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Railroad Newsline for Tuesday, 12/19/06
Author: Larry W. Grant
Date: 12-19-2006 - 00:08
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[b]Railroad Newsline for Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Compiled by Larry W. Grant
In Memory of Rob Carlson, 1952 – 2006
RAIL NEWS
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES IN COON RAPIDS TRAIN DERAILMENT
COON RAPIDS, MN -- Authorities are still investigating why a train derailed in Coon Rapids on Sunday morning, spilling several containers near homes.
The derailment stopped traffic on the BNSF Railway Company's main line between Seattle and Chicago. No one was injured.
Steve Forsberg, a BNSF spokesman, said the investigation was focusing on a possible broken angle bar, which holds the rail onto the track.
He also said the railroad opened one track by 07:00 Monday and hoped to have the other open between 10:00 and 12:00.
The train was carrying merchandise sold in department stores. No hazardous material was aboard the train. - Nancy Yang, The St. Paul Pioneer Press
SANTA CHUGS INTO TOWN ABOARD A BEAUT
VANCOUVER, WA -- Santa seemed to have every eye and every camera lens trained on him as he rolled into Vancouver aboard a steam-powered train Saturday. Yet some stayed to ogle the hissing, dripping monster long after Santa took up his post inside a nearby tent.
A photo by Dave Olson of The Columbian is here:
[www.columbian.com]
You can't knock a jolly elf who grants wishes. But a functioning steam locomotive isn't something you see every day.
Camera tripods lined the tracks mere feet from the SP&S 700 locomotive that served the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway from 1938 until 1956. The restored locomotive now belongs to the city of Portland and spends its partial retirement there, in the Brooklyn Rail Yard.
Santa's visit gave Dave Nagel of Vancouver the perfect cover to see the locomotive's wheel components up close. "I rode it twice, but I never got a chance to photograph it," he said, fishing for a macro lens.
Each part of the train -- the locomotive, the tender, the passenger car and even the caboose -- attracted a line. Technology has rendered old cabooses obsolete, said John Frazee, a crew member for the 700.
"It's a bit of an anachronism to have a caboose like this," Frazee said.
A modern 4,400-horsepower diesel locomotive joined the steam train on Saturday's visit, garnering some attention but not nearly the level of emotion the steam train stirred.
The 700 has brought entire families to tears, said James Vanderbeck, president of the train's booster group, the Pacific Railroad Preservation Association.
"It makes people think of their lives, the past and all that," Vanderbeck said.
To James Abney, one of two engineers on the 700, it's a family matter: His father, Gilbert, ran the train in its regular service in 1952 and 1953. Now retired after 40 years with Amtrak, James Abney said he still prefers running a steam train.
"It's easier to run than diesel because there are no computers on it," he said of the 700.
Not to be upstaged by his own sleigh, Santa commanded the attention of children and doting parents in the heated tent.
Two-year-old Josiah Angelo of La Center didn't bother answering the classic Santarian opener, "What do you want for Christmas?"
"I don't think he even realized there was a question being asked," Josiah's mother, Sara, said as he clutched a stocking filled with candy. "He was way too into the candy that was being placed on his lap."
About 1,100 people showed up for the Santa train, said BNSF Railway spokesman Gus Melonas, with some coming from as far as Montana and British Columbia. It was the third "Santa Special" train and Santa's second ride on the 700.
For the Brannon family of Portland, Santa and his train brought plenty of giddiness to go around. Three-year-old Ayden dreamed of a wish list soon filled, while Marcus, 13, looked up with equal amazement at a huge locomotive wheel.
"I've just always wanted to see how they work" Marcus said of his interest in trains.
To others, like Sara Angelo, it's all part of Santa's magic.
"It was awesome to see the steam in the distance and the lights and the arm waving," she said. "It was worth the lines and the wait." - Justin Carinci, The Columbian
DERAILMENT CLEANUP COULD TAKE WEEKS
FALLS COUNTY, TX -- Crews were working again Sunday to clean up the mess after more than 30 cars of a Union Pacific freight train derailed Saturday in rural Falls County.
Thirty-one of the train's 33 cars left the tracks Friday night between Marlin and Reagan.
The cars were carrying powdered cement.
Video here:
[ww2.kwtx.com] Freight Cars Derail In Central Texas&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=71433&LaunchPageAdTag=News&fvCatNo=&backgroundImageURL=&activePane=info&playerVersion=1&hostPageUrl=http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/4939937.html&rnd=49065173
Railroad crews expected to have the least damaged cars back on the track late Saturday night, but the other cars will have to be scrapped and then removed from the site.
Tons of cement will also have to be cleaned up.
The cause of the derailment is under investigation. - KWTX-TV10, Waco/Temple/Killeen, TX
AMTRAK PRESIDENT REORGANIZES MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, DC -- Amtrak's new president on Monday announced broad changes to the company's senior management and said his new team would be better able to reform the much-criticized passenger railroad.
Alexander Kummant, who took over at Amtrak in September, announced the departure of four top officials, including the chief financial officer, and the transfer of a fifth to a temporary position. As part of the broad reorganization, three more departments will report directly to him, Kummant said.
"Ridership and revenue continue to grow, and we've made a lot progress in the past few years _ from rebuilding the railroad to paying down the debt _ but we still face tremendous challenges ahead," Kummant said in a message to employees outlining the changes.
"One of my chief responsibilities as president of the company is to build the team that can tackle the challenges, and I believe these changes will accomplish that," he said.
Amtrak is deep in debt and heavily dependent on government subsidies. Its operating loss for 2005 topped $550 million.
Among the changes announced Monday:
- Eleanor Acheson, a former assistant attorney general in the Clinton administration, will take over the company's law department. She replaces Alicia Serfaty, who will serve as counsel to Kummant during the transition period. The change comes less than two months after the Transportation Department's inspector general found that Amtrak cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in unnecessary legal expenses by failing to properly manage work done by outside law firms.
- Chief Financial Officer David Smith is temporarily replaced by Dale Stein, previously Amtrak's treasurer, until a permanent CFO is named.
- Management consultant Roy Johansen has been named vice president of planning and analysis. Paul Nissenbaum, who previously occupied the post, will work with him over the next several months before taking on a new executive role, Kummant said.
- James McDonnell will serve as chief risk officer, replacing Al Broadbent.
- The heads of marketing and communications departments have been fired and their offices incorporated into other departments.
- Sarah Karush, The Associated Press, The Houston Chronicle
KCS ISSUES “STATE OF THE RAILROAD” MESSAGE
From the Desk of Michael R. Haverty, KCS Chairman & Chief Executive Officer:
This year, has been one of transformation for Kansas City Southern (KCS) and its subsidiaries, The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCSR) and Kansas City Southern de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (KCSM). True to KCS' unique legacy of tenacity, creativity, ambition, entrepreneurial spirit and can-do attitude, a year that began with significant challenges will conclude with important accomplishments and new developments. This transformation is a credit to the hard work and dedication of our employees, and a benefit to our shareholders. Some of the most important accomplishments are as follows:
· The KCS management team was strengthened in 2006 from the promotion of Art Shoener to president and chief operating officer of the holding company to the addition of new players, such as president and executive representative of KCSM, Jose Zozaya, executive vice president and chief financial officer Pat Ottensmeyer, executive vice president sales and marketing Dan Avramovich, vice president sales and marketing intermodal and international business unit Ted Prince, vice president financial planning and administration Susan Wollenberg, vice president financial reporting and tax Michael Borrows, controller Julio Quintero and associate general counsel David Reeves.
· The KCS leadership team and many others developed a detailed, fully-integrated five-year plan for the company. This plan, presented to our board of directors in November, clearly communicates the value of our company and provides management with a blueprint for realizing that value over the next five years.
· KCSM successfully transitioned to the Management Control System (MCS) in a well-planned, well-executed effort that was virtually seamless to our customers. Now, both the U.S. and Mexican operations are on a common operating platform. This provides customers a single point of contact with both companies for placing waybill orders, tracking their shipments and several other inquiries. It also provides management with more accurate and timely information, which allows us to provide more consistent and reliable service to customers.
· KCS and NS closed on a Joint Venture to increase capacity and improve service on the Meridian Speedway from Meridian, MS to Shreveport, LA, an important connection for traffic moving between the southeast and southwest U.S. From turning on Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) between Vicksburg and Jackson, MS to the implementation of 80,000 ties, bridge upgrades, grading for sidings and double track, the upgrade of the Speedway is off to a great start.
· KCSM refinanced $175 million of debt, reducing our interest cost from 10.25 percent to 7.625 percent, and extending maturity by seven years. The successful execution of this transaction is a clear indication that our company is viewed very positively in the capital markets. For a non-investment grade company like KCSM to sell bonds at this level is very positive.
· KCS implemented the Revenue Management System (RMS) in the U.S., a tool designed to improve accuracy and efficiency and streamline the processes of price publication, rating, and freight billing, thereby reducing the time to cash and cost of ownership. Implementation of RMS in Mexico is planned for early 2007.
I am proud of our teams in the U.S. and Mexico for these important accomplishments and many more that are helping to move our company forward and to achieve our vision of being a strong, independent, transportation company that consistently delivers exceptional service to our customers, challenging careers to our employees and increasing value to our shareholders.
We look forward to continued success in 2007 and thank all of you in the U.S. and Mexico for your support in 2006. Happy holidays to you and your families!
