Vancouver April 9, 2007 - The world famous Royal Hudson steam locomotive #2860 will make its first "Special Event" outing for 2007, with a gala public excursion from Vancouver to White Rock and return on Sunday, April 15^th for the occasion of that city’s 50^th birthday celebrations. The train is set to depart Vancouver at 10:00AM and arrive in White Rock for the ceremonies at 12:00PM with a sold out crowd of more than 800 passengers. It will make a return trip later in the afternoon.

"British Columbian’s will once again delight to the sights and sounds of steam, as the classic Royal Hudson makes this historic outing", said Don Evans, Executive Director of the West Coast Railway Association, which rebuilt and now cares for the locomotive. Those along the railway line between Squamish and North Vancouver may also see the train pass as it comes south on April 14, and heads north again April 16.

Plans for this icon of British Columbia tourism are for her now to play a role in occasional special event activities, such as this one happening in White Rock. Over future years many will be able to see and understand this piece of our history as she makes live appearances to various locations for other special event functions.

Royal Hudson #2860 carried tourists between North Vancouver and Squamish from 1974 until 1999, becoming one of British Columbia’s top attractions. After completing the 1999 season, however, the locomotive was not able to pass inspections for continued operation without major boiler work. She was pulled from service and set aside for this future work, but then put up for disposition by the Province in 2002. A joint proposal from the West Coast Railway Association and the District of Squamish was made and accepted. #2860 moved to the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, now the "home of the Royal Hudson" in that year. The boiler repair project started in 2004 and was completed in September 2006.

The West Coast Railway Association gratefully acknowledges the support and cooperation of BNSF Railway, CN and Rocky Mountaineer Vacations in the operation of this special event trip.

Washington April 11, 2007 - In order to meet increased demand and to better serve their customers, the nation's freight railroads will invest more money this year to maintain and improve their track and equipment than ever before in history, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) was told today.

"The nation's major freight railroads invested a record $8.6 billion in 2006 and will break that record in 2007 with a $9.4 billion investment," said Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, in a prepared statement that was submitted to the STB. Capital spending has risen almost 60 percent over just the last four years, he noted.

Hamberger cited dozens of investments that railroads are making this year to increase capacity and improve service for rail customers.

"The massive investments railroads must make in their systems are a reflection of the extreme capital intensity of railroads," he added. Over the past ten years, railroads have spent an average of 17.2 percent of revenues on capital expenditures, compared with an average of 3.4 percent for manufacturing, putting "railroads at or near the top among all US industries in terms of capital intensity."

Railroads have also embraced new technology to increase capacity.

"Freight railroads have always been at the forefront in the use of computers and information technology," Hamberger said. "Today railroads are rapidly expanding their use of these technologies to improve overall efficiency and the fluidity of their operations, thereby adding capacity."

"Railroads are hauling more freight than ever before," he said. "These traffic increases have resulted in capacity constraints at certain junctions and corridors within the rail network. In fact, excess capacity has disappeared from many critical segments of our rail system."

But railroads are hardly unique in this respect, Hamberger pointed out. "All freight modes in the United States are facing capacity challenges today."

Those challenges will increase as the demand for freight transportation grows, Hamberger said, citing forecasts of a 70 percent growth in freight volume by 2020. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officers (AASHTO) found that railroads would need to invest $175 to $195 billion in infrastructure just to maintain current rail market share. But AASHTO found that railroads would be able to fund only $142 billion of that from their own retained earnings and borrowing.

"This funding shortfall means that many rail projects that would otherwise expand capacity . . . will be delayed — or never made at all," Hamberger said.

He said the shortfall would become far greater if railroads were to be reregulated as urged by some special interest groups.

"The financial community has consistently supported the view that under reregulation, an era of capital starvation and disinvestment would return," he said. "Proponents of reregulation do not even try to explain how railroads would be able to recoup the revenue they would lose, or how railroads could possibly make the huge ongoing investments they need in the face of the capital starvation they would confront from reregulation."

