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Information of interest to operating railroad and transportation employees

Friday, October 1, 1999

NEW YORK: Sports Illustrated pokes fun at BLE

NEW YORK: Every week, Sports Illustrated makes fun of an organization or individual that does something … well … pretty dumb, silly, and self-important.

This week, on page 34 of the top-rated sports magazine, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE) gets the ridicule treatment in a feature called, "This Week’s Sign That the Apocalypse Is Upon Us."

In that feature, SI puts down the BLE for taking itself "oh-so-seriously" when it comes to college football nicknames and awards.

What is This Week’s Sign That the Apocalypse is Upon Us? Simple. Writes SI, "The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers endorsed BYU linebacker Rob (Freight Train) Morris for the Butkus Award."

Word has it that sports historians are now searching to see whether the BLE endorsed Dick "Night Train" Lane or Walter "Big Train" Johnson for prestigious sports awards. Stay tuned for the results.

WASHINGTON: STB's Morgan nomination moves to Senate floor

WASHINGTON -- The controversial nomination of Linda J. Morgan to remain on the Surface Transportation Board is moving to the floor of the Senate after approval Thursday by the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the Journal of Commerce reported.

The vote on Morgan's nomination, which was sent to the Senate by President Clinton in August, came just two days after she testified at a hearing of the Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Subcommittee to consider her appointment.

Morgan testified at the hearing that she believed current law that affects how labor contracts are treated during mergers should be changed. In its decisions, the board has said it is bound by a 1991 Supreme Court ruling and earlier precedents that allow carriers to make merger-related changes in collectively bargained labor agreements.

Morgan's nomination is expected to face opposition on the floor from senators who have criticized the agency's recent rulings on rail competition and labor issues.

At that session, STB's policies drew criticism from Sens. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V.; Conrad Burns, R-Mont.; and Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.

Those senators have sponsored a bill called the Rail Shipper Protection Act that would require the STB to set competitive rates for shippers that have a choice of carriers for part of a particular shipment but have no rail alternative for some portion of the movement.

The legislation also would broaden competition in terminal areas and end annual STB calculations of carrier profitability.

Rockefeller promised Tuesday to be "mischievous" and "devious" when the nomination reached the floor unless there was further consideration of competition issues raised during the hearing. He did not elaborate on what form his future opposition would take.

Because the full committee approved Morgan on the Senate floor by a yes or no vote as part of action on seven presidential nominations, there was no tally of how many senators favored or opposed her nomination.

No date has been set for the full Senate to take up Morgan's appointment.

Rail labor has been pressing to win senators' support for legislative changes that would prevent the STB from altering negotiated labor contracts during a merger proceeding. Four major rail mergers that directly affected more than 150,000 unionized rail workers have been approved while Morgan chaired the STB.

Railroads oppose any changes in either competition or labor policy.

Though Morgan's opponents could press their cause on the Senate floor, prospects for shippers and employee groups to win some changes in the status quo appeared to brighten at Tuesday's hearing.

Subcommittee Chairwoman Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said she was eager to move legislation this year that would give the STB a multi-year authorization that is lacking now.

Her comments during the hearing called for legislation that would balance the needs of shippers to gain more competition and carriers to remain financially healthy.

To date, no additional hearings have been scheduled on the STB reauthorization.

The other Department of Transportation appointments approved by the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee were Michael Frazier as an assistant secretary of transportation and Stephen Van Beek as an associate deputy secretary of transportation.

MASSACHUSETTS: CSX derailment in South Boston

BOSTON -- At least one trainman was being treated for injuries Thursday night sustained when his locomotive crashed into an overpass wall in the Hub.

CSX locomotive engineer André Burcy was taken by a Boston Fire Dept. EMS crew to Boston Medical Center where he was being treated in the emergency room. No information on his condition was available at 10:30 p.m.

Presumably the other two crewmembers, the conductor and assistant conductor, were also taken to a hospital for urine tests for alcohol and drug abuse, which is mandated FRA practice following a derailment.