From the Desk of Arthur L. Shoener, KCS President & Chief Operating Officer:
Four key themes helped drive the transformation we have seen in 2006 - integration, cross-functional teamwork, new technology and the quality principle of continuous process improvement.
For KCS, safety is first among priorities, and nowhere is cross-functional teamwork more visible than in the improvements in KCSR's safety metrics. Departments on both sides of the border are working together to foster a more safety conscious culture through communication, education and teamwork. The most significant safety metrics improvements represented below are for KCSR from November 2006 over November 2005.
SAFETY
KCSR decreased Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reportable injuries by 33 percent and the injury frequency ratio by 40 percent, putting us on track to win a Gold Harriman Award in Group B. This outstanding safety performance is credited to our dedicated employees, who are focused on working safely everyday, looking out for themselves and for one another. Other contributors to this performance are Safety Tuesdays, which promote awareness and bridge communication gaps, and the coordination of local, divisional and steering safety committees, which are focused on process improvement and resolving safety concerns.
KCSR's lost work days were reduced 24 percent through the efforts of the medical management department and field supervisors. Injured employees are returning to work more quickly and being placed into new positions when they are physically unable to return to their previous position.
KCSR's overall train accidents were reduced 25 percent and FRA reportable train accidents were reduced 40 percent. In addition to improving safety, this metric represents a $7 million decrease in financial expenditures for train accidents. The improvement is credited to conscientious employees and prevention activities, such as track, car and maintenance inspections, education and root cause analysis.
Overall grade crossing collisions were reduced by three percent. While this is a slight decrease in grade crossing collisions, aggressive corridor projects are underway with the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri and Texas to target grade crossing upgrades and closures, reducing opportunities for collisions. The Operation Lifesaver program is also being refined to target high risk areas and provide greater oversight and accountability.
CUSTOMER FOCUS
Sales & Marketing
Our four themes of integration, teamwork, new technology and process improvement are prevalent in the sales and marketing departments 2006 accomplishments. Under the leadership of the new executive vice president sales and marketing Dan Avramovich, the sales and marketing departments on both sides of the border were integrated in 2006. With an objective of providing more efficient and reliable service to our customers, while increasing profitability, the team collaborates between companies and business units, enhancing communication and sharing best practices.
The sales and marketing team collaborated with the information technology department on systems such as MCS, RMS and Eyeris. MCS, which was implemented in the U.S. in 2002 and in Mexico in 2006, is making it easier for customers to place their waybills online and track their shipments across both railroads. RMS, which was implemented in the U.S. in 2006 and will be implemented in Mexico in 2007, is providing more accurate and efficient price quotes in advance of service and billing once service is rendered. Eyeris, which was implemented in the U.S. in 2006 and will be implemented in Mexico in 2007, is helping KCS allocate equipment more efficiently, which results in maximizing total contribution.
The sales and marketing team collaborated with the transportation department to introduce two, new, dedicated, intermodal services to the market. In partnership with Schneider National and CSXI, KCSR is serving lower Ohio Valley shippers between East St. Louis, IL and Kansas City, MO. KCSM and KCSR are also providing dedicated intermodal service between Lazaro Cardenas to Meridian, MS with continuing service to Atlanta, GA. Volumes are growing in both of these lanes, and are expected to increase with the opening of Hutchison Port Terminals new facility in Lazaro Cardenas in 2007.
Further, the sales and marketing team has identified another $270 million in new business development opportunities, and are working with multiple departments in the planning and development of new facilities to serve our customers.
Operations
In 2006, the KCSR and KCSM operating departments were realigned for consistency on both sides of the border. In Mexico, the transportation and mechanical departments report to senior director Manuel Zulaica. In the U.S., the transportation and mechanical departments report to senior vice president operations Mike Chapman. (Director is the Spanish translation for vice president.) The engineering departments on both sides of the border report to senior vice president international engineering Jerry Heavin.
A key initiative for the operating departments in the U.S. and Mexico this year was the organization of cross-functional velocity committees, one for each of three divisions in the U.S. and one for Mexico. The sole purpose of these committees is to identify and implement changes to improve system velocity. Changes to date have included, but are not limited to, the removal of unauthorized grade crossings in Mexico; the removal of excess car inventory in Mexico; the removal of yard limits and interlockers at strategic locations; the identification of capital investment needs focused on velocity; the increase of track speed at strategic locations; the reorganization of crew and seniority districts; the addition of utility carmen in Shreveport and Jackson; and the refinement of work window communication and temporary slow order processes. As a result, velocity continues to improve system wide.
With all the capital projects needed to expand capacity, the international engineering department was reorganized for consistency on both sides of the border and to adopt a lean manufacturing approach, ensuring efficient planning, execution and control of new construction. The engineering team's efforts were focused in three areas in 2006: improving train velocity, improving the level of infrastructure maintenance and expanding our industrial customer base.
To improve velocity, the engineering team collaborated with transportation to attack the railroad's bottlenecks in both the U.S. and Mexico, improving service and reducing operating costs.
· Between Kansas City, MO and Shreveport, LA, a 12,000 foot siding was completed at Wade, AR and grading was completed for a siding extension at the base of the ruling grade between Kansas City and Heavener, OK at Dalby, MO.
· The primary classification yard in Shreveport was extended and existing tracks were rearranged to form eight new receiving and departure tracks.
· As noted in Mr. Haverty's message, significant progress was made on the Meridian Speedway, including the start of construction for five siding extensions and completion of an additional 30 miles of CTC by the end of the year. Four receiving and departure tracks were completed at Jackson, MS, as well as a new siding and main track realignment at Vicksburg, MS.
· In Mexico, the team tackled one of the most difficult bottlenecks between Monterrey and Saltillo by extending the siding at Rinconada and installing CTC at Saltillo. Work here will continue for five years as the team adds sidings and double track to improve velocity.
· The team is nearing completion of a track realignment in Nuevo Laredo, double track between Columbia and Leal near Monterrey and grading for double track near San Luis Potosi.
· Work has begun on three new sidings to improve capacity and velocity on the Lazaro Cardenas line.
To improve infrastructure maintenance in the U.S., 30 timber bridges were replaced, 90 miles of new rail was re-laid, 440,000 ties were installed and 600,000 tons of ballast were replaced. In Mexico, 120,000 wood ties and 70,000 concrete ties were installed, 12 miles of track were undercut or sledded and 100 miles of track were aligned. Cut widening and drainage received renewed emphasis in the U.S. and Mexico, with most progress seen in Mexico. KCSM engineering made great strides toward raising train speed on approximately 600 miles of track and signal upgrades to improve speed and operating flexibility were completed. Next year will bring increased capacity cutovers to both railroads, removing barriers to speed and reducing costs.
Engineering plans were completed for projects on the Meridian Speedway, in Shreveport, for the coal route, Monterrey, Saltillo to Soledad, San Luis Potosi, Lazaro Cardenas, Megamex, the International Freight Gateway, the Victoria to Rosenberg line and construction will soon begin on a new intermodal facility in Mexico. Dozens of facilities were upgraded or constructed to assist customers shipping products on KCSR or KCSM.
FINANCIAL RESULTS
Finance
In May 2006, the finance team was reorganized under the leadership of KCS executive vice president and chief financial officer Pat Ottensmeyer. Also joining the leadership team was vice president financial planning and administration Susan Wollenberg, vice president financial reporting and tax Michael Borrows and controller Julio Quintero. Joining the senior leadership team, were many other talented and skilled finance professionals across all functions. These additions, along with the talented and dedicated professionals already here, have come together to form a highly-skilled finance team that is well-positioned to make a valuable contribution to the company's success.
During 2006, the KCSM external reporting and treasury groups were relocated from Mexico City to Kansas City to better coordinate the management of these functions. This move is consistent with KCS' overall strategy of managing the assets in a manner that fully realizes the efficiencies of combining KCSR and KCSM.
The finance team was involved in several important initiatives this year, including:
· Leading a company-wide, cross-functional effort to improve cash flow and liquidity, identifying specific cash-generating opportunities exceeding $100 million. Some examples include the sale of unused real estate; the sale of oil and gas wells in Texas; working capital reductions (inventory and receivables); accelerated sale of locomotives, cars and scrap; and many others. This effort, along with the strong operating performance, resulted in an improvement in the company's overall corporate liquidity (cash plus unused bank credit facilities) from $42 million on June 30 to more than $100 million today.
· Redesign of the internal management reporting process, focusing more on performance metrics and activity-based reporting to provide better insight to line managers regarding their performance.
· In addition to the KCSM bond transaction mentioned earlier, the team refinanced the KCSR $125 million bank credit facility, and permanently financed 30 locomotives, valued at about $60 million for KCSR.
· In addition to coordinating the company-wide, long-range planning effort mentioned earlier, the finance team's planning group laid the groundwork to substantially improve our ongoing budgeting and forecasting capabilities, to make sure that we have a clear understanding of where we are relative to our financial goals and what needs to be done in future periods to assure that we achieve our objectives.
· The team consolidated all of KCSM's accounting functions in Monterrey to provide better coordination and improve efficiency.
· The team continued to improve shareholder/investor relations outreach activities, with a goal of expanding research analyst courage and making sure the exciting KCS story is well understood in financial markets.
Purchasing
The international purchasing department was developed in the fall of 2005 and fully functional by January 2006, including the purchasing of services, rolling stock assets, fuel, maintenance of way equipment, engineering and mechanical materials. Asset management and inventory functions were also established. In the second quarter, the service design group was added to the department.