"It is in our nation's best interest to ensure that optimal freight railroad capacity enhancements are made," Hamberger added. "Two ways that policy makers can make this happen are by taking greater advantage of public-private partnerships for freight-rail infrastructure projects and by introducing tax incentives for rail infrastructure projects that enhance capacity."

Hamberger's comments were filed as part of Ex Parte 671, an STB proceeding on rail capacity and infrastructure requirements.

Major Freight Rail Capacity Enhancements During 2007

The following is just a sampling of the diverse types of capacity-enhancing investments individual railroads have recently made or will soon make:

• Since 1996, BNSF has invested more than $8.2 billion in locomotives and expansion capital. Some major expansion projects in 2007 include double- or triple-track on about 30 miles on BNSF's Southern Transcontinental Route between Southern California and Chicago. On the coal route, BNSF is adding about 60 miles of third and fourth main track in the Powder River Basin and complete about 50 miles of double track in Nebraska and Wyoming. Expanding intermodal facilities at Alliance, Texas; Seattle, Washington; Los Angeles, California; Memphis, Tennessee; and Chicago, Illinois. Other planned infrastructure improvements include sidings in South Dakota and Oklahoma, and fueling and mechanical facilities in Illinois and Texas.

• In 2007, Canadian National (CN) will increase capital spending in the United States and Canada to around $1.4 billion. According to press reports, CN is budgeting some $300 million for equipment, including 65 locomotives, additional freight cars, and equipment. CN will upgrade sidings between Chicago and Winnipeg and will upgrade sidings and double-stack container clearances between Prince George and Prince Rupert, British Columbia. CN is preparing to open its Prince Rupert intermodal terminal later this year, which will serve as a key traffic gateway between Asia and the North American heartland. CN will also continue upgrading its freight car classification yard in Memphis, Tennessee.

• In 2007, Canadian Pacific plans to increase capital spending to around $760 million, including approximately $35 million to maintain and increase capacity in automotive and intermodal terminals; $128 million for locomotive acquisitions, overhauls, and fuel saving modifications; $50 million for information technology; and $535 million for maintenance and upgrades to rail, ballast, crossties, signal systems, buildings, and equipment. CP will also invest in new freight cars to meet customer needs.

• Capital spending for CSX will total some $1.4 billion in 2007, including around $800 million for infrastructure, $170 million for locomotives, $250 million for capacity expansion, and $170 million for freight cars. Some of this spending will be for intermodal projects, including an expansion of terminals in Buffalo, Tampa, and Bedford Park, Illinois. CSX is also working with the Port of Savannah, Georgia to build an on-dock loading facility.

• Kansas City Southern (KCS) is busy integrating its Kansas City Southern dé Mexico subsidiary fully into the railroad's other operations. Systemwide, in 2006 KCS plans to spend some $270 million on capital projects, including the installation of nearly 800,000 ties, relaying 120 miles of track, building 11 new sidings, laying 20 miles of double track, and purchasing 1,700 new freight cars. Some 150 new locomotives will be leased (and are not included in the $270 million). Approximately $85 million will be spent in 2007 on rail, ties, sidings, signaling, and other improvements on the "Meridian Speedway" joint venture with Norfolk Southern between Shreveport and Meridian, Mississippi.

• Norfolk Southern (NS) plans to spend more than $1.3 billion in 2007 for capital improvements. Expenditures include $610 million for rail, crosstie, ballast, and bridge programs, including $73 million in infrastructure investments for increased capacity; $47 million for communications, signal, and electrical projects; $41 million for maintenance of way equipment; and $16 million for environmental projects and public improvements such as grade crossing separations and signal upgrades. Equipment spending includes $60 million for computers, systems and information technology, as well as $321 million to purchase 53 new locomotives, upgrade numerous existing locomotives, purchase 1,300 new higher-capacity coal cars and more than 700 other freight cars; and rebuild several hundred multilevel autoracks.

