Rail & Road
Altoona rail historians weigh in on potential impacts of Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific merger
Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific are looking to merge, which would create the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S. The deal still needs to be approved by regulators, but many in Altoona are closely watching as previous mergers reduced the city’s relevance in the railroad industry.
The “World Famous Horseshoe Curve” was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966. The tracks are still used today to transport goods and Amtrak passengers.
“This area has had several railroad companies over its history and each one has had job loss with transition,” said Kevin Stiver, an author and historian of the Horseshoe Curve.
At its height in the early 1900s, Stiver said there were up to 18,000 workers at the Juniata Locomotive Shop in Altoona. It was the biggest repair shop of its kind in the world. Today, Norfolk Southern says it’s still one of the largest facilities for locomotive repair in the industry. But, there are only about 400 employees there today.
Stiver worries another railroad company consolidation could mean further layoffs at the locomotive repair shop, or fewer rails at the Horseshoe Curve. Conrail, the operator before Norfolk Southern, removed one of the tracks in 1981, citing decreased rail travel.
Some people, however, are optimistic about the potential merger between Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific.
“The hope would be that they would maintain the Altoona shops and perhaps grow them because we would obviously be the closest shop to the northeast United States, and New England,” said Michael Farrow, a board member of the Blair County Historical Society.
Besides the convenient location, Farrow said Altoona is also a great place for rail companies to grow new talent. He points to Penn State Altoona, which recently announced the first and only Bachelor’s of Science degree in Rail Transportation Engineering.
In a statement to WPSU, a Norfolk Southern spokesperson said the merger will advance the railroad industry, preserve and strengthen union jobs, and help American companies reach new customers.
“We look forward to engaging with the communities we live and work in to share the many benefits of our plan to create America’s First Transcontinental Railroad,” the spokesperson said.
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern say they hope to merge by early 2027.
Jeremy Westlake, incoming Network Rail CEO, will share his insights on rail reform and growth at the Railway Industry Association’s annual conference this November.
Credit: Network Rail
The Railway Industry Association (RIA) has announced that Jeremy Westlake, incoming CEO of Network Rail, will speak at the RIA Annual Conference on 6 November at the Leonardo Royal Hotel, London Tower Bridge. He succeeds Sir Andrew Haines OBE, who retires in October. The event will welcome over 300 industry professionals across two days, 5-6 November.
This year’s theme is ‘Resetting the Railways for Growth: Harnessing the Power of the Supply Sector’. The conference will open with Transport Secretary Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP delivering the first keynote on 5 November, followed by the Shadow Transport Secretary. Darren Caplan, RIA Chief Executive, said: “It’s great to have Jeremy Westlake, the new CEO of Network Rail from October, taking part in the RIA Annual Conference. Jeremy has a fantastic pedigree as Chief Financial Officer at Network Rail, and this will be one of the first chances the railway industry will have to hear from him as its leader, about his thoughts on Network Rail, rail reform and Great British Railways, and on engaging with the UK supply sector.”
Day one includes sessions from industry leaders including Marie Daley, COO of Transport for Wales, and Andy Mellors, MD of Avanti West Coast. Panel discussions will address the future of rail and the role of nations and regions. The day closes with a keynote from Mark Wild OBE, CEO of HS2, during the evening dinner.
On 6 November, highlights include a live podcast with Green Signals and keynotes from Laura Shoaf CBE, Chair of Shadow Great British Railways, and Tim Shoveller, CEO of Freightliner. The final sessions feature Steve White, MD of South Eastern Railway, Shamit Gaiger OBE, MD of West Coast Partnership, and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE, DL. Jeremy Westlake will join a fireside chat before Noel Travers, RIA Chair, delivers the closing remarks.
Related people
Andy Mellors, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE DL, Darren Caplan, Dr Sean Sweeney, Gareth Evans, Jeremy Westlake, Joanne Maguire, John Glass, Laura Shoaf CBE, Liz Baldwin, Marie Daley, Mark Wild OBE, Mike Goggin, Noel Travers, Rebecca Cunningham, Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP, Shamit Gaiger OBE, Sir Andrew Haines OBE, Steve White, Tim Shoveller, Tricia Williams
Rail & Road
Turner & Townsend appoints former Amtrak director and AECOM alumni to lead rail sector growth in Ireland
With more than 14 years of experience in rail infrastructure, Reyman has worked on various passenger rail design projects and operations with her experience spanning engineering, safety management, maintenance and project delivery.
