January 2007

Our First Issue!

Rail Lines is…. A newsletter produced to share information about the entire rail industry in North Carolina. We welcome your rail news items. Please send any questions or comments to raillines@ncrr.com. The views and opinions expressed herein are the author's only and are not to be attributed to North Carolina Railroad Company or its officers, directors or affiliates. Authors are responsible for the accuracy and content of all articles contained herein, and North Carolina Railroad Company disclaims any liability arising there from and makes no warranties with respect thereto.

In the News…..

Morehead City Rail Relocation Feasibility Study

Various aspects, including traffic, safety, economic development, and the environment, will determine whether the North Carolina Railroad Company should relocate their tracks between Havelock and Morehead City. Earth Tech is currently studying the potential rail relocation. Several potential new routes have been developed and presented to the public. If the study concludes that a new route is feasible, the lengthy process of preparing an environmental impact statement and engineering designs will begin. Hogwood, Ben. Carteret County News-Times, “Potential for economic growth could be key in rail relocation” 25 October, 2006. CSX Upgrading Charlotte Terminal CSX Corporation has decided to upgrade its intermodal terminal on North Tryon Street in Charlotte, rather than build a new intermodal yard in Chester County, South Carolina. The intermodal facility allows shipping containers to be transported by both rail cars and trucks. The improvements will be aimed at increasing efficiency and capacity. Charlotte Business Journal, “CSX abandons plans for Chester County” 18 December 2006.

Overview of the Rail Industry

North Carolina currently ranks 19th in the nation in number of rail miles (3,250). The state ranks 32nd in rail tons originated by state (15,549,847), but 13th in rail tons terminated (61,158,149). North Carolina ranks 30th in both freight rail employment (2,251) and wages ($135,864,000) by state. Norfolk Southern, typical of Class I railroads in 2005, saw a 17% increase in operating revenues last year; its stock rose 24%. Revenue for all Class I Railroads rose 10% from $49.2 billion in 2004 to $56.4 billion last year. To learn more about current trends and statistics within the industry visit the Association of American Railroads website ( www.aar.org ).

N.C. House Select Committee on Expanding Rail Service

After a series of meetings held across the state, the House Select Committee on Expanding Rail Services, co-chaired by Representatives Louis Pate, Margaret Dickson, and Ray Rapp, recommended that the committee continue its work in the 2007 year as a joint effort between the House and the Senate. The Committee discussed and approved a list of recommendations “to provide greater non-highway transportation choices for the state’s citizen and visitors and to promote economic development and fuller integration of the State into the global economy…” The final report will be presented to the 2007 General Assembly. To read the report go to www.ncleg.net .

Highway 54 Bridge Project Completed

The existing rail bridge over Highway NC 54 was recently replaced with a modern structure. The old bridge, built in 1927, hampered both rail traffic above and vehicular traffic below. Its short and narrow design often created a bottleneck for commuters and prevented large trucks from passing underneath. The new design will allow the road below to be widened, easing congestion, and reducing the risk of a truck hitting the structure. In addition, the new bridge will allow the freight and passenger trains that use it daily to travel at faster speeds. It will also allow for an additional track to added, thereby increasing capacity and accommodating growth in freight and passenger service on the rail. The bridge is the first in over 100 years to display the North Carolina Railroad Company’s name. In October, the bridge won a Triangle Business Journal Edge Award for the engineering project that most contributed to an improved quality of life in the Triangle. Triangle Business Journal, “Improved Quality of Life Engineering Category Award Winner” 13 October, 2006.

The State of Freight

Rail currently moves 42% of the nation’s inter-city freight, more than any other mode of transportation, and rail freight transport is expected to double by 2020. Coal is the most important single commodity moved by rail, accounting for 44% of tonnage; 21% of revenue. Railroads handle almost 2/3 of all US coal shipments. Intermodal (containers) is the fastest-growing segment of the rail market, combining door to door convenience of trucks with long-haul economy of rail. A single intermodal train takes up to 280 trucks off highways. Intermodal has more than tripled in the last 20 years and now accounts for more than 22% of U.S. rail revenue. Intermodal volume set a new record of 3.7 million loads in the third quarter of 2006, increasing by 4.9% and topping the record-setting mark of this year’s second quarter. For more information about rail freight and intermodal freight visit the Association of American Railroads (www.aar.org ) and the Intermodal Association of North America ( www.intermodal.org ) websites.

Working on the Railroad

Glenn Hartsoe has been working as a professional engineer,developing and improving railroads along the East Coast, for half a century. He began his career with the Pennsylvania Railroad and served in positions ranging from Track Supervisor to Division Engineer. He then became the Chief Regional Engineer for Conrail’s Northeastern Region, covering the territory between Boston and Buffalo. During this time, he participated in a major rebuilding program with Conrail. In 1983, he became the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Guilford Transportation Industries, which includes the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Delaware & Hudson railroads. In 1987, Mr. Hartsoe joined Thomas K. Dyer, a railroad consulting firm, as Vice President. He was responsible for the direction of track and civil work involved in rail transportation design and construction projects. Since his retirement from Dyer in 2001, Mr. Hartsoe has provided engineering services, as a private consultant, for the North Carolina Railroad Company. He has assisted in the planning and execution of a number of the company’s capital projects.

Pedestrian Safety

According to the Federal Railroad Administration 485 pedestrian rail trespasser fatalities occurred in the United States in 2005. North Carolina ranked seventh highest in the number of trespasser fatalities. In 1994, there were 5,100 pedestrian rail trespasser fatalities, with North Carolina having 19 fatalities that year. Over the past decade, the statistics have certainly improved within the state and throughout the nation. Efforts to educate the public about rail safety must continue, however, to further reduce such numbers. For more information please visit the Operation Lifesaver (www.oli.org ) and North Carolina Operation Lifesaver (www.ncol.org) websites.

Published by the North Carolina Railroad Company Volume 1, Issue 1
Comments or questions? Catherine Campbell or Kat Christian (919) 954-7601 e-mail: raillines@ncrr.com