More Thursday morning rail news:
CSX train hits boulder, derails in Kentucky
A CSX Transportation train has derailed in Harlan County, Ky., after striking a boulder that fell from a cliff face across an adjacent highway, WKYT-TV reports. The rockfall and derailment has closed State Route 2007 between Wallins and Coldiron, Ky. The derailment occurred early Thursday; no serious injuries occurred, a Harlan County official has posted on Facebook, and CSX crews are on the scene assessing the situation. This report will be updated as more details become available.
Sound Transit CEO to forgo pay raise
The CEO of Seattle-area agency Sound Transit will forgo a raise and bonus for 2021 because of the economic situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Seattle Times reports CEO Peter Rogoff will pass on a $15,184 raise and a $6,000 performance bonus. Rogoff is electing to take a pay freeze “in light of the financial challenges brought on by the pandemic, and his desire to lead by example as the agency works toward containing operating costs,” transit board chairman Kent Keel told a meeting. Sound Transit’s 1,100 employees will not receive a yearly raise to account for inflation, but will receive a lump-sum bonus, typically about $3,000, according to a spokesman.
Ogden prepares to buy land needed for FrontRunner expansion
The city of Ogden, Utah, is preparing to buy a 5-acre piece of land needed for northward expansion of the Utah Transit Authority FrontRunner commuter rail service. The Ogden Standard-Examiner reports the UTA has agreed to the purchase, but Ogden has the final authority and is currently negotiating with current site owner Nelson Intermountain Crane. If the council approves the agreement, the UTA would reimburse the city for the purchase once the expansion north from Ogden begins. A public hearing on the purchase is likely in January. The transit agency’s goal is to extend service about 20 miles north to Brigham City, Utah. Last week, the UTA approved purchase of a 38-acre site in Willard, Utah, for the expansion project [see “Digest: Michigan City moves on land acquisition …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 14, 2020].
