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Railroad Newsline for Thursday, February 01, 2007

Compiled by Larry W. Grant

In Memory of Rob Carlson, 1952 – 2006

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RAIL NEWS

OFFICIALS INVESTIGATE TRAIN, BUS CRASH

Photo here: [images.chron.com]

Caption reads: Emergency vehicles with people involved in the incident exit the Shell facility Tuesday morning. (Gary Fountain/The Houston Chronicle)

DEER PARK, TX -- Investigators will continue their probe today into a train-bus collision at the Shell Oil Co. plant in Deer Park, Texas that sent 32 contract workers to Houston-area hospitals.

The collision between a school bus, which was taking the workers from a satellite parking lot into the plant, and a Port Terminal Rail Authority engine occurred about 07:40 Tuesday, Shell spokesman Dave McKinney said.

The incident is being investigated by the Port Terminal Rail Authority and Shell as well as Harris County, the National Transportation Safety Board and most likely the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, McKinney said.

Several rail lines

About 40 employees of AltairStrickland were on the bus when it attempted to cross the railroad tracks within the 1,500-acre plant at Texas 225 and Center. The engine struck the left rear of the bus above the wheels, McKinney said.

The Port Terminal Rail Authority is one of several rail lines that run through the Shell plant.

The bus passengers were evaluated at the plant's medical facility before being taking to five area hospitals as a precaution. Their injuries ranged from neck, rib and back pain to a cracked rib, McKinney said.

A spokeswoman for AltairStrickland did not return telephone calls for comment.

The collision occurred about a half-mile within the plant from Texas 225 in the refinery section.
Emily Oberton, a spokeswoman for Shell, said the crossing where the accident occurred has a stop sign but does not have any railroad arms to keep vehicles from crossing when a train is approaching, nor does the crossing have warning signals. The stop sign, she said, meets traffic regulations.

Oberton did not know whether the engine had sounded its horn prior to the collision.
The speed of the train involved was not known and will be part of the investigation, McKinney said. Most trains that run through the plant usually travel about 20 mph, he said.
No derailment or spill

McKinney said the bus driver, whose name was not disclosed, will be interviewed as part of the investigation.

The accident did not result in a derailment, spill or explosion.

The injured contract workers were taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital, East Houston Regional Medical Center, Bayshore Medical Center, Ben Taub Hospital and Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital.

The Shell Complex:

. 1,700 workers: The Shell complex along the Houston Ship Channel employs about 1,700 at the plant.

. Petrochemical: The plant also has a petrochemical facility.

. Maintenance: The plant is undergoing maintenance involving 19 process units until mid-February.

. More contractors: The project involves regularly scheduled maintenance, which will bring the number of onsite contract workers to about 3,000, Shell spokesman Dave McKinney said.

- Ruth Rendon, The Houston Chronicle

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'A LOT OF MONEY AND A LITTLE BIT OF PATIENCE': PROMISE OF THE SOUTH ORIENT BEING REOPENED YET TO BE REALIZED

ODESSA, TX -- Industrial legend Arthur Stilwell didn't succeed with the South Orient railroad, and today's operators are finding out about obstacles that prevented his achievement.

Nearly six years after Texas Pacifico -- a subsidiary of Grupo México, a Mexican mining and train transit operation -- partnered with the Texas Department of Transportation to purchase the 382-mile long South Orient railroad, the line sits dormant south of Rankin.

Millions of dollars of public and private money have been invested into this railroad, which passes through West Texas and has been heralded as a portal to more commercial riches.

But the deteriorated railroad needs more upgrades and to finance the improvements Texas Pacifico needs revenue. Without any freight traffic, Texas Pacifico can't validate the investment, its executives said. Without the renovation, businesses can't validate using the railroad.

The last train ran south of Rankin on Oct. 6 and the operators said it could take $70 million to make the railroad as effective as they want. Meanwhile, local leaders wait for the windfall.

"It's a viable asset that's not being utilized," Presidio County Judge Jerry Agan said. "It affects everything in the county from trade coming in and jobs and everything."

Still, economic developers contend the railroad will materialize.

"From the outside, it looks like there hasn't been a lot of positives, but there have been," said Doug May, Fort Stockton Chamber of Commerce economic development director.

"The interest is higher," may said. "It's just a project that takes time."

A Little History

At the turn of the 20th Century, Stilwell, a Kansas City railroad builder, envisioned a shorter route to the Pacific Ocean that offered cheaper shipping costs and ensured better business efficiency for Midwest commerce.

Stilwell's Shangri-La was Topolobampo, a Mexican port significantly closer to his Kansas City railroad hub than West Coast ports.

To get to his Mexican paradise, Stilwell built the South Orient railroad in West Texas, slicing the tracks through San Angelo, Rankin, Fort Stockton and Alpine until he eventually hit the Mexican-U.S. border at Presidio.

His economic dream never materialized, pinned down by the Mexican Revolution and a lack of demand.

Many operators since have attempted to unfold Stilwell's mysterious trade route but, like him, never succeeded.

Texas Pacifico and TxDOT are the latest, taking over the campaign in 2001 after the railroad sat dormant since the mid-1990s. The two partnered to buy the deteriorated railroad for $9.5 million in 2001.

"We certainly feel that it's vital to the state because of its location and its links," Mark Cross, a TxDOT public information officer in Austin, said.
Texas Pacifico leases operation from the state, and it's the company's responsibility to upgrade the track.