Among the department's most important achievements were:
· Development of a business case for the purchase of 210 new locomotives and the sale of 60 older locomotives;
· Implementation of the SAP purchasing and inventory modules;
· Securing of the Shreveport warehouse and the addition of parts and fuel services to the mechanical department;
· Completion of the first audit under SAP and establishment of new purchasing and inventory procedures;
· Negotiation of key Mexico contracts for locomotives and car maintenance reducing $16 million in costs; as well as further cost reductions as KCS began to leverage the spend of both countries, improving cash flow by competitively bidding surplus assets;
· Implementation of a new fuel hedging program and fuel distribution network to provide better cost control, distribution, safety and security;
· Establishment of cross-functional, asset management working committees to better utilize existing assets between both countries and aid in better decision-making with regard to the purchase and lease of new or used equipment.
· Establishment of an engineering materials logistic center in Shreveport, further reducing cost and improving availability.
ACCOUNTABILITY, COMMUNICATION & QUALITY PRINCIPLES
All of KCS' departments, in both leading roles as mentioned above, and supporting roles such as the administration, corporate affairs, legal and strategic studies departments have been involved in the cross-functional teams helping the company to achieve the company's objectives this year and will be integral to achieving the planned objectives for 2007.
No supporting department has transformed more in 2006 than the administration department, which is now comprised of the newly established personnel services group, security and freight claims prevention, joint facilities and contracts, and real estate. In 2006, the administration team:
· Signed an agreement with The Staubach Company to more effectively manage KCS' real estate assets;
· Overhauled the company's human resources processes, creating generalist positions to provide department's with a single point of contact for all personnel needs;
· Implemented a structured management development training program that trained 26 new managers in 2006 with plans to hire and train 21 managers in the U.S. and 21 in Mexico in 2007;
· Implemented a new train and engine training program, utilizing the National Academy of Railroad Sciences for six weeks of basic skills training;
· Enhanced police and security functions by combining both U.S. and Mexico under common leadership and using common information systems to coordinate homeland security efforts and training;
· Created a facilities and heritage operations group to provide more effective management of joint facilities, headquarters buildings in the U.S. and Mexico, a centralized document management center, the Southern Belle and historical archives.
Indeed, 2006 has been a year of positive transformation. Keeping our corporate vision and values in mind, we have many accomplishments to be proud of and a bright future to look toward in the year ahead. Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season! - KCS News
RAILROAD TRANSPORT NEEDS REASONABLE SECURITY RULES
More than five years after 9/11, the Bush administration has gotten around to developing a plan to prevent against terrorist attacks on trains. The proposal by the Department of Homeland Security would require freight and passenger rail systems to inspect rail cars and keep them in secure areas when not in use.
That sounds reasonable, but Democratic lawmakers say they will push for tighter security standards when they take over Congress next month.
The District of Columbia passed a law in 2005 banning hazardous material shipments within 2.2 miles of the Capitol. CSX Transportation sued; the case is pending. Eight other cities have introduced legislation to ban hazardous shipments, according to The Associated Press.
Railroads say forcing trains to take longer, circuitous routes would create a safety hazard by increasing the likelihood of an accident.
This debate is long overdue. Rail transportation is vulnerable to attack, as is barge transport. Both need a thorough examination and realistic security plans. - Editorial Opinion, The Huntington (WV) Herald-Dispatch
NEW BIODIESEL MANUFACTURING PLANT IN HAZEN, NEVADA APPROVED
HAZEN, NV -- A special use permit for Biodiesel Investment Company, LLC, of Verdi, to build a biodiesel manufacturing plant in Hazen was approved at a Planning commission meeting Wednesday.
Jake Huber, chief operating officer for Biodiesel Investment, described the plan, procedures and answered questions from the board.
The plant will be part of the Black Butte Industrial Park located in Hazen north of U.S. Highway 50A and Union Pacific Rail Road.
No members of the public asked questions during the meeting. However, planning commissioners probed Huber with many questions.
Huber explained that all products would be shipped in and out by rail. He said the products used for manufacturing B100 biodiesel fuel are palm oil, soy oil and methanol as a catalyst.
B100 biodiesel is 100 percent biodiesel, made with natural products, he said. This product is sold and shipped to petroleum plants. The B100 is then mixed with 98, 95 or 80 percent diesel fuel and sold to diesel fuel distributors as B2, B5 or B20. The number with the B stands for the percentage of biodiesel fuel in the final mixture.
"This process is not done at our manufacturing plant," said Huber. "The manufacturing at our plant has little to no emissions from manufacture through shipping."
Myles Van Gorder asked several railroad-related question about the operation, to which Huber was unable to answer specifically.
The facility will be set back approximately 2,300 feet from Highway 50A, said Huber.
It will have a metal building for the main plant, he said. The administration building will be located away from the manufacturing facility for safety reasons.
Huber said there would be approximately 10 tanks on the facility, two of which will be 24 feet high and 100 feet across. These two tanks can hold approximately 1 million gallons, he said.
"If we expand later, additional tanks may be necessary," Huber said.
Biodiesel fuel, before and after mixing with diesel fuel, can be safely stored for approximately six months, he said.
He said the plant will manufacture approximately 3.3 million gallons per month of biodiesel and all the manufactured product is pre-sold. The shipment will be weekly by unit trains, he said.
"We will hold cars until there are approximately 70-75 cars ready for shipment," Huber said. "One unit train will come in with product to manufacture and another will ship out."
Unit trains are freight trains moving large tonnage of single bulk products between two points, according to Union Pacific Rail Road. The number of cars on a unit train is specified by the railroad. - Viktoria Pearson, The Nevada Appeal
UNION PACIFIC URGES SAFE TRAVEL OVER THE HOLIDAYS
OMAHA, NE -- In the frenzy of holiday bustle that includes family and friends, shopping lists, cooking and travel, Union Pacific urges motorists and pedestrians to take extra time and use extra caution when crossing railroad tracks this holiday season.
"Inclement weather this time of year can make roads dangerous," said Bob Grimaila, senior assistant vice president-safety and environment. "Please slow down, focus on safety and drive with caution, especially when approaching railroad tracks and grade crossings.
"As people are out traveling in unfamiliar territory, they need to be aware of not only public crossings, but private crossings as well."
Please remember these important safety guidelines to keep you and your family safe this holiday season:
· Slow down. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads or in overcrowded parking lots.
· Watch for advanced warning signs (a round yellow sign with the letters RXR) - this indicates that the railroad tracks cross the road ahead. Slow down or stop before crossing.
· Always be especially careful on icy roads to make sure you will not slide onto the tracks if you need to stop.
· Listen. Snow can muffle the sound of an approaching train. Crack the window, and lower the sound of the radio and the heater. Hang up the cell phone.
· If your vehicle gets stuck on a railroad crossing, quickly exit the vehicle and move away from the track. Call to report your vehicle's location to law enforcement or a railroad dispatcher. Mention any nearby landmarks (and the DOT number at the crossing if you see it).
· Beware - one train may have passed but another could be behind it, or coming from the opposite direction on the next track. Always look both ways, and then do a quick double take before crossing.
· And please obey the posted signs and stay away from railroad property.
- Mark Davis, UP News Release
HEADQUARTERS TO HAVE OWN TRAIN
CRESTVIEW HILLS, KY -- Columbia Sussex Corp. has become a major player in the casino and hotel industries, and when it builds its new headquarters it will be the tallest building in Crestview Hills at eight stories.
It will also be the only corporate office with a fully operational railroad onsite.
Plans are under way for three-quarters of a mile railroad track, complete with train, on the corporate campus when the new $15 million headquarters is built.
The train will be a half-sized replica 260 Mogul engine, which is being specially built in Colorado and is scheduled to be shipped in September 2007.
It's a pet project for Columbia Sussex CEO William Yung.
"I like trains," Yung said.
Yung envisions three railroad cars and an engine that could take 30 passengers, adults or children, on a ride around the track. The train could grow, Yung said.
"If we need another car, we'll get another car," he said.
Yung said he has no solid plans for it at the moment, but he loves trains and wanted to build one.
He wants to open it to charitable organizations to use for fund raising.
"It's all charitable," he said. "We'll have different schools and churches use it as a fundraiser."
The city's economic development committee and city council both have approved the track, contingent on approval from the Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission.
Senior Zoning Official Megan Thompson said that while no permits have been received for the train, the commission is aware of the intent to build a railroad.
"He's a train enthusiast so this is something that is definitely not a moneymaker for them," said Crestview Hills City Administrator Dan Groth.
The company plans to build its headquarters on a 38-acre site on the east edge of Thomas More Center, accessible via Centre View Boulevard, between Thomas More Parkway and Interstate 275.
Another distinctive design feature will be its roof, which forms a shallow "V" and extends far beyond the outer walls of the building.
Yung, a former industrial engineer at Cincinnati soap maker Andrew Jergens Co., started the business with a 60-room motel in Richwood in 1972. He ultimately turned Columbia Sussex into one of the largest privately-owned hotel and casino companies in the country.
Last month, it received Nevada approval for a $2.75 billion purchase of Aztar Corp., owner of the Tropicana casino-hotels in Las Vegas. The purchase of Aztar gives the company about $2 billion in annual sales.
Yung said Columbia Sussex plans to move into the new headquarters in July or August of 2007. - Ryan Kelley, The Cincinnati Post (ED. NOTE - Crestview Hills is a Cincinnati, Ohio suburb)
FINDING MINNESOTA: WORKING ON THE RAILROAD
ST. PAUL, MN -- In the golden days of railroading, trains with names like Olympian and Hiawatha raced across the prairie, packed with passengers.
