackawanna Cutoff is a key to a $551 million plan to revive the 133-mile passenger rail line between Hoboken and Scranton. A revived line would ultimately link to New York City's Penn Station by connecting to NJ Transit's Montclair-Boonton and Morris & Essex trains.
An engineering marvel when it was built a century ago, the cutoff was abandoned more than two decades ago. Passenger and freight trains whizzed along the high-speed route for some seven decades before service was discontinued and its rails were torn up in 1985.
Restoring the cutoff has been on the books for years, but has progressed mainly in fits and starts. The groundwork was laid in 2001, when New Jersey and Pennsylvania bought the cutoff rail bed for $21 million.
The goal is to create a mass transit commuting alternative in fast-growing northwest New Jersey and northeast Pennsylvania. Eight trains would run daily, with stations in Andover and Blairstown in New Jersey, and in Delaware Water Gap, East Stroudsburg, Analomink, Mount Pocono, Tobyhanna and Scranton in Pennsylvania.
Last year, another hurdle was overcome when a draft environmental assessment of the entire rail line showed no major problems; but the cost estimate soared from $200 million more than a decade ago to $551 million in 2006.
The $36.6 million in federal funding was earmarked for the project by U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.), a staunch supporter of the rail plan, and U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.). With the federal fiscal year ending by September, the NJTPA adopted the 7.3-mile stretch as the "minimal operable segment" and "locally preferred alternative" of the entire line.
An incremental approach is not unusual with large transportation projects, and now at least one section of the cutoff would be revived as a spur off NJ Transit's existing Boonton line.
"This is logical. We could work off the existing system," Roberts said. "You may lay out an entire project, but can't pay for it all at once. This is not a bad investment at all."
There are no timetables for construction on the rest of the line, beyond the 7.3 miles authorized yesterday.
Proponents of the long-sought rail plan see it as necessary to remove cars from congested Route 80 in New Jersey. Opponents say the line would cause further sprawl and increase traffic in Sussex and Warren counties and the neighboring Poconos, and would not remove cars from Route 80.
Jim Lockwood may be reached at jlockwood@starledger.com or (973) 383-0516.
Rail link to Pa. closer to revival
Lackawanna Cutoff rebuilding endorsed
Thursday, June 05, 2008
BY JIM LOCKWOOD
Star-Ledger Staff
A long-awaited plan to restore passenger rail service between Hoboken and Scranton, Pa., via the defunct Lackawanna Cutoff in Warren, Sussex and Morris counties took a major step forward yesterday.
The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority in Newark included in its transit plans a 7-mile stretch of the cutoff from Andover Township in Sussex County to Port Morris in Morris County.
The nod of recognition makes this segment of the dormant rail line, estimated to cost $36.6 million to revive, eligible for federal funding. Trains could be running from Andover to Port Morris within "a few years," said Richard Roberts, chief planner for NJ Transit, the agency that would construct and operate the rails.
"We're going to build 7.3 miles of track," Roberts said. "The intention with this action is that something is going to happen."
Restoring the 28-mile Lackawanna Cutoff is a key to a $551 million plan to revive the 133-mile passenger rail line between Hoboken and Scranton. A revived line would ultimately link to New York City's Penn Station by connecting to NJ Transit's Montclair-Boonton and Morris & Essex trains.
An engineering marvel when it was built a century ago, the cutoff was abandoned more than two decades ago. Passenger and freight trains whizzed along the high-speed route for some seven decades before service was discontinued and its rails were torn up in 1985.
Restoring the cutoff has been on the books for years, but has progressed mainly in fits and starts. The groundwork was laid in 2001, when New Jersey and Pennsylvania bought the cutoff rail bed for $21 million.
The goal is to create a mass transit commuting alternative in fast-growing northwest New Jersey and northeast Pennsylvania. Eight trains would run daily, with stations in Andover and Blairstown in New Jersey, and in Delaware Water Gap, East Stroudsburg, Analomink, Mount Pocono, Tobyhanna and Scranton in Pennsylvania.