The B-733 crew (still called WARE-20 by local railroaders from its former Conrail name) was shoving a six- to eight-car string backwards on the Old Colony line under Southampton Street Bridge when a loaded flat car, next to CSX GP-40 engine 6212, snagged the lower part of Southampton Street overpass and turned over. The engine was slammed against the wall and tilted, injuring the engineer. A boxcar also rolled over, fouling one Red Line rapid transit track. The freight train was enroute at the time of the accident to the Boston Globe, where the crew was to make a newsprint delivery.

Old Colony traffic was halted, and three northbound trains were turned at Braintree to return to their overnight facilities in Kingston and Middleboro. Southward trains from South Station were annulled. Passengers who expected to ride home from south Station were bused by the MBTA, and riders en route to the capital city were put on Red Line trains to continue their journey.

The conductor called out "Emergency, emergency" on his hand-held radio, and informed Old Colony Line dispatcher Joseph Dreyer that his train was on the ground, and that he needed medical assistance for a crew member. Dreyer summoned police, fire and rescue people.

Management quickly arrived on the scene as well. All traffic on the line was halted, as were train movements on the west end of Southampton Street Yard, which also passes under the street. The highway overpass straddles the single-track Old Colony line at that location as well as the double-tracked Red Line and the single-track west-end Amtrak yard lead, which leads to a stub end track with a bumper.

Within minutes, Amtrak, MBTA, State and Boston police were on the scene, as was BostonGas and others. CSX also sent over managers from Beacon Park yard, some three miles west of the accident location.

The train had originated about two hours earlier at CSX's Readville Yard. The train went eastward to "Broad" interlocking near South Station where it was shunted onto the Old Colony route.

An engine inspection determined no fuel was spilled from the power plant following the derailment.

Tracks were taken out of service between "Cabot" interlocking and "Fly." Cabot is double-tracked, but the double iron becomes single track at "Fly." The two are about one-half mile apart, with Cabot at the east end of Southampton Street Yard, and Fly near the west end.

Track department foreman was assigned the task of determine the extent of damage to the rail infrastructure. The bridge was expected to be closed at least on Friday.

CALIFORNIA: MTA board to buy 297 new buses to comply with court order

LOS ANGELES -- Complying with a federal court order, the MTA will immediately initiate the purchase of 297 new buses on top of the 2,095 buses the transportation agency is already purchasing to improve Metro Bus service and reduce overcrowding.

The MTA Board of Directors approved the action Sept. 29 in response to an order issued last week by Chief United States District Judge Terry Hatter, Jr.

It will cost $116 million to buy the 297 new buses and $97 million during the next five years to operate additional buses beyond the service expansion MTA already is implementing to overhaul the Metro Bus system and improve the quality of its service. In 1999 MTA already planned to deploy 160 additional buses during weekday rush hours.

MTA directors instructed MTA CEO Julian Burke to develop a financial plan for operating additional service. Burke will report back to the MTA Board in October on his progress in identifying those funds.

Since it is impossible for MTA to meet the judge's 30 day deadline to obtain 248 temporary buses while the new coaches are being ordered and built, the MTA Board authorized the MTA CEO to take appropriate legal actions to request a stay of the September 23 court order. The CEO and legal counsel also will file an appropriate notice with the court while determining whether to appeal other aspects of the judge's order.

MTA Board Chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke said after the Board vote that MTA "is trying our best" to provide the best, safest and most efficient bus service for Metro riders.

NEBRASKA: Union Pacific finance chief Gary Stuart to retire Nov. 30

OMAHA -- Union Pacific Corp.'s (UNP) executive vice president, finance, and chief financial officer, Gary Stuart, will retire effective Nov. 30.

In a press release Thursday, the company named Jim Young, executive vice president, finance, and chief financial officer effective Dec. 1. Young, 46 years old, is chief accounting officer and Union Pacific Railroad's senior vice president, finance.

The company also named Rich Putz vice president, controller and chief accounting officer effective Dec. 1.

PENNSYLVANIA: Norfolk Southern spotlights hazardous materials safety

PHILADELPHIA -- A special Norfolk Southern train will stop in six Northeastern and Midwestern cities to increase public awareness about the safe transport of hazardous materials. With the train will be representatives of railroads, trucking companies, and chemical manufacturers, who work in cooperation with TRANSCAER (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response), a nationwide community outreach program.

