Midwest rail needs long-term planning, FRA official says
May 1, 2012 / Updated August 29, 2012
Passenger Rail
KANSAS CITY, MO — Speaking at the Northern Flyer Alliance’s Passenger Rail Symposium in April, Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo stressed the need for long-term planning to create market-driven passenger rail corridors.
At the symposium, at Kansas City’s Union Station, was held to create a venue for public officials, business owners, community leaders and other stakeholders from Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas to discuss the expansion of passenger rail as a fiscally sound approach to the region’s transportation issues.
With population expected to grow by 100 million in the next 40 years, America’s economic competiveness in the 21st century will require its highways, airports, railways and public transit systems to work together seamlessly in a way that moves people and goods faster and more efficiently, Szabo said.
“Progress doesn’t happen overnight – it becomes a reality after each state lays a solid foundation through good planning and analysis,” he said. “I am pleased to see the planning work currently taking place in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, proving that strong, long-term planning leads to the creation of a market-driven rail plan that benefits communities throughout the corridor.”
With more than $10 billion in funding, the FRA and 32 state partners are proceeding with 154 High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Program projects. A federal investment of $2.5 billion thus far has allowed the Midwest region to improve reliability, trip times and station development in the last three years.
An operating session on the Split Rock Mining Co. Railroad is pretty straightforward. A three-person crew works the freelance HO-scale railroad with the sole purpose of transporting iron ore mined in Northern Minnesota to a freighter on Lake Superior. Instructions for the operators can be communicated in a few words before the shift begins. Pull all loads at the mine. Take them to the boat. Take all empties from the boat back to the mines. Rinse and repeat. There are no car cards or manifests. Switching is done by colors, and, yes, there is a rhyme and reason on this Alco-driven layout based on railroading on the Iron Range in Minnesota.
A new generation of freelance railroads is taking model railroading by storm, gaining prominence through online videos and social media. The ages-old modeling technique is attracting young modelers and unlocking creative license in veteran hobbyists.
In Southern Wyoming, OmniTRAX is handling switching for two mines in a region known for its prolific coal mining operations. The mines deliver about 17 million tons of trona, a sodium carbonate compound that is processed into soda ash or bicarbonate of soda, and OmniTRAX is increasing safety and managing efficiencies in moving inbound and outbound cars.
G&G Model Shop in Southwest Houston credits flexibility and personalized service for its 80 years serving the model railroad community. Rapido Trains delivers an N-scale replica of the Santa Fe Railway’s storied SFRD RR-56 refrigerator car, reviewed in this issue. Also, the romance of the circus and railroads united in the circus train, which endured as the greatest shows on earth’s sideshow. And more!
