Still more Monday morning rail news:
TRAINS: David Lassen
Former FRA administrator Batory joins R.J. Corman board
Ronald Batory, whose term as administrator of the Federal Railroad Adminstration ended concluded with the change of presidential administrations in January, has been named to the board of directors of the R.J. Corman Railroad Group. Batory’s 46-year career in the railroad industry includes time as president of the Belt Railway of Chicago and 12 years as president and chief operation officer of Conrail. “We are elated to welcome Ron Batory onto our advisory board,” Ed Quinn, president & CEO of R. J. Corman Railroad Group, said in a press release. “His legacy in the railroad industry is unparalleled and we are honored and grateful that he is joining our group of exceptional board members. Our company has worked with Ron in many capacities throughout his career in the railroad industry and we know he is a person of impeccable integrity whose insight and leadership will prove invaluable as he helps steward our company in the coming years.”
Trucks keep hitting CSX bridge near Buffalo, despite ban, warning signs
The bridge’s 11-foot, 6-inch clearance is clearly marked on the structure. Signs on the approach warn of its low clearance. It is on a street where truck traffic is banned. And yet the CSX Transportation bridge over Young Street in the Buffalo suburb of Tonawanda, N.Y., has been hit by overheight trucks three times in a six-day period this year, and at least 64 times since 2000, the Buffalo News reports. The latest incident involved a truckload of pre-prepared meals on its way to Canada; earlier incidents this year involved an empty semi trailer — whose driver kept going until stopped by police, even though the trailer was badly smashed — and a truckload of empty Crown Royal bottles. Tonawanda Police Capt. Fred Foels began documenting the accidents in 2000 and told the newspaper it’s hard to explain why the accidents keep happening. CSX has to inspect the bridge, built in 1918, after each collision and a spokesman says it “remains 100% structurally sound,” which doesn’t surprise Foals: “You look at it, it’s a battleship … These things were built to last.”
New Haven, Vt., station may have to go to make room for Amtrak service because of clearance issues
A New Haven, Vt., railroad station dating to the 1850s may have to be torn down to make room for planned Amtrak service because it is too close to the railroad tracks. The Addison County Independent reports the building, owned by the Vermont Agency of Transportation, has been identified as a safety risk for planned Amtrak operations to Burlington, Vt., because of its proximity to the tracks. The building’s tenant, Roundtree Construction, has been told it must vacate in June, and any effort to move the building would have to occur by this fall — which could be cost-prohibitive, especially on such short notice, although an effort to save the building is underway. The structure, built for the Rutland & Burlington Railroad, is believed to have been built in approximately 1852-53, although an exact date is unknown.
