Friday, February 01, 2008 (Washington, DC) News Digest

FRA Announces $4.6 Million RRIF Loan to Nashville and Eastern Railroad Corporation.  The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced that the Nashville and Eastern Railroad Corporation (NERC) is receiving a $4.6 million loan under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) program.  The NERC will use the loan to purchase fifty new triple hopper railcars and two rehabilitated locomotives.  The locomotives and 25 of the 50 rail cars will be used primarily to serve a major new customer, Lojac Minerals.  The NERC will be transporting sand from Lojac’s mine in Monterey, TN to its manufacturing facilities in Lebanon and Hermitage, TN, where the sand will be used to produce concrete, concrete blocks, and other building materials.  The increased rail service will lower transportation costs for Lojac, which previously hauled sand by truck, ensuring the manufacturing plants remain economically competitive.  The second set of 25 hopper cars will be used for other anticipated traffic increases.  Contact:  Rob Kulat (202) 493-6024.   

Federal Rail Safety Program Surpasses One Million Miles of Track Inspected.  The Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Automated Track Inspection Program (ATIP) recently surpassed the milestone of inspecting its one millionth mile of track for compliance with federal standards, announced FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman.   The custom-built inspection vehicles are equipped with state of the art technology to help identify track flaws that could lead to train derailments. The ATIP program uses a variety of technologies to measure track geometry flaws, such as whether the two rails are level, if the width between the rails is acceptable, and if the surface of each rail meets federal standards.  Problem areas are identified utilizing global positioning system (GPS) location and shared immediately with the railroad so appropriate corrective actions can be taken in a timely manner.  Started in 1976 with a single vehicle, the program now has a total of five vehicles to enforce federal track standards.  FRA has added three new automated inspection vehicles to its fleet as part of the National Rail Safety Action Plan launched in 2005.  Contact:  Rob Kulat (202) 493-6024.