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Railroad Newsline for Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Compiled by Larry W. Grant

In Memory of Rob Carlson, 1952 – 2006

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RAIL NEWS

CITIZENS FOR RAIL SECURITY PROGRAM HAS MORE THAN 6,000 MEMBERS

Since its beginning in June 2006, more than 6,000 people across the country and abroad have registered to participate in BNSF Railway Company's Citizens for Rail Security program (CRS).

Several calls have come into the Resource Operations Call Center from CRS members who have reported trespassers or suspicious activities. For instance, last fall, one man reported that the handbrakes on a railcar were still on, causing smoke and sliding. With this report, officials were able to stop the train and prevent a possible derailment.

Another CRS member called one evening to report a male subject lying on the tracks with his head and feet across the rails. The subject was located and removed from the tracks.

"Every day across the country, rail fans photograph and watch trains as they pass through communities. It seems natural to harness their interest to help keep America's rail system safe," says Bill Heileman, BNSF general director, Police and Protection Solutions.

"In order not only to protect BNSF's property and interests, but also to keep the flow of goods and products through the country running smoothly, all citizens are asked to report anything suspicious, odd or out-of-place."

The CRS program is an outgrowth of another BNSF grassroots program, BNSF ON GUARD, which encourages employees to report suspicious activities, trespassers or individuals to BNSF's Resource Operations Call Center (ROCC).

Rail fans can register for the program by going to the Citizens United for Rail Security (CRS) Web site (http://newdomino.bnsf.com/website/crs.nsf/splash?open). CRS participants will receive an official identification card and a CRS Web site is being developed to give information and news to members.

To report suspicious activity, CRS members and the public can call the BNSF Resource Operations Call Center at 1-800-832-5452. The information will be taken by a BNSF special agent and routed for appropriate response. - BNSF Today

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BNSF WINS COMMUNITY AWARD FOR CHRISTMAS TRAIN

Although Christmas was more than a month ago, the BNSF Railway Company and employees are still being honored for giving children and family members a joyful ride during the holiday season.

The 26th annual Barstow Community Recognition Awards, organized by the Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitor's Bureau, honored numerous organizations, businesses and events that gave support and time to their community.

The BNSF Christmas Train won for Best Event of the Year. This year, the 17th annual Southern California Christmas Special carried sick and less-fortunate children from area hospitals and homes on rides that included visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus, Alvin and the Chipmunks, a magician, balloon artists, clowns and others.

BNSF employees from Barstow LMIT (Locomotive Maintenance and Inspection Terminal), and the California and Los Angeles divisions volunteered their time and talent, distributing toys and goodies and singing holiday songs to about 1,000 children on four trips Dec. 2-4.

Brandon Mabry, superintendent, Barstow LMIT, said in all the years of the event, the 2006 BNSF Christmas Train was the best. "We were able to take more children than ever before. All four trips went smoothly, everyone had a wonderful time," he said. "I thank all the volunteers who made the event such a terrific success and brought smiles to the faces of so many children."
Martha Rochelle, safety assistant, and Mabry accepted the award on BNSF's behalf at a special ceremony. - BNSF Today

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AMTRAK LAUNCHES 'HOW WAS YOUR TRIP?' SWEEPSTAKES

WASHINGTON - Amtrak has instituted a passenger survey program to gather near real-time passenger feedback from its customers in order to provide better service. Completed surveys automatically enter the participant in a sweepstakes to win $500 in free travel.

Effective Feb. 12, 2007, the Trip Ratings Program is being offered on Acela Express trains; all Regional trains; Keystone trains between New York City and Philadelphia; the Vermonter; and all long-distance trains [listed below]. Each survey entry must be completed within three days of arrival at the passenger's destination on each train traveled. Passengers traveling multiple-leg trips may complete a survey for each leg of the journey.

The surveys, which take about five minutes to complete, may be accessed online at www.amtraksurvey.com or by telephone, toll-free, at 1-866-950-TRIP. To take the survey, customers will need to have their ticket stub, reservation number and/or the train number and their date of departure.