The schedule for the TRANSCAER Whistle-Stop Tour is as follows:

At each location, representatives from state and local emergency planning committees, local emergency responders and government officials will learn how TRANSCAER can help them through hands-on drills and training sessions. Railroad training tank cars, specialized emergency response vehicles, and over-the-road trucks are featured for the day-long activities.

TRANSCAER is sponsored by the Association of American Railroads, Chemical Manufacturers Association, National Association of Chemical Distributors, National Tank Truck Carriers, American Petroleum Institute, Hazardous Materials Advisory Council, American Trucking Association, The Chlorine Institute, National Propane Gas Association, and American Waterways Operators. Through planning and cooperation, it addresses community concerns about the transportation of hazardous materials.

WASHINGTON: Air travelers beware of Y2K in world travel

WASHINGTON -- Air travelers heading for distant parts of the world this New Year's holiday could be flying into a void of information – and maybe trouble -- about Y2K preparations, the Transportation Department's inspector general says.

There is major uncertainty about Y2K readiness in some foreign countries where Y2K preparedness has been "sketchy or known to be inadequate," Kenneth Mead, the transportation official, said in testimony prepared for a hearing today of the Senate's special Y2K panel.

Mead said the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N.-based group that sets international flight standards, has not received responses from 34 of its 185 members about readiness for the potential computer glitch at the end of the millennium.

The concerns are focused primarily on African and Asian countries where there is a low amount of air travel. Still, officials said, about 1 million passengers last year traveled between the United States and the 34 countries yet to respond on Y2K.

Ed Smart of the International Federation of Air Line Pilot Associations told the Senate panel that pilots were confident of flight safety in North America and in the eastern Pacific and northern Atlantic regions.

"We are somewhat less confident" about Eastern Europe and other areas of the world, he said.

Smart said there was a possibility of airspace and airports along main Asia-Europe routes being closed because of air-ground communications failures. His association is recommending that pilots carry an extra 30 minutes of fuel and that the ICAO make military airports available to cope with possible Y2K-induced delays and diversions.

The FAA plans to impose flight restrictions if there is a known, verifiable safety problem. But Mead said "we are not persuaded this approach will be sufficient because FAA is not likely to have verified evidence of problems until after Dec. 31, 1999."

Dave Smallen, spokesman of the Transportation Department's Y2K office, said a lack of Y2K readiness does not necessarily means a safety problem.

"We are telling people that they should be very prudent and very careful when making their travel plans, because they could face service disruptions and diversions, but at this point we are not going beyond that," he said.

Smallen said the department today is launching a website, www.fly2k.dot.gov, that will provide information on what foreign countries, airports and airlines have reported their Y2K preparations.

Domestically, Mead said air carriers handling 95 percent of passenger and cargo services say they will be Y2K-ready at the end of September. The Federal Aviation Administration has given assurances that vital aviation systems are prepared to handle the year 2000 date rollover and people can be confident that air travel in this country will be safe.

But Mead also noted that 1,900 smaller carriers of the 3,300 air carriers surveyed by the FAA about Y2K readiness did not respond, and only 107 of 579 non-hub and general aviation airports had completed Y2K work as of March 15.

Y2K-related failures or disruptions are likely to be isolated local events in the United States, Mead said, but "we are disappointed at the lack of information concerning the readiness of many smaller providers." He said the 4,624 public airports not associated with the major airport associations had not been surveyed by the FAA or the trade associations.

The Y2K problem involves older computers that read only the last two digits of a year and could mistake the year 2000, or "00," as 1900, causing systems to malfunction or break down.

CALIFORNIA: Transit bus purchases to increase by 64%

TORRANCE -- A boom in transit bus buying is expected in 2000, according to METRO magazine's Top 100 Transit Bus Fleet survey.

The survey shows a 64% increase in bus purchases and notes a six to 18 month backlog for buses. New York City continues to be the largest transit system with 4,172 of the 52,379 buses in North America's 100 largest transit fleets.

Lenny Levine, executive editor of METRO says, "Next year could see about 13,000 transit buses sold in the United States and Canada."

METRO, since 1904, is North America's oldest and respected public transport magazine.