Hefty Investments

At purchase time, the investors knew the railroad needed help. Grupo México invested $8 million in the first two years, said Roy Williams, Texas Pacifico chief operating officer. The company refurbished more than 15,000 ties north of San Angelo Junction and an additional 27,000 ties south of the junction to Presidio.

Over the last two years, a $5.5 million federal grant financed the rehabilitation of 37,000 ties between San Angelo and Presidio as well as the Fort Stockton rail yard.

With the infrastructure advancement, Texas Pacifico opened the railroad in March 2005 and attracted freight customers that ship sand, lumber, fertilizer and cotton north of Rankin where the train can operate at 25 mph.

Even with the repairs, trains can't exceed 10 mph for much of the track south of Fort Stockton, which Williams believes misleads potential customers.

"Most people talk about 10 mph," Williams said. "We get a black eye, because they automatically think the infrastructure isn't good, but basically it's to comply with federal regulations."

Initially, Texas Pacifico offered freight runs weekly, despite the lack of customers. Shortly, the service reduced to every two weeks. Eventually, the railroad operator shut down service to an as-needed basis only.

"We've got train service, but I don't know if we'd run all the way to Fort Stockton for one car a week," Williams said.

Williams said Grupo México is committed to the project and has long-range plans to have trains run at 40 mph all the way to the Mexican border. There, the rail line links up with Ferromex, Grupo's Mexican railway that can connect Topolobampo to the United States.

"Some people probably lost their patience, but in time this thing will get up and go -- a lot of money and a little bit of patience with it," Williams said. "This is a natural just like Stilwell said it would be."

Potential Users Interested

If the railroad ever becomes the achievement so many believe it can become, then more trade will funnel north from Mexico through West Texas - the trade will bring more jobs and better quality of life, especially to Fort Stockton where Interstate 10 offers a transcontinental trucking route, said Jeff Nelson, SandRidge Energy vice president of drilling.

"It could be a little boom town," Nelson said.

James Bryant, a construction company owner, sees the railway's intrinsic value. Bryant is interested in moving part of his cement panel manufacturing operations to Fort Stockton if the railroad will ensure service.

He would build the paneling south of the border in Ojinaga, then ship it by rail to Fort Stockton where it would be shaped to specification.

"At the present, due to the connections we have in Chihuahua and in Fort Stockton, we'd prefer Ojinaga and Fort Stockton as our target location," Bryant said. "Without the rail line, we'll probably choose a different border town is what it will come down to."

The South Orient railroad also could reduce production costs in the oil field surrounding Fort Stockton, Nelson said.

Because service on the South Orient is inefficient, SandRidge's service companies truck their products into the fields from outlying communities, Nelson said. The trucking adds 10 to 20 percent extra cost to well production and development.

"It's not a situation we can't live with," Nelson said, "but it's a situation we shouldn't have to live with." - F. A. Krift, The Odessa American

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BNSF DIVESTING ITS FLEET OF WOODCHIP GONDOLAS

The BNSF Railway Company is in the process of divesting its fleet of woodchip gondolas used in woodchip service. As the fleet ages and cars are being retired, BNSF has determined that the economic returns do not justify reinvesting in this equipment type (i.e. extending the life of existing equipment or replacing aging equipment with new).

The cars are being sold to various parties in the industry--including shippers and leasing companies--and it is expected that by the end of 2007, BNSF will no longer have any woodchip gondolas for use in woodchip service. Shippers who currently use BNSF woodchip gondolas are advised to begin making plans for replacing this transportation capacity once the fleet is exhausted.

Furthermore, for the movement of woodchips and bark in woodchip gondolas originating on the BNSF network, BNSF provides chip nets only for BNSF-owned equipment. It is the responsibility of the shipper and/or other railroads to provide chip nets for private (X-marked) equipment or equipment owned by other railroads. Once the BNSF fleet of woodchip gondolas has been fully divested, BNSF will no longer provide any nets for the shipment of woodchips. - BNSF Marketing News

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NEW ULTRA-LOW EMISSION LOCOMOTIVE GOES TO WORK IN UP'S LOS ANGELES BASIN RAIL YARDS

Photo here: [www.uprr.com]

Photo here: [www.uprr.com]

Caption reads: The first of 60 new environmentally friendly locomotives to go to work in Union Pacific Los Angeles Basin rail yards was delivered to UP's Commerce yard January 31. These state-of-the-art ultra-low emissions locomotives reduce emissions of both nitrous oxides and particulate matter by up to 80 percent, while using as much as 16 percent less fuel compared to current low-horsepower locomotives. (Union Pacific photos)

OMAHA, NE -- Union Pacific Railroad today unveiled the first of 60 new environmentally friendly ultra-low emission diesel locomotives for use in its Los Angeles Basin rail yards. This is part of Union Pacific's ongoing efforts to continue reducing air emissions in cooperation with federal, state and local environmental agencies.

The new 2,100-horsepower locomotives are called "Generator-Set," or "Genset" switchers. Each locomotive is powered by three 700-horsepower ultra-low emissions U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) non-road Tier 3-certified diesel engines projected to reduce emissions of both nitrous oxides and particulate matter by up to 80 percent, while using as much as 16 percent less fuel compared to current low-horsepower locomotives. Union Pacific began studies and tests of the prototype Genset switcher locomotive in 2002. That locomotive is currently working in the rail yard at Long Beach, California.

