Next Generation Bi-Level Passenger Rail Car Design Approved by Amtrak, FRA and States
The approval of performance and technical design specifications for next generation bi-level passenger rail cars is a major achievement that supports Amtrak’s plans to advance and support the growth of new or existing state-supported corridor service, renew and replace its national fleet and foster the development of a domestic rail manufacturing industry.
“This clears the tracks and provides strong direction so Amtrak and states can move forward with modern bi-level equipment designed with updated passenger comfort, conveniences and safety features to meet the ever-increasing demand for more rail service,” said Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman.
On August 31st, Amtrak, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and interested states approved the new design as part of a Next Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee established under Section 305 of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) of 2008. Host freight railroads, passenger railroad equipment manufacturers and other passenger rail operators participated in the technical discussions as well.
The bi-level passenger car specifications are the first to be issued by the Section 305 committee and include three car types for use in corridor intercity passenger rail service: coach car, cab / baggage car, and café / lounge car. It is the third generation of the popular California Car design first introduced in the 1990s and subsequently advanced with Amtrak’s Surfliner equipment. The approved design specifications are available here.
Approval of this design supports the growth of state-supported passenger rail routes because the FRA has indicated that Federal funding support for the acquisition for equipment used in corridor services must meet the design specifications resulting from the work of the Section 305 committee.
Boardman explained that the finalization of this design also supports Amtrak’s implementation of a comprehensive Fleet Strategy Plan to replace and expand its national fleet of locomotives and passenger rail cars. This plan includes the priority replacement of approximately 250 of its bi-level Superliner 1 equipment that have been in service for nearly 30 years. With the bi-level design specifications now in place for corridor service, Amtrak can move forward with using this design as the foundation for the development of new bi-level long- distance equipment to replace these aging Superliners.
The PRIIA Section 305 requirements were developed to primarily promote the creation of a pool of standardized, interoperable equipment for Amtrak and the states to use in various state-sponsored corridors with flexibility and efficiency. This pool equipment is meant to largely share design elements and systems in order to improve maintainability and lower design and acquisition costs. It can also incentivize the creation of domestic manufacturing capacity for intercity passenger rail equipment.
Stewart Southern Railway Becomes Saskatchewan's 11th Short Line
On Friday, Stewart Southern Railway Inc. launched operations in Fillmore, Saskatchewan, becoming the province’s 11th short line.
Privately owned by a group of local and international investors, the railroad operates 82 miles of track between Richardson and Stoughton that Stewart Southern Railway purchased from Canadian Pacific this summer.
The short line “is essential” to the operation of Fill-More Seeds Inc., which has three facilities along the railroad’s track, said Blair Stewart, general manager of Stewart Southern Railway and part owner/GM of Fill-More Seeds, in a prepared statement.
“Our main objective is to ensure the long-term viability of this new short line and to promote rail service to customers and communities along the track,” he said.
California’s Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District,north of San Francisco, says its request for proposals to build diesel multiple-unit (DMU) cars has prompted six offers from manufacturers. SMART did not identify the companies, but did say they were based in North America, Europe, and Asia.
"It's an excellent response," said John Lackey, SMART's capital projects director. "We're very pleased with the number of proposals." SMART spokesman Chris Coursey said the agency was hoping for four written responses.
Voters in Sonoma and Marin counties approved Measure Q in 2008, authorizing a quarter-cent sales tax to finance a projected $1.1 billion passenger rail service, with 14 stops between Cloverdale and Larkspur, Calif. At Larkspur, riders could transfer to ferry service to access San Francisco. Construction is anticipated to begin next year, with rail service commencing in 2014.
Patriot Rail Corp. and NCDOT Execute Letter of Agreement on P&N Railroad
Patriot Rail Corp. (“Patriot”), a privately-held short line and regional freight railroad holding company, announced that it has executed a letter agreement with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (“NCDOT”) to provide rail service on the Piedmont & Northern (“P&N”) rail corridor in Gaston County, North Carolina. The letter agreement outlines the terms and conditions under which Patriot will provide rail service on the P&N. The transaction, subject to regulatory approval and execution of the final agreement, is expected to close within the next 45-60 days.