NEW YORK: All aboard the privatize Amtrak bandwagon, a commentary

NEW YORK -- There once was an expression that went something like this: That's no way to run a railroad, a Dow Jones commentary by Rick Stine begins.

People used that line when they were making a statement about sub-standard service. The idea was that railroads were known for efficiency, good performance, great customer service. There was a certain romance about riding the rails.

Today, there's a reason why you don't hear that expression much anymore. Especially if you are a train commuter between New York and Philadelphia, riding Amtrak's commuter service known as "The Clocker." That's because the service is hardly efficient or reliable. And sometimes customer service is non-existent. There's no romance to always standing on a crowded train, or being on a train that breaks down.

I am one of those commuters who ride the rush hour "Clockers." By the way, they certainly don't call it "Clocker" because it runs like a clock, unless you mean a broken stopwatch.

How bad is this train service?

If you ride the train every day, have you ever noticed the number that identifies the engine? You probably didn't know there was such a number. In fact, you shouldn't even have to know such a number exists. But many riders of the Clocker trains know these numbers, specifically numbers 600 and 608. Why? Because if a train pulls up with one of those engines, you've got a 50-50 chance of either being late or breaking down. The conductors even joke with the passengers about the faulty engines.

Wednesday, good old engine number 600 broke down again, clogging up the rails, creating delays for many morning commuters to New York. What's maddening about it is this: good old engine number 600 broke down Monday night as it was taking hundreds of people home from New York. Actually, it stopped, it started, it stopped and then limped to Philadelphia. How can you put that engine back in service less than 36 hours later?

Now we all know Amtrak has had severe budget problems. Republicans in Congress each year want to cut back funding to the national rail service. Democrats argue the environmental benefits of moving people around on the rails rather than on roads.

Shrinking budgets do contribute to running rickety old engines on upgraded rails (they've spent a ton of money recently upgrading tracks so they can handle high-speed trains that won't go that much faster than the current ones). Amtrak has a strong union. Its labor costs are undoubtedly too high.

Some detractors argue that Amtrak will always have problems because it is a government enterprise. Of course, the French and German rail systems are run by the government and so efficient that people comment how you can set your watch to the time a train arrives at a station (maybe they ought to be called Clockers).

I'm beginning to fall into the camp that argues for privatizing the national rail system. One pitfall is that you could see reduced service to parts of the country if it's not money making. What's wrong with that?

Amtrak is not accountable to anybody. A publicly traded commuter railroad company would be - to its shareholders. Managers who don't strive for top level service wouldn't be managers much longer. Same with employees. You might actually have lower costs if you could start all over again with a new union and structure. Some employees who ride the rails for Amtrak (at least the ones I've come in contact with) hardly put in a full days work.

Private sector companies have a need to strive for top customer service. If they don't, they go out of business. Can you imagine one of the publicly traded airlines taking a plane with a broken engine to the hanger, tightening a few screws, and then sending it back out onto the runway?

For private sector companies to survive and prosper, they need to be creative. Not all publicly traded companies are creative in running their businesses. But at least the pressure is there to try to be creative. We've had publicly traded bus companies in the past, why not the railroad?

So, to the people in charge of the Clocker Service, let me say: That's no way to run a railroad.

WASHINGTON: Greyhound to install bus lifts

WASHINGTON -- Greyhound Lines Inc. reached an agreement with the Justice Department today under which the bus company will begin phasing in lift-equipped buses for disabled passengers two years before it is required to have them.

The Justice Department said the out-of-court agreement also makes other improvements in service for disabled riders and resolves a number of complaints that Greyhound drivers and employees had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by discriminating against the disabled.

Most of the complaints involved refusal to aid a disabled person in boarding a bus, injuries that occurred when disabled riders were carried on or off buses or other mistreatment, the department said.

"Carrying people with disabilities onto buses is often dangerous and humiliating,'' said Bill Lann Lee, acting assistant attorney general in charge of the civil rights division. "This agreement is an important step towards eliminating carrying in intercity transportation.''

Lee added that the agreement is important for disabled people because "intercity bus service is often the only affordable form of transportation for many people with disabilities.''