"These ultra-low emission yard locomotives continue Union Pacific's voluntary efforts to go beyond air quality regulations and are the result of applying research and development of new technology to reduce emissions," said Bob Grimaila, Union Pacific's vice president-environment and safety. "Union Pacific is committed to preserving our environment by reducing emissions to help improve air quality and conserve fuel."

These new locomotives will be used to serve customers and sort rail cars for outbound trains and will replace many of the 95 older low-horsepower locomotives currently being used in Los Angeles Basin rail yards.

The 60 new low-horsepower locomotives will be delivered over the next six months from the manufacturer, National Railway Equipment Co., which is headquartered in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.

Union Pacific's "Green" Fleet

Currently, about 50 percent of Union Pacific's more than 8,500-unit locomotive fleet is certified under existing EPA Tier 0, Tier 1 or Tier 2 regulations governing air emissions. That gives Union Pacific the most environmentally friendly locomotive fleet in the nation.

Union Pacific has tested, and continues to evaluate, one other type of environmentally friendly low-horsepower rail yard locomotive called the "Green Goat." It uses state-of-the-art diesel-battery hybrid-technology designed to cut air emissions by 80 percent and reduce diesel fuel use by 16 percent compared to conventional diesel-powered locomotives used in switching service. The hybrid switcher is powered with large banks of batteries. When energy stored in the batteries is depleted to a pre-set level, a small, low-emission diesel engine automatically starts to power a generator that recharges the batteries.

The Genset and Green Goat yard locomotives have received California Air Resources Board (CARB) recognition as Ultra-Low Emitting Locomotives (ULEL), in addition to exceeding the EPA's stringent Locomotive Tier 2 standards. These ULELs are a direct result of Union Pacific's efforts to encourage development of ever-cleaner technology by its locomotive suppliers. The ultra-low emissions of these locomotives will help Union Pacific meet its commitment to CARB to reduce its fleet average nitrous oxide emissions inside the South Coast Nonattainment Area by 2010.

Union Pacific is also testing two types of "aftermarket" technologies to determine if they reduce emissions in older locomotives. They are:

· An experimental "oxidation catalyst" filtering canister, or "Oxicat," that was installed inside the diesel engine's exhaust manifold on a high-horsepower long-haul locomotive. This locomotive recently began a yearlong field test in the Los Angeles area, which will end in December 2007. This is the North American rail industry's first long-haul diesel electric locomotive modified with "after-market" experimental technology aimed at reducing exhaust emissions. The special catalytic material chemically reduces the amount of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter generated by the diesel engine, much like a catalytic converter on today's cars and trucks.

· A Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) was attached to a low-horsepower yard locomotive that is operating in Union Pacific's Oakland rail yard. This yearlong field test, which began in December 2006, is also the North America rail industry's first experimental "after-market" exhaust system filter to determine if it will reduce diesel engine emissions in older locomotives used in rail yards.

CARB Memorandum of Understanding

In addition to the emission reductions that the Tier 0, 1 and 2, Genset and Green Goat locomotives will achieve, a June 30, 2005, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among CARB, Union Pacific and BNSF Railway will further reduce diesel emissions in and around the state's rail yards. The important agreement calls for reductions that will be greater and quicker than any that could have resulted from regulatory processes.

This was the second significant agreement of this type. The first one was signed in 1998 and covered nitrous oxide emissions (NOx) from locomotives. Under the first agreement, NOx levels from locomotives will be reduced by 67 percent in the South Coast Nonattainment Area. The June 2005 agreement represents the next logical step in the process and will reduce particulate matter emissions statewide.

CARB has estimated the MOU will reduce particulate emissions by approximately 20 percent at rail yards by June 2008 when all the program's elements are phased in. Union Pacific expects to spend more than $20 million implementing the program. - Mark Davis, UP News Release

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RAIL PROJECTS HIGH ON PRIORITY, LOW ON MONEY

RIVERSIDE, CA -- Several key improvements to the Inland area's railroad network should be funded within the next three years, according to a new statewide transportation study.

Unfortunately, most projects are so expensive that they will not be completed in the next 10 years, local transportation officials said.The work includes separating railroad tracks that now cross at a 90-degree angle in Colton, as well as building more than a dozen railroad underpasses and overpasses at spots around the Inland area where vehicles now often have to wait for trains to pass.

"We have a huge need, and not all of these projects can be done immediately," said John Standiford, spokesman for the Riverside County Transportation Commission. "This is something we are going to have to work at continuously over time."

Gov. Schwarzenegger's new Goods Movement Action Plan now heads to the California Transportation Commission and the state's Air Resources Board. The two agencies will decide how to spend about $3 billion of the $19.9 billion included in Prop. 1B, which was approved by voters in November.

The state's first comprehensive plan includes more than 200 projects that are designed to speed the movement of imported goods through the state's ports, along railroads and to the rest of the country. The planning process is important because the state estimates its overall needs at $21 billion to $25 billion, which outstrips the money available.

"There are more good projects than there is funding," said Mark Watts, executive director of Transportation California, a coalition of business, labor and government groups that advocates for such funding. "That's just the reality of it."

