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February 2014


 

Railroad Day on the Hill

  

Industry News 

 

Member News

 


REMSA Welcomes New Members 
  
Affinity Resources Co., Inc.

 

Industry Events


Railroad Track Construction Project Management
University of Wisconsin-Madison
March 3-5, 2014
Chicago, Illinois

Railroad Day on the Hill
March 13, 2014
Washington, DC

InnoTrans 2014
September 23-26, 2014
Berlin, Germany 


NT Expo - Business on Rails 
November 11-13, 2014
Sao Paulo, Brazil
 
Contact Us

If you have any member news, industry tips, questions or comments, please share with us: 
 
Phone: (202) 715-2921 

In This IssueTOPANCHOR

 

REMSA Hosts USA Pavilion at InnoTrans 2014

 

Railroad Day on Capitol Hill

 

 
Industry News

New FRA Rule Targets More Effective Rail Inspections

Railroads' Private Investments Help it Become "Important Logistics System"

BNSF Budgets an All-Time-high $5B for Capex in 2014

Norfolk Southern Posts Record 4Q Profit; Announces $2.2B Capital Plan for 2014  

 


CN to Invest Nearly $23M for Freight Rail Preservation in N.B., Canada

Study: "Unbridled" Government Regulations Hurt U.S. Manufacturing

 

 
Member News

REMSA Members and Track Inspection

REMSA Members Improving Friction Management

Axion Receives International Purchase Order

Hanson Professional Services Receives Merit Award

HDR Tapped for Grand Rapids Streetcar Plan

HDR Increases Partnership with WTS

Koppers Completes Purchase of Crosstie Treating Business

Koppers Extends Sales Contract with Norfolk Southern

Ken Laughlin Joins Nisus Corp.

Pandrol Acquires CDM Track

SKF Obtains Order for Compact Tapered Bearing Units

Whitmore Acquires Fluid Defense Systems  

 
In Memoriam

Arthur Willmott Worth 

 

  
InnoTrans2014REMSA Hosts USA Pavillion at InnoTrans 2014
 
REMSA is excited to announce that we will be hosting the USA Pavilion at InnoTrans 2014 - the world's largest transportation industry trade show! InnoTrans 2014 will be held September 23-26, 2014 in Berlin, Germany. Due to 2012's USA Pavilion at InnoTrans' success and increasing demand, REMSA has doubled the size of the USA Pavilion for 2014. The USA Pavilion will be located in Hall 22b (Railway Infrastructure) and has the capacity to feature 16 US-based companies. 


The Pavilion layout will include a common exhibit area that includes internet, refreshments, seating, and meeting space along with booth space for each exhibiting company; translators will also be present. Additional benefits to exhibitors include support and guidance on translation and shipping materials; transportation advice including airport, hotel, and expo center transfers; and access to the USA Pavilion room block at the InterContinental Hotel Berlin.

Last year InnoTrans 2012 attracted 126,000 top decision makers from more than 140 countries and over 2,500 exhibitors from 49 different countries. InnoTrans comes around only ever two years, so don't miss out on the opportunity to exhibit with the USA Pavilion at the world's leading transportation industry event!

Space within the USA Pavilion is limited. Please contact Urszula Soucie at [email protected] if interested and would like more information.

Read more about the USA Pavilion at InnoTrans 2012 featured in Railway Age Magazine.  

 

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RRDay
Railroad Day on the Hill is March 13
 
Over the past 15 years, Railroad Day on Capitol Hill has proven to be an incredibly effective way to get our advocacy message to Congress. The size of the event, the geographical diversity of the participants, and the unified railroad industry message has focused Congress on our issues like never before.
 
Registration for Railroad Day on the Hill 2014 is open on the American Short Line Railroad Association website
 
Railroad Day on Capitol Hill is open to all Class I, II, and III railroad personnel, suppliers, contractors, labor, shippers, as well as state and local government representatives, with an interest in furthering the political goals of the railroad industry. By joining with your fellow rail industry workers, you can help drive home to Congress the important role that this industry plays in restoring America's economy, improving America's environment, and connecting America in the global marketplace. 
  