More than fifty years later, inside an old St. Paul railroad repair shop, some of those old legacy railroads, like the Minneapolis 400, still make their daily run.
However, this is more than just an old repair shot. This is the Twin City Model Railroad Museum, a place for kids of all sizes and all ages.
The museum's John Mertz said he practically grew up in the cab of an old steam engine. "In fact I spent so much time with dad in the engine until the day my mother and the truant office caught me, then I had to go back to school," he said.
The model railroad is laid out like a sprawling Twin Cities in miniature has more than a few familiar landmarks: The Gold Medal Flour sign, St. Paul's Grandview Theater and a White Castle built from the restaurant's own blueprints.
It all looks like fun, but this railroad isn't just kid stuff. It's a labor of love, where the building is done by men and women who were true artists.
"When it came time to construct landmarks like the Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi, club members took the time to come out and measure the actual structures," said the museum's Arnie Hochhalter.
She pointed to the model bridge. "Those are all single pieces of wood. The guys that built those cut all those little single pieces of wood and then glued them individually onto the wall," said Hochhalter who, by the way, never had a trail set while she was a child.
It took more than fifteen years to create this model layout. It could take as long for a first-time visitor to catch every detail. From the canoe trapped on St. Anthony's falls, to the campers pulling an Airstream trailer with a VW bus. It's all here.
But the trains are still the stars of the show. Some of them are as old as the club itself. "We've got to keep'em going. The engines in particular need a lot of work, but then again they get a lot of use," Mertz said.
All in a day's work on this railroad.
To view a related video clip, click on the following link and then click on the "play" button on the upper right hand side of the screen:
[wcco.com]
- Bill Hudson, WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, MN
TRANSIT NEWS
WEST CORRIDOR RAIL CUTS EYED IN DENVER
DENVER, CO -- An independent panel of transit engineers dissecting plans for the first FasTracks rail corridor is considering suggestions ranging from the extreme to the mundane to cut costs on the West Corridor line.
The $508.2-million, 12.1-mile light- rail line to Lakewood and Golden is in the final design phase and the start of construction is scheduled for 2008. It would be the first rail line to be built under the Regional Transportation District's $4.7 billion FasTracks program.
But steep inflation in the cost of materials such as concrete for railroad ties, copper for overhead wires, and steel for bridges and rails is cutting into RTD's buying power following voter approval of the program in 2004.
Ultimately, cost increases threaten to rein in the scope of the West Corridor line as well as on the eight other corridors. Cost-cutting decisions on the West Corridor could signal what the other lines face.
The West Corridor line is expected to open in 2013. Other corridors are scheduled to open in stages through 2016.
"Please don't faint, they are only proposals," Dennis Cole, RTD's project manager for the West Corridor, told community representatives who were shown the panel's suggestions at a meeting Friday.
The engineering panel was told to look at everything in the plan, he said. "There will be no holds barred, no sacred cows."
Indeed, one of the first suggestions from the panel was to revisit a cut that was so controversial two years ago that it was shot down: to end the line at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood and defer building the final 3 1/2-mile segment to the Jefferson County government center in Golden. That alone could save up to $200 million.
"It's a very expensive piece of the project," said Bernie Dull, an engineer who was the panel's facilitator. "But it's a hard political decision to make."
It panel listed 62 cost-cutting suggestions in three categories. Not all of the cuts could be accomplished, because some are alternatives to others. In fact, the total of all the suggested trims, $694 million, exceeds the entire cost of the project.
Fourteen of the proposals alone totaled $609 million, and all were major enough that they would trigger a new environmental impact study and cause a delay in the project.
Another 14 proposals, totaling $26 million, were major enough to cause a delay but would not require a new impact study.
The final 34 ideas totaled $59 million and are all considered minor changes.
The suggestions included eliminating four small stations that have no bus or park-n-Ride service, using grade crossings instead of train bridges at Wadsworth and Sheridan boulevards and Kipling Street, and reducing the amount of signalization on the line.
Another idea is to bypass the Denver Federal Center, which would eliminate two bridges over the Sixth Avenue Freeway.
RTD hired the panel to assist with what is called "value engineering."
It is the second value engineering process RTD has held for the project in an effort to economize. The agency isn't bound to accept any of the suggestions.
The panel consisted of eight engineers with broad experience on rail systems in the U.S. and abroad.
RTD will rank the ideas one of four ways: accepted, accepted with changes, declined or tabled for further analysis. Liz Rao, RTD's FasTracks chief, said community input will be important.
"There will be things we definitely will do and some things we ought not do," she said. - Kevin Flynn, The Rocky Mountain News
ON TRACK AND ON TIME
SUISUN CITY, CA -- Dawnelda Scott is among those reaping benefits from the Yolo/Solano County passenger railroad revival that began 15 years ago.
Scott recently stood at the Suisun City station platform at 07:35. She needed to get to Richmond so she could catch BART and continue on to her job. She left the driving to the Capitol Corridor trains, which travel between Auburn and San Jose.
"It's a good opportunity to kick back a little, read a book, let someone handle the trials and tribulations of commuting, get that quality time for yourself," Scott said, white gloves and a black coat protecting her against the early morning chill.
Railroad revival? Make that railroad revolution. The Capitol Corridor service has as many trains zipping along its lines as the famed northeast corridor between Boston and New York.
"At the times people want to travel, we have a train available," said Eugene Skoropowski, managing director of the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority.
Oscar Valenzuela of Fairfield takes the train to Davis to UC Davis. He can choose between six eastbound trips in the morning.
"The bus has inconvenient hours," Valenzuela said as he sat on a bench inside the station. "To go to Davis, they only have two buses. One is at 06:55. The other is at 12:00."
But the railroad revolution started slowly Dec. 12, 1991. The very first Capitol Corridor train pulled up to what was then a ramshackle Suisun-Fairfield station at 08:00 for its only westbound morning visit. Only eight people waited in the fog and entered cars about one-third full.
"There are quite a few people for the first day," said Amtrak conductor Gene Springer, who wore a dark-blue uniform and collected ticket money.
Optimism was the name of the game. After all, the state had launched the service with a splash. Only the previous day, it had run a ceremonial train for dignitaries only along the line, complete with balloons and Dixieland jazz band, to drum up interest.
Former Assemblyman Tom Hannigan of Fairfield rode that ceremonial train and recalled how the Capitols got started. A constituent came to his office in the 1980s and said a rail line between Sacramento and San Jose could be used for passenger service, as well as freight.
"I did what any politician would do: I suggested we do a study," Hannigan said 15 years ago.
That study concluded the rail line should work. But the Capitols took awhile to pick up speed.
By 1994, the service averaged between 20,000 and 30,000 passengers a month, far short of the goal of 42,000 passengers. The service offered only three round-trips daily.
Things have changed. On their 15th birthday, the Capitols have record ridership that tops 100,000 passengers a month, with more than 120,000 riding in October. The service offers 16 round-trips daily.
The turnabout came when the Capitols started adding more trains, Skoropowski said. In the beginning, there was just that one train in the morning. Passengers, fittingly enough, called it "the morning train."
Then came the "early morning" train and the "late-morning train," also known as the "slackers' train," Skoropowski said. When the Capitols added a seventh round trip in 2000, ridership rose 40 percent and there were too many trains for the regular riders to honor with nicknames.
Suddenly, the Capitols had enough trains that commuters, as well as casual travelers, could use the service. The railroad revolution had reached critical mass.
Jim Spering was Suisun City's mayor in 1991 and has just left the post to become a county supervisor in January 2007. He believes the Capitols made a difference for his city.
"It has brought people to our downtown," he said. "We're starting to see people who ride that train get off in Suisun. It's given our community a lot of exposure."
The Capitols coincidentally arrived just as Suisun City launched its waterfront and Old Town renovation efforts. Old, decrepit buildings got razed and a public marina got built. Among the first projects was the renovation of the century-old train depot.
"The timing was perfect," Spering said. "We wanted to restore the train station, so that certainly helped justify that."
Despite all the Capitol Corridor's success stories -- despite the 1.2 million passengers annually and the cities along the line clamoring to have stations -- it has had only minimal effect on the daily commute. The U.S. Census shows that fewer than 1 percent of Bay Area commuters in 2005 took the train. For Solano County, the figure was 0.1 percent.
But Spering is looking to the future. Interstate 80 won't be widened, except for car-pool lanes, he said.
"It's going to get more congested," Spering said. "In time, people will need an alternative form of transportation."
The Capitols are up and running, he said. More trains can be added, he said.
"Transportation is generally behind the demand," Spering said. "We're trying to put some things in place that meet that future demand."
Solano County had its first railroad revolution in 1868, when the California Pacific Railroad laid down tracks and ran the first local trains. Suisun City, Dixon, Benicia and Elmira all got stations in subsequent years. People suddenly had a new travel option, in addition to boat and horse.
Trains remained a major form of transportation for decades. But after the state highway came through the area in 1915, autos gradually grew popular. Passenger trains faded.
Now they're back to help ease the pressure on congested freeways. The Capitols are leading the local railroad revival - and the new railroad revolution. - Barry Eberling, McNaugton Newspapers, The Davis Enterprise
THE END
[b]Railroad Newsline for Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Compiled by Larry W. Grant
In Memory of Rob Carlson, 1952 – 2006
RAIL NEWS
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES IN COON RAPIDS TRAIN DERAILMENT
COON RAPIDS, MN -- Authorities are still investigating why a train derailed in Coon Rapids on Sunday morning, spilling several containers near homes.