The movement of goods dramatically affects traffic and air quality in the Inland area because most of those products imported from Asia pass through Riverside and San Bernardino counties either on trains or trucks.

The plan is the governor's effort to balance the potential growth of jobs with the potential environmental damage from truck and train exhaust. Other parts of the state receiving priority in the plan include: the Bay Area, the San Diego border region and the San Joaquin Valley.

Action on the goods-movement portion of the plan likely will not occur until March at the earliest, local transportation officials said. The commission first is scheduled to divvy up about $4.5 billion of the bond funds in late February.

The plan calls for making the Inland projects a short-term priority in the next three years.
However, it also lists the projects for continued work in the next 10 years and beyond, meaning a final solution to rail gridlock is at least a decade away.

Riverside County alone has more than 60 potential railroad crossing projects, and it has identified 18 as priorities, Standiford said. He said the report does a good job of recognizing that areas of the state far from the ports also have goods-movement needs. But, he said, it also lumps Northern and Southern California together.

"This recognizes that the problem is beyond the ports," Standiford said. "But we think that the vast majority of the state's issues are here in Southern California." - Phil Pitchford, The Riverside Press-Enterprise

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OFFICIALS DISCUSS TRAIN-TRAFFIC WOES

AMARILLO, TX -- Amarillo city officials say they may have found a solution to traffic woes at Grand Street and Southeast Third Avenue. Trains block the intersection frequently during the day and residents have long complained.

City Manager Alan Taylor said at Tuesday's City Commission meeting a possible solution is rerouting trains to tracks that go under an existing vehicle bridge between Third Avenue and Amarillo Boulevard that were used previously more often than they are today.

"A bridge was built originally to accommodate the main track. Over the years, the BNSF Railway Company shifted traffic to the bottom track and stopped using the top track," Taylor said. "If we can convince the railroad company to expand the tracks on the old run since the bridge goes over the former tracks..." then there is a solution.

The vehicle bridge was built in the early 1980s. Building a new bridge that would take traffic over the currently used train tracks would cost around $20 million to $25 million, Taylor said.

"Building a bridge from Third and Grand will be difficult from an engineering standpoint," Taylor said because of existing structures.

Taylor said train company representatives said putting in new track and road bed would cost about $3 million a mile.

"We can work with the railroad to build additional tracks next to the ones that go up underneath the Grand Street bridge," Taylor said. "If we can make it work and the railroad can expand one or two more tracks, we think that will help solve the problem by 90 to 95 percent."

The majority of the trains are coal trains heading from Wyoming to other parts of Texas.

A recent city survey found nine blockages by trains at the intersection during an 11 hour period. City workers counted 13,000 train cars passing through the intersection, about 30 to 40 trains every day.

For the majority of the trains, the signal gates were down for two to four minutes every time, but some were down for as long as 20 to 30 minutes. City workers also counted hundreds of cars driving around the crossing and trying to beat the trains to the next railroad crossing.

There's also a fire station located in the area at 3618 E. Amarillo Blvd. Emergency vehicles sometimes get caught up in the train wait.

At a meeting last week, city officials met with BNSF representatives to discuss options for alleviating the traffic problem.

"What we found is that the railroad is interested in trying to work with us," Taylor said. "They admit there's a problem there."

There's no indication that train traffic is going to ease up.

Taylor said BNSF representatives told him most trains are an average of 8,300 feet long today and they expect that to expand to 8,600 feet.

"The train company expects growth in the coal traffic with the length of the trains as well as the number of trains," Taylor said.

"We feel real positive, it was a very good meeting," Atkinson said. "We feel like we're moving forward."

Taylor said there's also the possibility of expanding economic possibilities in the area.

"If we can encourage the railroad to expand along the upper track, there's a lot of vacant property that's zoned commercial and it would open it up to businesses that need railroad access and create jobs," Taylor said. - Nicole King, The Amarillo Globe-News

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UNIVERSITY INCREASES EFFORTS TO IMPROVE RAILROAD SAFETY

COLLEGE STATION, TX -- Efforts are underway to help increase student awareness of railroad safety precautions at Texas A&M.

After the death of A&M student Walker Best on Aug. 28, the University has made changes in communication about railroad safety precautions in order to prevent accidents and ensure students' safety while crossing the tracks on Wellborn Road, said Risa Bierman, assistant director for the dean in the Department of Student Life.

The most recent developments in improving railroad safety have been educating students on railroad safety and developing the best way to get the word out to students.

Bierman, who is spearheading this campaign, said that this semester the department has asked some of the marketing classes at A&M to help with their goal of educating students about precautions they should take when crossing railroads.

The department has also developed public service announcements with country music stars warning against the danger of not taking precaution around railroads and plans on getting them to air on local radio stations, she said.

The department is working with Union Pacific, the University Police Department (UPD), Texas Transportation Institute and Operation Lifesaver on these projects.

Joe Arbona, director of regional public affairs for Union Pacific, said they are committed to railroad safety and finding the best way of getting people to stay off the tracks.

"It takes trains up to a half mile to completely stop during emergency braking procedures, and this often causes derailment," Arbona said.

He also said students should always expect a train since Union Pacific does not have a set schedule.

Senior marketing major Chris O'Neal said he drives over the intersection of Wellborn Road and Old Main Drive, but when walking he uses the underground tunnel because it's safer.