 

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IndustryHeaderIndustry News   

 

IndFRA

On January 24 the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced new regulations governing inspections to identify rail flaws. The new rule will require railroads to ensure that rail inspectors are qualified to operate rail-flaw detection equipment and verify sections of rail with signs of certain types of flaws to be inspected within four hours. The FRA is implementing these new regulations to reduce track-caused accidents and encourage the use of new technology to monitor potential safety issues. (Progressive Railroading) 

 

IndInvestments

Advances in railroad technology and infrastructure fueled by private investment are creating massive dividends for the American railroad industry. As energy prices increase for all types of freight transport, the efficiency of rail is allowing the industry to capture shorter shipping markets once dominated by trucks, and also develop new business supporting the natural gas and petroleum booms in the U.S. and Canada. Market outlooks for the railroad industry are overwhelmingly positive, driven by the rise in energy prices as well as strong demand for freight services. (Forbes)

 

IndBNSF

BNSF Railway Co. announced on February 4 that it has budgeted a single-year record $5B for capital expenditures in 2014, up about $1B compared to 2013. The largest component of the 2014 budget is $2.3B allocated for the core network and related assets. BNSF also plans to spend about $1.6B to acquire locomotives, freight cars and other equipment; $900M on terminal, line and intermodal expansion/efficiency projects; and about $200M to continue installing positive train control. (Progressive Railroading)

 

IndNS

Norfolk Southern Corp. posted a record profit in fourth-quarter 2013, with net income soaring 24 percent to $513M, or $1.64 per diluted share, compared with 2012's fourth-quarter results. Strong intermodal, chemical, automotive and agricultural shipments during the quarter more than offset declines in coal traffic to drive total volumes up 4 percent, said company officials. For 2014, NS expects to pump up its capital program by 12 percent to $2.2B in order to maintain safe railway operations, purchase locomotives and freight cars, and support growth and productivity initiatives. (Progressive Railroading) 

 

IndFEC

Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) is installing crane pads for the new Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) at Port Everglades, which is slated to open in the summer of 2014. The $73M, 43-acre near-dock rail facility in the port's southport containerized cargo area will be used to transfer domestic and international shipping containers between ship and rail and will replace FEC's existing 12-acre intermodal yard, which is currently located several miles from Port Everglades on Andrews Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. (RT&S)

 

IndCN

Canadian National reached an agreement with the provincial government of New Brunswick to maintain freight service on the railroad's Newcastle Subdivision. Under this agreement, the government will invest up to $25M on infrastructure improvements, while CN will spend a similar amount on maintenance and operating expenses for the line. The agreement also allows CN to cease service on certain sections of the line that require excessive investment to maintain. (Railway Age) 

 

IndStudy

A study released last fall by the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) in conjunction with NERA Economic Consulting measuring how federal rules affect the manufacturing sector, concluded that manufacturers are being hurt by the enormous number of government regulations. "While manufacturers know instinctively that they regulatory burden is growing, our findings make it clear that the regulatory system is at best unbridled and at worst dysfunctional," said Stephen Gold, President and CEO of MAPI. (Plastics Today)

 

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MemberHeaderMember News

 

MemREMSATrack

Railway Age discusses the advantages and challenges of high-tech, automated inspection methods based on interviews with personnel from a variety of rail maintenance suppliers, including REMSA members Balfour Beatty, ENSCO, Georgetown Rail Equipment, Harsco Rail, Nordco Inc., NxGen Rail Services, and Plasser American.   (Railway Age)

 

MemREMSAFriction
Manufacturers and suppliers, including REMSA members Elecsys, L.B. Foster, Loram, Robolube, SKF/Lincoln Lubrication Systems, and Whitmore Rail were hard at work in 2013 making improvements to greases and lubrication systems for the railroads. A number of new solutions and equipment are now available for use in providing optimal management of wear and tear on the rails. (RT&S)

MemAxion

REMSA member Axion International Holdings Inc. announced a second purchase order from an international freight line for its ECOTRAX� railroad ties. The ties will be used to replace wood timbers on bridges. The two orders combined total approximately $200,000. (Progressive Railroading)

