UTU News Digest - Friday, April 9, 1999

UTU Daily News Digest

Information of interest to operating railroad and transportation employees

Friday, April 9, 1999

NEW YORK: Passenger rail to NYC to get push from study

NEW YORK -- Plans for re-establishing passenger rail service between Binghamton and New York City are picking up steam, as New York seeks a company to study the idea.

State officials confirmed Tuesday they are soliciting proposals from companies to perform what the state Department of Transportation calls "a feasibility study of a Binghamton-based inter-city rail passenger service."

The effort is the beginning of a $500,000 initiative Gov. George E. Pataki announced in October to boost freight and passenger rail service statewide. The Binghamton study also will look at connections with Buffalo and Syracuse. A report is expected by the end of the year or early next year.

"Basically, this takes us another step closer to the reality of passenger rail service in Binghamton," Sen. Thomas W. Libous, R-Binghamton, said this week.

Regular passenger rail service in Binghamton ended nearly three decades ago when the Erie-Lackawanna Railway Co. made its last stop in the city on Jan. 5, 1970. The breakup and sale two years ago of much of Conrail's New York operations allow for commuter service. CSX Transportation Corp. now owns much of Conrail's northern routes, and Norfolk Southern owns the southern routes, including those through the Southern Tier.

The Binghamton-New York connection study will look at both major routes out of Broome County, through Scranton and through Port Jervis. Some officials favor the shorter Scranton run; others the more politically popular Port Jervis route.

"Ultimately, the demand, the market, will determine the route," DOT spokesman Michael Fleischer said. State officials acknowledge that any new passenger rail operation will require government funding. For that reason, Libous has promoted the Port Jervis route. It could serve a greater number of New York communities, which are represented by state leaders whose support is needed to win financial support.

On the other hand, people such as Robert J. Piecuch, Southern Tier coordinator for the Empire State Passengers Association, favor the Scranton route because it is about an hour shorter, passes through areas with larger populations and terminates directly inside Manhattan's Penn Station.

WISCONSIN: Commuter rail extension could cost $36 million

MILWAUKEE -- Extending Chicago's Metra commuter trains to Burlington and Silver Lake would cost $36 million, regional planners say.

Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission staff members estimated the cost of track upgrades, train stations and train cars as part of a larger study of whether the passenger rail service would be feasible.

The Metra line under study now ends at Antioch, Ill., but the Wisconsin Central Ltd. tracks on which it runs continue to Silver Lake, Burlington and beyond. The railroad runs 26 freight trains a day on those tracks, and that number could grow to 34 by 2005, the study says.

A planning commission study committee is considering a service that would run four southbound commuter trains from Wisconsin in weekday morning rush hours, four northbound trains in weekday evening rush hours and one weekday midday train each way. Three trains would run each way on Saturdays, with two each way on Sundays and holidays.

Upgrading the 16 miles of track from Antioch to Burlington, along with signals and crossings, would cost $23.4 million, the study says. Building new train stations at Burlington and Silver Lake would cost $2.6 million, and buying five coaches to carry additional passengers on the current Metra trains would cost $10 million.

Those costs are far less than the $152.4 million estimated to extend another Metra line from Kenosha to Milwaukee, or the $90 million to $104 million estimated to build a commuter rail line from Middleton to Madison's East Towne Mall.

This line would cost less because it would be shorter, require fewer stations, run fewer trains and use tracks in better condition, said Kenneth Yunker, planning commission assistant director.

Planners are projecting one-way fares would be $7 from Burlington to Chicago, $6.20 from Silver Lake to Chicago and $2.60 from Burlington to Silver Lake.

Later phases of the study will estimate annual operating costs and projected ridership. When the feasibility study is complete later this year, the study committee will recommend whether the plan should advance to a full-scale study, required to receive federal aid.

Even if both studies recommend proceeding with the service, details would have to be worked out on who would run the line and how to pay for it. Gov. Tommy G. Thompson has named a task force to consider those issues for all the passenger rail ideas under consideration statewide. Elected officials would have the final say on starting new rail services.

MINNESOTA: Owatonna woman struck, killed by train

OWATONNA, Minn. – An Owatonna woman died Wednesday after being struck by a train near her house. Owatonna Police Chief Gene Fisher identified the victim as Ramah Ann Wavrin. She died at the scene.

Fisher says Wavrin was walking along the railroad tracks when she was struck from behind by a southbound Union Pacific train.

