September 2005 in rail transport

Events

September 1

- Kansas City Southern Railway reopens its Meridian Speedway railway line between Meridian, Mississippi, and Shreveport, Louisiana, after clearing debris and repairing damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. The line is also used by Norfolk Southern (NS) as a bridge route for NS intermodal trains between the Meridian and Alliance, Texas. KCS is also working with CSX Transportation and Meridian and Bigbee Railway to transfer additional intermodal traffic through Meridian rather than New Orleans or Birmingham. KC Business Journal

September 2

- In a letter to the governors of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, BNSF Railway (headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas) pledges a contribution of US$1 million, and offers rail transportation to aid in relief efforts for the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. The monetary contribution would come from the Bulington Northern Santa Fe Foundation as a donation to the American Red Cross relief efforts, while the transportation assistance is currently being organized by the Association of American Railroads, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Railroad Administration and the other railroads that serve the area. The letter also states that repairs to the Bayou Boeuf bridge are now complete and BNSF's mainline was reopened as originally planned at 6:00 PM Central Time on September 1. BNSF press release

- Officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation, in India, raid the offices and homes of several railroad contractors and at a few railroad officials, seizing documents and evidence. The contractors are accused of overcharging Indian Railways for work on water drainage systems; in 2004, the contractors were paid nearly Rs. 15,000,000 (approximately US$342,000) but failed to complete the work. Investigations over the summer of 2005 revealed that the several railway officials were aiding the contractors in overcharging for the work. newindpress.com

- Union Pacific Railroad (UP) agrees to pay US$318,000 to settle a lawsuit accusing the railroad of illegal hazardous waste disposal in Riverside County, California. Waste materials including thermite, methyl alcohol, several hundred flares and documents from the railroad were discovered in a load delivered to the Edom Hill landfill in Cathedral City on April 23, 2004. UP maintained its innocence throughout the investigation, but is agreeing to the settlement which includes a requirement to provide training to railroad employees in California on proper waste disposal and to keep records on such training and disposal for a minimum of seven years. Press-Enterprise

- Zimbabwe's Minister of Transport and Communications, Christopher Mushowe, announces that the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) will install a satellite tracking system to help the railroad improve efficiency and reduce accidents. The system will be used to track all trains on the railroad, and is part of the parastatal turnaround strategy that has included new railway signalling and computerized travel reservation systems. People's Daily

September 3

- Indian Railway Transport Minister Lalu Prasad takes an eye-opening ride in coach class on Indian Railways Capital Express passenger train from Kishanganj to Patna. On his ride, he experiences many of the troubles that regular railway passengers have complained about including poor sanitation facilities and crowded coaches. At the conclusion of his journey which he describes as "hellish", he vows "I will take some action." Hindustan Times

September 5

- Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE), the national railway system of Greece, inaugurates two new passenger trains that cut travel time between Athens and Thessaloniki to 4 hours and 15 minutes. The trains are scheduled to depart from each terminal every morning. Once the line is fully electrified, which is anticipated by the end of September, the travel time will further be reduced to 3 hours, 30 minutes. OSE also plans to inaugurate new commuter train service between Athens and Corinth the week of September 12. Kathimerini

September 6

- Indonesian transport officials at a meeting in Bandar Lampung announce plans to build a trans-Sumatran railway to connect Banda Aceh to Bakauheni, a distance of 2,151 km (1,337 mi). A Feasibility Study performed after the 2004 tsunami by SNCF, the national rail carrier of France, showed that such a line could be built. Construction is expected to commence in seven stages; the first stage would connect Banda Aceh to Besitang (484 km / 301 miles). Indonesia Relief

- The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, seeing a higher than expected increase in ridership due to rising gasoline prices and increased traffic issues around Chicago, Illinois, investigates strategies to speed up travel times between Chicago and northwest Indiana. Railroad officials describe one plan to allow trains to open all their doors at additional stations, which at other stations, has decreased boarding time to as little as 30 to 45 seconds. Another proposal being studied includes a bypass of a residential area in Michigan City. WNDU

September 7

- China's vice minister of railways Lu Dongfu announces that the Chinese government will invest two trillion yuan (US$241 billion) over the next fifteen years to upgrade the country's rail infrastructure and introduce new express passenger train services. Nine new high speed train routes have been approved for construction including four that would connect to Zhengzhou, where the vice minister made the announcement. These nine routes, which will host trains travelling at 300 km/h (186 mph) are expected to be in service by 2010 with additional routes to follow. China Daily