O'Neal said that he wouldn't want to make a "stupid mistake" and get hurt since it is avoidable.

The UPD has always had the goal of ensuring safety and providing a tranquil environment for students while they are at this University, said Kristi Hosea, a crime prevention officer for UPD. UPD takes an active role in railroad safety by issuing citations to violators of the railway precautions.

She said that by issuing citations, word of mouth is generated among the students.

"When students hear of someone they know getting a ticket, it starts to affect them personally and really hits them in the pocketbook," Hosea said.

Bierman also expressed that the UPD will become stricter on enforcing railroad traffic laws and will not hesitate to ticket people for trespassing on the railroads.

The highest area of concern is students that trespass behind the fence of the railroad. Students are trespassing if they enter the fenced area that extends 50 feet from either side of the railway, Bierman said.

She emphasized that not only is this a felony, students are harming themselves.

"It's just not safe," Bierman said.

Bierman said the main reason that the Department of Student Life along with the University has taken on this campaign was the death of Walker Best and his parents' requests to help inform students of safety matters.

The department is also working to have a platform removed from the intersection of Wellborn Road and George Bush Drive, because it is hazardous and gives students an easier way to jump trains, Bierman said. - Candace Birkelbach, The Battalion (The student newspaper of Texas A&M University)

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RAILROAD REALIGNMENT PROVING COSTLY

FAIRBANKS, AK -- Early cost estimates for railroad realignments in Fairbanks, Alaska put even the cheapest option at $167 million, according to new Alaska Railroad Corp. figures.

Although the railroad has not eliminated any of the options, officials said obtaining funding would be a prerequisite.

"Most of it comes down to working financially forward," said Eileen Reilly, a railroad vice president.

The railroad presented the figures at a joint work session of the city councils of Fairbanks and North Pole and the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly Tuesday night.

The railroad plans to make a similar presentation to the public at an open house Wednesday, starting at 16:30 at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel.

The meeting addressed the three options for pulling rail out of the city.

A plan to put tracks down the median of the Parks Highway would be the most expensive option at more than $450 million, according to the estimates.

The option is expensive because it would require the railroad to expand the highway in order to maintain room for disabled vehicles and snow removal, and to build embankments leveling the ground to rail standards.

Another plan to build a broad loop following Chena Pump Road would cost $383 million, according to the estimates.

An elevated viaduct along Trainor Gate Road would cost $167 million.

Mayor Steve Thompson expressed concern that the Trainor Gate viaduct would not allow for expansion on roads in that area to accommodate future growth.

North Pole Mayor Doug Isaacson expressed concern that completing the Fort Wainwright project would make the Trainor Gate option almost inevitable because of its proximity to the existing rail yard.

Even though the railroad owns the right of way in the Trainor Gate Road area, Reilly said the railroad would not initiate a project without community support.

The project to realign rail throughout Fairbanks began 10 years ago, but the scope of the project has changed during that time.

The project originally had a Fort Wainwright component that became a separate project last year after securing a funding source.

Reilly said in an interview earlier in the day that originally Fort Wainwright wanted the tracks completely removed from the base.

However, when the fort received a mandate to be prepared to deploy on short notice, it needed the tracks on base to load Stryker vehicles. Still, it did not want tracks going through expanding housing on base.

The Department of Defense provided funding to realign track around the base.

Borough Mayor Jim Whitaker and several assemblymen expressed concern that since its last meeting with municipalities in July, the railroad has separated the Fort Wainwright realignment from the larger project and plans to start work on it this year.

"The game has changed," Whitaker said.

Assemblymember Luke Hopkins said the changing project scope presented some concern that the southern bypass options would never be built.

The railroad maintains all options are still up for construction, but each would require the proper funding.

"It's not a done deal," Reilly said.

The railroad presented three potential funding sources for any project, but each has restrictions.

Money from the Federal Transit Administration could only be used for passenger service.

Assemblywoman Valerie Therrien and others expressed skepticism that enough passengers would be interesting in using rail service between North Pole and the Fairbanks rail yard.

Other sources of funding could come from the Federal Railroad Administration, traditionally used for rail rehabilitation, or the Federal Highway Administration, often dedicated for removing road crossings, a primary component of the Fairbanks project. - Ed Lidji, The Fairbanks News-Miner

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FEDS MIGHT GIVE CITY $1 MILLION TO TRANSFORM RAILROAD BRIDGE

SALEM, OR -- Salem's aspirations to convert the Union Street railroad bridge into a pedestrian and bike path across the Willamette River might get a $1 million boost.

The railroad bridge is one of 14 projects in the state recommended to receive $11.3 million in federal grants administered by the Oregon Department of Transportation, Salem officials were told this week. ODOT considered more than 70 projects.

"This really puts us over the hump. We're in the home stretch now," said city project coordinator David Skilton.

The Transportation Enhancement Program funding would provide $1 million toward the project. It would create a path linking Wallace Marine Park in West Salem and Riverfront Park.

Work on the improvements could begin as early as fall if the funding is approved and other details are resolved, Skilton said.

Salem bought the bridge for $1 in October 2004. Supporters of the plan for the bridge say Salem could use it to revitalize the waterfront.

"We have a great resource right here," said John Gallagher, a member of Friends of Bridges, a Salem group.

Gallagher, who owns a fitness store that specializes in running and walking gear, said the river crossing would be a "recreational wake-up call" for the city. Friends of Bridges has discussed a private fundraising drive to support the bridge's redevelopment, he said.