• Union Pacific (UP) plans total capital commitments of approximately $3.2 billion in 2007. Major projects on UP's Sunset Corridor include double-tracking more than 60 miles (around 50 percent of the route is now double-tracked) and upgrading terminals in Los Angeles, Yuma, Tucson, and El Paso. UP is also upgrading signals between El Paso and Fort Worth and into the growing Shreveport gateway, and is building a new intermodal facility in San Antonio. As noted earlier, 60 miles of third and fourth track will be added to the PRB Joint Line in Wyoming that UP shares with BNSF. Since 2000, more than 2,600 new fuel-efficient, long-haul, high-horsepower locomotives have been added to UP's fleet.

Washington April 12, 2007 - Freight traffic on US railroads was down from last year during the week ended April 7, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today. This year's week included Good Friday, which is a holiday on most US railroads. The comparison week from last year did not include the holiday.

Intermodal volume totaled 218,992 trailers or containers, down 5.6 percent from last year, with container volume off 2.3 percent and trailer volume down 15.5 percent.

Carload freight, which doesn't include the intermodal data, totaled 319,178 cars for the week, down 4.9 percent from last year. Loadings were down 4.4 percent in the West and 5.4 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 32.8 billion ton-miles, down 3.0 percent from last year.

Four of 19 carload commodity groups registered gains from last year with coke up 8.2 percent and nonmetallic minerals up 3.5 percent. On the negative side, metallic ores were down 33.9 percent while lumber and wood products were off 23.2 percent.

Cumulative volume for the first 14 weeks of 2007 totaled 4,445,054 carloads, down 4.9 percent from 2006; 3,158,031 trailers or containers, off 0.3 percent; and total volume of an estimated 452.0 billion ton-miles, down 3.5 percent from last year.

On Canadian railroads, during the week ended April 7 carload traffic totaled 80,995 cars, up 0.6 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 46,374 trailers or containers, also up 0.6 percent from last year.

Cumulative originations for the first 14 weeks of 2007 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,062,784 carloads, down 2.5 percent from last year, and 614,380 trailers and containers, up 1.2 percent from last year.

Combined cumulative volume for the first 14 weeks of 2007 on US and Canadian railroads totaled 5,507,838 carloads, down 4.4 percent from last year, and 3,772,411 trailers and containers, down less than 0.1 percent from last year.

The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) during the week ended April 7 totaled 10,871 cars, down 3.2 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 3,470 trailers or containers, down 2.3 percent from the 14th week of 2006.

For the first 14 weeks of 2007, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 149,287 cars, down 6.2 percent from last year, and 56,762 trailers or containers, up 6.5 percent.

Railroads reporting to AAR account for 89 percent of US carload freight and 98 percent of rail intermodal volume. When the US operations of Canadian railroads are included, the figures increase to 96 percent and 100 percent. The Canadian railroads reporting to the AAR account for 91 percent of Canadian rail traffic. Railroads provide more than 40 percent of US intercity freight transportation, more than any other mode, and rail traffic figures are regarded as an important economic indicator.

BNSF Honors 60 Shippers for Safe Transport of Hazardous Materials At Tenth Annual Product Stewardship Awards Event

Fort Worth April 12, 2007 - BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) today honored 60 shippers with BNSF’s Annual Product Stewardship Award for the safe transportation of hazardous materials by rail during 2006. Two companies, BP Products North America Inc. and Olin Corporation Chlor Alkali Division, have won the award every year since the awards were first given in 1997.

These 60 award-winning companies have successfully implemented the ethics of Product Stewardship under the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care® initiative. Last year, BNSF presented 59 customers with its Stewardship Award.

"BNSF is pleased that the number of customers who receive its Stewardship Award has grown throughout the years. This clearly demonstrates the industry’s focus and commitment to the safe transportation of hazardous materials," Katie Farmer, BNSF vice president, Industrial Products Sales, said at a special presentation at BNSF’s corporate headquarters in Fort Worth this morning. "The product stewardship from these 60 customers helps support the safety of our employees, the public and the environment."