The P&N rail corridor, located approximately 20 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina, is a 13-mile rail line that extends from Mount Holly to Gastonia, with a spur line towards Belmont. It has strategic interchanges with Class I railroads Norfolk Southern Railway at Gastonia and CSX Transportation at Mount Holly. The P&N was originally built in 1911 as an electrified interurban freight and commuter railroad by James B. Duke, founder of Duke Energy Company.
In May 2010, Patriot was unanimously selected by NCDOT from among five potential operators. A selection committee composed of state and local officials from NCDOT and Gaston County reviewed the proposals and recommended Patriot as having the best proposal.
Under the letter agreement, Patriot will be responsible for operating, maintaining and marketing freight rail service on the P&N. In 2009, NCDOT completed an upgrade of the westernmost four miles of the rail line from Gastonia to Ranlo, and anticipates upgrading the remainder of the line by the spring of 2011.
“Patriot Rail is pleased to have been selected by NCDOT as the rail operator for the P&N,” said Gary O. Marino, Chairman, President and CEO of Patriot Rail. “Now that we have reached this agreement with NCDOT, we look forward to bringing in new rail customers, building the business and commencing operations.”
Patriot Rail Corp. is a short line and regional freight railroad holding company based in Boca Raton, Florida. The Company owns and operates six short line freight railroads comprising 331 total rail miles in eight states. In addition, Patriot recently announced that it has agreed in principle to purchase the six short line railroads belonging to Weyerhaeuser Company. For more information on Patriot Rail Corp. visit us at www.patriotrail.com.
Railroad Testing Site in Colorado to Study Potential for Large Solar Array
The Federal Railroad Administration plans to assess the potential to construct a large solar photovoltaic array at its Transportation Technology Center, a railway testing site in Colorado, Sunpluggers.com, The Solar Home & Business Journal reports.
The administration has issued a "Request for Information" from solar developers "in order to assess the market potential for the installation of a photovoltaic electric generating facility at TTC that could be implemented using a power purchase agreement."
The solar PV array would be built on a site of about 50 acres. The initial information request calls for a rated production capacity of two megawatts, but the administration says any contract may be required to include an option to expand the project after the start of construction.
The Transportation Technology Center occupies a 52-square-mile tract about 21 miles northeast of Pueblo, Colo. The site is leased to the federal agency until at least 2070 by the state of Colorado. The railroad administration has an option to extend the lease to the year 2120.
The center is operated by a private, for-profit company, Transportation Technology Center Inc., a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads, under a contract with the government agency.
The railroad administration says the site "includes laboratories and 48 miles of test tracks for testing a wide range of locomotives, cars, track structures and components for freight, passenger, transit, and high-speed rail operations."
A current project, for example, involves testing a passenger car that could travel at up to 200 mph between Boston and Washington, D.C.
The railroad administration, which has been assisted by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the initial planning for the potential project, says in its request that it is interested in receiving information on the price per kilowatt-hour for a power purchase agreement that would last either 10 or 20 years.
As with most power purchase agreements, the solar developer would install, own and operate the system. The developer also would apply for and retain any federal, state or local tax credits and any utility incentive that may be available, as well as any solar renewable energy credits to be generated by the installation. Although the PPA would be between the developer and the federal government, the private company that operates the center would be responsible for paying for the electricity, the Request for Information says.
The current average annual cost of electricity at the center is about 7.7 cents per kwh, and it uses about 9,023 megawatt-hours of electricity annually. According to PV Watts 1, a solar production calculator available at the NREL website, a two-megawatt solar array ideally situated in the Pueblo area may be able to generate as much as about 3,129 mwh in its first year.
Patriot Rail Corp. Reaches Agreement to Purchase Weyerhaeuser Company Railroads
Patriot Rail Corp. (Patriot), a privately-held short line and regional freight railroad holding company, announced that it has agreed in principle to purchase the short line railroad assets of Weyerhaeuser Company.The acquisition is subject to certain closing conditions, including Patriot’s due diligence and regulatory approval, and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2010.
