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NRC Toolbox Talks
A version is available in PDF format as well as in Microsoft Word so that NRC member companies can make company or job specific changes.
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Member-Get-A-Member Campaign
Help Grow the NRC and Strengthen our Voice
Three options to help recruit new members:
1. Reply to this email with names and contact information of potential members and we'll send them a membership information package.
2. Make a quick introductory call and follow up using the "E-Kit" found here.
3. Direct a potential new member to www.nrcma.org where they can learn more about the NRC and join online.
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Visit the NRC Bid Notifications page on the NRC website at:
www.nrcma.org/go/bids |
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Publicize your Rail Industry Event on www.nrcma.org/calendar.cfm
Visit: www.nrcma.org/listevent.cfm to submit an event |
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U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) Visits Harsco Rail in Columbia, SC
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Senator Graham and Harsco Rail President Scott Jacoby during the Senator's tour of Harsco Rail's facility in Columbia, SC
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On May 28, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committees, joined representatives from Harsco Rail and the NRC for a tour of Harsco Rail's manufacturing facility and headquarters in Columbia, SC.
Harsco Rail's Columbia Plant Manager, Craig Fairley led the Senator on a tour of the facility, which manufactures maintenance-of-way equipment such as tampers, tie inserters, grinders, and track renewal equipment. During the tour, the Senator had the opportunity to see first-hand a Harsco Rail Mark IV Production/Switch Tamper in action and learn how track maintenance is essential to rail safety and the longevity of rail infrastructure.
"It was a pleasure to have a visit from Senator Graham and his staff to our South Carolina manufacturing facility. We have worked closely with the Senator's office in the past and we appreciate all the help and support he has provided to our company, other South Carolina businesses, and the national economy," said Scott Jacoby, President of Harsco Rail.
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U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (KY-6) Tours R.J. Corman's Rail Yard in Lexington, KYOn June 2, U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY-6) jo ined representatives from R.J. Corman Railroad Group and the NRC for a tour of R.J. Corman's rail yard in Lexington, KY. Additional attendees included R.J. Corman customers Standlee Premium Western Foliage and Clay Ingles Company, LLC as well as Kentucky State Senator Tom Buford (Senate District 22) and representatives from GoRail.
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Kentucky State Senator Tom Buford, Congressman Andy Barr, R.J. Corman Railroad Group President & CEO Craig King, R.J. Corman Railroad Company Mechanical Superintendent Steve Jones, and R.J. Corman Railroad Company President Michael Wester tour the RJ Corman rail yard
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"It was a pleasure to meet with the employees and leadership of the R.J. Corman Railroad Group today," said Rep. Barr. "Our meeting highlighted the importance of rail transportation both throughout Central Kentucky and the United States. This family business is a true testament to the foresight of the late Rick Corman and his many contributions to both the railroad industry and our community."
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These congressional visits are coordinated and executed by the NRC staff, for more information on NRC Grassroots Events, please visit:
www.nrcma.org/go/Grassroots
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Parsons Tapped for Arlington Streetcar Project
Arlington and Fairfax counties in Virginia have awarded a contract to Parsons Transportation Group to manage the municipality's proposed Columbia Pike streetcar program. The contract, worth at least $7m in the first year, was awarded Friday, May 30, 2014.
A separate contract for design and engineering is now out for bid at www.virginiabids.com, with a selection expected by this fall.
Source: Railway Age
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Hill International Receives LA Metro Light Rail Program Management Contract Amendment
Hill International received an amendment from Los Angeles' Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority for program management services on Phases 2A and 2B of the $1.9b Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension light rail transit project.
The one-year contract amendment has an estimated value to Hill of approximately $8m involving the roughly 24-mile extension of LA's Metro Gold Line from Pasadena, CA, to Montclair, CA.
In 2009 Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) chose Hill International to manage the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority, an LACMTA affiliate, for design and construction of Phase 1 of the Gold Line extension, an 11.4-mile stretch from Pasadena to Azusa.
Source: Railway Age
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North Carolina DOT Allocates $16m for 40 Freight Rail Projects
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) recently awarded more than $16m to 40 freight-rail projects through the Freight Rail and Rail Crossing Safety Improvement program.
Established in 2013, the program is funded by dividends received from the North Carolina Railroad Co. The funds support projects that improve freight service and grade crossing safety in the state.
The recent allocations included:
- $5.3m for 14 projects to improve short-line infrastructure;
- $4.7m for eight projects involving the closure of seven crossings and improvements to adjacent crossings;
- $3m for 13 projects to improve rail access and enhancing freight movements;
- $1.9m for two projects to modernize rail crossing signals;
- $833k to modernize and add capacity to the Wilmington Terminal Railroad at the Port of Wilmington;
- and $200k to construct a rail industrial access spur to serve "Project C" at the North Carolina Industrial Center in Mebane on a Norfolk Southern Railway line.
Projects that received funds include:
- a relay rail installation and track upgrades for the North Carolina and Virginia Railroad;
- additional sidings and track upgrades for Carolina Coastal Railway;
- a siding rehabilitation, new industrial tracks and trackwork for North Carolina Railroad and NS;
- additional track capacity for the High Point, Thomasville & Denton Railroad;
- new transload tracks for the Thermal Belt Railroad;
- and track upgrades for the Aberdeen, Carolina & Western Railway, Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad, Caldwell County Railroad, Chesapeake & Albemarle Railroad, Clinton Terminal Railroad, Laurinburg & Southern Railroad and Yadkin Valley Railroad.