Implemented in 1997, BNSF’s Product Stewardship Award is presented to shippers who transported a minimum of 500 loaded tank cars of hazardous materials during the past year with zero non-accident releases (NARs) (releases that are not caused by a derailment or collision) during the entire transportation cycle.

The honorees for 2006 are:

Abengoa Bioenergy
ADM
Afton Chemical Corporation
AGP Corn Processing, Inc.
Agrium
Air Liquide
BASF Corporation
Basic Chemical Solutions, LLC
Bighorn Divide and Wyoming Railroad
BOC Gases
BP Products North America Inc.
Canadian Enterprise Gas Products
Canexus Chemicals Canada, LLP
Celanese Corporation
CF Industries, Inc.
Chevron Products Company
Chief Ethanol Fuels Inc.
Chippewa Valley Agrafuels Cooperative
CHS Inc.
ConocoPhillips Company
Dakota Ethanol
E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company
Eastman Chemical Company
Elbow River Marketing L.P.
Georgia Chemicals & Vinyls, LLC
Glacial Lakes Energy, LLC
Great Plains Ethanol, LLC
Huntsman, LLC
Ineos Styrenics
James Valley Ethanol
Jupiter Sulphur, LLC
KAAPA ETHANOL, LLC
Kinetic Resources
Lanxess Corporation
Methanex Methanol Company
Nebraska Energy, LLC
Northern Lights Ethanol
NOVA Chemicals
Olin Corporation Chlor Alkali Division
Plains Marketing Canada, L.P.
Potash Corporation
PPG Industries Inc.
Quadra Energy Trading Ltd.
Reagent Chemical & Research, Inc.
Rohm and Haas
Silver Eagle Refining, Inc.
Sioux River Ethanol
Solar Gas
Sterling Chemicals, Inc.
Sunoco, Inc.
Tall Corn Ethanol
Teck Cominco Metals Ltd.
Terra Nitrogen Corporation
The Dow Chemical Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Beaumont Chemical Plant
Trenton Agri Products
US BioEnergy
Western Petroleum
Western Refining Company
Wynnewood Refining Company
The Gary-Williams Energy Corporation

Forth Worth April 9, 2007 - BNSF Railway Company today announced an effort to improve the transportation safety of toxic inhalation and poison inhalation hazardous materials (TIH/PIH). BNSF will publish tariffs (public prices), effective Jan. 1, 2008, to restructure rates based on car risk factors in an effort to encourage shippers to use the most enhanced and upgraded available cars.

The tariff incentives are based on the most improved and enhanced car identified by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) as the DOT specification tank car 112J500W for anhydrous ammonia and 105J600W for chlorine. These cars can also be used for most other TIH/PIH commodities.

"Our number one priority is the safety of our employees, customers and the communities in which we operate," says John Lanigan, executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "The AAR requires that any tank cars built after Jan. 1, 2008, meet these specifications and all shippers must convert their entire fleet to these cars by Dec. 31, 2018. We hope this change will incent our TIH/PIH shippers to use the most improved and strongest tank cars available as soon as possible, thus further improving the safety of transporting these materials.

TIH/PIH shipments represent significantly less than one percent of BNSF’s total annual volume.

BNSF continues to invest significantly in improving safety and rail continues to be the safest mode for transporting hazardous materials. BNSF’s safety investments include track and structures maintenance; operating practice changes; and improved safety training for BNSF employees and community responders.

"We believe these policy changes along with our safety investments help address the concerns of the citizens in the communities where we operate," Lanigan says. "BNSF is committed to leading the industry in the safe transportation of hazardous materials through capital investments and encouraging tank car manufacturers to build, and customers to use, improved and stronger cars."