The derailment stopped traffic on the BNSF Railway Company's main line between Seattle and Chicago. No one was injured.
Steve Forsberg, a BNSF spokesman, said the investigation was focusing on a possible broken angle bar, which holds the rail onto the track.
He also said the railroad opened one track by 07:00 Monday and hoped to have the other open between 10:00 and 12:00.
The train was carrying merchandise sold in department stores. No hazardous material was aboard the train. - Nancy Yang, The St. Paul Pioneer Press
SANTA CHUGS INTO TOWN ABOARD A BEAUT
VANCOUVER, WA -- Santa seemed to have every eye and every camera lens trained on him as he rolled into Vancouver aboard a steam-powered train Saturday. Yet some stayed to ogle the hissing, dripping monster long after Santa took up his post inside a nearby tent.
A photo by Dave Olson of The Columbian is here:
[www.columbian.com]
You can't knock a jolly elf who grants wishes. But a functioning steam locomotive isn't something you see every day.
Camera tripods lined the tracks mere feet from the SP&S 700 locomotive that served the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway from 1938 until 1956. The restored locomotive now belongs to the city of Portland and spends its partial retirement there, in the Brooklyn Rail Yard.
Santa's visit gave Dave Nagel of Vancouver the perfect cover to see the locomotive's wheel components up close. "I rode it twice, but I never got a chance to photograph it," he said, fishing for a macro lens.
Each part of the train -- the locomotive, the tender, the passenger car and even the caboose -- attracted a line. Technology has rendered old cabooses obsolete, said John Frazee, a crew member for the 700.
"It's a bit of an anachronism to have a caboose like this," Frazee said.
A modern 4,400-horsepower diesel locomotive joined the steam train on Saturday's visit, garnering some attention but not nearly the level of emotion the steam train stirred.
The 700 has brought entire families to tears, said James Vanderbeck, president of the train's booster group, the Pacific Railroad Preservation Association.
"It makes people think of their lives, the past and all that," Vanderbeck said.
To James Abney, one of two engineers on the 700, it's a family matter: His father, Gilbert, ran the train in its regular service in 1952 and 1953. Now retired after 40 years with Amtrak, James Abney said he still prefers running a steam train.
"It's easier to run than diesel because there are no computers on it," he said of the 700.
Not to be upstaged by his own sleigh, Santa commanded the attention of children and doting parents in the heated tent.
Two-year-old Josiah Angelo of La Center didn't bother answering the classic Santarian opener, "What do you want for Christmas?"
"I don't think he even realized there was a question being asked," Josiah's mother, Sara, said as he clutched a stocking filled with candy. "He was way too into the candy that was being placed on his lap."
About 1,100 people showed up for the Santa train, said BNSF Railway spokesman Gus Melonas, with some coming from as far as Montana and British Columbia. It was the third "Santa Special" train and Santa's second ride on the 700.
For the Brannon family of Portland, Santa and his train brought plenty of giddiness to go around. Three-year-old Ayden dreamed of a wish list soon filled, while Marcus, 13, looked up with equal amazement at a huge locomotive wheel.
"I've just always wanted to see how they work" Marcus said of his interest in trains.
To others, like Sara Angelo, it's all part of Santa's magic.
"It was awesome to see the steam in the distance and the lights and the arm waving," she said. "It was worth the lines and the wait." - Justin Carinci, The Columbian
DERAILMENT CLEANUP COULD TAKE WEEKS
FALLS COUNTY, TX -- Crews were working again Sunday to clean up the mess after more than 30 cars of a Union Pacific freight train derailed Saturday in rural Falls County.
Thirty-one of the train's 33 cars left the tracks Friday night between Marlin and Reagan.
The cars were carrying powdered cement.
Video here:
[ww2.kwtx.com] Freight Cars Derail In Central Texas&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=71433&LaunchPageAdTag=News&fvCatNo=&backgroundImageURL=&activePane=info&playerVersion=1&hostPageUrl=http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/4939937.html&rnd=49065173
Railroad crews expected to have the least damaged cars back on the track late Saturday night, but the other cars will have to be scrapped and then removed from the site.
Tons of cement will also have to be cleaned up.
The cause of the derailment is under investigation. - KWTX-TV10, Waco/Temple/Killeen, TX
AMTRAK PRESIDENT REORGANIZES MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, DC -- Amtrak's new president on Monday announced broad changes to the company's senior management and said his new team would be better able to reform the much-criticized passenger railroad.
Alexander Kummant, who took over at Amtrak in September, announced the departure of four top officials, including the chief financial officer, and the transfer of a fifth to a temporary position. As part of the broad reorganization, three more departments will report directly to him, Kummant said.
"Ridership and revenue continue to grow, and we've made a lot progress in the past few years _ from rebuilding the railroad to paying down the debt _ but we still face tremendous challenges ahead," Kummant said in a message to employees outlining the changes.
"One of my chief responsibilities as president of the company is to build the team that can tackle the challenges, and I believe these changes will accomplish that," he said.
Amtrak is deep in debt and heavily dependent on government subsidies. Its operating loss for 2005 topped $550 million.
Among the changes announced Monday:
- Eleanor Acheson, a former assistant attorney general in the Clinton administration, will take over the company's law department. She replaces Alicia Serfaty, who will serve as counsel to Kummant during the transition period. The change comes less than two months after the Transportation Department's inspector general found that Amtrak cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in unnecessary legal expenses by failing to properly manage work done by outside law firms.
- Chief Financial Officer David Smith is temporarily replaced by Dale Stein, previously Amtrak's treasurer, until a permanent CFO is named.
- Management consultant Roy Johansen has been named vice president of planning and analysis. Paul Nissenbaum, who previously occupied the post, will work with him over the next several months before taking on a new executive role, Kummant said.
- James McDonnell will serve as chief risk officer, replacing Al Broadbent.
- The heads of marketing and communications departments have been fired and their offices incorporated into other departments.
- Sarah Karush, The Associated Press, The Houston Chronicle
KCS ISSUES “STATE OF THE RAILROAD” MESSAGE
From the Desk of Michael R. Haverty, KCS Chairman & Chief Executive Officer:
This year, has been one of transformation for Kansas City Southern (KCS) and its subsidiaries, The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCSR) and Kansas City Southern de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (KCSM). True to KCS' unique legacy of tenacity, creativity, ambition, entrepreneurial spirit and can-do attitude, a year that began with significant challenges will conclude with important accomplishments and new developments. This transformation is a credit to the hard work and dedication of our employees, and a benefit to our shareholders. Some of the most important accomplishments are as follows:
· The KCS management team was strengthened in 2006 from the promotion of Art Shoener to president and chief operating officer of the holding company to the addition of new players, such as president and executive representative of KCSM, Jose Zozaya, executive vice president and chief financial officer Pat Ottensmeyer, executive vice president sales and marketing Dan Avramovich, vice president sales and marketing intermodal and international business unit Ted Prince, vice president financial planning and administration Susan Wollenberg, vice president financial reporting and tax Michael Borrows, controller Julio Quintero and associate general counsel David Reeves.
· The KCS leadership team and many others developed a detailed, fully-integrated five-year plan for the company. This plan, presented to our board of directors in November, clearly communicates the value of our company and provides management with a blueprint for realizing that value over the next five years.
· KCSM successfully transitioned to the Management Control System (MCS) in a well-planned, well-executed effort that was virtually seamless to our customers. Now, both the U.S. and Mexican operations are on a common operating platform. This provides customers a single point of contact with both companies for placing waybill orders, tracking their shipments and several other inquiries. It also provides management with more accurate and timely information, which allows us to provide more consistent and reliable service to customers.
· KCS and NS closed on a Joint Venture to increase capacity and improve service on the Meridian Speedway from Meridian, MS to Shreveport, LA, an important connection for traffic moving between the southeast and southwest U.S. From turning on Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) between Vicksburg and Jackson, MS to the implementation of 80,000 ties, bridge upgrades, grading for sidings and double track, the upgrade of the Speedway is off to a great start.
· KCSM refinanced $175 million of debt, reducing our interest cost from 10.25 percent to 7.625 percent, and extending maturity by seven years. The successful execution of this transaction is a clear indication that our company is viewed very positively in the capital markets. For a non-investment grade company like KCSM to sell bonds at this level is very positive.
· KCS implemented the Revenue Management System (RMS) in the U.S., a tool designed to improve accuracy and efficiency and streamline the processes of price publication, rating, and freight billing, thereby reducing the time to cash and cost of ownership. Implementation of RMS in Mexico is planned for early 2007.
I am proud of our teams in the U.S. and Mexico for these important accomplishments and many more that are helping to move our company forward and to achieve our vision of being a strong, independent, transportation company that consistently delivers exceptional service to our customers, challenging careers to our employees and increasing value to our shareholders.
We look forward to continued success in 2007 and thank all of you in the U.S. and Mexico for your support in 2006. Happy holidays to you and your families!
From the Desk of Arthur L. Shoener, KCS President & Chief Operating Officer:
Four key themes helped drive the transformation we have seen in 2006 - integration, cross-functional teamwork, new technology and the quality principle of continuous process improvement.
