ProgressiveThe Information Leader for the Railroad Industry JULY 2014 STRAIGHT There's no sugarcoating it: It'll take time to put Metra TALK back on track, the agency's new leaders say Maintaining Rail At Mines, Power Plants FLEET STATS 2014 WEB EXCLUSIVE: An APTA Rail Conference recap www.progressiverailroading.com/cover Martin Oberman, Metra chairman (left) and Donald Orseno, Metra Executive Director/CEO www.ProgressiveRailroading.com C1_PR_0714 cover.indd C1 6/26/14 11:48 AM B PERFECT PELLETS POINT A TO POINT B Weather is one of the worst threats to any shipment of plastic pellets. It can cause costly contamination that can ruin your product. These expensive little pellets are manufactured to strict formulations and any elements like dirt, moisture or plant matter can very easily spoil everything. Greenbrier takes this very seriously. Our large covered hopper rail car is optimally designed and built to protect against even the smallest product contamination. 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Follow us to find out more http://www.gbrx.com [email protected] 1-800-343-7188 FREE INFO: Circle 111 C2_PR_0714 GREENBRIER.indd C2 6/30/14 9:43 AM PROGRESSIVE RAILROADING Volume 57, No. 7 July 2014 | CONTENTS | 1 COVER STORY • PAGE 16 STRAIGHT There’s no sugarcoating it: It’ll take time to put Metra TALK back on track, the agency’s new leaders say FEATURESURES 34 Key links in the coal supply chain Mines, utilities aim to bolster rail infrastructure at both ends of the coal transportation spectrum so power Photo courtesy of Metra plants stay fueled Cover design by Mark Uy 40 Seeking a stress- DEPARTMENTS free environment 4 Upfront Railroads call on consultants, suppliers to help ensure continuous-welded rail 53 Reader Information Center doesn’t buckle, bend or break 54 Professional Services Directory 54 Classified 44 Detecting a trend Suppliers and service providers offer 56 From the Editor an array of maintenance-of-way detection equipment SPECIAL SECTIONN 24 Fleet Stats 2014 Our annual compendium of North American rail- ADVERTISING SECTION car and locomotive 13 TOP EXECUTIVES ON THE facts and fi gures MARKETPLACE “You can’t change a culture overnight by just pronouncing things are now perfect — you have to live it.” — Martin Oberman, Metra Chairman -p.18 PROGRESSIVE RAILROADING (ISSN 0033-0817) (Publications Agreement No. 40031401) is published mailed outside the U.S., $145.00 (U.S. dollars) per year, $254 (U.S. dollars) for two years. 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Subscription price to All packages shipped via UPS, air express or common carrier, plus all general correspondence, others: $8.00 per single copy. $99.00 per year, $186.00 (U.S.) 2 years. For subscriptions should be addressed to: Progressive Railroading, 2100 W. Florist Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53209. Printed in U.S.A. 01_PR_0714 toc-main.indd 01 7/2/14 9:59 AM PROGRESSIVE RAILROADING 2 | ONLINE | July 2014 Progressive Sign up for our RSS feed progressiverailroading.com/ rss/prnews.asp Recently posted web-exclusive content: More M&A at OmniTRAX Short-line Follow us on Twitter acquisitions and operating pacts long have been twitter.com/rail_pro_mag key parts of OmniTRAX Inc.’s growth strategy. With a new railroad in the fold as of late May and a major operating contract ironed out in mid-June, the Find us on Facebook short-line holding company has made progress on facebook.com/ both counts. progressiverailroading.com/pr ProgressiveRailroading OMNITRAX INC. Join the Progressive Railroading Magazine LinkedIn group CMO on board at All Aboard Florida progressiverailroading.com/ All Aboard Florida Chief Marketing Officer Julie linkedin Edwards is working to educate the public about and determine marketing strategies for Florida’s upcoming intercity passenger-rail service. Check us out on Google+ progressiverailroading.com/pr progressiverailroading.com/ google+ An APTA Rail recap Join the discussion on our “America’s future is riding on public social networking site, transportation” was a refrain heard throughout myprogressiverailroading.com the American Public Transportation Association’s Rail Conference, held June 15-18 in Montreal. progressiverailroading.com/pr myProgressive Progressive Railroading’s Daily News The most-read Daily News stories last month: ■ “KCS