The police chief adds the engineer was blowing the train's whistle. The train did not derail, but the accident tied up traffic for about two hours. Traffic has since returned to normal.

CALIFORNIA: First job-training program graduates

LOS ANGELES -- The first graduates of a job-training program co-sponsored by the City of Los Angeles and the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) received certificates of completion Tuesday.

During an informal ceremony and reception at City Hall, graduates were congratulated by ACTA officials and members of the Los Angeles City Council. Fifteen people completed the program.

Over the next three years, ACTA will provide job training to 1,000 local residents. Also, 30 percent of the work hours on the largest section of the Alameda Corridor rail cargo expressway project must go to local residents, and program graduates must make up at least 30 percent of those local workers.

ACTA, the City of Los Angeles Mayor's Office and Environmental Affairs Department collaborated on the first two sessions of the training program. Using a federal job-training grant for minorities, the City contributed $201,000 that provides participants two extra weeks of training in environmental remediation, an opportunity to attend a 51-hour environmental technologies course at Rio Hondo Community College free of charge, and job-placement services through an advisory committee of environmental contractors at the college. The money also goes toward stipends provided to participants during the 12-week training program.

Los Angeles is one of 16 cities selected as a Brownfields Showcase Community, making it eligible for federal money aimed at improving environmental cleanup. The Brownfields job-training money was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

"This job-training program will result in a brighter future for young Angelenos by giving them greater skills and opportunity," said Los Angeles Mayor Richard J. Riordan. "The program is a wonderful example of how redevelopment can improve neighborhoods, bring quality jobs and boost the local economy."

City Councilman Rudy Svorinich Jr., chairman of the ACTA Governing Board, commended the program graduates for their hard work and congratulated them on improving their futures. "The job-training program guarantees that the Alameda Corridor will leave a legacy well beyond construction of the Alameda Corridor," Svorinich said. "ACTA is providing local residents with job skills that will last a lifetime."

ACTA, a joint-powers authority between the cities and ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, is building a 20-mile railroad freight expressway linking the ports to the transcontinental rail yards just east of downtown Los Angeles. When completed in early 2002, the $2.4 billion project will speed the shipment of cargo and improve the flow of rail and vehicle traffic by consolidating rail lines and eliminating more than 200 street-level railroad crossings.

The Job Training and Development Program requires that the builder of the $712 million Mid-Corridor Trench -- a joint venture team led by Tutor-Saliba Corp. – provide pre-apprenticeship training to 650 local residents in construction trades. Another 350 residents will receive training in non-trade work.

Graduates of the first Brownfields-funded course completed their work April 2. The second Brownfields-funded session began April 5. The courses feature classroom and on-the-job-training supervised by the Carpenters Educational and Training Institute.

Potential trainees are encouraged to call a toll-free number (877/435-9191) to learn about eligibility.

CANADA: CPR introduces North America-Wide damage prevention & freight claims call center

CALGARY -- Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) makes it easier for customers to get advice and assistance on damage prevention and freight claims, beginning April 8, 1999. Help is now a toll-free call away from anywhere in North America, by calling 1-877-277-3732 (1-877-CPR-DPFC) between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday (EST), or by faxing 1-877-685-3555.

CPR damage prevention & freight claims specialists can assist with submitting a freight claim, making salvaging decisions, arranging inspections, shipping by rail for the first time, shipping a new product, designing effective loading or securement systems, informing on innovative new products to help shippers protect their goods, and preventing damage recurrence.

"We recognize that a central point of contact would greatly assist our customers with questions or concerns on shipping their products damage-free or with issues of inspections, salvage handling or freight claim inquiries,'' said Neil Zinger, director, CPR Damage Prevention & Freight Claims. "The new 1-877 number replaces all our 1-800 and local numbers previously used to report damage at our regional Freight Claims offices -- now one call does it all.''

More information on damage prevention & freight claims can be found on CPR's Web site, www.cpr.ca, by looking under "Customers,'' then "Business Steps,'' then either "Damage Prevention'' or "Freight Claims.'' Calgary-based CPR, a subsidiary of Canadian Pacific Limited, operates 25,000 km (15,500 miles) of track in Canada and the U.S. The railway has about 19,500 employees and revenues of about $3.5 billion Cdn annually. CPR's Web site address is http://www.cpr.ca

CANADA: Laidlaw second quarter results and ambulance restructuring plan

BURLINGTON, Ontario -- Laidlaw Inc. reported income (before an unusual income tax charge) for the three months ended February 28, 1999 was $38.9 million or $0.12 per share compared with $69.1 million or $0.21 per share last year. In 1998, income included an after tax gain of $10 million or three cents per share from the sale of the company's dialysis and disease management business. The current quarter includes a $4.3 million or $0.01 per share gain on the sale of Renal Care Group, Inc.'s shares, largely offset by expenses of approximately $4 million associated with Year 2000 projects.