Last year, another hurdle was overcome when a draft environmental assessment of the entire rail line showed no major problems; but the cost estimate soared from $200 million more than a decade ago to $551 million in 2006.
The $36.6 million in federal funding was earmarked for the project by U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.), a staunch supporter of the rail plan, and U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.). With the federal fiscal year ending by September, the NJTPA adopted the 7.3-mile stretch as the "minimal operable segment" and "locally preferred alternative" of the entire line.
An incremental approach is not unusual with large transportation projects, and now at least one section of the cutoff would be revived as a spur off NJ Transit's existing Boonton line.
"This is logical. We could work off the existing system," Roberts said. "You may lay out an entire project, but can't pay for it all at once. This is not a bad investment at all."
There are no timetables for construction on the rest of the line, beyond the 7.3 miles authorized yesterday.
Proponents of the long-sought rail plan see it as necessary to remove cars from congested Route 80 in New Jersey. Opponents say the line would cause further sprawl and increase traffic in Sussex and Warren counties and the neighboring Poconos, and would not remove cars from Route 80.
Jim Lockwood may be reached at jlockwood@starledger.com or (973) 383-0516.
Weekly Rail Carloading Report - Week 22, 2008
There is an interesting report available on the web that is "A Weekly Report of North American Rail Freight Traffic by Major Railroad and Commodity." It is currently showing data for week 22 of 2008. Take a look.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.
Note: This web site has new tables and graphs every Thursday. So, if I am late or miss a week with this blog posting, you can check for new data on Thursdays.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.
Note: This web site has new tables and graphs every Thursday. So, if I am late or miss a week with this blog posting, you can check for new data on Thursdays.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Teenage Girls Hit by Train on Trestle in Maine
Following news article was posted on the web site for WBZTV, Boston, on 5/29/08.
Sunbathing Girls Fell Asleep Before Train Crash
Girls Lose Limbs In Horrific Train Crash
LEBANON, Maine (AP) ― Two teenage girls sunbathing on a railroad trestle lost limbs when a train came upon them unexpectedly in this New Hampshire border town, police said Wednesday.
The girls were lying on beach towels on the trestle over Three Mill Pond when the train rounded a corner and began braking and blasting its horn shortly before 11 a.m., said Lt. Gary Fecteau of the York County Sheriff's Department.
The conductor and engineer say they never saw the girls move, but their injuries suggest they tried to scramble away at the last moment, Fecteau said.
Destiny Phaneuf, 13, of Lebanon, lost her leg just below the knee; Rachel Brown 14, also of Lebanon, lost a foot, Fecteau said. Both were airlifted to Maine Medical Center in Portland.
Crews searched the water for their lost limbs, Lebanon Fire Assistant Rescue Chief Jason Coty said.
The girls were cutting class and enjoying the sunny weather when the freight train came upon them, Fecteau said. There's no indication the girls were impaired by alcohol or drugs, or that their hearing was impaired by headphones, he said.
Phaneuf was unconscious when authorities arrived; Brown told police that the pair had fallen asleep while sunbathing, he said.
Christie West, who lives across from the tracks in Milton, N.H., said the train comes by the same time every day. This time, she said it screeched to a halt after passing her back door.
"That's about where I saw a little girl laying, and her knees were bent, so I could see small legs bent on the railroad tracks, and she was moving, so I knew that she was alive," West told WMUR-TV.
The train crew called to report the accident when it happened. Police and rescue workers from Milton were first on the scene. They turned the investigation over to York County authorities after determining that the incident had happened in Maine.
Neighbors said the area is off-limits, but it is still a popular spot where people hang out and swim.
Officials said last year, a boy riding his bike was hit on the trestle. Milton police said they are called to the area at least once a day over the summer.
A nonprofit rail safety organization said the tragedy underscores the inherent danger of trespassing on private railroad property.
"Though it's not known how fast the train which struck the individuals was traveling, it's a fact that trains can't stop quickly. Even a slow-moving train can weigh millions of pounds and may take hundreds of yards to come to an emergency stop," said Fred Hirsch, state coordinator of Maine Operation Lifesaver.