September 8

- The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) denies Patrick Corporation's proposed buyout of rail operator FCL Interstate Transport Services. Patrick, a port operator, wanted to expand its operations into rail-based freight forwarding, but that plan and a hostile takeover bid of Patrick by Toll Holdings (which reports indicate may also be denied by ACCC) are both now in question. Patrick is reviewing the ACCC decision and its expansion strategy. M&C News

- British Transport Secretary Alistair Darling presides over the opening ceremonies for a new light service, storage and refuelling depot on Chiltern Railways in Wembley. Construction had begun in February 2004 after extensive environmental impact studies and cost the railway nearly £20 million (US$37 million). The added capacity will allow the railway to add two more platforms to Marylebone station in London. RailStaff

- Montana RailLink takes delivery of locomotive number 4300, the first of 16 new EMD SD70ACe locomotives. This is the first locomotive that the railroad has ordered new from a manufacturer, and it and the rest of the class are intended to replace aging SD40 and SD45 class locomotives on trains crossing the Rocky Mountains.

September 9

- Louisiana's Department of Environmental Quality issues an administrative order for information on railroad car status information from seventeen railroads in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. The Department is seeking a list of all car reporting marks, types, contents, locations and physical status within the region. Previous flyovers of the area revealed a number of cars derailed in various states of damage, but it is as yet unknown the amount or types of hazardous materials that are involved. EPA

- Railpower Technologies, the Canadian manufacturer of the Green Goat hybrid locomotive, announces that director Robert Krebs has resigned citing personal reasons for his departure. Krebs had joined the RailPower board on May 13, 2005; he was formerly chairman and CEO of BNSF Railway as well as head of both the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific railroads before their respective mergers. RailPower

- RailAmerica announces that it is acquiring four United States railroad properties from Alcoa. RailAmerica is acquiring Point Comfort and Northern Railway (AAR reporting mark PCN; 13 miles (21 km) of track in Point Comfort, Texas), Rockdale, Sandow and Southern Railroad (RSS; 6 miles (10 km) between Rockdale and Marjorie, Texas), Massena Terminal Railroad (MSTR; 3 miles (5 km) in Massena, New York), and Bauxite and Northern Railway (BXN; 3 miles (5 km) in Bauxite, Arkansas). RailAmerica also announces that it is entering a 25-year lease with CSX Transportation to operate CSX's 48-mile (77 km) long Fremont branch between Fremont and West Olive, Michigan, where it interchanges with RailAmerica's Michigan Shore Railroad. RailAmerica

September 11

- Construction begins in China on a new railway between the capital of Jilin province, Changchun, and Mount Changbai, a popular vacation resort, a distance of 94 km (58 mi). The construction is budgeted at 809 million yuan (almost US$100 million), and was scheduled to be completed by May 2007. People's Daily

September 12

- London Mayor Ken Livingstone announces that Scott Wilson Railways of Swindon has been awarded a £500 million contract to redesign and upgrade the London Underground's Victoria Station. The project, part of the greater Transport for London (TfL) project, will increase the station's size by 50% and prepare it for the installation of new trains and signalling on the Victoria line which is expected to be completed in 2013. RailStaff

September 13

- At a press conference at the railroad's Commerce Mechanical Facility (in Commerce, California), BNSF Railway pledges its commitment to clean air and environmentally friendly practices in equipment purchase and use for facilities in Southern California. At the event, the railroad demonstrated the Green Goat locomotives manufactured by Railpower Technologies as well as the only four LNG-powered switchers in use in the United States. BNSF further pledged that the new Southern California International Gateway (SCIG) intermodal facility will only use LNG-powered switchers and truck tractors and only electrically powered cranes, pending successful testing of same. PR Newswire

- The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), the national rail carrier of Nigeria, announces that it has laid off 5,980 of its nearly 12,000 employees, answering a call from the Nigerian government to downsize. The government first asked NRC for a 50% reduction in the last quarter of 2003; NRC waited until there was sufficient funds from the government for severance packages for the affected employees. In all, the government released nearly N2.1 billion (US$16 million) to NRC for severance pay. Some of NRC's layoff criteria included fraud, excessive absenteeism, employees who had worked for more than 33 years, or who were aged 50-60, and employees with a history of disciplinary actions. AllAfrica