For KCS, safety is first among priorities, and nowhere is cross-functional teamwork more visible than in the improvements in KCSR's safety metrics. Departments on both sides of the border are working together to foster a more safety conscious culture through communication, education and teamwork. The most significant safety metrics improvements represented below are for KCSR from November 2006 over November 2005.
SAFETY
KCSR decreased Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reportable injuries by 33 percent and the injury frequency ratio by 40 percent, putting us on track to win a Gold Harriman Award in Group B. This outstanding safety performance is credited to our dedicated employees, who are focused on working safely everyday, looking out for themselves and for one another. Other contributors to this performance are Safety Tuesdays, which promote awareness and bridge communication gaps, and the coordination of local, divisional and steering safety committees, which are focused on process improvement and resolving safety concerns.
KCSR's lost work days were reduced 24 percent through the efforts of the medical management department and field supervisors. Injured employees are returning to work more quickly and being placed into new positions when they are physically unable to return to their previous position.
KCSR's overall train accidents were reduced 25 percent and FRA reportable train accidents were reduced 40 percent. In addition to improving safety, this metric represents a $7 million decrease in financial expenditures for train accidents. The improvement is credited to conscientious employees and prevention activities, such as track, car and maintenance inspections, education and root cause analysis.
Overall grade crossing collisions were reduced by three percent. While this is a slight decrease in grade crossing collisions, aggressive corridor projects are underway with the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri and Texas to target grade crossing upgrades and closures, reducing opportunities for collisions. The Operation Lifesaver program is also being refined to target high risk areas and provide greater oversight and accountability.
CUSTOMER FOCUS
Sales & Marketing
Our four themes of integration, teamwork, new technology and process improvement are prevalent in the sales and marketing departments 2006 accomplishments. Under the leadership of the new executive vice president sales and marketing Dan Avramovich, the sales and marketing departments on both sides of the border were integrated in 2006. With an objective of providing more efficient and reliable service to our customers, while increasing profitability, the team collaborates between companies and business units, enhancing communication and sharing best practices.
The sales and marketing team collaborated with the information technology department on systems such as MCS, RMS and Eyeris. MCS, which was implemented in the U.S. in 2002 and in Mexico in 2006, is making it easier for customers to place their waybills online and track their shipments across both railroads. RMS, which was implemented in the U.S. in 2006 and will be implemented in Mexico in 2007, is providing more accurate and efficient price quotes in advance of service and billing once service is rendered. Eyeris, which was implemented in the U.S. in 2006 and will be implemented in Mexico in 2007, is helping KCS allocate equipment more efficiently, which results in maximizing total contribution.
The sales and marketing team collaborated with the transportation department to introduce two, new, dedicated, intermodal services to the market. In partnership with Schneider National and CSXI, KCSR is serving lower Ohio Valley shippers between East St. Louis, IL and Kansas City, MO. KCSM and KCSR are also providing dedicated intermodal service between Lazaro Cardenas to Meridian, MS with continuing service to Atlanta, GA. Volumes are growing in both of these lanes, and are expected to increase with the opening of Hutchison Port Terminals new facility in Lazaro Cardenas in 2007.
Further, the sales and marketing team has identified another $270 million in new business development opportunities, and are working with multiple departments in the planning and development of new facilities to serve our customers.
Operations
In 2006, the KCSR and KCSM operating departments were realigned for consistency on both sides of the border. In Mexico, the transportation and mechanical departments report to senior director Manuel Zulaica. In the U.S., the transportation and mechanical departments report to senior vice president operations Mike Chapman. (Director is the Spanish translation for vice president.) The engineering departments on both sides of the border report to senior vice president international engineering Jerry Heavin.
A key initiative for the operating departments in the U.S. and Mexico this year was the organization of cross-functional velocity committees, one for each of three divisions in the U.S. and one for Mexico. The sole purpose of these committees is to identify and implement changes to improve system velocity. Changes to date have included, but are not limited to, the removal of unauthorized grade crossings in Mexico; the removal of excess car inventory in Mexico; the removal of yard limits and interlockers at strategic locations; the identification of capital investment needs focused on velocity; the increase of track speed at strategic locations; the reorganization of crew and seniority districts; the addition of utility carmen in Shreveport and Jackson; and the refinement of work window communication and temporary slow order processes. As a result, velocity continues to improve system wide.
With all the capital projects needed to expand capacity, the international engineering department was reorganized for consistency on both sides of the border and to adopt a lean manufacturing approach, ensuring efficient planning, execution and control of new construction. The engineering team's efforts were focused in three areas in 2006: improving train velocity, improving the level of infrastructure maintenance and expanding our industrial customer base.
To improve velocity, the engineering team collaborated with transportation to attack the railroad's bottlenecks in both the U.S. and Mexico, improving service and reducing operating costs.
· Between Kansas City, MO and Shreveport, LA, a 12,000 foot siding was completed at Wade, AR and grading was completed for a siding extension at the base of the ruling grade between Kansas City and Heavener, OK at Dalby, MO.
· The primary classification yard in Shreveport was extended and existing tracks were rearranged to form eight new receiving and departure tracks.
· As noted in Mr. Haverty's message, significant progress was made on the Meridian Speedway, including the start of construction for five siding extensions and completion of an additional 30 miles of CTC by the end of the year. Four receiving and departure tracks were completed at Jackson, MS, as well as a new siding and main track realignment at Vicksburg, MS.
· In Mexico, the team tackled one of the most difficult bottlenecks between Monterrey and Saltillo by extending the siding at Rinconada and installing CTC at Saltillo. Work here will continue for five years as the team adds sidings and double track to improve velocity.
· The team is nearing completion of a track realignment in Nuevo Laredo, double track between Columbia and Leal near Monterrey and grading for double track near San Luis Potosi.
· Work has begun on three new sidings to improve capacity and velocity on the Lazaro Cardenas line.
To improve infrastructure maintenance in the U.S., 30 timber bridges were replaced, 90 miles of new rail was re-laid, 440,000 ties were installed and 600,000 tons of ballast were replaced. In Mexico, 120,000 wood ties and 70,000 concrete ties were installed, 12 miles of track were undercut or sledded and 100 miles of track were aligned. Cut widening and drainage received renewed emphasis in the U.S. and Mexico, with most progress seen in Mexico. KCSM engineering made great strides toward raising train speed on approximately 600 miles of track and signal upgrades to improve speed and operating flexibility were completed. Next year will bring increased capacity cutovers to both railroads, removing barriers to speed and reducing costs.
Engineering plans were completed for projects on the Meridian Speedway, in Shreveport, for the coal route, Monterrey, Saltillo to Soledad, San Luis Potosi, Lazaro Cardenas, Megamex, the International Freight Gateway, the Victoria to Rosenberg line and construction will soon begin on a new intermodal facility in Mexico. Dozens of facilities were upgraded or constructed to assist customers shipping products on KCSR or KCSM.
FINANCIAL RESULTS
Finance
In May 2006, the finance team was reorganized under the leadership of KCS executive vice president and chief financial officer Pat Ottensmeyer. Also joining the leadership team was vice president financial planning and administration Susan Wollenberg, vice president financial reporting and tax Michael Borrows and controller Julio Quintero. Joining the senior leadership team, were many other talented and skilled finance professionals across all functions. These additions, along with the talented and dedicated professionals already here, have come together to form a highly-skilled finance team that is well-positioned to make a valuable contribution to the company's success.
During 2006, the KCSM external reporting and treasury groups were relocated from Mexico City to Kansas City to better coordinate the management of these functions. This move is consistent with KCS' overall strategy of managing the assets in a manner that fully realizes the efficiencies of combining KCSR and KCSM.
The finance team was involved in several important initiatives this year, including:
· Leading a company-wide, cross-functional effort to improve cash flow and liquidity, identifying specific cash-generating opportunities exceeding $100 million. Some examples include the sale of unused real estate; the sale of oil and gas wells in Texas; working capital reductions (inventory and receivables); accelerated sale of locomotives, cars and scrap; and many others. This effort, along with the strong operating performance, resulted in an improvement in the company's overall corporate liquidity (cash plus unused bank credit facilities) from $42 million on June 30 to more than $100 million today.
· Redesign of the internal management reporting process, focusing more on performance metrics and activity-based reporting to provide better insight to line managers regarding their performance.
· In addition to the KCSM bond transaction mentioned earlier, the team refinanced the KCSR $125 million bank credit facility, and permanently financed 30 locomotives, valued at about $60 million for KCSR.
· In addition to coordinating the company-wide, long-range planning effort mentioned earlier, the finance team's planning group laid the groundwork to substantially improve our ongoing budgeting and forecasting capabilities, to make sure that we have a clear understanding of where we are relative to our financial goals and what needs to be done in future periods to assure that we achieve our objectives.
· The team consolidated all of KCSM's accounting functions in Monterrey to provide better coordination and improve efficiency.
· The team continued to improve shareholder/investor relations outreach activities, with a goal of expanding research analyst courage and making sure the exciting KCS story is well understood in financial markets.
Purchasing
The international purchasing department was developed in the fall of 2005 and fully functional by January 2006, including the purchasing of services, rolling stock assets, fuel, maintenance of way equipment, engineering and mechanical materials. Asset management and inventory functions were also established. In the second quarter, the service design group was added to the department.