Sunbathing Girls Fell Asleep Before Train Crash
Girls Lose Limbs In Horrific Train Crash
LEBANON, Maine (AP) ― Two teenage girls sunbathing on a railroad trestle lost limbs when a train came upon them unexpectedly in this New Hampshire border town, police said Wednesday.
The girls were lying on beach towels on the trestle over Three Mill Pond when the train rounded a corner and began braking and blasting its horn shortly before 11 a.m., said Lt. Gary Fecteau of the York County Sheriff's Department.
The conductor and engineer say they never saw the girls move, but their injuries suggest they tried to scramble away at the last moment, Fecteau said.
Destiny Phaneuf, 13, of Lebanon, lost her leg just below the knee; Rachel Brown 14, also of Lebanon, lost a foot, Fecteau said. Both were airlifted to Maine Medical Center in Portland.
Crews searched the water for their lost limbs, Lebanon Fire Assistant Rescue Chief Jason Coty said.
The girls were cutting class and enjoying the sunny weather when the freight train came upon them, Fecteau said. There's no indication the girls were impaired by alcohol or drugs, or that their hearing was impaired by headphones, he said.
Phaneuf was unconscious when authorities arrived; Brown told police that the pair had fallen asleep while sunbathing, he said.
Christie West, who lives across from the tracks in Milton, N.H., said the train comes by the same time every day. This time, she said it screeched to a halt after passing her back door.
"That's about where I saw a little girl laying, and her knees were bent, so I could see small legs bent on the railroad tracks, and she was moving, so I knew that she was alive," West told WMUR-TV.
The train crew called to report the accident when it happened. Police and rescue workers from Milton were first on the scene. They turned the investigation over to York County authorities after determining that the incident had happened in Maine.
Neighbors said the area is off-limits, but it is still a popular spot where people hang out and swim.
Officials said last year, a boy riding his bike was hit on the trestle. Milton police said they are called to the area at least once a day over the summer.
A nonprofit rail safety organization said the tragedy underscores the inherent danger of trespassing on private railroad property.
"Though it's not known how fast the train which struck the individuals was traveling, it's a fact that trains can't stop quickly. Even a slow-moving train can weigh millions of pounds and may take hundreds of yards to come to an emergency stop," said Fred Hirsch, state coordinator of Maine Operation Lifesaver.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
A good morning to be trackside...
(Train sightings on 6-1-08.)
along the Lehigh Line in Manville. It was nice change of pace to see some CR blue since emphasis is being given to repainting them. In time sequence, the trains observed were as follows:
NS 11J @ 7:40- Power not seen as I only caught the tail end as it passed by my vantage point in Manville.
NS 21M @ 8:00- would have NS 9966, NS 7539 and NS 2637 as power. Overheard on the scanner was that 21M "...had a passenger on board." That message's meaning was lost on me.
CSX 410 @ 8:10- had CSX 4803 as its leader followed by CSX 9017, CSX 7707, CSX 7618, CSX 9038 and a very clean FEC 721 for power.
CSX 439 @ 8:36- would have CSX 7586 and CSX 8030 bringing sixty-eight cars down the Trenton Line.
NS 20G @ 8:50- would have PRR 5433 (ex-CR 6761), BNSF 4321 (sporting some body work on its nose) and PRR 8319 (ex-CR 6060) as its power trio.
NS 214 @ 9:25- had NS 7612, NS 8793 and NS 2559.
NS 18N @ 10:20- its thirty-one autoracks were brought east by NS 9933 and NS 9940. Considering the auto industry and economy's current state, I had to wonder if there were less SUVs or more cars that get good gas mileage being shipped these days.
along the Lehigh Line in Manville. It was nice change of pace to see some CR blue since emphasis is being given to repainting them. In time sequence, the trains observed were as follows:
NS 11J @ 7:40- Power not seen as I only caught the tail end as it passed by my vantage point in Manville.