Passengers completing the Amtrak Trip Ratings Program will automatically be entered in the survey sweepstakes that will award 10 winners $500 worth of Amtrak travel. According to sweepstakes regulations, no travel is required, nor is there any obligation to complete a survey to enter the sweepstakes.

Long-Distance Trains

· Auto Train

· California Zephyr

· Capitol Limited

· Cardinal

· City of New Orleans

· Coast Starlight

· Crescent

· Empire Builder

· Lake Shore Limited

· Palmetto

· Silver Meteor

· Silver Star

· Southwest Chief

· Sunset Limited

· Texas Eagle

- Amtrak News Release

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NEXT GENERATION SAYS WORKING FOR THE RAILROAD 'PRETTY COOL'

Growing up in Fort Worth, Texas Charlie Cunningham gave little thought to a future with the railroad. He, like many others, barely noticed it as a career opportunity. But near the end of his economics program at Texas A&M University, that changed when a friend, who had joined the BNSF Railway Company's Engineering Department, strongly recommended Cunningham give the railroad a closer look.

"I was looking at banking jobs," Cunningham says. "But the railroad stood out as something different. I had already worked for a bank when I was in college, so I thought it would be interesting to try something else."

Cunningham, a corporate management trainee (CMT) and now a Richmond, Calif., trainmaster, was drawn to the railroad by its emphasis on heritage and tradition - two things he learned to value as a fourth-generation graduate of Texas A&M.

"Talking to the people here (at Richmond) who are longtime railroaders, I can relate to the railroading tradition," Cunningham says.

His CMT program began in Fort Worth; then Cunningham left for Kansas City for nine weeks of training in operations, including an overview of switching cars.

"It was pretty cool learning the lingo," he says. "And it was great to accomplish something."

He then headed to three weeks' rules training, followed by a conductor's test, which Cunningham needed to pass with 90 percent. The final step was five more weeks of training in Fort Worth highlighted by an up-close look at the Network Operations Center, where most of the dispatching for the BNSF network is performed.

"People said it would be just like NASA Mission Control and it really was," Cunningham says.
Finally, he arrived in Richmond in November. After spending time with each of the local departments, he began training as a trainmaster.

According to Cunningham, the keys to his new job are patience and communication.

"You can't learn everything in one day, it takes time," he says. "I believe that by communicating, we can solve most of our problems."

He added that the computer emphasis of his college studies has paid dividends on the railroad, where technology becomes a more prevalent force every day. - BNSF Today

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CN RAIL STRIKE MAY HURT AUTO, METAL, WHEAT SALES

TORONTO, ON -- A strike now in its third day at Canadian National Railway Co., the country's biggest railroad, threatens to disrupt C$50 billion ($43 billion) in trade with the U.S. in cars and auto parts made by General Motors Corp. and others, transportation analysts said.

Canadian exports of metals, lumber and wheat may also be hurt by the walkout of 2,800 conductors and yard workers that began Feb. 10, after the Montreal-based railroad failed to reach a new contract with the United Transportation Union. No further talks have been scheduled.

Canadian railroads carry 40 percent of the nation's freight by volume and a fifth in terms of value, said Barry Prentice, professor of supply-chain management at the University of Manitoba's I.H. Asper School of Business. A 28-day strike in 2004 cost Canadian National C$24 million, or 8 cents a share.

``Trade in autos and parts across the border is more vulnerable because it operates on a just-in-time basis and requires closer management,'' Prentice said in an interview.

Managers filling in for the striking workers at North America's fifth-largest railroad by revenue may be unable to perform double duties for more than a few weeks, Daniel Ortwerth, an Edward Jones & Co. analyst in St. Louis, said in an interview.

``The managers are hired to manage,'' Ortwerth said Feb. 10. ``Conducting trains would have to impact their ability to get their jobs done.''

Shares of Canadian National fell 25 cents to C$52.85 at 10:15 on the Toronto Stock
Exchange. They had risen 3.7 percent in the year before today (Monday).

Grain Shipments

The strike may impede wheat and barley shipments, suffering from two months of weather-related delays that have left ships in Vancouver and Prince Rupert waiting for 350,000 metric tons of grain, said Maureen Fitzhenry, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Wheat Board, the world's biggest seller of wheat and barley.