For the full listing of awarded projects, please visit
Sources: NCDOT, Progressive Railroading
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Edmonton Light Rail Expansion to Receive up to $150m in New Building Canada Funds
The Canadian government has set aside up to $150m (CAD) in the New Building Canada Fund-Provincial Territorial Infrastructure Component for an expansion of the light rail system in Edmonton, Alberta.
The Valley Line Stage 1 expansion will provide light rail service from Mill Woods Town Centre to 102nd Street, including a transfer point with Edmonton's existing LRT system that serves the city's northeast, south and central areas. The line will integrate directly into existing communities, with an initial projected daily ridership of 31,500 passengers, increasing to 42,000 by 2044. The province of Alberta and city of Edmonton also are partners on the Valley Line expansion project.
Sources: Progressive Railroading, Railway Age
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USDOT Awards $235m in Sandy Relief Grants for NJ Transit, PATH
The USDOT has awarded a combined $235m in federal grants to repair damage sustained by New Jersey Transit and the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) rail systems during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. PATH was awarded about $167m and NJ Transit, $66.8m.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey plans to use the federal funding for PATH's ongoing emergency relief program, including payment for past and ongoing recovery work. In addition, the grants will go toward new resiliency equipment and practices to improve resistance to future storm damage and ability to efficiently restore service following major storm events.
The grants also will fund NJ Transit's ready-to-implement projects, including the repair and restoration of the Newark and Hudson Bergen light-rail lines; Weehawken Ferry Terminal dredging; purchase of up to four fuel trucks; Gladstone catenary pole resiliency; and an Interoperable Communications Center.
Source: Progressive Railroading
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Caltrain Approves FY2015 Operating Budget
Caltrain's board adopted a $125.7m operating budget for fiscal-year 2015, about $5m more than FY2014's budget.
The most significant source of one-time-only funds for FY2015 is a result of historic growth in ridership, which led to record-setting farebox revenue. Fares cover $75m of the projected operating revenue; income from shuttles, parking, grants and other sources make up $18.1m; member agency contributions cover another $19.8m; and the remaining $12.8m is covered by using surplus farebox revenue from FY2013 and FY2014.
For the full Caltrain operating budget for 2015, please visit www.caltrain.com/about/statsandreports/Budgets.html
Sources: Progressive Railroading, Caltrain
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$350m FY14-15 Capital Budget Approved for Port of LA
Nearly $350m, or 37%, of the approved budget will fund capital expenditures. The port anticipates spending about $1.1b on its capital improvement program over the next five years. In FY2014-15, $281m has been allocated for specific capital improvement projects, with terminal development and transportation projects accounting for 87% of the funds.
About $136.3m is budgeted for terminal development projects, such as the ongoing TraPac Terminal expansion that includes an intermodal facility to provide on-dock rail capabilities, and other terminal-related construction. Another $19.2m will fund upgrades and improvements at the Yang Ming, APL, Evergreen, YTI and China Shipping terminals.
About $109m is budgeted for transportation improvement projects, including the Berth 200 Rail Yard and accompanying track connections that are nearing completion and the South Wilmington grade separation.
For the further details on the Port of LA FY14-15 budget, please visit www.portoflosangeles.org/newsroom/2014_releases/news_060514_Budget.asp
Sources: Progressive Railroading, Port of LA
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Genesee & Wyoming Launches Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad
Genesee & Wyoming announced that its new Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad (RCP&E) subsidiary completed the acquisition of the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern (DM&E) west end line from Canadian Pacific. The purchase price totaled about $210m, plus $7.5m for certain inventory, equipment and vehicles.
The new 670 mile railroad has 177 employees, most of whom were hired from the former DM&E operation, and G&W expects to hire additional workers.
Headquartered in Rapid City, SD, RCP&E expects to eventually operate a fleet of 50 locomotives and 3,000 rail cars. The railroad interchanges with CP, BNSF, Union Pacific and the Nebraska Northwestern. Customers on the line currently ship about 52,000 carloads annually of grain, bentonite clay, ethanol, fertilizer and other products.
Source: Progressive Railroading
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OmniTRAX Affiliate Acquires Sand Springs Railway
OmniTRAX Inc. announced its Sand Springs Holdings LLC affiliate has acquired the Sand Springs Railway Co., which operates 32 miles of track between Sand Springs and Tulsa, OK. The Sand Springs Railway has direct connections with BNSF, Union Pacific, and Watco's South Kansas Oklahoma Railroad and is expected to commence operations no later than July 31.
Source: Progressive Railroading
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Harsco Rail Taps Steve Bolte from Progressive Railroading to Serve as Senior Director of North American Sales
Steve Bolte, who for the past 16 years served as publisher of Progressive Railroading and currently serves as an official Observer on the NRC Board and is active on several NRC Committees, has been named Senior Director of North American Sales for Harsco Rail. He'll begin his new position on July 7.
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Job Opportunity: Director of Operations & Maintenance, Ansaldo Honolulu Joint Venture
Ansaldo Honolulu Joint Venture, a subsidiary of Ansaldo STS, is looking for a Director of Operations and Maintenance for their Honolulu project. The position would be to provide all of the contractual obligations owed to the owner (HART) related to operations and maintenance, and to oversee staffing, training, SOP and rulebook development, SSO coordination, and installation, testing, and acceptance of all systems. That also includes coordination with external agencies (police, fire) related to drills, etc.
If you, or somebody you know, are interested in the position, please send your resume directly to Enrico Fontana at [email protected]. Any follow up will come from Ansaldo.
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