Among the department's most important achievements were:
· Development of a business case for the purchase of 210 new locomotives and the sale of 60 older locomotives;
· Implementation of the SAP purchasing and inventory modules;
· Securing of the Shreveport warehouse and the addition of parts and fuel services to the mechanical department;
· Completion of the first audit under SAP and establishment of new purchasing and inventory procedures;
· Negotiation of key Mexico contracts for locomotives and car maintenance reducing $16 million in costs; as well as further cost reductions as KCS began to leverage the spend of both countries, improving cash flow by competitively bidding surplus assets;
· Implementation of a new fuel hedging program and fuel distribution network to provide better cost control, distribution, safety and security;
· Establishment of cross-functional, asset management working committees to better utilize existing assets between both countries and aid in better decision-making with regard to the purchase and lease of new or used equipment.
· Establishment of an engineering materials logistic center in Shreveport, further reducing cost and improving availability.
ACCOUNTABILITY, COMMUNICATION & QUALITY PRINCIPLES
All of KCS' departments, in both leading roles as mentioned above, and supporting roles such as the administration, corporate affairs, legal and strategic studies departments have been involved in the cross-functional teams helping the company to achieve the company's objectives this year and will be integral to achieving the planned objectives for 2007.
No supporting department has transformed more in 2006 than the administration department, which is now comprised of the newly established personnel services group, security and freight claims prevention, joint facilities and contracts, and real estate. In 2006, the administration team:
· Signed an agreement with The Staubach Company to more effectively manage KCS' real estate assets;
· Overhauled the company's human resources processes, creating generalist positions to provide department's with a single point of contact for all personnel needs;
· Implemented a structured management development training program that trained 26 new managers in 2006 with plans to hire and train 21 managers in the U.S. and 21 in Mexico in 2007;
· Implemented a new train and engine training program, utilizing the National Academy of Railroad Sciences for six weeks of basic skills training;
· Enhanced police and security functions by combining both U.S. and Mexico under common leadership and using common information systems to coordinate homeland security efforts and training;
· Created a facilities and heritage operations group to provide more effective management of joint facilities, headquarters buildings in the U.S. and Mexico, a centralized document management center, the Southern Belle and historical archives.
Indeed, 2006 has been a year of positive transformation. Keeping our corporate vision and values in mind, we have many accomplishments to be proud of and a bright future to look toward in the year ahead. Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season! - KCS News
RAILROAD TRANSPORT NEEDS REASONABLE SECURITY RULES
More than five years after 9/11, the Bush administration has gotten around to developing a plan to prevent against terrorist attacks on trains. The proposal by the Department of Homeland Security would require freight and passenger rail systems to inspect rail cars and keep them in secure areas when not in use.
That sounds reasonable, but Democratic lawmakers say they will push for tighter security standards when they take over Congress next month.
The District of Columbia passed a law in 2005 banning hazardous material shipments within 2.2 miles of the Capitol. CSX Transportation sued; the case is pending. Eight other cities have introduced legislation to ban hazardous shipments, according to The Associated Press.
Railroads say forcing trains to take longer, circuitous routes would create a safety hazard by increasing the likelihood of an accident.
This debate is long overdue. Rail transportation is vulnerable to attack, as is barge transport. Both need a thorough examination and realistic security plans. - Editorial Opinion, The Huntington (WV) Herald-Dispatch
NEW BIODIESEL MANUFACTURING PLANT IN HAZEN, NEVADA APPROVED
HAZEN, NV -- A special use permit for Biodiesel Investment Company, LLC, of Verdi, to build a biodiesel manufacturing plant in Hazen was approved at a Planning commission meeting Wednesday.
Jake Huber, chief operating officer for Biodiesel Investment, described the plan, procedures and answered questions from the board.
The plant will be part of the Black Butte Industrial Park located in Hazen north of U.S. Highway 50A and Union Pacific Rail Road.
No members of the public asked questions during the meeting. However, planning commissioners probed Huber with many questions.
Huber explained that all products would be shipped in and out by rail. He said the products used for manufacturing B100 biodiesel fuel are palm oil, soy oil and methanol as a catalyst.
B100 biodiesel is 100 percent biodiesel, made with natural products, he said. This product is sold and shipped to petroleum plants. The B100 is then mixed with 98, 95 or 80 percent diesel fuel and sold to diesel fuel distributors as B2, B5 or B20. The number with the B stands for the percentage of biodiesel fuel in the final mixture.
"This process is not done at our manufacturing plant," said Huber. "The manufacturing at our plant has little to no emissions from manufacture through shipping."
Myles Van Gorder asked several railroad-related question about the operation, to which Huber was unable to answer specifically.
The facility will be set back approximately 2,300 feet from Highway 50A, said Huber.
It will have a metal building for the main plant, he said. The administration building will be located away from the manufacturing facility for safety reasons.
Huber said there would be approximately 10 tanks on the facility, two of which will be 24 feet high and 100 feet across. These two tanks can hold approximately 1 million gallons, he said.
"If we expand later, additional tanks may be necessary," Huber said.
Biodiesel fuel, before and after mixing with diesel fuel, can be safely stored for approximately six months, he said.
He said the plant will manufacture approximately 3.3 million gallons per month of biodiesel and all the manufactured product is pre-sold. The shipment will be weekly by unit trains, he said.
"We will hold cars until there are approximately 70-75 cars ready for shipment," Huber said. "One unit train will come in with product to manufacture and another will ship out."
Unit trains are freight trains moving large tonnage of single bulk products between two points, according to Union Pacific Rail Road. The number of cars on a unit train is specified by the railroad. - Viktoria Pearson, The Nevada Appeal
UNION PACIFIC URGES SAFE TRAVEL OVER THE HOLIDAYS
OMAHA, NE -- In the frenzy of holiday bustle that includes family and friends, shopping lists, cooking and travel, Union Pacific urges motorists and pedestrians to take extra time and use extra caution when crossing railroad tracks this holiday season.
"Inclement weather this time of year can make roads dangerous," said Bob Grimaila, senior assistant vice president-safety and environment. "Please slow down, focus on safety and drive with caution, especially when approaching railroad tracks and grade crossings.
"As people are out traveling in unfamiliar territory, they need to be aware of not only public crossings, but private crossings as well."
Please remember these important safety guidelines to keep you and your family safe this holiday season:
· Slow down. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads or in overcrowded parking lots.
· Watch for advanced warning signs (a round yellow sign with the letters RXR) - this indicates that the railroad tracks cross the road ahead. Slow down or stop before crossing.
· Always be especially careful on icy roads to make sure you will not slide onto the tracks if you need to stop.
· Listen. Snow can muffle the sound of an approaching train. Crack the window, and lower the sound of the radio and the heater. Hang up the cell phone.
· If your vehicle gets stuck on a railroad crossing, quickly exit the vehicle and move away from the track. Call to report your vehicle's location to law enforcement or a railroad dispatcher. Mention any nearby landmarks (and the DOT number at the crossing if you see it).
· Beware - one train may have passed but another could be behind it, or coming from the opposite direction on the next track. Always look both ways, and then do a quick double take before crossing.
· And please obey the posted signs and stay away from railroad property.
- Mark Davis, UP News Release
HEADQUARTERS TO HAVE OWN TRAIN
CRESTVIEW HILLS, KY -- Columbia Sussex Corp. has become a major player in the casino and hotel industries, and when it builds its new headquarters it will be the tallest building in Crestview Hills at eight stories.
It will also be the only corporate office with a fully operational railroad onsite.
Plans are under way for three-quarters of a mile railroad track, complete with train, on the corporate campus when the new $15 million headquarters is built.
The train will be a half-sized replica 260 Mogul engine, which is being specially built in Colorado and is scheduled to be shipped in September 2007.
It's a pet project for Columbia Sussex CEO William Yung.
"I like trains," Yung said.
Yung envisions three railroad cars and an engine that could take 30 passengers, adults or children, on a ride around the track. The train could grow, Yung said.
"If we need another car, we'll get another car," he said.
Yung said he has no solid plans for it at the moment, but he loves trains and wanted to build one.
He wants to open it to charitable organizations to use for fund raising.
"It's all charitable," he said. "We'll have different schools and churches use it as a fundraiser."
The city's economic development committee and city council both have approved the track, contingent on approval from the Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission.
Senior Zoning Official Megan Thompson said that while no permits have been received for the train, the commission is aware of the intent to build a railroad.
"He's a train enthusiast so this is something that is definitely not a moneymaker for them," said Crestview Hills City Administrator Dan Groth.
The company plans to build its headquarters on a 38-acre site on the east edge of Thomas More Center, accessible via Centre View Boulevard, between Thomas More Parkway and Interstate 275.
Another distinctive design feature will be its roof, which forms a shallow "V" and extends far beyond the outer walls of the building.
Yung, a former industrial engineer at Cincinnati soap maker Andrew Jergens Co., started the business with a 60-room motel in Richwood in 1972. He ultimately turned Columbia Sussex into one of the largest privately-owned hotel and casino companies in the country.
Last month, it received Nevada approval for a $2.75 billion purchase of Aztar Corp., owner of the Tropicana casino-hotels in Las Vegas. The purchase of Aztar gives the company about $2 billion in annual sales.
Yung said Columbia Sussex plans to move into the new headquarters in July or August of 2007. - Ryan Kelley, The Cincinnati Post (ED. NOTE - Crestview Hills is a Cincinnati, Ohio suburb)
FINDING MINNESOTA: WORKING ON THE RAILROAD
ST. PAUL, MN -- In the golden days of railroading, trains with names like Olympian and Hiawatha raced across the prairie, packed with passengers.