``This couldn't come at a worse time because we were hoping the rails would get caught up in February,'' Fitzhenry said in an interview yesterday. Member suppliers are paying about C$150,000 a day in demurrage fees, she said.

Talks with the conductors and yard workers, whose three- year contract expired Dec. 31, broke off over demands for ``excessive wage increases'' of 4.5 percent in the first two years and 4 percent in the third year, Canadian National said in a statement yesterday. The union also is seeking a lump sum bonus of C$1,000 per year, the company said.

UTU-member employees earned an average of C$75,000 in 2006, Canadian National said.
Union spokesman Rex Beatty didn't immediately respond to a request for comment left at his office today.

Other Contracts

The United Transportation Union is the only labor group unable to settle on a new contract with Canadian National. About 4,000 workers represented by the Canadian Auto Workers union ratified a new contract with Canadian National last month.

The strikers defied a requirement for approval from the United Transportation Union's Cleveland headquarters, making them ineligible for strike benefits.

``The rest have settled, and the fact that they're not getting strike pay makes one wonder how committed they are to staying out of work,'' Prentice said.

Exports

Canada exported C$35 billion worth of autos and parts by rail to the U.S. and imported C$13 billion in such products by rail in 2005, the last full year for which figures are available, according to data compiled by Transport Canada.

In 2005, Canada's railroads carried C$18 billion worth of lumber and forestry products, the second-largest export category after cars and auto parts.

An extended strike might further dampen the forecast for exports. The value of exports of goods and services from the world's eighth-largest economy will shrink by 1 percent this year, from growth of 2 percent in 2006, because of a slowing global economy and declining commodity prices, Export Development Canada, the country's export-finance arm, said Jan. 17. - Rob Delaney, Bloomberg.com

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EXPLOSIVE RAIL CARS REMAIN BY PRESCHOOL

Photo here:

[origin.insidebayarea.com]

RODEO, CA -- Ron Green didn't know, exactly, what was inside the line of massive black rail tank cars a block from his house, but after decades of working at the Chevron Refinery in Richmond, California, he knew it was probably something dangerous, like flammable ethanol.

What troubled Green wasn't so much that the cars were near his house or the apartments next door in this small bayside community 12 miles north of Richmond.

Rather, he worried that the cars posed a threat to the preschool just across the street from the dozen or so tankers.

"It's OK if they blow me up, but let's not blow up the little kids," Green said.

"I went over and told them about that a few years ago," he remembered. "I said, 'You've got all these alcohol cars right there,' and they called the refinery, and in a day or so they were gone."

That was that until several months ago, when the tank cars reappeared. Green fretted about it until late January, when he read a MediaNews story about hazardous tank cars' potential as terror targets.

He called the author of the story and set in motion an inquiry by a county agency, the local Conoco Phillips refineryand interest among advocates of tightening safety and security for the nation's hazardous rail shipments.

"We've got tank cars next to a day care center, and there's got to be a law against it," Green lamented. "I've complained to everybody, but nobody will listen to me."

But what he discovered is that if there isn't a law now, there very well may be one soon, if the politically shifted congress and federal railroad and security agencies follow through with a recent push to rein in tank car security.

Green also discovered that the markings on warning placards on the cars indicated that they weren't carrying ethanol, but highly explosive liquefied petroleum gas.

Federal regulations proposed in December by the Federal Railroad Administration and the Transportation Security Administration would limit the amount of time highly hazardous materials like LPG or deadly chlorine and ammonia can be stored on railroad siding tracks in populated urban areas.

At the Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department, which operates the Bayo Vista Head Start preschool in question, staffers began working on the problem right after a MediaNews reporter and photographer showed up inquiring about Green's complaint.

"We were aware that those tankers moved back," said department spokeswoman Lynn Yaney. The department contacted the refinery and were told "the tanks located on the railroad do not belong to the refinery."

Local Conoco Phillips spokesman Mark Hughes said he hasn't been around long enough to remember past dealings with the community or Head Start, but such interaction would be "a great idea."