Skilton said the $1 million in federal funding -- combined with urban renewal funds, city general funds and state grants -- would provide about $2.3 million to the bridge project.

That's close to the estimated $2.5 million needed for bare-bones, Phase 1 improvements, which include replacing the tracks and ties with concrete panels. The bridge also would serve as an alternative route for ambulances, firetrucks and police vehicles when the Marion and Center street bridges are blocked.

The timing for when Transportation Enhancement Program funding can be used still needs to be resolved. The funds are earmarked for fiscal 2009 and 2010. The city "can probably jigger things with ODOT" to get the funds into the fiscal 2008 budget, Skilton said.

Phase 2, which could be done after the bridge is open, would be lead-paint abatement. The city has $1.3 million in urban renewal funds set aside for environmental work in its 2009 to 2010 budget. Total costs for the abatement are expected to be between $1.2 million and $3.3 million.
Salem will need more money to complete the paint work, Skilton said. - Michael Rose, The Salem Statesman Journal

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CABOOSE GETS NEW HOME

ALAMOGORDO, NM -- The little red caboose which has been party central for children who love McDonalds for their birthdays, moved to a new location Tuesday. The caboose has resided behind the Alamogordo restaurant since 1976.

Working together McDonalds owner Malcolmn Ramsey; Basin Pipe and Metal; and Mesa Verde builders moved the 55,000 lb. train car to the Toy Train Depot.

"Its been part of the community," Ramsey said, of McDonald's donation to the depot. "So we wanted to keep it part of the community."

McDonald's, planning a remodel in the near future, does not include the caboose in its plans.
Lee Bohannon, engineer and mechanic at the Toy Train Depot has been there 15 years.

The caboose will keep its role as party central, only now the party will include a train ride and tour of the museum for children, Bohannon said. It also serves in a marketing role, it will have a sign for the museum on one side so passers-by can see it better.

The caboose, which was supposed to have made the move before Nov. 1, 2006, created some logistic and monetary problems for the non-profit Toy Train Depot. The business is a privately owned museum and miniature railroad operated in a city park.

The depot pays the city a franchise fee for the right to locate where it does. To move the caboose, it needed not only equipment and cost donations, it needed special permission and permits from the city, Bohannon said.

Tuesday morning everything came together, donating time and money Mesa Verde, Basin Pipe and Metal and McDonalds got the caboose and its tracks to its new home. - Elva K. Österreich, The Alamogordo Daily News

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MYSTERY FREIGHT TRAIN OUT OF QUEENS? IT MAY SOON BE A FAMILIAR SIGHT

Photo here: [graphics8.nytimes.com]

Caption reads: Tom Materka, an engineer, climbing to an engine at the New York & Atlantic Railway yard in Glendale, Queens. (Todd Heisler/The New York Times)

EASTPORT, NY -- Gritty freight trains may be a familiar sight out West and in cowboy movies, but in Queens and Brooklyn and the neat suburbs of Long Island, they are a roaring, sooty cause for a big double take.

"We go through here every day, and everyone still looks at us like 'What the heck is this?' " said Tom Materka, a rail freight engineer, as the train approached the Hicksville station, one of the Long Island Rail Road's busiest commuter stops, one recent afternoon. "People are always shocked to see a freight train coming through here."

Mr. Materka, 30, an engineer for the New York & Atlantic Railway, one of the few remaining short-line rail freight companies in the region, was running two screaming 120-ton diesel locomotives towing a string of sooty boxcars from Queens out to eastern Long Island. Well-dressed commuters looked up from their newspapers and coffee and stared as the smoky train roared by and transformed the suburban station into Tumbleweed Junction.

The line uses obscure rail tracks in Queens and Brooklyn and tracks of the Long Island Rail Road in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Graphic: The Range of the Trains

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Since freight trains are far outnumbered by commuter trains, few people glimpse the bulky, graffiti-covered boxcars as they lumber past the sleek silver commuter cars rushing passengers to or from Pennsylvania Station.

But passengers can expect to see more of these trains soon. Transportation experts, government officials and rail freight advocates say conditions are suddenly in their favor.

New York's new governor, Eliot Spitzer, a Democrat, favors expanding rail freight, as does United States Representative Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat whose district includes parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Mr. Nadler, a longtime champion of building a rail freight tunnel under New York Harbor to reduce truck traffic, helped obtain $100 million in federal money in 2005 to study the tunnel project, and his power has increased now that the Democrats have a majority in Congress.

Given that political climate, and the effect high fuel costs have on prices of goods trucked in, experts say they expect a huge increase in rail cargo in the New York area. The city gets roughly 2 percent of its goods by rail, compared with a 40 percent average figure nationally, experts say.

Also, a new waste management plan for New York City calls for more reliance on rail freight to ship waste out. The city is set to activate a rail freight line on Staten Island and is seeking to expand rail activity in Bay Ridge, where a short-line railroad floats rail cars from New Jersey across New York Harbor to Brooklyn to be picked up by New York & Atlantic.