Net income for the 1999 period, after the unusual income tax charge of $21 million ($0.064 per share) resulting from the settlement of all outstanding issues with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, was $17.9 million or $0.05 per share compared with $69.1 million or $0.21 per share for the same period one year ago.

After restating results to reflect the equity method of accounting for the company's 36% interest in Safety-Kleen Corp., operating income from the passenger and patient services businesses, before interest and taxes, was $68.2 million compared with $94.5 million in the year-ago period. Consolidated operating margin was 8.1% compared with 11.1%. Income from Safety-Kleen was $6.6 million compared with $2.4 million last year.

Consolidated revenue for the quarter (excluding Safety-Kleen) was $845.9 million compared with $853.2 million.

NEW YORK: Riders want more cops

NEW YORK -- Long Island Railroad commuters say they want more uniformed police in the wake of a sword- wielding passenger.

Larry Silverman of the LIRR Commuter Council says riders would like to see a uniformed police officer on every train.

The man with the sword, 37- year-old Charles Stevens of Westbury, Long Island, remains in critical condition at Saint Vincent's Hospital. Police shot him yesterday on a train waiting to leave Penn Station when they thought he was going to attack them.

OHIO: Train Hits Truck, Derails

MOXOHALA, Ohio -- Investigators are at the scene of a freight train derailment in Perry County. Two engines and 25 cars left the tracks after the Conrail train struck a semi-truck.

The Lancaster post of the state Highway Patrol says two engineers and the driver of the truck were hospitalized, but that the injuries were not believed to be life- threatening. The accident occurred near the town of Moxohala (MAHX-uh-HAY-luh). The train had 82 cars in all.

WYOMING: Spill Cleanup Continues

CHEYENNE, Wyoming -- Cleanup efforts at the site of a train derailment that happened early Monday continues a few miles west of Cheyenne.

The biggest remaining problem is an unspecified amount of molasses that has leaked from some of the cars creating a messy and hazardous situation. The biggest immediate concern at the time of the accident, was diesel fuel that presented both a fire and contamination threat. The fuel was removed local water systems show no sign of contamination. The cause of the derailment is still under investigation.

TRUCKING: Overnite denies Teamsters' charges

Overnite Transportation Co. is disputing a charge by the Teamsters that it is trying to revoke pay increases from employees at its unionized terminals.

The union, which is waging an organizing campaign at the less-than-truckload trucking company, filed an unfair labor practice contending the company is revoking pay hikes since March 15.

"This company has not withdrawn and will not withdraw 1999 wage and mileage rate increases as charged by the union," said Ira Rosenfeld, company spokesman. "These allegations by the union are just the act of last desperation by a group that does not have the support of our people even at the locations they represent."

The NLRB recently denied a decertification petition at Overnite's Sacramento terminal. Mr. Rosenfeld had no comment on that action, saying the petition was filed by employees and not the company. He said decertification petitions have been filed at six other of the 21 unionized terminals. Overnite has 166 terminals in its system.

CHINA: Maglev for bullet train project

TOKYO -- China is considering introducing magnetically levitated train technologies as an option for its express railway project linking Beijing and Shanghai, Vice Transport Minister for International Affairs Katsuji Doi said Wednesday.

Doi visited China with Transport Minister Jiro Kawasaki from Saturday to Tuesday, who expressed Japan's plan to bid for China's express railway project at his meeting with Chinese Railways Minister Fu Zhihuan.

Doi, however, said China did not seem to be sticking only to the maglev technology for the introduction of its high-speed train.

Japan and Germany, which is also interested in China's railway project, are said to be ahead in maglev technologies, but transfer of the technologies will not be promoted immediately because in both countries they are still at an experimental stage.

China highly regards Japan's maglev technologies, Doi said. China reportedly aims to run express trains that can reach a top speed of 350 kilometers per hour over the 1,300-km distance between Beijing and Shanghai.

Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi told Chinese President Jiang Zemin last November when Jiang visited Japan that Japan is willing to help China build the railway. Germany and France are also seeking construction orders for the project. Doi said that international bids for the project will likely be held as early as around the end of 2001.