Around The Railroad
Laredo Special Agents Crack Arson Case
June 26, 2009 | 10:15 a.m. CDT
Following a recent fire that destroyed the interior of a locomotive cab, UP special agents in Laredo, Texas, immediately launched an arson investigation.
To begin cracking the case, police issued a Crime Stoppers bulletin. Shortly after, a Christen Middle School student contacted the tip line with a potential suspect. Driving the investigation, UP's Senior Special Agents Russell Cerda, George Narvaez, Gilbert Maldonado and Socrates "Tito" Garza identified four persons of interest, who also were linked to recent arson cases involving abandoned homes.
UP police located and arrested the four suspects. Each was charged with two counts of vehicle burglary, criminal mischief and arson for crimes against UP and the City of Laredo.
"Through good, solid police work, our team was able to bring more than one case to a close," said Oscar Garcia, director-Police. "Their initiative, diligence and determination resulted in success."
Following the investigation, Cerda presented the Laredo Independent School District Campus Crime Stoppers with a $2,000 check on behalf of Union Pacific, thanking the students for their crime-solving tip.
Protect co-workers, company property and customer shipments by calling RMCC at 888-UPRR-COP to report suspicious or criminal activity.
FRA: Freight Rail Fuel Efficiency Up
Nov. 20, 2009 | 03:05 p.m. CST
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Nov. 19 released a study showing vast improvements in freight rail fuel efficiency over the last two decades, approximately 22 percent between 1990 and 2006. More...
Freight Volume Down During Holiday Week
Nov. 20, 2009 | 02:55 p.m. CST
U.S. railroads reported originating 281,218 carloads for the Veterans Day holiday week ended Nov. 14, down 8.9 percent compared to the same week in 2008 and down 17 percent from from the same week in 2007, reports the Association of American Railroads. More...
New Jersey Transit Joins Safety Pilot Program
Nov. 20, 2009 | 02:40 p.m. CST
New Jersey Transit has started its participation in the Close Call Project, a safety pilot program designed to give rail employees the ability to voluntarily and anonymously report "close call" incidents that could have resulted in an accident but did not. More...
STB: Rails Cut More Jobs
Nov. 18, 2009 | 02:00 p.m. CST
The U.S. lines of the seven Class I railroads trimmed another 408 jobs as of mid-October from a month earlier, taking their total employment level down to a new low. More...
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