More Wednesday morning rail news:
— The Alaska Railroad reported a $21.6 million profit in 2019, a 17% improvement over the previous year, thanks to improved freight business. The Anchorage Daily News reports the railroad generated $203.9 million in total revenue, an increase of 7.5%. Freight traffic increased by 9%, leading to $85.3 million in freight revenue, an increase of 16%.
— The NJ Transit board has approved the purchase of land needed to replace the infamous Portal Bridge, the century-old swing spans structure over the Hackensack River between Secaucus and Kearney, N.J. The contract approved at Tuesday’s board meeting, held virtually, will purchase land in Kearney and cover costs to move Metal Green Recycling Industries, which now occupies the site, NorthJersey.com reports. The bridge is a longstanding issue on the Northeast Corridor, as it sometimes does not close properly after being opened, leading to U.S. Coast Guard restrictions on its use [see “Coast Guard to make permanent ban on rush-hour openings of Portal Bridge,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 2, 2019].
— A tunneling machine for LA Metro’s Purple Line subway extension has reached the Wilshire/Fairfax station near the La Brea Tar Pits, becoming the second station site reached by tunnel. Metro reported that the machine, which started at the Wilshire/La Brea station last October, broke through the east side of the Wilshare/Fairfax station on Saturday, April 4. A second machine is expected to reach the station in about eight weeks.
And after forecasting a record or net record year for passenger service, the Alaska Railroad is running virtually no passenger service until at least July 1st (monthly Hurricane Turn train only to serve the roadless area north of Talkeetna). Of course, cruise ships were forecast to bring a record number of passengers to Alaska this summer, and it looks like no cruise ships until
July at the earliest; all thanks to covid 19…
(Canada is not allowing cruise ships to stop in Canada until at least July 1st; since all the big cruise ships serving Alaska are foreign flagged, they have to have at least one Canadian port in order to serve Alaska)
Hum. Wilshire & Fairfax. Home to the Peterson Museum (formerly Orback’s department store) , the old May Company, now part of the LA County Museum of Art, Johnnie’s Times Square (a Googie Diner) and, decades ago, my pediatric dentist. Anyhow, it’s progress and good to see something positive.
Why? The answer is in the first sentence of the story.
Do these totals suggest that the “passenger” revenue was $118.6 million? Or does the $118.6 include real estate investments etc. and “other ” revenue?
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Alaska RR’s logo looks a bit like that of Bolton Wanderers, a soccer team in England.
As to the AAR’s increased profits.. It would be interesting to see the Question WHY? Answered! They always seem to be operating on a razor’s edge between profits and just breaking even….The question of WHY did they do so good in 2019.. Is this ‘new’ traffic permanent?
Wonder what the ATA has to say about the Alaska railroad’s freight increased 9%.