Ottawa April 12, 2007 - The representative of more than 20 producers and shippers of sulphur in Western Canada is calling on all federal parties to protect jobs, health and safety and the environment, by immediately passing legislation that will bring a speedy end to the current CN rail labour disruptions.

The continued strike actions by members of the United Transportation Union (UTU) and lockouts by CN are damaging the economy and creating unacceptable risks, says Sultran Ltd., which serves Canada's sulphur producers, marketers and suppliers by transporting 6 million tonnes of solid sulphur from production point to port each year.

"This strike isn't just affecting shippers," says Lorne Friberg, President and CEO of Sultran. "It is affecting jobs, the economy, consumers and the environment. MPs must take quick action to protect Canadians and the Western economy."

Friberg explained that if Sulphur can't be transported by rail, the only options are to store the product on-site at plants or shut down oil and gas production. "From an environmental, safety or economic perspective, neither is a sustainable solution. It's essential that Parliament act now," he says.

In addition, Friberg warns that the continued rail disruptions jeopardize natural gas production. Sulphur is a co-product of natural gas, and the only way to stop sulphur production is to stop producing natural gas. "Cutting natural gas production will hurt the economy, hurt jobs and, most of all, hurt consumers," says Friberg. "We are still struggling to recover from the 14-day CN Strike this past February. These impacts are not weeks away, they are days away, unless Parliament takes action."

Continued disruptions will force plants to store sulphur on-site as formed product or in storage blocks. As plants reach critical inventory levels, sulphur production will have to be significantly curtailed, which could result in a serious decrease (or elimination) of natural gas production.

Friberg says that back-to-work legislation is nothing new, having been tabled in Parliament 31 times before now. In fact, the first federal back-to-work legislation ever passed ended the 1950 rail workers' strike, and railway back-to-work bills have been introduced on five subsequent occasions.

Canada is the world's largest exporter of sulphur, with exports worth close to one-half billion dollars annually. Sultran relies on rail to transport sulphur to two tidewater terminals in Vancouver, an average distance of 1400 km from each exporting plant. Eight sulphur-forming plants rely exclusively on CN Rail.

"We know that MPs can act swiftly if they want to protect jobs and the economy in Western Canada," Friberg says. "Six times before, back-to-work legislation has passed in a single day."

The bottomline? "This country was built by rail and our economy still depends on it," Friberg says. "Canadians need our MPs to act now to restore full, uninterrupted rail service."

Bombardier Double-Deck Success Story Continues With 53 New Coaches for Germany's Deutsche Bahn

Berlin April 13, 2007 - Bombardier Transportation has received an order to supply 53 double-deck coaches to Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) for the Dresden suburban rail network with a value of approximately 72 million euros ($97 million US). The order is an 'option' from the 2003 framework agreement that included an initial order for 298 double-deck coaches and an option for a further 300.

This order marks the continuation of a unique success story: In Germany alone, over 1400 Bombardier double-deck coaches are proving their worth in daily use. These double-deck coaches are also enjoying increasing popularity among passengers in other countries, including Luxembourg, Denmark and Israel.

The newest generation of double-deck coaches has been particularly successful in Germany. During the 2006 InnoTrans global trade fair in Berlin, Germany, Bombardier Transportation was awarded Deutsche Bahn's special award for the outstanding quality and reliability of its double-deck coaches.

The thirteen control coaches and forty intermediate coaches with low-floor entry are manufactured at Bombardier's Gorlitz plant in Germany. The bogies are supplied by the Bombardier team in Siegen, also in Germany.

Dr. Klaus Baur, Chief Country Representative Germany of Bombardier Transportation, explained: "Bombardier's double-deck coaches are an essential element of the Deutsche Bahn transport concept. Our vehicles help to achieve on-time service and ensure a high level of passenger comfort. Furthermore, double-deck coaches are economical, thus helping to reduce costs."