NS 21M @ 8:00- would have NS 9966, NS 7539 and NS 2637 as power. Overheard on the scanner was that 21M "...had a passenger on board." That message's meaning was lost on me.
CSX 410 @ 8:10- had CSX 4803 as its leader followed by CSX 9017, CSX 7707, CSX 7618, CSX 9038 and a very clean FEC 721 for power.
CSX 439 @ 8:36- would have CSX 7586 and CSX 8030 bringing sixty-eight cars down the Trenton Line.
NS 20G @ 8:50- would have PRR 5433 (ex-CR 6761), BNSF 4321 (sporting some body work on its nose) and PRR 8319 (ex-CR 6060) as its power trio.
NS 214 @ 9:25- had NS 7612, NS 8793 and NS 2559.
NS 18N @ 10:20- its thirty-one autoracks were brought east by NS 9933 and NS 9940. Considering the auto industry and economy's current state, I had to wonder if there were less SUVs or more cars that get good gas mileage being shipped these days.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Manville council looks to promote railroad safety
Following article appeared in the Courier-News on Friday, 5/30/08.
Manville council looks to promote railroad safety
By PAMELA SROKA—HOLZMANN
STAFF WRITER
The Borough Council wants to launch an education program to raise more awareness about railroad safety.
Although the move comes weeks after the most recent death of 19-year-old Kevin Seit, who was found on the tracks near Huff Avenue on May 8, borough officials said a program for students in elementary through high school already was being considered.
National statistics show that Manville is one of the leading municipalities in the nation in per-capita deaths on rail lines.
In Manville's 80-year history as a town crossed by two busy freight railroad lines, police have estimated that about 20 people have died in train accidents or near the tracks.
In March, a man's body also was found along the south bank of the river, east of the CSX railroad bridge and near Huff Avenue. The body was wedged between a fallen tree and some brush along the bank.
Councilman Ken Otrimski, a retired Franklin Township (Somerset) police officer, said he had researched about Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit organization sponsored by federal, state and local government agencies to educate students about railroad safety.
"I thought at least we'll bring it to their (students) attention and it's up to the parents to continue on what we're trying to teach," he said. "The railroads are controlled by the government and not many police officers can patrol all the tracks in the state of New Jersey all the time. What we're trying to do is have the seminars so the kids can learn the dangers."
Manville Fire Chief Tom Collins recently attended a presentation provided by CSX officials for borough's firefighters and had discussed Operation Lifesaver.
During the presentation, Collins said he learned trains are now being "welded" when they are put together, so there is a lack of a "crackling noise," making the trains quieter.
"You just have to be aware, the best thing to do is stay off the tracks and just look. They say, "anytime is train time' and it's true," he said.
Otrimski, whose home is near the CSX railroad tracks, said he has seen school-age children walking across the tracks because it's the quickest way to get from 8th Avenue to 13th Avenue.
"These kids, they walk for blocks on the tracks," Otrimski said.
CSX Spokesman Robert Sullivan said during an Operation Lifesaver presentation, CSX guest speakers will address the students in a school-wide assembly, discussing ways to avoid collisions, deaths and injuries where roadways cross train tracks. He said "appropriate age" visual aids such as videotapes also will be featured.
"We'll try to help them (students) understand the way the railroad works and rules on the railroad tracks," Sullivan said. "We'll try to get people to understand they need to stay away from the railroad tracks — and always expect a train. Never try to beat a train, people try to do that and are unsuccessful — the result can often be death or very serious injuries."
Sullivan said a train traveling at 55-mph, takes an average of a mile and a half to stop.
"People don't understand that. They also don't understand trains can come up on you very quickly. The tracks are not a place for hiking or fishing, anything of that sort," he said. "You wouldn't do it on an interstate highway, why would you do it on a railroad?"
Otrimski said the earliest the program could be launched in district schools would be September when classes resume. There is only three weeks left in the school year, he said.
Pamela Sroka-Holzmann can be reached at (908) 707-3155 or psroka@gannett.com.