Department of Transportation rules require that Greyhound and all other bus operators provide lift-equipped bus service on 48 hours notice, beginning Oct. 28, 2001.

But Greyhound agreed to take two steps before that deadline:

Between now and March 31, 2000, Greyhound will begin providing lift-equipped buses or station-based boarding devices along its major routes and will try to make them available on its other routes if passengers call Greyhound's toll-free ADA Hotline, 1-800-752-4841, 48 hours before they travel. At first, the company does not expect to be able to fill all requests for equipment but will still provide assistance, by carrying if necessary, to get on and off at all stops, including for rest and meals.

Beginning April 1, 2000, Greyhound's "Access Greyhound'' program will guarantee accessible buses between any of the 2,600 locations it serves if it has 48 hours notice - except when there are sudden breakdowns in the bus or the lift, an unforeseen lack of trained personnel, an unusually high demand or the service at a particular site would be very costly. The company will still provide assistance even if a lift-equipped bus cannot be found.

Beginning in October 2001, all newly purchased or leased buses will have lifts and Greyhound will provide lift-equipped buses between any locations on 48 hours' notice.

The company also agreed to train all its employees in assisting disabled riders, set up an internal dispute resolution procedure to handle complaints from disabled riders within 90 days, inform passengers of their rights, set up an advisory committee of disability rights advocates and remove other barriers in Greyhound facilities.

In addition, Greyhound will pay more than $17,500 in damages, including payments from $500 to $4,000 to 14 individuals who complained about its service. These include allegations by people who said they were refused passage or boarding assistance because of their impaired vision or mobility, were inappropriately carried on or off buses or were verbally harassed.

VIRGINIA: Norfolk Southern names properties officers

NORFOLK -- Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) today said it has named two officers to management positions within its Properties group, effective October 1.

David A. Cox, vice president Properties, was named senior vice president Properties and Development. Cox began his railroad career with a Norfolk Southern predecessor company in 1956 and held positions of increasing responsibility, primarily within the Real Estate and Industrial Development groups, leading to his current position in 1995.

Richard W. Parker, assistant vice president Real Estate, was named vice president Properties, succeeding Cox. Parker joined a Norfolk Southern predecessor company as an assistant general attorney in 1971. He served in various positions in the Law department prior to being named to his current position in 1993.

The Norfolk Southern Properties group provides customers with assistance in industrial development, including engineering, site layout and logistics, and is responsible for the purchase, sale, lease and development of Norfolk Southern real estate.

In addition, Norfolk Southern named three other officers to new positions.

James A. Hixon, vice president Taxation, was named senior vice president Employee Relations, with responsibility for Human Resources and Labor Relations. Hixon joined Norfolk Southern as assistant tax counsel in 1985 and subsequently served as general tax attorney and assistant vice president and tax counsel before being named to his current position in 1993.

William A. Galanko, tax counsel since 1993, was named vice president Taxation, succeeding Hixon. Galanko joined Norfolk Southern as a general tax attorney in 1990.

Paul N. Austin, vice president Human Resources and assistant to the chairman, was named vice president and assistant to the chairman, president and chief executive officer. Austin's railway career began within the Personnel department of a Norfolk Southern predecessor company in 1968. He was given positions of increasing responsibility leading to his current position in 1998.

ENGLAND: Railtrack shares surge after positive briefings

LONDON -- Shares in Railtrack (U.TRK) are sharply higher early Friday following Thursday's trading update discussions between the company and analysts.

At 0926 GMT, shares were up 7.4%, or 94 pence, at 1,372 pence, after rising 6.0% to 1,278 pence in a late rally Thursday. Railtrack is leading the FTSE-100 risers so far in Friday's session. The index of blue-chip shares is 6 points higher at 6035.8.

Analysts said the company made reassuring noises about current trading and the main strategic projects it's involved in.

"We told analysts that our results are likely to be in line with consensus and that we are making good progress on projects like the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the London Underground," said Jackie Holman, Railtrack's head of investor relations.

She said the company would shortly announce some good news about the London Underground. She declined to elaborate.

Holman said the meeting was only meant to be indicative and didn't include any new information about the company.

Railtrack usually speaks to analysts individually two months before publishing its results, Holman said.

The company is due to release its interim results November 5.

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