The double-deck coaches will be manufactured for the Dresden suburban rail network. The coaches will be delivered as intermediate and control coaches and include full climate control in both first and second class sections. Spacious multi-purpose compartments, wide entries designed to allow access for persons with special needs and electronic information systems also ensure a pleasant and contemporary travel experience, as does the extremely quiet running of the coaches. The modern intermediate coaches have convenient low-floor entrances, offering a nearly level crossing entry.

Montreal April 10, 2007 - CN said today management officers are ready to perform the work of striking United Transportation Union (UTU) employees in Canada who engage in rotating labour action against the company.

CN announced its contingency plan following UTU members’ rejection of a tentative one-year settlement agreement with the company. The UTU leadership informed the company last week that it planned to launch renewed strike action against CN, including rotating strikes, if the membership failed to ratify the agreement.

UTU members in Canada have been on strike at CN since Feb. 10, 2007, but suspended strike action and returned to work during the ratification process for the tentative settlement, which was signed by the company and union on Feb. 24. The UTU represents 2,800 conductors and yard service employees at CN in Canada.

E. Hunter Harrison, president and chief executive officer, said: "CN is disappointed with the contract rejection announced today by the UTU. We believe the settlement was fair, equitable and consistent with collective agreements the company recently signed with another Canadian union.

"CN will work hard to maintain service for its customers during renewed labour disruption by the UTU. But our customers must appreciate the fact that CN service levels may be affected by the frequency, location and severity of the UTU’s rotating work actions."

CN said the UTU has given the company verbal assurances that it will continue to protect commuter rail services in Toronto and Montreal during rotating labour action.

E. Hunter Harrison, CN president and chief executive officer, said: " CN is a scheduled railroad, and we cannot run scheduled/precision freight operations without predictable manpower resources. Rotating withdrawals of employee services are very disruptive to the company. We must ensure the continuity of our operations."

CN continues to serve its customers across Canada with management personnel performing the duties of locked out UTU members.

Harrison said CN is prepared to resume negotiations with the UTU, but no date for talks has been established.

The UTU launched renewed strike activity after announcing yesterday its members’ rejection of a tentative agreement with the company signed on Feb. 24, 2007.

UTU members in Canada have been on strike at CN since Feb. 10, 2007, but suspended strike action and returned to work during the ratification process for the tentative settlement.

CN said the UTU has given the company verbal assurances that it will continue to protect commuter rail services in Toronto and Montreal during rotating labour action.

St. Lawrence & Atlantic Becomes First New England Short-Line Rail Carrier Certified by Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT)

Greenwich CT April 13, 2007 - Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) announced today that its St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (SLR) and its Canadian sister Chemin de fer St. Laurent & Atlantique (SLQ) have been certified by US Customs and Border Protection as partners in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program.

The role of a C-TPAT partner is to continue to ensure that appropriate security measures, based upon risk analysis and consistent with C-TPAT security criteria, are maintained in a documented and verifiable format throughout international supply chains.

"We see certification as a necessity in being a cross-border carrier, and the C-TPAT objectives are consistent with our own," said SLQ and SLR President Mario Brault. "To put it simply, it's just smart business."

"Over the last 18 months, a lot of pressure has been put on our US and Canadian shippers to maintain a seamless, C-TPAT-certified supply chain," said SLR General Manager Ray Goss. "Our hope is that this certification sends a clear message to our customers, and their customers alike, that we are committed to delivering a secure and seamless C-TPAT supply chain for their businesses."

The two sister railroads handle primarily pulp, paper and chemicals, as well as a growing demand for international container service into the New England market, primarily from the Ports of Vancouver, BC, and Halifax, NS, in connection with the CN railroad.

The SLR and SLQ operate some 260 miles of contiguous track from St. Rosalie, Quebec, to Portland, Maine. SLR also operates a 35-acre intermodal terminal, Maine Intermodal Transportation, in Auburn, Maine, 140 miles north of Boston. "We are excited about providing New England with double-stack container service from the deepwater ports of Vancouver and Halifax and the Port of Montreal, as well as the possibilities of delivering new service from Prince Rupert, BC, with CN later this year," said SLR Vice President of Sales and Marketing Ed Foley. "We have plenty of capacity, consistent service and great proximity to the importers, and now a seamless, C-TPAT certified supply chain."