Manville council looks to promote railroad safety
By PAMELA SROKA—HOLZMANN
STAFF WRITER
The Borough Council wants to launch an education program to raise more awareness about railroad safety.
Although the move comes weeks after the most recent death of 19-year-old Kevin Seit, who was found on the tracks near Huff Avenue on May 8, borough officials said a program for students in elementary through high school already was being considered.
National statistics show that Manville is one of the leading municipalities in the nation in per-capita deaths on rail lines.
In Manville's 80-year history as a town crossed by two busy freight railroad lines, police have estimated that about 20 people have died in train accidents or near the tracks.
In March, a man's body also was found along the south bank of the river, east of the CSX railroad bridge and near Huff Avenue. The body was wedged between a fallen tree and some brush along the bank.
Councilman Ken Otrimski, a retired Franklin Township (Somerset) police officer, said he had researched about Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit organization sponsored by federal, state and local government agencies to educate students about railroad safety.
"I thought at least we'll bring it to their (students) attention and it's up to the parents to continue on what we're trying to teach," he said. "The railroads are controlled by the government and not many police officers can patrol all the tracks in the state of New Jersey all the time. What we're trying to do is have the seminars so the kids can learn the dangers."
Manville Fire Chief Tom Collins recently attended a presentation provided by CSX officials for borough's firefighters and had discussed Operation Lifesaver.
During the presentation, Collins said he learned trains are now being "welded" when they are put together, so there is a lack of a "crackling noise," making the trains quieter.
"You just have to be aware, the best thing to do is stay off the tracks and just look. They say, "anytime is train time' and it's true," he said.
Otrimski, whose home is near the CSX railroad tracks, said he has seen school-age children walking across the tracks because it's the quickest way to get from 8th Avenue to 13th Avenue.
"These kids, they walk for blocks on the tracks," Otrimski said.
CSX Spokesman Robert Sullivan said during an Operation Lifesaver presentation, CSX guest speakers will address the students in a school-wide assembly, discussing ways to avoid collisions, deaths and injuries where roadways cross train tracks. He said "appropriate age" visual aids such as videotapes also will be featured.
"We'll try to help them (students) understand the way the railroad works and rules on the railroad tracks," Sullivan said. "We'll try to get people to understand they need to stay away from the railroad tracks — and always expect a train. Never try to beat a train, people try to do that and are unsuccessful — the result can often be death or very serious injuries."
Sullivan said a train traveling at 55-mph, takes an average of a mile and a half to stop.
"People don't understand that. They also don't understand trains can come up on you very quickly. The tracks are not a place for hiking or fishing, anything of that sort," he said. "You wouldn't do it on an interstate highway, why would you do it on a railroad?"
Otrimski said the earliest the program could be launched in district schools would be September when classes resume. There is only three weeks left in the school year, he said.
Pamela Sroka-Holzmann can be reached at (908) 707-3155 or psroka@gannett.com.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Annual Meeting - Friends of the New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center
There are two railroad history groups in Phillipsburg, NJ. One of them is having its annual meeting next Saturday, 6/7/08. Below are two emails that we received, one from each group.
Open House Day - Phillipsburg RR station, RR museum, and much more - June 7
June 7 (Sat.) is the annual members meeting of the Friends of the NJ RR & Transportation Heritage Center & Museum, which includes free tours of the CNJ - DL&W Phillipburg station with its railroad museum, a ride behind steam on the old Bel. Del. RR (opened in 1855), a ride on a just restored (a meticulas restoration of many years) NJ Public Service trolley car (it'll be a very, very short ride), plus see CNJ cabooses and box cars in need of restoration, Chestnut Ridge RR's ancient rail bus, and more. You also get free lunch (hot dogs, hamburgers, etc.) after the annual (brief) meeting. You must be a member and joining is very easy.
SCHEDULE of the Day's Events:
Station tours are continious between 9 - 10:30am (with free coffee and Danish),
10:30-11:20 the meeting with up-dates on all the great projects of the organization,
11:30-12:20 step up to the grill for delious hot dogs, hamburgers, and beverages.