"When it comes to off-site storage of tank cars," however, "it's really not something that we have control over. It's the railroad that controls where they store their cars."

In light of community concern about the tankers, Hughes added, "it strikes me as an issue that I need to bring to the attention of the railroad to see what, if anything, they can do to address our neighbors' concern."

Union Pacific, which operates the rail line and siding track that runs between San Francisco Bay and Rodeo, only stores the cars at that location when Conoco Phillips has no place to keep them, Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said.

"The tracks next to that school are support tracks for that facility," Davis said. "If our customer, for whatever reason, is not able to accept rail cars, then that's where those cars go."

Davis said when the community raised concerns about the cars several years ago, "we brought in the Federal Railroad Administration and had them look over the operation. They took no exceptions to the way the rail cars were positioned."

That kind of federal oversight is just what activists on the issue of hazardous rail transport have been trying to change, said Fred Millar, who works with environmental group Friends of the Earth on the hazardous tanker issue.

"This is outrageous behavior, but it's not unusual," said Millar, who has rallied cities across the nation -- most notably a test case in Washington, D.C. -- to draft their own regulations in defiance of near-absolute federal authority over railroads. "If you were to do a consequence scenario of what would happen in Rodeo, just one LPG tank car could explode, and it would put a giant fireball over your city, and it would radiate heat," as when a 1977 Tennessee derailment that killed 16 people catapulted a section of tank car more than 300 feet and set fire to nearby buildings.

County officials are optimistic that the problem can be resolved.

Yaney said Head Start staff assured her "Conoco has been very responsive to us, and they don't see any problem getting things moved." Someone from the department should be contacting the oil firm's representatives this week. - Erik N. Nelson, The Oakland Tribune

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TEHACHAPI COUNCIL ACCEPTS BID TO RE-ROOF HISTORIC DEPOT

TEHACHAPI, CA -- On Feb. 5, the city council agreed to accept the only bid submitted for the re-roofing of the historic train depot, located at the intersection of Tehachapi Boulevard and Green Street. The $41,250 contract was awarded to BSW Roofing, of Bakersfield, nearly a year after the council first approved a $50,000 budget for the roof to kick off the depot's long-awaited restoration project.

"In the next 30 days the public should see activity," said Assistant City Manager Greg Garrett. "It should be done by late spring. This is not like roofing a shed in your back yard."

Newly elected councilman Stan Beckham inquired if the authentic wood shingle roof was a necessary expense and if a metal roof might not be more cost effective.

Community Development Director David James reminded Beckham that the city has a responsibility to restore the building as authentically as possible, as the 103 year old depot was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1999.

The city will attempt to move forward with the restoration of another of Tehachapi's historic buildings as the council voted to allow city staff to begin a re-design and engineering study of the historic Beekay Theater.

Garrett also appealed to the council for guidance and design suggestions, to which the council advised that input should be gathered from the community design Charrette studio, scheduled to begin Feb. 13. Garrett said his staff will provide enlarged photos of the building's interior for viewing during the Charrette process.

An indoor atrium, complete with meandering pathway, foliage, benches, fountains and other park-like amenities is being considered in an effort to reduce ever-rising construction costs, Garrett explained.

"The Beekay Atrium is strategically placed to provide an idyllic setting for public gatherings, musical performances or simply a relaxing atmosphere for local workers during the week. This type of facility would blend gracefully and beautifully into the vision of downtown Tehachapi and encourages visitors and residents to support the downtown area," Garrett's background report states.

Bids for the renovation of the Beekay Theater for use as a public facility were opened one year ago, with only one bid in the amount of $970,500 being submitted. According to Garrett, the building's unique construction, consisting of steel railroad rails and concrete, make demolition of the 1940s-era building cost prohibitive.

"Aside from the historical value, the cost to demolish the building was just astronomical," Mayor Pro-Tem Deborah Hand said.