More than fifty years later, inside an old St. Paul railroad repair shop, some of those old legacy railroads, like the Minneapolis 400, still make their daily run.
However, this is more than just an old repair shot. This is the Twin City Model Railroad Museum, a place for kids of all sizes and all ages.
The museum's John Mertz said he practically grew up in the cab of an old steam engine. "In fact I spent so much time with dad in the engine until the day my mother and the truant office caught me, then I had to go back to school," he said.
The model railroad is laid out like a sprawling Twin Cities in miniature has more than a few familiar landmarks: The Gold Medal Flour sign, St. Paul's Grandview Theater and a White Castle built from the restaurant's own blueprints.
It all looks like fun, but this railroad isn't just kid stuff. It's a labor of love, where the building is done by men and women who were true artists.
"When it came time to construct landmarks like the Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi, club members took the time to come out and measure the actual structures," said the museum's Arnie Hochhalter.
She pointed to the model bridge. "Those are all single pieces of wood. The guys that built those cut all those little single pieces of wood and then glued them individually onto the wall," said Hochhalter who, by the way, never had a trail set while she was a child.
It took more than fifteen years to create this model layout. It could take as long for a first-time visitor to catch every detail. From the canoe trapped on St. Anthony's falls, to the campers pulling an Airstream trailer with a VW bus. It's all here.
But the trains are still the stars of the show. Some of them are as old as the club itself. "We've got to keep'em going. The engines in particular need a lot of work, but then again they get a lot of use," Mertz said.
All in a day's work on this railroad.
To view a related video clip, click on the following link and then click on the "play" button on the upper right hand side of the screen:
[wcco.com]
- Bill Hudson, WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, MN
TRANSIT NEWS
WEST CORRIDOR RAIL CUTS EYED IN DENVER
DENVER, CO -- An independent panel of transit engineers dissecting plans for the first FasTracks rail corridor is considering suggestions ranging from the extreme to the mundane to cut costs on the West Corridor line.
The $508.2-million, 12.1-mile light- rail line to Lakewood and Golden is in the final design phase and the start of construction is scheduled for 2008. It would be the first rail line to be built under the Regional Transportation District's $4.7 billion FasTracks program.
But steep inflation in the cost of materials such as concrete for railroad ties, copper for overhead wires, and steel for bridges and rails is cutting into RTD's buying power following voter approval of the program in 2004.
Ultimately, cost increases threaten to rein in the scope of the West Corridor line as well as on the eight other corridors. Cost-cutting decisions on the West Corridor could signal what the other lines face.
The West Corridor line is expected to open in 2013. Other corridors are scheduled to open in stages through 2016.
"Please don't faint, they are only proposals," Dennis Cole, RTD's project manager for the West Corridor, told community representatives who were shown the panel's suggestions at a meeting Friday.
The engineering panel was told to look at everything in the plan, he said. "There will be no holds barred, no sacred cows."
Indeed, one of the first suggestions from the panel was to revisit a cut that was so controversial two years ago that it was shot down: to end the line at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood and defer building the final 3 1/2-mile segment to the Jefferson County government center in Golden. That alone could save up to $200 million.
"It's a very expensive piece of the project," said Bernie Dull, an engineer who was the panel's facilitator. "But it's a hard political decision to make."
It panel listed 62 cost-cutting suggestions in three categories. Not all of the cuts could be accomplished, because some are alternatives to others. In fact, the total of all the suggested trims, $694 million, exceeds the entire cost of the project.
Fourteen of the proposals alone totaled $609 million, and all were major enough that they would trigger a new environmental impact study and cause a delay in the project.
Another 14 proposals, totaling $26 million, were major enough to cause a delay but would not require a new impact study.
The final 34 ideas totaled $59 million and are all considered minor changes.
The suggestions included eliminating four small stations that have no bus or park-n-Ride service, using grade crossings instead of train bridges at Wadsworth and Sheridan boulevards and Kipling Street, and reducing the amount of signalization on the line.
Another idea is to bypass the Denver Federal Center, which would eliminate two bridges over the Sixth Avenue Freeway.
RTD hired the panel to assist with what is called "value engineering."
It is the second value engineering process RTD has held for the project in an effort to economize. The agency isn't bound to accept any of the suggestions.
The panel consisted of eight engineers with broad experience on rail systems in the U.S. and abroad.
RTD will rank the ideas one of four ways: accepted, accepted with changes, declined or tabled for further analysis. Liz Rao, RTD's FasTracks chief, said community input will be important.
"There will be things we definitely will do and some things we ought not do," she said. - Kevin Flynn, The Rocky Mountain News
ON TRACK AND ON TIME
SUISUN CITY, CA -- Dawnelda Scott is among those reaping benefits from the Yolo/Solano County passenger railroad revival that began 15 years ago.
Scott recently stood at the Suisun City station platform at 07:35. She needed to get to Richmond so she could catch BART and continue on to her job. She left the driving to the Capitol Corridor trains, which travel between Auburn and San Jose.
"It's a good opportunity to kick back a little, read a book, let someone handle the trials and tribulations of commuting, get that quality time for yourself," Scott said, white gloves and a black coat protecting her against the early morning chill.
Railroad revival? Make that railroad revolution. The Capitol Corridor service has as many trains zipping along its lines as the famed northeast corridor between Boston and New York.
"At the times people want to travel, we have a train available," said Eugene Skoropowski, managing director of the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority.
Oscar Valenzuela of Fairfield takes the train to Davis to UC Davis. He can choose between six eastbound trips in the morning.
"The bus has inconvenient hours," Valenzuela said as he sat on a bench inside the station. "To go to Davis, they only have two buses. One is at 06:55. The other is at 12:00."
But the railroad revolution started slowly Dec. 12, 1991. The very first Capitol Corridor train pulled up to what was then a ramshackle Suisun-Fairfield station at 08:00 for its only westbound morning visit. Only eight people waited in the fog and entered cars about one-third full.
"There are quite a few people for the first day," said Amtrak conductor Gene Springer, who wore a dark-blue uniform and collected ticket money.
Optimism was the name of the game. After all, the state had launched the service with a splash. Only the previous day, it had run a ceremonial train for dignitaries only along the line, complete with balloons and Dixieland jazz band, to drum up interest.
Former Assemblyman Tom Hannigan of Fairfield rode that ceremonial train and recalled how the Capitols got started. A constituent came to his office in the 1980s and said a rail line between Sacramento and San Jose could be used for passenger service, as well as freight.
"I did what any politician would do: I suggested we do a study," Hannigan said 15 years ago.
That study concluded the rail line should work. But the Capitols took awhile to pick up speed.
By 1994, the service averaged between 20,000 and 30,000 passengers a month, far short of the goal of 42,000 passengers. The service offered only three round-trips daily.
Things have changed. On their 15th birthday, the Capitols have record ridership that tops 100,000 passengers a month, with more than 120,000 riding in October. The service offers 16 round-trips daily.
The turnabout came when the Capitols started adding more trains, Skoropowski said. In the beginning, there was just that one train in the morning. Passengers, fittingly enough, called it "the morning train."
Then came the "early morning" train and the "late-morning train," also known as the "slackers' train," Skoropowski said. When the Capitols added a seventh round trip in 2000, ridership rose 40 percent and there were too many trains for the regular riders to honor with nicknames.
Suddenly, the Capitols had enough trains that commuters, as well as casual travelers, could use the service. The railroad revolution had reached critical mass.
Jim Spering was Suisun City's mayor in 1991 and has just left the post to become a county supervisor in January 2007. He believes the Capitols made a difference for his city.
"It has brought people to our downtown," he said. "We're starting to see people who ride that train get off in Suisun. It's given our community a lot of exposure."
The Capitols coincidentally arrived just as Suisun City launched its waterfront and Old Town renovation efforts. Old, decrepit buildings got razed and a public marina got built. Among the first projects was the renovation of the century-old train depot.
"The timing was perfect," Spering said. "We wanted to restore the train station, so that certainly helped justify that."
Despite all the Capitol Corridor's success stories -- despite the 1.2 million passengers annually and the cities along the line clamoring to have stations -- it has had only minimal effect on the daily commute. The U.S. Census shows that fewer than 1 percent of Bay Area commuters in 2005 took the train. For Solano County, the figure was 0.1 percent.
But Spering is looking to the future. Interstate 80 won't be widened, except for car-pool lanes, he said.
"It's going to get more congested," Spering said. "In time, people will need an alternative form of transportation."
The Capitols are up and running, he said. More trains can be added, he said.
"Transportation is generally behind the demand," Spering said. "We're trying to put some things in place that meet that future demand."
Solano County had its first railroad revolution in 1868, when the California Pacific Railroad laid down tracks and ran the first local trains. Suisun City, Dixon, Benicia and Elmira all got stations in subsequent years. People suddenly had a new travel option, in addition to boat and horse.
Trains remained a major form of transportation for decades. But after the state highway came through the area in 1915, autos gradually grew popular. Passenger trains faded.
Now they're back to help ease the pressure on congested freeways. The Capitols are leading the local railroad revival - and the new railroad revolution. - Barry Eberling, McNaugton Newspapers, The Davis Enterprise
THE END
| Subject | Written By | Date/Time (PST) |
|---|---|---|
 Railroad Newsline for Tuesday, 12/19/06 |
Larry W. Grant | 12-19-2006 - 00:08 |
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Re: Railroad Newsline for Tuesday, 12/19/06
|
Sergio Reyna | 04-22-2010 - 09:22 |