She joins from Amtrak, where she was director of engineering production, with careers also at HNTB and AECOM.
The global consultancy’s move will support rail clients across both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, including operators and state agencies, with Reyman’s appointment coming as the Irish rail sector enters a pivotal phase.
This includes the recently revised National Development Plan (NDP) which allocates significant capital to rail infrastructure in Ireland.
While the All-Island Strategic Rail Review also outlines a long-term vision to decarbonise transport and improve regional connectivity.
Reyman said: “Landing in Ireland right as the NDP was being released felt nothing short of serendipitous, and I look forward to the many opportunities that this investment will bring to public transport riders.
“Increased capacity, better connectivity and expanded electrified networks will support Ireland for generations to come.”
John Robinson, director at Turner & Townsend in Ireland, said: “[Reyman] has international experience in leadership, project delivery and strategic planning and brings a real passion for innovation and efficiency in the rail sector.”
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Backplane Systems Technology presents the VECOW IVX-1000, a high-tech in-vehicle computing workstation that is designed to meet the demands of the rail industry.
Engineered with Intel Core i9/i7/i5/i3 processors from the 14th generation and integrated with the Intel R680E PCH, this workstation-grade platform supports CPUs with a maximum TDP of 65W, delivering robust performance for rail applications.
For those seeking enhanced AI capabilities, the IVX-1000 optionally supports advanced NVIDIA Quadro MXM graphics.
Designed to withstand the harsh and dynamic conditions of the rail environment, the IVX-1000 boasts a fanless, dust-resistant design that complies with EN50155:2017 standards.
Its wide 16V to 160V DC power input, along with 4kV DC isolation and up to 500V surge protection, ensures reliable operation under variable power conditions. The system also includes software ignition power control and optional UPS support, ensuring uninterrupted performance crucial for rail operations.
In the rail industry, reliable connectivity is essential. The IVX-1000 offers eight independent 2.5GigE LAN ports, including 4 with IEEE 802.3at PoE+, and an additional GigE LAN port, providing robust communication and data transfer capabilities necessary for real-time monitoring and control.
Moreover, it supports multiple wireless configurations, including 5G, WiFi, 4G, and LTE, catering to both mobile and fixed rail applications.
Security and network integrity are critical in rail operations, and the IVX-1000 addresses these needs with support for Intel vPro, TCC, Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), and TPM 2.0. For AI-driven tasks, the workstation is equipped with Intel Deep Learning Boost and the Intel Distribution of OpenVINO toolkit. The optional VHub AIoT Solution Service further enhances its AI capabilities, enabling advanced edge AI applications tailored to the rail sector.
With its exceptional reliability, high-performance computing, and versatile connectivity, the VECOW IVX-1000 is the perfect solution for boosting productivity, safety, and efficiency in rail operations.
Key Features
- Workstation-grade Platform : Intel Core i9/i7/i5/i3 Processor (14th gen, codename : RPL-S Refresh/RPL-S/ADL-S) running with Intel R680E PCH supports max 65W TDP CPU
- Optional supports outstanding AI computing productivity by advanced and compact NVIDIA Quadro MXM graphics
- 16V to 160V DC Power Input with 4kV DC Isolation, up to 500V Surge Protection, Software Ignition Power Control, optional UPS supported
- Fanless design for railway in-vehicle applications, fully compliant with EN50155 : 2017
- 8 Independent 2.5GigE LAN M12 X-coded with 4 IEEE 802.3at PoE+, 1 2.5GigE LAN, 1 GigE LAN, 4 Isolated COM
- 2 Front-access 2.5″SSD/HDD Tray, multiple 5G/WiFi/4G/3G/LTE/GPRS/UMTS
- Supports Intel vPro, TCC, Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), and TPM 2.0
Optional VHub AIoT Solution Service supports OpenVINO based AI accelerator and advanced Edge AI applications.
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