 

MemHansonHanson Professional Services Receives Merit Award
REMSA member Hanson Professional Services, Inc. was recognized by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Illinois with a "Merit Award" for the Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Springfield Rail Improvements project in Springfield, Ill. The city of Springfield contracted Hanson to provide a preliminary design report and prepare the Tier 2 EIS to study needed improvements on the rail corridor. (Progressive Railroading) 

 

MemHDR

REMSA member HDR, Inc. has been hired to revive a streetcar plan for Grand Rapids, Mich., using a six-year-old study as a baseline for the new effort. This is just one of a few streetcar projects HDR has in their repertoire, having overseen a feasibility study for Atlanta's initial streetcar line, scheduled to open this year. They also landed a $3.6M contract for the final design of the main components of the streetcar line in Kansas City, Mo., now under construction. (Railroad Age)

 

MemHDR2

HDR Increases Partnership with WTS

REMSA member HDR Engineering Inc. has committed to increase its partnership with WTS International. Historically a Champion-level partner in support of the association, HDR will increase its partnership with WTS to the Trailblazer level, making a substantial commitment in support of the association's programs and operations.
(Progressive Railroading) 

 

MemKoppers1

Koppers Completes Purchase of Crosstie Treating Business

REMSA member Koppers Inc., has completed the purchase of the crosstie treating business and related manufacturing facility of Tolko Industries Ltd., located in Ashcroft, BC, Canada. The purchase price, after an adjustment for working capital of CA$0.9M (US$0.8M), was CA$32.4M (US$29.3M) subject to post-closing adjustments. Koppers views this acquisition as a means to strengthen its market position in Canada and the northwestern region of the U.S. (RT&S) 

 

MemKoppers2

REMSA member Koppers Inc. and Norfolk Southern have agreed to extend their two existing sales contracts to supply railroad crossties and related rail products and services for an additional three years. "Securing this extension with such an important customer confirms that our focus on...providing quality products and services to the North American railroad industry is recognized by our customers," said Walt Turner, president and CEO of Koppers. (RT&S)  

 

MemNisus

Nimsus Corp. has hired Ken Laughlin, formerly of Pacific Wood Preserving Cos., where he will support sales of QNAP� copper naphthenate and Cellutreat� DOT borate to the pressure-treatment market. He will work with end-users as well as pressure treatment companies to incorporate the treatments into their regimes. (Progressive Railroading)

 

MemPandrol

REMSA member Pandrol USA LP announced its acquisition of the CDM Track business, including the RBSI Resin Bonded Rubber manufacturing unit in France. The Bridgeport, NJ based company will incorporate its new unit as Pandrol CDM track and take advantage of its products and systems to enhance Pandrol's product portfolio within international markets for track infrastructure. (Railway Age)

 

MemSKF

REMSA member SKF has obtained an order for Compact Tapered Bearing Units for the Tikhvin Freight Car Assembly Plant (TVSZ), an affiliated company of United Wagon Co. L.L.C. Under the cooperation agreement, SKF will provide technical support to TVSZ. (Progressive Railroading)

 

MemWhitford

Whitmore Manufacturing Co. has acquired Fluid Defense Systems L.L.C., a supplier of fully integrated lubricant storage and handling solutions. Fluid Defense has grown to become the "recognized standard" in lubricant handling and contamination control for industries ranging from food and beverage production to industrial manufacturing, power generation and mining. (Progressive Railroading)

 

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MemoriamIn Memoriam  

 

ArthurArthur Willmott Worth

Arthur (Art) Willmott Worth, 79, passed away after his brave battle with pancreatic cancer on January 17, 2014, at Mount Sinai Hospital, Montreal, Quebec.  Art surely will be missed by many but in particular the railroad community where he worked for over five decades. Art's passion for the industry was unwavering.  He loved talking about all aspects with whoever would listen. After a long and dedicated career with the CN Railway that spanned over 42 years, Art did not slow down. We at REMSA extend our sincerest condolences to Art's family and friends. (Montreal Gazette)

 

 

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