GWI is a leading operator of short line and regional freight railroads in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and Bolivia. Operations currently include 48 railroads organized in 10 regions, as well as service at 12 US ports, contract coal loading and industrial switching. GWI operates more than 6,800 miles of owned and leased track and approximately 3,700 additional miles under track access arrangements.

Norfolk April 11, 2007 - Norfolk Southern Corporation's Lawmen band will bring their railroad-rich mix of mountain, folk, bluegrass and country music to America's Anniversary Weekend.

The weekend is a three-day commemoration of the legacies of Jamestown, Va., where the modern concepts of free enterprise, rule of law and diversity took root 400 years ago. The Lawmen will perform from 9 pm. to 10 p.m., on Sunday, May 13, on the Democracy Stage in Jamestown's Anniversary Park.

"Norfolk Southern is one of Virginia's earliest corporate citizens and was the first major corporate sponsor of America's 400th Anniversary," said Stan West, the band's manager. "It's a privilege for us to represent our fellow railroaders and to perform in such stellar company." America's Anniversary Weekend will feature music by Grammy Award winners Bruce Hornsby, Chaka Khan and Ricky Skaggs, as well as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra and a 1,607-voice choir representing most of the US.

The earliest NS Lawmen band got its start in the 1950s, and the name reflected the fact that its members also served as railroad policemen. The modern Lawmen don't wear badges, but they do give some 200 performances a year across the country, appearing on television programs and in venues ranging from the Grand Ole Opry to the Smithsonian Institution.

Follow-Up Testing at Railroad Facility Confirms EFS Technology's Worth for Accurate Bridge Crack Detection

Los Angeles April 10, 2007 - Material Technologies, Inc., (MATECH) performed a follow-up demonstration of its Electrochemical Fatigue Sensor (EFS(TM)) technology, a patented crack detection system, at the American Association of Railroad's Transportation Technology Center ("TTC") in Pueblo, Co.

In 2006, MATECH had demonstrated its technology at TTC's FAST Track Bridge, which had previously exhibited cracking in steel members. At the time, 17 of 20 cracked locations were evaluated with the EFS system. MATECH determined that 5 of the 17 were actively growing, including one in a facture critical location.

MATECH was invited back to attend the recent conference at the TTC facility, at which time a follow-up demonstration was performed on the FAST Track Bridge. The demonstration indicated that 4 of the 5 locations originally called out as growing cracks were still growing. The fifth crack had grown to a point where it could no longer be examined by EFS due to its location, but had clearly grown since the last inspection with EFS.

Additionally, areas indicated as showing little to no crack growth during the 2006 inspection were verified as still not showing active growth. This inspection was a confirmation of the information provided to the TTC back in 2006.

Currently, MATECH is in negotiations with the American Association of Railroad and the Federal Railroad Administration to further develop the EFS hardware and software, so that it interfaces with the railroads' long-term health monitoring system.

To-date, MATECH has used the EFS technique on 13 steel bridges across the US in New York, Ohio, California, Utah, New Jersey, Colorado and Pennsylvania. It has been successfully used by MATECH bridge inspectors to check for cracks in welded joints, weld toes, and cracks. Over the last decade, the Federal Government has awarded MATECH $8.3 million in contracts for research, testing and validating of EFS technology.

Philadelphia April 10, 2007 - SEPTA will undergo a railroad improvement project that will alter weekend service for R3 West Trenton regional rail riders on Saturday & Sunday, April 14 & 15.

Shuttle buses will replace regular R3 train service between West Trenton and Woodbourne Stations from approximately 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. on weekends of the project. The project will also impact service on the weekends of June 2- 3, June 9-10, June 16-19 and June 23-24.