marks longest-ever ‘A-Max’ unit train” (5/30/14) ■ “BNSF operates first unit train for new TransCold Express service” (6/10/14) ■ “Amtrak starts field testing first of four new passenger-car types” (6/14/14) progressiverailroading.com/news LOGGING IN Angela Cotey Jeff Stagl Julie Sneider senior associate editor managing editor associate editor he Regional Transportation nvestors need look no further for hat could be worse than a TDistrict’s FasTracks program has the Ievidence of the frac sand market’s “Whighway through the middle of potential to make Denver one of the growth potential than CN. In 2013, town? How about when two highways most advanced transit cities in the the Class I moved more than 50,000 intersect, with all their assorted high- West — provided more residents give carloads of frac sand, up 500 percent speed ramps carving out huge chunks up their cars. www.citylab.com since 2008. fi nance.yahoo.com of land to move cars.” StreetsblogUSA 02_PR_0714 toc-online.indd 02 7/2/14 10:22 AM FREE INFO: Circle 103 03_PR_0614 MINER.indd 03 6/19/14 2:14 PM PROGRESSIVE RAILROADING 4 | July 2014 Upfront [ SHORT LINES ] A military maneuver By Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor Over the past several years, Plan Initiative, which drove the also offers career exploration The committee is striving Class Is have increased efforts formation of the committee, tools, military-to-civilian skill to connect with veterans in to hire military veterans. Their says Cliatt. translations, and education and every possible way because of leadership attributes, work The committee recently training resources. the value military members can ethic and in-depth training in developed a brochure designed The committee reached out bring to the short-line work- various disciplines make to inform exiting military per- to H2H organizers because the force, says ASLRRA President veterans ideal railroad workers, sonnel about available entry- to site gets a lot of traffic and Richard Timmons, a 32-year Class I recruiters believe. senior-level positions at short helps place veterans from all U.S. Army veteran who retired So do hiring managers lines, such as dispatchers, military service levels, says Eric in 1998 as a three-star general. at many short lines. But a locomotive engineers, opera- O’Neill, a committee member “These men and women number of small railroads lack tions managers and administra- and ASLRRA’s chief financial have been vetted repeatedly in the resources and know-how tive executives. The brochure officer. military entrance requirements, to recruit veterans. Enter can be distributed at job fairs “It’s the audience we’re try- demanding and specialized the American Short Line and or downloaded from ASLRRA’s ing to reach,” he says. training, and in the harsh Regional Railroad Association’s website (www.aslrra.org). Each short line can register environments of military service (ASLRRA) Veterans Recruitment on H2H and post jobs, or a around the globe,” he says. Committee. Formed in March Casting a web group of railroads can create “They fully understand responsi- 2012, the committee aims to The committee also developed a “community” on the site, bility, accountability, teamwork, provide member short lines the a section on the association’s says Sam Giovinazzi, H2H’s job mastery and safety.” ■ necessary tools and information website devoted to veteran employment transitiontransition coor-coor- to recruit veterans, as well as hiring. The web page includes dinator in California.ifornia. help vets learn about short-line information about the short- SOURCE: ASLRRA career opportunities. line industry and employment Log in, latch oonn The nine-member committee resources for vets, including Veterans can searchsearch the is chaired by Pacific Harbor Line links to hiring sites. Short lines site by job typepe,, susuchch as President Otis Cliatt. Other mem- can access various sites to post welder, or by a pparticu-articu- bers include Vice Chair Shayne jobs aimed at attracting veteran lar railroad, hee says.says. Magdoff, Genesee & Wyoming candidates. Currently, 4 mimillionllion Inc.’s vice president of HR “Our goal is to get short jobs are posteded on integration, and executives from lines to use the website and H2H and 20,000000 ASLRRA, OmniTRAX Inc., Pinsly other resources,” says Magdoff.