Hand also expressed concern for the open-air style suggested by Garrett, who responded that triangle-shaped canvas awnings could be utilized to provide cover from the elements and Tehachapi's famous four seasons. Security issues were also expressed by council and audience members. - Carin Enovijas, The Tehachapi News

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RAILAMERICA-FORTRESS DEAL READY TO CLOSE

BOCA RATON, FL -- Short line railroad operator RailAmerica Inc. said Monday its shareholders approved the company's purchase by hedge fund manager Fortress Investment Group LLC for about $639.3 million, or $16.35 per share.

Including debt, the purchase prices rises to $1.1 billion and represents a 32 percent premium over the closing price for RailAmerica's stock of $12.38 on the New York Stock Exchange on Nov. 14, the last day of trading before the takeover was first announced.

The company said 74 percent of the 29 million shares voted were in favor of the takeover.
The transaction is expected to close Wednesday. - The Associated Press, The Houston Chronicle

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BOTTLE OPENERS TAKE HEADS OFF TO SHOW HOW TRAINS DO IT

Photo here: [www.adrants.com]

According to CSX Transportation it's common for co-eds to wander drunkenly onto traintracks in dead of night and die grisly railroad deaths that often involve bright lights, loud noises, metal on flesh and decapitation.

To get the word out to college students, agency Exit10 of Baltimore distributed wallet-sized bottle openers that portray a man being decapitated when used. We thought this was a silly idea until we actually saw the bottle opener. Now we just feel very uncomfortable. "This is what a train can do to your body," reads the sober black text against the metal finish. - Angela Natividad, AdRants.com

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CONTAINER TRAFFIC NEARS ANNUAL LOW POINT

February typically is the slowest month in terms of traffic at major U.S. container ports, but activity should grow this month compared to February 2005, according to the monthly Port Tracker report released last week.

Port Tracker, produced by the economic research, forecasting and analysis firm Global Insight for the National Retail Federation, examines inbound container volume, the availability of trucks and railroad cars to move cargo out of the ports, labor conditions and other factors that affect cargo movement and congestion.

"The slow season will be at its slowest in February," Global Insight Economist Paul Bingham said. "Container volumes are expected to be down below already-slow January traffic levels but U.S. ports are operating congestion-free, while truck and rail performance is more than adequate for the slow-season volume. Even though it's the slow season, we're still seeing increases compared with a year ago. Traffic isn't likely to grow as quickly as it did last year, but each month is still expected to set new records for that month."

All U.S. ports covered by Port Tracker - Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Tacoma and Seattle on the West Coast, and New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston and Savannah on the East Coast - are currently rated "low" for congestion, the same as last month.

Nationwide, the ports surveyed handled 1.26 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) of container traffic in December, the most recent month for which actual numbers are available. The figure was down 6.7 percent from November but up 5 percent from December 2005.

Volume is expected to follow its usual pattern of declining over the winter months, although numbers will continue to show growth above one year ago. January is forecast at 1.24 million TEUs (up 2.3 percent from January 2006), and February (historically the slowest month of the year) at 1.17 million TEUs (up 9.8 percent). Volume will begin to move upward again in March, forecast at 1.28 million TEUs (up 3.1 percent). April is forecast at 1.37 million TEUs (up 3.4 percent), May at 1.39 million TEUs (up 6.1 percent), and June at 1.43 million TEUs (up 5.7 percent from June 2006). - Home Furnishings Business

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ETHANOL PLANT MOVES AHEAD

SIKESTON, MO -- Sikeston, Missouri's proposed ethanol plant has received the green light to begin raising capital.

David Herbst, chairman of Bootheel Agri-Energy LLC, confirmed Friday that the company's registration statement has been declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and its public offering is now under way.

"We received the written prospectuses Tuesday," Herbst said. "We are excited about this next phase in the process."

A kick-off event to launch the ethanol plant's equity drive is scheduled for 08:00 to 17:00 Feb. 20 at the Clinton Community Building.

According to the prospectus document, BAE is seeking to raise between $60 million and $110 million. The minimum investment that will be accepted from an investor is $20,000.

With an estimated cost of approximately $190 million, this ethanol plant will be "one of the largest industrial projects to ever come to Scott County and probably Southeast Missouri," said Ed Dust, director of Sikeston's Department of Economic Development.