September 15

At the weekly cabinet meeting of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in Emiri Diwan, the creation of a national committee on railway construction is discussed. Such a railway would connect the Cooperation Council's member states and is hoped to help encourage cooperation and trade between the states. The railway committee was proposed by the Council's Minister of Finance. The Peninsula

- Officials with Pakistan's Ministry of Transport announce that the government will establish mass transit railway networks in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Sailkot, Quetta and Peshawar. The officials also confirmed that the commuter railway system in Karachi will receive upgrades. Later in September, Pakistan's Transport Minister Ishaque Khakwani will visit various transit sites in China on an information-gathering trip. Pakistan may use Chinese-built rolling stock for these new systems due to their competitive prices. Online

- At a meeting between Georgian and Turkish businessmen in Tbilisi, Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli announces that construction will begin on a rail connection between the two nations as soon as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline opens. Of the 98 km (61 mi) route, 68 km (42 mi) of track will be laid in Turkey with the rest in Georgia. However the project still faces hurdles from the government of Armenia because the proposed route would bypass that nation entirely. Additionally, United States Congressmen Joe Knollenberg (R, MI), Frank Pallone (D, NJ) and George Radanovich (R, CA) have introduced a bill that would deny any monetary assistance from the US if the railway bypasses Armenia. Caucaz

- Nepal's King Gyanendra proposes a trans-Himalayan railway during a visit to the nation's Bara region. The proposed railway would connect the southern community of Birgunj to Kathmandu and Tatopani in the north; the project is estimated to cost Rs.12-15 billion (US$171-214 million). Currently, Nepal's only rail connection to its neighbors is at Janakpur where a narrow gauge line connects to Jaynagar, India, but delays in converting the line to meter gauge have left the connection dormant. It is hoped that the new trans-Himalayan connection would encourage trade between Nepal, India and China, especially since China is nearing completion on a railway connection to Lhasa, Tibet. New Kerala

- Virginia and Truckee Railroad 4-4-0 steam locomotive number 18 Dayton, the oldest of two surviving locomotives built by Southern Pacific Railroad's Sacramento, California, shops, is moved from the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City to Virginia City. The locomotive had been moved to Carson City in 1993 for cosmetic restoration. Now that it has returned to Virginia City, the locomotive and its tender will be displayed in the Comstock History Center as a highlight exhibit for the Virginia and Truckee Railroad. SteamRailroading.com

September 16

- In the wake of Indian transport minister Lalu Prasad's "hellish" ride in coach class on September 3, Indian Railways announces an aggressive cleanliness and service improvement campaign across the railway system. Regional railway directors are ordered to implement improvements including killing cockroaches and rats, ensuring that air conditioning units are working properly and using liberal amounts of disinfectants in cleaning lavatories on trains and in train stations. Sleeping car accommodations will be improved with new bedding and lights and managers are to crack down on the harassment of passengers by any railway employee. The regional directors are ordered to report back to the ministry in October detailing local progress on each of the campaign's directives. Khaleej Times

- A bomb explodes near Nazran, Russia, on the Ingushetia/North Ossetia border. The bomb derailed the locomotive and two cars of a freight train travelling between Beslan and Nazran. All trains to Nazran are suspended due to the damage and fears that a second unexploded bomb lies elsewhere on the line. North Ossetian officials have classified the incident as an act of terrorism; investigators examining the crater left by the explosion estimate that the bomb contained the force of 5 kg (11 lb) of TNT. ITAR-TASS

September 19

- Initial reports from the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Saturday's derailment of a Metra commuter train in Chicago indicate that the train involved was travelling too fast for a track speed restriction. A switch ahead of the train was lined for the diverging route, a route that has a speed restriction of 10 mph (16 km/h). Data from the train's black box showed that the train was travelling at 69 mph (111 km/h) at the time of the derailment; 69 mph (111 km/h) is the normal speed for trains travelling along this route when the switch is not set for the diverging route. Two of the train's nearly 160 passengers died in the accident. The NTSB and Metra plan to conduct test runs along the same track with similar equipment to determine what the train's engineer would have seen on the nearby signals, but a rainy weather forecast may delay the test runs since the accident occurred during clear, dry weather. AP/ABC WBBM