12:30-2:30 free ride for members behind the NYS&W's #142 steam locomotive along the Delaware River on the old Bel. Del. RR (opened in 1855) [the free ride tickets will be given out at the end of the annual meeting].
3-5pm tours of the Heritage Center's artifacts collection, bus and truck collection with a Reading Co. TOFC trailer, and in the pre-1900 Peoples Water Co. pump house a tour of more artifacts including the 3 story high Atlas Chambers steam engine water pump! Also, during this time period visit the magnificant NJ PS trolley car #2651 and equipment of the Phillipsburg RR Historians.
Throughout the day will be antique cars and trucks running th rough Phillipsburg as part of its Annaul Motor Madness Show (free too).
Membership information for the "Friends" is on line at www.njthc.org or join on June 7th at the annual meeting. Remember all these events on June 7 are Free for members. Dues are only $20.
Following email from a member of the Phillipsburg Railroad Historians.
Just to clear up any possible confusion.
1. The Public Service trolley 2651 is owned by the North Jersey Electric Railway Historical Society.
2. The CNJ box car is owned by the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society.
3. The Chestnut Ridge Railbus is owned by the Lehigh Valley Chapter of NRHS.
These three items are hosted by the Phillipsburg Railroad Historians. PRRH is a separate entity from the Friends of the New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center. While PRRH admires the tireless work that Friends is doing for the State Museum, PRRH is a small separately established museum in Phillipsburg.
PRRH owns the CNJ caboose, two L&HR cabooses, the L&HR flanger and low side gondola, a GE 44 ton locomotive, a 1915 Tidewater tank car, CNJ tool cart and Chestnut Ridge crane, plus other items. PRRH operates the world famous Centerville & Southwestern miniature railroad and a small museum and gift shop. Due to a prior commitment. PRRH cannot be open on June 7, but we will be open for Susquehanna's annual meeting on July 12. Admission to the museum and rides on the C&S are by donation. Hope to see everyone then.
Open House Day - Phillipsburg RR station, RR museum, and much more - June 7
June 7 (Sat.) is the annual members meeting of the Friends of the NJ RR & Transportation Heritage Center & Museum, which includes free tours of the CNJ - DL&W Phillipburg station with its railroad museum, a ride behind steam on the old Bel. Del. RR (opened in 1855), a ride on a just restored (a meticulas restoration of many years) NJ Public Service trolley car (it'll be a very, very short ride), plus see CNJ cabooses and box cars in need of restoration, Chestnut Ridge RR's ancient rail bus, and more. You also get free lunch (hot dogs, hamburgers, etc.) after the annual (brief) meeting. You must be a member and joining is very easy.
SCHEDULE of the Day's Events:
Station tours are continious between 9 - 10:30am (with free coffee and Danish),
10:30-11:20 the meeting with up-dates on all the great projects of the organization,
11:30-12:20 step up to the grill for delious hot dogs, hamburgers, and beverages.
12:30-2:30 free ride for members behind the NYS&W's #142 steam locomotive along the Delaware River on the old Bel. Del. RR (opened in 1855) [the free ride tickets will be given out at the end of the annual meeting].
3-5pm tours of the Heritage Center's artifacts collection, bus and truck collection with a Reading Co. TOFC trailer, and in the pre-1900 Peoples Water Co. pump house a tour of more artifacts including the 3 story high Atlas Chambers steam engine water pump! Also, during this time period visit the magnificant NJ PS trolley car #2651 and equipment of the Phillipsburg RR Historians.
Throughout the day will be antique cars and trucks running th rough Phillipsburg as part of its Annaul Motor Madness Show (free too).
Membership information for the "Friends" is on line at www.njthc.org or join on June 7th at the annual meeting. Remember all these events on June 7 are Free for members. Dues are only $20.
Following email from a member of the Phillipsburg Railroad Historians.
Just to clear up any possible confusion.
