Railway Track & Structures - November 2008 - (Page 6)

I N D U S T R Y T O D AY decade, requiring hundreds of millions in funding from the railroads, the government and suppliers. STB approves proposed CPR acquisition of DM&E The Surface Transportation Board has approved the proposed acquisition of control by the Canadian Pacific Railway Corporation and its indirect subsidiary, the Soo Line Holding Company, of the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corporation and its wholly-owned railroad subsidiary, the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad Corporation, subject to a number of Boardimposed conditions. In reaching its decision, the Board found that: the proposal encompasses minimal operational overlap among the involved railroads; no shipper will lose the option of competitive rail services as a direct result of the transaction; the transaction will not result in either a substantial lessening of competition, the creation of a monopoly or a restraint of trade in freight surface transportation in any region of the United States; and any minor, geographical competitive effects that may flow from the transaction are outweighed by its public-interest benefits. In approving the transaction, the Board also addressed the potential environmental impacts of future coal train movements over the lines operated by CPR and/or IC&E if CPR decides to construct the new rail line into the Powder River Basin authorized in Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corporation Construction into the Powder River Basin, STB Finance Docket No. 33407. The Board held that CPR and Soo Holding may not transport over CPR and/or IC&E rail lines any coal originating on the new Powder River Basin line until the agency has prepared an Environmental Impact Statement addressing the environmental impacts of those movements and issued a final decision allowing such operations to begin. The Board also imposed a condition continuing the ongoing “Safety Integration Plan” review process, as well as standard labor-protective conditions. Also, STB said that an Environmental Assessment will be prepared addressing potential environmental issues raised by the proposal of the Norfolk Southern, Pan Am Railways, Inc., and two of Pan Am's railroad subsidiaries, the Boston and Maine Corporation and the Springfield Terminal Railway Company to acquire, and to jointly control and own, Pan Am Southern LLC, a new railroad to be formed. Track conditions blamed for WMATA derailment A Metrorail track inspector, who inspected an area of track the same day that a six-car Orange Line train derailed upon approach to the Court House Metrorail station on June 9 in Washington, D.C., failed to notice and report poor track conditions, according to findings of Metro’s investigation into the accident. There were several conditions that contributed to the derailment, including track alignment, loose track fasteners and wide gauge. 6 Railway Track & Structures November 2008 www.rtands.com http://www.rtands.com

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Railway Track and Structures Contents On Track Industry Today Supplier News AREMA News NRC News TTCI R&D TrainingVvital in Shaping Future of Railroad Industry Switch Stands, Switch Machines Automation Offers Improvements in M/W Planning AREMA 2008 Conference Report Products and Literature People Calendar Advertisers Index Sales Representatives Website Directory Professional Directory Classified Advertising Chicago Perspective

Railway Track & Structures - November 2008

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