The six railroads operate over approximately 160 miles of track in four states and currently handle approximately 60,000 carloads of freight annually.The railroads include:
• the DeQueen and Eastern Railroad Company consists of two railroads -- the DeQueen and Eastern and the Texas, Oklahoma & Eastern railroads -- that operate over a total of 87 route miles in southeast Oklahoma and southwest Arkansas;
• the Columbia & Cowlitz Railway operates over 8.5 route miles in southwest Washington;
• the Weyerhaeuser Woods Railroad operates over 30 route miles in southwest Washington and connects directly to the CLC;
• the Golden Triangle Railroad operates over 13.3 route miles in central Mississippi; and
• the Mississippi & Skuna Valley Railroad owns 21 route miles in Mississippi.
Each of the railroads interchange traffic with Class I carriers.The railroads primarily source Weyerhaeuser and International Paper mills, move finished products and serve some third-party customers.The railroads employ approximately 120 people.
“Once the transaction is completed, these railroads will double the rail portfolio of Patriot Rail,” said Gary O. Marino, Chairman, President & CEO of Patriot Rail.“They are very attractive railroads with appealing growth opportunities and are a key step in our company’s strategic growth process.After closing and integration of the railroads, Patriot Rail’s goal is to expand the rail business by providing customers with first class rail service focused on safety, productivity and service reliability.”
Patriot Rail Corp. is a short line and regional freight railroad holding company based in Boca Raton, Florida.The Company owns and operates six short line freight railroads comprising 331 total rail miles in eight states.In addition, Patriot recently signed an agreement to lease and operate the 13-mile Piedmont & Northern Railroad in Gaston County, North Carolina.For more information on Patriot Rail Corp. visit us at www.patriotrail.com.
BNSF officials took state and local officials as well as media for a ride through Tower 55, one of the nation's busiest railroad intersections, to demonstrate the need for federal funds to help ease congestion. The ride, held in cooperation with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, highlighted how improvements could benefit the local area as well as the state and nation.
Both BNSF and Union Pacific rely heavily on Tower 55 to move freight throughout the Southwest. More than 100 trains a day must stop and make turns through the intersection, increasing emissions and traffic congestion for both freight trains and commuters.
"The Tower 55 rail intersection plays a major economical role in North Texas. It is clear how important Tower 55 is to the vitality of the area, which is why I have worked on, and tried to bring attention to, the issues at Tower 55 since the authorization of the last transportation bill," said U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville. "Action is needed to address the problems at Tower 55, not only because of congestion and economic reasons, but more importantly, for the safety of those in the North Texas communities along the line."
Chicago's Metra finalizes new Union Pacific North Schedule
Metra released the final version of a new schedule for the Union Pacific North line between Chicago and Kenosha, Wis., that will take effect on August 22. The schedule is being changed because a major, $185-million project to replace 22 bridges on the line on the north side of Chicago will require trains to use a single track in the construction zone.
The final version made several adjustments from the preliminary version in order to address concerns raised by passengers who communicated with Metra via e-mail or phone call, or in person at three open houses held in Waukegan, Lake Forest and Evanston. Due to the complex nature of the schedule and the operational environment, Metra was not able to accommodate every request.
At its monthly meeting, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Board of Commissioners authorized an option under the PATH Railcar procurement contract with Kawasaki Rail Car Inc., to purchase 10 additional rail cars at a total cost of $15 million.
Union Pacific Railroad plans to spend more than $20 million to improve lines in Missouri and Nebraska. By late August, the Class I expects to complete a more than $18 million project on a 17-mile line between Fremont and North Bend, Neb. Crews will remove and install new rail and more than 42,800 concrete ties, spread more than 55,600 tons of ballast and renew roadway surfaces at 11 grade crossings.
During the project, workers will use UP’s TRT 909 track renewal train, which is designed to install rail and concrete ties in one pass. The 30-car train can install up to 5,000 ties in a 12-hour period.
how improvements could benefit the local area as well as the state and nation.
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