1. The Public Service trolley 2651 is owned by the North Jersey Electric Railway Historical Society.
2. The CNJ box car is owned by the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society.
3. The Chestnut Ridge Railbus is owned by the Lehigh Valley Chapter of NRHS.
These three items are hosted by the Phillipsburg Railroad Historians. PRRH is a separate entity from the Friends of the New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center. While PRRH admires the tireless work that Friends is doing for the State Museum, PRRH is a small separately established museum in Phillipsburg.
PRRH owns the CNJ caboose, two L&HR cabooses, the L&HR flanger and low side gondola, a GE 44 ton locomotive, a 1915 Tidewater tank car, CNJ tool cart and Chestnut Ridge crane, plus other items. PRRH operates the world famous Centerville & Southwestern miniature railroad and a small museum and gift shop. Due to a prior commitment. PRRH cannot be open on June 7, but we will be open for Susquehanna's annual meeting on July 12. Admission to the museum and rides on the C&S are by donation. Hope to see everyone then.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Teen hit by train, thrown 70 feet
Yet another teen hit by a train while wearing an MP3 player. If you insist on walking around railroad tracks, then you must be constantly alert and attentive to moving vehicles. Come to think of it, that applies to streets and parking lots too. Maybe MP3 players should come with a big warning label.
from WISH TV8 in Indiana
Teen hit by train, thrown 70 feet
Posted: May 20, 2008 11:01 PM EDT
LAKE STATION, Ind. (AP) - Police say a freight train hit a 16-year-old Lake Station boy, hurling him 70 feet.Lake Station Police Chief Mike Stills said the boy was in critical condition Tuesday night at University of Chicago Hospitals with head and internal injuries. He was breathing but unconscious after the accident.
He says Nathan Furlong was walking along the train tracks when he was hit about 2 p.m. Furlong is a sophomore at Edison High School.
Stills says the CSX train hit Furlong "square on." He says the teen apparently was wearing a stereo headset and may not have heard the train approaching behind him at about 37 mph.
The train engineer told police he blew his whistle some 50 times in warning.
from WISH TV8 in Indiana
Teen hit by train, thrown 70 feet
Posted: May 20, 2008 11:01 PM EDT
LAKE STATION, Ind. (AP) - Police say a freight train hit a 16-year-old Lake Station boy, hurling him 70 feet.Lake Station Police Chief Mike Stills said the boy was in critical condition Tuesday night at University of Chicago Hospitals with head and internal injuries. He was breathing but unconscious after the accident.
He says Nathan Furlong was walking along the train tracks when he was hit about 2 p.m. Furlong is a sophomore at Edison High School.
Stills says the CSX train hit Furlong "square on." He says the teen apparently was wearing a stereo headset and may not have heard the train approaching behind him at about 37 mph.
The train engineer told police he blew his whistle some 50 times in warning.
Weekly Rail Carloading Report - Week 21, 2008
There is an interesting report available on the web that is "A Weekly Report of North American Rail Freight Traffic by Major Railroad and Commodity." It is currently showing data for week 21 of 2008. Take a look.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Alaska RR on Memorial Day Weekend
Received the following via email. The text and pictures are by Doug Ellison, an employee of the Alaska Railroad. How was your weather this past weekend?
Subject: Alaska RR Memorial Day Weekend
Date: Sun, 25 May 2008 19:30:24 -0400
Spring just does not seem to be able to break the grip of old man winter entirely here in Alaska. This Memorial Day Weekend I exercised my perogative as General Roundhouse Foreman and followed management directive to get out and ride a train. So I chose to ride the Anchorage -Seward passenger train on Saturday and here are some of the views from the headend. Lots of snow in them thar hills !
regards,
Doug Ellison
The Loop
Along Turn Again Arm - Northbound to Anchorage
Between Spencer and Portage
Looking back at Bartlet Glacier loop
Northbound - Bartlet Glacier
View from cab - Trail Glacier Monday, May 26, 2008
NJ Transit Online Suggestion Box
Following article is from the Star-Ledger dated 5-15-08.