The plant is expected to produce 100 million gallons of ethanol per year when operational.

Being located at the Sikeston Business, Education and Technology Park gives this project several advantages over other ethanol plants, Dust said, such as modestly-priced electricity, Enhanced Enterprise Zone tax credits and a 750,000 gallon water tower which will enhance fire protection.

The site's eastern boundary is three-quarters of a mile of the BNSF Railway Company railroad tracks and Union Pacific tracks are only a mile to the south. The site also has multiple entrances for truck traffic and is within 10 miles of two interstates and within 28 miles of two Mississippi River ports.

The plant will also enjoy an advantage in purchasing corn as its central location means lower hauling costs for farmers, Dust noted.

"The greatest advantage of this is that we're able to take a farm product in Southeast Missouri and add value to it before we ship it out," he said. Dust said it is his understanding that initial site preparation and excavation for the ethanol plant may begin in March or April. For plant engineering work, BAE has signed a letter of intent with Delta-T Corp.

"Bootheel Agri-Energy have accomplished a lot over the past year and a half," he said. "There has been so much work already done such as site selection, preliminary engineering, contractual agreements and soil borings." Dust said he is excited about the plant and its anticipated "ripple effect of adding wealth back into this community."

"We've come a long way in this process," Herbst said. "We look forward to completing the offering and continuing the progress of the plant." - Scott Welton, The Sikeston Standard-Democrat

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THE SAD TRUTH ABOUT DOVER BRIDGE

BONNER COUNTY, ID -- Ask somebody who knows a thing or two about the Dover Bridge what it will take to get it replaced. If they're being up front, the answers usually go something like this:

"Somebody dying."

"A collapse."

The answers usually come packaged with a certain amount of jest, but there is an unmistakable shade of grim truth in the responses. The U.S. Highway 2 bridge is literally being rattled and bashed to pieces and there is no money in sight to fix it.

Those who have lobbied strenuously to have the bridge replaced suspect money will miraculously materialize only after there is a catastrophic failure, one that severs a national highway, causes a train wreck on the railroad tracks below or kills somebody.

The replacement project was as done as projects get. Then came news that the Idaho Transportation Department had to reassess its priorities in light of escalating construction costs and a $20 billion backlog in transportation projects.

The Dover Bridge, not to mention other overdue highway projects in Bonner County, suddenly fell off the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan and landed in "Horizons," a long-range capital improvement program.

The reclassification effectively puts a new Dover Bridge in a holding pattern for six to 10 years. The bridge was built in 1937 and has a sufficiency rating of 2, a breathtakingly low rating given the scale goes to 100.

Even the name "Horizons" has a bad ring to it. The ground under your feet may change as you walk toward a horizon, but you'll never reach it. It's always way off in the distance.

The Idaho Transportation Board needs to act by taking Dover Bridge off the shelf and putting it back on the STIP by any means necessary. Sacrificing a gridlock mitigation project in the south would save lives in the north.

Ask somebody who knows a thing or two about the history of District 1 highway projects. The answer usually goes something like this:

"It's our turn." - Editorial Opinion, The Bonner County Daily Bee

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STOLEN CAR STOPPED BY TRAIN

SAN ANTONIO, TX -- A train smashed into a car that a man allegedly stole from a West Side restaurant Sunday afternoon.

The train collided with the car near the intersection of Merida Street and Zarzamora Street.
Police said the man stole the car from a restaurant when he found the owners left the keys inside.

Witnesses said he then made a daring getaway and he would have managed to escape had it not been for the passing train, a witness said.

"He was coming that way then went this way and hit the red truck, flipped it over and it fell back on its side," a witness said. "He then tried to run away. He tried to run through the train as it was coming, then the train hit him, and he went to the other side."

A witness said the man intentionally went around traffic and around railroad crossbars and hit the middle of the train as it was moving through the crossing.

Police said the man was not seriously injured.

The man is expected to face several charges, including theft of a vehicle.