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Caption reads: Tom Tingtella, an employee of the New York & Atlantic Railway, at the gate of the Fresh Pond Junction yard in Glendale, Queens, this month. Cargo hauled by the line includes building materials, produce and beer. (Todd Heisler/The New York Times)

Since taking over the Long Island Rail Road's freight operation in 1997, New York & Atlantic has managed to navigate the tricky, obscure rail tracks in Queens and Brooklyn and dodge the thick traffic of the Long Island Rail Road, the busiest commuter line in the country. Annual totals have increased to about 22,000 carloads last year from 9,000 in 1997.

This little-noticed suburban rail line has become the little engine that could, and proposed increases in rail freight could thrust it into a much larger role, as would plans to create new depots on Long Island to reduce truck traffic on the Long Island Expressway.

"Rail freight is expanding here and we're going to grow with it," said New York & Atlantic's general manager, Mark Westerfield. "We're connected to the national network, and the rest of the country relies on rail freight."

Operations are limited by the size of the main yard at Fresh Pond Junction in Glendale, Queens, he said, and by the capacity and condition of the tracks, overpasses and aging signal systems for the line's fleet of 13 locomotives, some of them a half-century old. Mr. Westerfield said he was seeking government money to help the railway expand operations.

The company has 10 years left on its exclusive contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for track use; after that, it has the right to renew for another 20 years, he said.

One morning this month at the Fresh Pond yard, next to a neighborhood of homes, a crew connected the 50-foot-long hoppers and boxcars to be delivered to Long Island: baking flour headed to Lindenhurst, oats bound for Belmont Park racetrack, plastic pellets and bricks headed for Hicksville, and chicken feed for Eastport.

The conductor, Jeremy Lally, 31, of Bohemia, on Long Island, and his burly brakeman, Sean McCarthy, 29, of Huntington, swung on and off the train and threw hand switches, just as in old movies. Mr. Materka, of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, nimbly handled a set of old valves and heavy handles on the control stand, to maneuver the diesel from track to track, picking up the cars by ramming into their massive steel couplings.

The other two men hoisted themselves up the steep metal steps onto the hulking locomotive and along a catwalk into the engine's cab, and soon the train was chugging east toward the Jamaica rail hub, carefully avoiding the path of oncoming rush-hour commuters speeding toward Penn Station.

The winter sun streaked through the locomotive cab's narrow windows as Mr. Lally thumbed through his huge book of rail schedules to see which trains were ahead and behind them.

Passenger trains have priority, and the freight conductor's biggest priority is finding gaps in the commuter train schedule. Mr. Lally constantly called and radioed to control towers to see when the train could pass through stations between commuter trains, while Mr. Materka pulled the near-deafening horn incessantly to warn cars and pedestrians at traffic crossings.

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Caption reads: A commuter station. (Tom Heisler/The New York Times)

The freight line, with its 10 train crews on duty each day, serves about 80 businesses in Brooklyn and Queens and on Long Island. It extends to Bridgehampton on the South Fork of Long Island and Southold on the North Fork. Its cargo includes produce, lumber, asphalt, paper, plastics, rice, beer, onions, road salt, building materials, recyclables, chemicals, iron, steel.

Most cars come down from upstate New York or Connecticut through the Bronx, across the Hell Gate Bridge over the East River, and through Queens. They pass highways and dense urban landscape and, as the Manhattan skyline recedes, the scenery turns to a blur of backyards, ball fields and strip malls.

The locomotive is a 2,000-horsepower diesel, about 30 years old, with a 3,000-gallon diesel fuel capacity. Two or three locomotives are usually hitched together so that the huge train can accelerate to avoid the commuter trains.

The crew members hopped out to throw large levers connected to antiquated-looking track switches, to allow the train to enter various sidings and yards for deliveries and pickups.

Many spur lines and off-ramps are now rusted and overgrown, but lately the crew members have seen signs of revival, as some companies build new sidings to make way for rail service. - Corey Kilgannon, The New York Times

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TRANSIT NEWS

CAR-RENTAL FEE HIKE PROPOSED TO FUND COMMUTER RAIL

MILWAUKEE, WI -- A proposed commuter rail line linking Milwaukee to Racine, Kenosha and Chicago should be funded by an increase in the rental car fee in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties, according to a recommendation by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority.

The transit authority, which was created by the state Legislature in 2005 to identify a local funding source for the proposed commuter line, announced its recommendation on Tuesday afternoon. An increase in the rental car tax from $2 to $15 would generate an estimated $4.8 million annually to support the local capital costs and operating costs for the so-called Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (KRM) rail line, the transit authority said.

The transit authority will deliver its recommendation to Gov. Jim Doyle and the Legislature for the 2007-2009 state budget. If the proposal is approved, the funding plan will be included in the transit authority's application for KRM funding from the Federal Transit Administration.

The proposal for a car rental fee increase was the result of the transit authority's board reaching a consensus that it was the best permanent funding option, said chairman Karl Ostby.

"With this decision, we have taken a crucial step to make the KRM commuter rail a reality for southeastern Wisconsin," Ostby said.

The rental car fee increase replaces the transit authority's previous funding proposal in December for a 0.5 percent local sales tax increase. That plan died due, in part, to immediate opposition from local political leaders.

The transit authority said it plans to seek alternate funding sources for existing bus transit systems in the three counties.