In cyberspace, NJ Transit can hear when a customer screams
Thursday, May 15, 2008
BY TOM FEENEY
Star-Ledger Staff
NJ Transit riders with suggestions about how to prevent late trains, missed buses and other indignities of the daily commute will soon have a new place to share their ideas.
The agency will run a "virtual ideas cafe" beginning June 1, offering riders a place online to post suggestions, read suggestions left by other riders and vote on the suggestions they like best.
The program, which will be run as a one-month pilot, is the latest of several steps NJ Transit has taken in recent years to be more responsive to customer input, executive director Richard Sarles said.
"Some very good customer ideas have already been implemented, and our message is we want to hear more," Sarles said.
For the past two years, NJ Transit has kept track of customer feedback through software created by Salesforce.com; a San Francisco company whose web-based products help companies manage their relationships with customers.
The software, for which NJ Transit pays $200,000 a year, allows the agency to keep tabs on all of the customer feedback it receives, said James P. Redeker, assistant executive director for policy, technology, and customer service.
The number of customer comments the agency receives has increased by 500 percent in the two years since it began tracking them with the Salesforce.com system, Redeker said. In addition, the time it takes to respond has improved by 60 percent, to less than three days, he said.
Sarles and Redeker cited two examples of changes made in direct response to customer feedback received through the system.
One customer who travels by bus into New York suggested NJ Transit move bus passengers onto the trains on days when there are long delays at the Lincoln Tunnel. Sarles said the agency routinely uses buses to move train passengers when there are disruptions in rail service, and the idea of doing the reverse made sense.
Therefore, it adopted a policy that allows buses bound for the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan to be rerouted to Secaucus Junction or Penn Station in Newark if there are long delays at the Lincoln Tunnel. That allows customers to switch to the trains rather than sitting on a bus in traffic for 90 minutes or more. Buses have been diverted to the train stations twice since February, he said.
It was also in response to customer complaints about how NJ Transit communicates information about delays on the trains that the agency upgraded the communications systems at seven stations on the Raritan Valley Line, Redeker said.
In cyberspace, NJ Transit can hear when a customer screams
Thursday, May 15, 2008
BY TOM FEENEY
Star-Ledger Staff
NJ Transit riders with suggestions about how to prevent late trains, missed buses and other indignities of the daily commute will soon have a new place to share their ideas.
The agency will run a "virtual ideas cafe" beginning June 1, offering riders a place online to post suggestions, read suggestions left by other riders and vote on the suggestions they like best.
The program, which will be run as a one-month pilot, is the latest of several steps NJ Transit has taken in recent years to be more responsive to customer input, executive director Richard Sarles said.
"Some very good customer ideas have already been implemented, and our message is we want to hear more," Sarles said.
For the past two years, NJ Transit has kept track of customer feedback through software created by Salesforce.com; a San Francisco company whose web-based products help companies manage their relationships with customers.
The software, for which NJ Transit pays $200,000 a year, allows the agency to keep tabs on all of the customer feedback it receives, said James P. Redeker, assistant executive director for policy, technology, and customer service.
The number of customer comments the agency receives has increased by 500 percent in the two years since it began tracking them with the Salesforce.com system, Redeker said. In addition, the time it takes to respond has improved by 60 percent, to less than three days, he said.
Sarles and Redeker cited two examples of changes made in direct response to customer feedback received through the system.
One customer who travels by bus into New York suggested NJ Transit move bus passengers onto the trains on days when there are long delays at the Lincoln Tunnel. Sarles said the agency routinely uses buses to move train passengers when there are disruptions in rail service, and the idea of doing the reverse made sense.
Therefore, it adopted a policy that allows buses bound for the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan to be rerouted to Secaucus Junction or Penn Station in Newark if there are long delays at the Lincoln Tunnel. That allows customers to switch to the trains rather than sitting on a bus in traffic for 90 minutes or more. Buses have been diverted to the train stations twice since February, he said.
It was also in response to customer complaints about how NJ Transit communicates information about delays on the trains that the agency upgraded the communications systems at seven stations on the Raritan Valley Line, Redeker said.