Related video here: [www.ksat.com]

- KSAT-TV12, San Antonio, TX

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OFF THE TRACKS

Photo here: [www.yankton.net]

Caption reads: Several cars of a BNSF grain train left the track between Meckling and Gayville along Highway 50 late Sunday afternoon. Four of the cars turned over, spilling out corn into the ditch area. (Kelly Hertz/The Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan)

MECKLING, SD -- Several cars of a freight trail derailed Sunday afternoon along the railroad line between Meckling and Gayville. No injuries were reported in the incident.

According to a release from the Clay County Sheriff's Office, seven cars of the westbound BNSF Railway Company grain train left the track, with four of them turning on their sides and spilling corn. The cars were located at the end of the train.

The time of the incident was not specified in the press release, by some eyewitnesses reported that it occurred late Sunday afternoon.

According to train personnel, the tracks in the area, located about two miles northwest of Meckling, caused the cars to sway and, consequently, leave the tracks. \

The conductor of the train stated that Burlington Northern would be notified to take care of the situation.

No foul play is suspected in the incident, the sheriff's office noted.

A trooper from the South Dakota Highway Patrol was also on the scene.

Train personnel said the clean-up of the area could take up to a week. - The Yankton Press & Dakotan

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TRANSIT NEWS

ALL ABOARD FOR CENTENNIAL

PHOENIX, AZ -- The potential names evoke another time, a golden era of train travel: the Phoenix Express, the Tucson Limited and the Desertlander. Or perhaps the Sun Valley Flyer or Roadrunner Express.

The possibilities of a passenger train cruising between Phoenix and Tucson, or commuter rail systems linking the Valley, have long intrigued rail buffs and others, especially as our roads grow more congested.

Over the years, various governors have mused about establishing passenger or commuter rail lines, but the ideas invariably have been set aside as costly or impractical.

Now, Gov. Janet Napolitano is intent on exploring the potential of rail and putting some projects on track. It's a bold move, fraught with considerable challenges - from obtaining the right-of-way for passenger trains to operate to convincing a highly skeptical Legislature to back rail travel.

Napolitano has asked the Arizona Department of Transportation to lay out several options, including a passenger rail line to connect Phoenix and Tucson by Feb. 14, 2012, the state's 100th birthday.
Expanded commuter line would benefit Valley

Besides the Phoenix-Tucson line, it's not far-fetched to envision a commuter rail system running from the West Valley communities of Buckeye and Goodyear, through Phoenix, and on into Mesa in the Southeast Valley.

Nor is a line heading northwesterly, through Peoria, Surprise and up to Williams out of the question.

The one common denominator of all these potential routes is that existing track is now used by freight trains.

Some of these freight routes would also make logical connections to the Valley's future light-rail system. That 20-mile system is scheduled to open in December 2008. It will initially connect Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. And there's funding available to extend the system in the $15.8 billion transportation plan approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004.

Among those who believe the state has a major financial role to play in rail is Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, who cites such issues as location of the rail routes and the huge costs.

A state study ordered in 1997 by Gov. Fife Symington examined the cost of building a rail system between Phoenix and Tucson. It estimated that an electric train would cost $3.8 billion, and that such a train could travel the route in an hour. That would have shaved 42 minutes off the trip by car.

That same study also looked at conventional diesel engines, a far cheaper alternative at $379 million.

But as with other commuter-rail discussions, the study died a quiet death when Gov. Jane Hull showed no interest in pursuing commuter rail in 1998.

Line's potential carries with it a big challenge

Is now the right time?

Jim Cavanaugh, the mayor of Goodyear and head of the Maricopa Association of Governments regional council, comprised of the Valley's mayors, believes the subject warrants serious discussion.

"It has so much potential," he says. "It's certainly something I'd like to move on but it's going to be challenging."

Supporters take heart from a three-week experiment of the "Hattie B," a passenger train that ran on freight rails and provided an invaluable link between Phoenix and the Southeast Valley when heavy flooding in 1980 took out all but the Central Avenue and Mill Avenue bridges over the Salt River.

Frustration over congestion obviously has been one catalyst for seeking alternatives to the car. So, too, are population projections. Arizona's population of 6 million is projected to more than double by 2040.