- Moldovan transport minister Miron Gagauz announces the completion of a railway bypass around separatist Transnistria. The bypass was proposed in August 2004 when Transnistria declared the existing railway infrastructure within the region to be the property of Transnistria, under the control of newly formed Pridnestrovian Railways, rather than that of the Moldovan Railway. Further, the new company demanded that all trains operating over it pay a toll. The bypass adds 500 km (310 mi) to the route between the northern and southern borders of Moldova. The head of Pridnestrovian Railways, Sergei Martsinko, calls the decision to build the bypass a "political one, aimed at blockading the Transnistria". ITAR-TASS

- The city council of Sioux City, Iowa, unanimously agrees to act as a sponsor on grant applications for the preservation and historic restoration of former Milwaukee Road shops facilities, now called the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District, located in the city. The Siouxland Historical Railroad Association has already raised the required US$100,000 matching funds for a nearly $500,000 grant request from the Iowa Department of Transportation's Statewide Transportation Enhancement Fund. The association is also submitting grant requests to the National Endowment for the Humanities Interpreting America's Historic Places program. The grant money from both requests would help pay for restoration of the shops buildings and to install and maintain interpretive displays on railroad history in the area. The association's ultimate goal is an affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution, which would enable the association to house and display travelling exhibits from the institution. Sioux City Journal

September 20

- Japanese officials announce the government's intentions to pay former World War II prisoners of war involved in the construction of the Death Railway between Thailand and Burma. Compensation amounts have not been announced; some estimates place the number of construction survivors at 1,800, most now aged in their 80s and 90s. The compensation for laborers who have died either during construction or afterward would be sent to their next of kin. New Straits Times

- At a press conference at the U.S. Maritime Expo conference being held in New York City, Maersk and IBM announce plans to install wireless tracking devices in all of Maersk's shipping containers. The devices, called Tamper-Resistant Embedded Controllers (TRECs) will allow shippers to determine more precisely the locations of the containers. The sensors were originally conceived as a security device as requested by various world governments, but the two companies realized the value of location data to the shippers and included the functionality along with the ability to detect and record when and where the containers' doors are opened. Additional sensors on the devices, which are mounted within the container doors, include temperature, altitude and light sesnors. News.com

September 22

- China restores rail service on the Longhai Railway between Baoji and Tianshui; heavy rain and flooding closed this section on September 19. Repairs initiated by the Xi'an Railway Administration allowed the railway to partially reopen that afternoon, and train schedules were updated to allow passengers to continue their journeys through the affected area, and the line was completely opened as of 11:45 AM local time on Thursday. Xinhua

September 24

- Officials in Bihar, India, announce plans to install X-ray scanners at railway stations in Patna Junction, Jha Jha, Bhagalpur, Barauni, Katihar, Darbhanga, and Samastipur. Similar scanners are being installed at Jai Prakash Narayan Airport in Patna; state officials are hoping to prevent an influx of cash that is used as bribe money during the upcoming elections, but the plan has been criticized as "an exercise in futility" by some who see the scanners as another tool to harass legitimate travellers. Patna Daily

September 25

- The 2005 Phú Lộc derailment was an accident to an express passenger train that derailed in central Vietnam when it was running on the Thong Nhat Railway, killing 13 people and injuring hundreds, many of which were in a serious condition after the crash. The accident occurred in Phú Lộc District, Thừa Thiên–Huế Province when the train was traveling from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.

- Kálmán Mizsei, director of the United Nations Development Programme Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, expresses the UN's support of the controversial Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway project. In his statement he affirms the UN's belief that the project will help improve international travel and trade between the region and the rest of Europe. BakuToday

- Chinese railway workers begin construction on a new high speed passenger train line to connect Zhengzhou to Xi'an in China's northwest corner. This fourth new railway line, at a length of 484.5 km (301.1 mi), is expected to open for service in 2009. Chinese officials hope this new line will help with relations between the northwest province and the rest of the country as well as serve as a corridor to develop China's western regions. People's Daily

- Vietnamese officials announce that the French Ministry of Economy has agreed to fund between 20 and 30 million Euros for rehabilitation of Vietnam's busiest railway line. The 284 km (176 mi) line, between the capital city of Hanoi and the northern province of Lào Cai, currently sees around 20 trains per day. The upgrade will enable passenger trains to run up to 120 km/h (75 mph) and freight trains to run up to 80 km/h (50 mph); construction is expected to begin in 2006 and be completed in 2008. Xinhua