SEPTA's project will upgrade and improve the overhead electrical power line system on the railroad to provide riders with more reliable and efficient service.

On weekends of the project regular inbound (to Philadelphia) train service will operate with the first two trips scheduled to leave West Trenton Station at 5:58 a.m. and 6:58 a.m. Shuttle buses will then replace trains and leave West Trenton en route to Yardley and Woodbourne Stations.

Passengers should plan accordingly as the shuttle buses will leave West Trenton 39 minutes earlier than regular trains and 32 minutes earlier from Yardley. At Woodbourne, passengers can connect to trains which will leave the station six minutes earlier than on current schedules. Regular inbound train service from West Trenton will resume at 3:58 p.m.

Outbound (to West Trenton) passengers will board regularly scheduled trains between Philadelphia and Woodbourne Station, however, passengers traveling beyond Woodbourne will be required to transfer to shuttle buses to continue to Yardley and West Trenton Stations.

Regular outbound train service from Woodbourne will resume at 2:35 p.m.

Miami April 10, 2007 - Operation Lifesaver, Inc., a national, non-profit, rail safety program, and Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins today launched an innovative partnership to promote safe behavior around railroad tracks and trains. The partnership introduced "rolling billboards" on freight train rail cars that will travel along Florida's East Coast carrying a public service message from Operation Lifesaver, since approximately 95 percent of rail-related deaths in the US are the result of train-vehicle collisions and illegal trespassing.

"This new mobile outdoor medium will help us educate the public about the dangers of trespassing on railroad tracks and the need to obey the laws at railroad grade crossings," said Helen Sramek, Operation Lifesaver president. "What better place to alert the public than at the place where an incident could occur?"

Marlins players Dontrelle Willis (aka D-Train) and Hanley Ramirez helped unveil the Operation Lifesaver message in English and Spanish which included the Marlins image on the rail cars.

"This is a terrific outreach to our fans and other members of the South Florida community -- everyone needs to know about driving safely across rail tracks and not playing or walking near them," Willis said. The Florida Marlins announced that the team will plan an Operation Lifesaver Day and run safety messages on the scoreboard toward the end of home games this season.

"I am thrilled to see that together, the Florida Marlins and Operation Lifesaver are working to alert Floridians to drive safely at rail crossings and keep off the tracks," stated Congresswoman Corrine Brown. Brown, who represents Florida's Third Congressional District, is also chairman of the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. "The use of bilingual messaging will help raise awareness among Hispanic families in our state, particularly in the Miami area. I praise the Marlins and Operation Lifesaver for their dedication to this project," Brown added.

Clifford Eby, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, United States Department of Transportation, said, "This innovative and creative pilot project is an example of the type of partnership needed among railroads, private businesses and all levels of government to increase public awareness and improve safety at grade crossings and along rail lines."

The "rolling billboard" rail cars include, in addition to the Operation Lifesaver messages, advertisements for the Florida Marlins with high-impact images of Willis and Ramirez measuring approximately 13 feet long by 7 feet high. The cars will run exclusively on the Florida East Coast Railway between Miami and Jacksonville in dedicated unit train service for a two-month test period.

Freight Train Media LLC, which developed the idea with Operation Lifesaver, said that the Marlins are a terrific pilot partner. The use of freight trains will provide advertising sponsors a unique and dramatic outdoor media exposure opportunity, in tandem with the Operation Lifesaver message.

Freight rail service on the Florida East Coast Railway could deliver more than three minutes of outdoor media exposure at one rail crossing with high repetition of the Operation Lifesaver and sponsor messages. In addition, a portion of revenue received from advertisers will be allocated to support Operation Lifesaver's public education programs in Florida.

"In my 40 plus years in the ad business, I have not seen anything this unique and powerful to catch the attention of a large audience," said Freight Train Media co-founder Patrick J. Morin. The pilot freight rail cars launched by the Florida Marlins and Operation Lifesaver are the first of their kind in the nation.