Public meetings updating the progress of the KRM planning will be held next week in each of the counties where the line would run. Details are available at [www.KRMonline.org]. - The Business Journal of Milwaukee

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GOLD LINE STREETCARS POSSIBLE AFTER RAIL SNAG; RTD WHITTLES NORTHWEST OPTIONS

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DENVER, CO -- Transit planners have decided that a streetcar operating principally on streets in northwest Denver and Arvada would be the only affordable Gold Line transit alternative if RTD can't run commuter trains in a freight corridor.

The $463 million Gold Line is one of six new rail lines in the Regional Transportation District's $4.7 billion FasTracks expansion.

For months, planners have been whittling down nearly two dozen Gold Line alternatives.

When metro Denver voters approved the FasTracks tax increase in 2004, the expectation was that Gold Line trains would operate in the Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway Company freight corridors that run from Union Station to Golden.

Operating electric commuter trains on those tracks still is preferred by most residents in the Gold Line corridor, transit planner Don Ulrich told local government officials Tuesday. But the streetcar alternative must be preserved because RTD has yet to reach agreements with the freight railroads on the use of track, he added.

RTD officials say BNSF, in particular, has raised concerns about insurance liability if there is an accident while passenger trains are operating next to freight trains.

BNSF officials did not respond Tuesday to requests for an explanation of their concerns.

RTD's inability to reach agreement with BNSF helped push planners to consider running light-rail cars on neighborhood streets. But Ulrich said putting light-rail cars on West 38th Avenue and other streets would require taking up to 120 homes and 40 businesses. Light rail on neighborhood streets also would cost at least $100 million more than the freight-corridor or streetcar options.

A streetcar running on 38th, Harlan Street, Ralston Road and other local streets would cost about the same as electric commuter rail.

But ridership on the streetcar would be far less than commuter rail, and streetcar travel times would be far slower, Ulrich said.

The Gold Line is scheduled for completion in 2015.

Public meetings to consider the final streetcar and commuter-rail options will be Monday at the Highlands Masonic Center, 3550 Federal Blvd. in Denver, and Feb. 7 at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. in Arvada. Both meetings start at 18:00. - Jeffrey Leib, The Denver Post

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CITY TOLD TO ACT FAST ON LIGHT-RAIL

KANSAS CITY, MO -- Clay Chastain and his wife, an attorney, are threatening a court fight if the next mayor and council don't act promptly on the voters' desire for light rail.

In a news release Tuesday, Valerie Chastain responded to a recent presentation by the city attorney's office that identified legal problems with Clay Chastain's light-rail initiative.

"In the event, upon taking office, the new mayor and city council of Kansas City delay implementing the voter-approved light rail plan by attempting to either repeal it or amend it significantly and resubmit it to the voters, these actions will be met with a legal challenge," Valerie Chastain wrote.

In the past nine years, Clay Chastain has put several initiative petitions on Kansas City ballots, seeking to bring light rail to the city. Voters in November finally approved his proposal for a 25-year extension, beginning in 2009, of a 3/8-cent sales tax that now goes to the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority buses. The tax money would pay part of the costs for a 27-mile light-rail line from Swope Park to Kansas City International Airport.

The initiative also called for eliminating roadways, including Broadway, through Penn Valley Park, and for building a gondola tram to link Union Station and Liberty Memorial.

In a Jan. 18 presentation to the City Council, Bill Geary, assistant city attorney, cited several legal obstacles to the voter-approved initiative. On Tuesday, Valerie Chastain offered her rebuttal.

Geary had said the city charter requires that major parks-system changes go first to the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners before they go to voters, but the initiative did not do that.

Valerie Chastain responded that the parks system is for the enjoyment of the people, not the parks board. "Where, as here, the people have adopted a measure, courts disregard post-election, technical objections to the petition such as this one," she wrote.

Geary also said that, under the Missouri Constitution, an ordinance adopted by initiative must identify the funds required to pay for it, and Clay Chastain's sales-tax extension would pay only part of the light-rail system's cost.

Valerie Chastain responded that courts give great latitude to initiative petitions that are attacked on constitutional grounds. "A court would very likely uphold the light rail ordinance on the reasonable theory that additional federal, state and regional funds will be forthcoming," she wrote.

In response to Valerie Chastain's arguments, Geary said, "The city attorney's office provided its best advice to the City Council." He added that the city attorney's office is trying to respect the voters' desire for light rail and "trying to accomplish that in a methodical, well-thought-out, lawful manner." - Lynn Horsley, The Kansas City Star

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RAIL RUNNER DRAWING DANGEROUS PRANKSTERS

ALBUQUERQUE, NM -- Since the Rail Runner began its commuter service to the middle Rio Grande Valley, some people have apparently thought it was funny to place items on the tracks.

It's not, according to one Rail Runner official.

”This is serious business," says Lawrence Rael of the Middle Rio Grande Council of Governments. "Tracks are not areas where young people should play, particularly putting objects on the track."

Rael says the tracks have been a target for trouble, ranging from homeless people congregating nearby to kids putting items on the tracks such as wood, rocks or coins.

"When [the train] moves through that track, it will push those objects off the rail and they can become a projectile and somebody can get hurt," says Rael.

Rael says "the penalties are severe" for anyone convicted of tampering with the tracks or causing a problem with the communications system: up to 30 years in prison.

"We've got passengers' and people's lives at stake here," he says.

Rael notes that each morning, before the first commuter train leaves its first stop, a Rail Runner crew does a clean sweep down the entire line. - KOB-TV4, Albuquerque, NM

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