September 26

- Commuter rail service between Athens and Corinth is officially inaugurated by the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE). Greek communications and transport minister Michalis Liapis leads the opening ceremonies before boarding the first train. Service on the line will include one train per hour each way during the day; travel time between the two terminals is one hour, and service is also extended to Athens' Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport. The public is invited to ride the new line for free during the first week of operations. Beginning in October the fare between Athens and Corinth is expected to be €6, while the fare between Corinth and Athens' airport is expected to be €8. ANA

- At around 11:30 PM local time, Maoist rebels in the Indian state of Bihar explode a bomb at one of Indian Railways' train stations. Officials with the railway police force state that the explosion, which occurred after passengers were told to flee by the rebels, completely destroyed the station's waiting room, ticket office and a newly built structure adjacent to the station. WebIndia123

- Sound Transit introduces a fourth Sounder passenger train in daily service between Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. The new train will depart Tacoma Dome Station at 7:10 AM (arriving in Seattle at the King Street Station at 8:10 AM); the return trip will depart Seattle at 4:20 PM. Trains

September 27

- The West Coast Wilderness Railway, in Tasmania, is awarded the Colin Crisp Award for Engineering Heritage Excellence from the Australian Institute of Engineers. The award recognizes excellence in preserving and recording technological advancements in all fields. e-Travel Blackboard

- Officials in New York's Comptroller's office reveal that Metro-North Railroad will spend US$14 million replacing nearly 52,000 concrete ties on its route between Tarrytown and Ossining as well as the concrete ties on 12 miles (19 km) of track south of Tarrytown. The ties, among 206,000 new concrete ties that were installed in 1997 and 1998, must be replaced due to premature wear. Their manufacturer designed the ties to last 50 years; it is unknown why they are deteriorating in such a short time. MidHudson News

September 28

- Strathclyde Passenger Transport's Kelvindale railway station in west Glasgow, Scotland, opens. The line hasn't seen passenger service for nearly 25 years, but was kept in service for freight train use; the line's new passenger service promises 16 minute travel times between Kelvindale and Glasgow city center, and allows passengers to interchange with Anniesland and northern electric line services as well as other railway services to the west. BBC

- Responding to the New York Comptroller's office announcement on Tuesday, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) announces that the concrete ties on MTA-owned track in Connecticut are not showing the same premature wear as those on Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line. The New Haven Line has about 32,000 of the same type of ties that were purchased and installed in the same period as the problem ties in New York. ConnDOT's announcement continues stating that the agency does not believe that there is any safety problem with the ties and that no problems with the ties in Connecticut have been reported, but the agency and the railroad are closely monitoring their status. Connecticut Post

September 29

- Arthur Sarkisian, head of the Public Relations Department for Armenia's Ministry of Transport, speaking at a United Nations meeting, announces that Armenia is investigating building a railway link with Iran that would completely bypass Turkey and Azerbaijan. Armenia is assessing the project as well as connections with the rail systems of Georgia, Abkhazia and Russia. When asked about connecting to Turkey and Azerbaijan, Sarkisian stated that "using such facilities will cause many difficulties", but it is unclear what difficulties would be involved.

- Sixty years after World War II, Nederlandse Spoorwegen issues a statement formally apologizing for transporting Jewish people to Nazi concentration camps in Germany and Poland during the war. Aad Veenman, the railway's chief executive stated "On behalf of the company and from the bottom of my heart, I sincerely apologise for what happened during the war." The railway made the decision to issue the formal apology after the largest Dutch Jewish organization, Centraal Joods Overleg, proposed an awareness campaign to take place at the railway's stations nationwide. Reaction among the survivors is mixed. Reuters

- A group of transportation associations in Louisiana, including the Regional Transit Authority of New Orleans, Baton Rouge Capital Area Transit System, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS) and Amtrak propose a plan to operate commuter trains between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The trains, which could carry up to 600 passengers each, would operate twice daily from the KCS station near Baton Rouge's BREC Memorial Stadium to New Orleans' Union Station. Although specific details such as fare amounts and schedule times are yet to be determined, such a service "could be up and running in a short time", said DOTD spokesperson Cleo Allen. The coalition is seeking US$25 million in FEMA funding to pay for the service for three years as hurricane recovery continues. Times-Picayune

September 30

- Rift Valley Railways Consortium, led by South Africa's Sheltam Close Corporation, and a second consortium of companies, led by India's RITES, submit their bids for the concessioning of Kenya-Uganda Railways. The Kenyan and Ugandan governments will review the bids and make a decision in November. Control of the rail network was scheduled to be transferred to the winning bidder in March 2006. New Vision