The ADOT team will not only look at potential options for commuter rail and links to other forms of transit, but it will also examine costs and recommend funding sources, public and private.

Critical to this undertaking is cooperation from the two major railroads that move freight through Arizona - Union Pacific and the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe. Historically, they have been cool to suggestions of sharing their track or creating new lines within their rights of way, saying they already are operating at capacity and fear the possibility of problems in delivering freight.

That attitude must change if rail is to have a chance to move forward.

Opportunities to move forward on rail have been lost in the past.

If the ADOT study shows commuter rail is feasible and cost-effective, the time for Arizona to clamber aboard will have finally arrived. - Editorial Opinion, The Arizona Republic, courtesy Marc Pearsall

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WOMAN DIES IN NEW ORLEANS STREETCAR CRASH

NEW ORLEANS, LA -- One woman was killed and three people -- including two children -- were injured Sunday night when their car plowed into the back of a streetcar in Mid-City, authorities said.

The accident occurred shortly before 20:30, outside a shopping plaza on North Carrollton Avenue near St. Louis Street, New Orleans Police Officer Sabrina Richardson said.

The driver, a 29-year-old man, was critically injured and the front-seat passenger, a woman, 28, died in the collision, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene. A child, about 6 years old, and an infant sustained injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, police said.

The streetcar, No. 968, had dropped off the last of its passengers when the car hit it.
"For unknown reasons, the driver of the Saturn drove into the rear of the stationary streetcar," Richardson said.

Emergency personnel had to rescue at least one person from the car, authorities said.
The infant was in a car seat and the other child was in a restraint, police said. It was unclear at the scene whether the two adults were restrained.

A witness to the accident who came to the aid of the group said the woman was not wearing a seat belt.

Authorities did not release the identity of the victim Sunday night and declined to comment on whether they were a family. The woman was from Metairie, and the driver's last known address was in St. Bernard Parish, police said.

The sedan, a black 1993 Saturn Twin Cam, apparently hit the streetcar at an angle. The front driver's side of the vehicle was crushed and partially pinned under the streetcar. The 44-year-old driver of the streetcar was uninjured, and streetcar did not appear to sustain serious damage. - Brendan McCarthy, The New Orleans Times-Picayune

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GAP ISSUE BECOMES NATIONAL DISCUSSION

NEW YORK, NY -- Long Island and Metro-North railroad officials this week will join representatives from railroads across the country to discuss the problem of platform gaps at a meeting in Cambridge, MA - the first to study the issue on a national scale.

Tomorrow and Wednesday, in the first meeting of a Federal Railroad Administration's General Passenger Safety Task Force, railroad officials and industry experts will gather information on railroads' internal gap standards and may consider recommending a national standard for platform gap widths.

The gap issue advanced to the top of the task force's agenda after the August death of Natalie Smead, who fell through a gap at the LIRR's Woodside station and crawled in front of an oncoming train.

As a result of her death, the task force now plans to publish a study titled, "High-Level Platform Gaps," referring to platforms that are level with train doors. The report could propose new federal regulations.

Currently, there are no federal gap standards, although there is a 3-inch maximum gap restriction in the Americans with Disabilities Act that federal transportation officials admit is impossible for most commuter rails to meet.

The task force, part of the Federal Railroad Administration's Passenger Safety Working Group, will study the gap issue for several months.

An unrelated federal probe into Smead's death is expected to conclude sometime this year.

This week's meeting will include a 90-minute presentation by LIRR chief engineer Brian Finn, and shorter presentations by officials from Metro-North, New Jersey Transit, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, the Association of American Railroads and Amtrak.

Gap standards across the country vary, depending on system design, train width and platform curvature.

Amtrak has a standard gap of 7 inches and a maximum of 13 inches on curved platforms, according to Amtrak and federal transportation officials.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or SEPTA, has gaps between 7 and 12 inches, according to SEPTA. Chicago's Metra, with wider trains, has a standard gap of 4 inches, Metra officials said.

Rapid transit and light rail systems have smaller gaps: San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit, for example, has a 2-1/2 inch standard gap, BART officials said. - Jennifer Maloney, Newsday

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