Rail World

Rail World was incorporated in July 1999 by Edward Burkhardt, who is the President and Chief Executive Officer.For Ed Burkhardt, a new adventure Trains June 2000 pages 23/24[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324507404578593860896712862 Runaway Quebec Train's Owner Battled Safety Issues] Wall Street Journal July 9, 2013

Rail World's assets consist of a controlling interest in San Luis Central Railroad in Colorado and a 100% ownership of Rail Polska (Poland) and Baltic Rail OU (Estonia).

• Baltic Rail OU (container train operator)
• Rail Polska (freight railway operations)
• Rail World Locomotive Leasing, (locomotive leasing)
• Rail World Ukraine, a freight forwarding service
• San Luis Central Railroad (railway freight operations)

After the derailment at Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, Canada of a Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway (MM&A) freight train on July 6, 2013 which left 47 people dead or missing, president Edward Burkhardt visited Lac-Mégantic on July 10, 2013, and was heckled by residents who were critical of his company's response to the incident. After the accident the railway's safety record was called into question. Over the previous decade the firm recorded a higher accident rate than the rest of the US rail fleet, according to data from the Federal Railroad Administration.[https://web.archive.org/web/20130710001308/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/train-in-quebec-derailment-headed-by-chicago-rail-veteran/article13052127 Train company in Quebec derailment headed by Chicago rail veteran] The Globe & Mail July 7, 2013 In the previous year the railroad had 36.1 accidents per million miles travelled, in comparison to a national average of 14.6 accidents per million miles traveled.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23264397 Lac-Megantic disaster: Engineer blamed for Canada blast] BBC News July 10. 2013

On August 7, 2013, the MM&A filed for bankruptcy protection in both the Quebec Superior Court in Montreal (under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act){{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/lac-m%C3%A9gantic-rail-disaster-company-mm-a-files-for-bankruptcy-1.1338481 |title=Lac Mégantic rail disaster company MM&A files for bankruptcy |publisher=CBC News |date=2013-08-07 |access-date=2013-08-07}} and the United States Bankruptcy Court in Bangor, Maine{{cite news|url=http://bangordailynews.com/2013/08/07/business/railway-involved-in-quebec-crash-that-killed-47-files-for-bankruptcy/ |title=Maine-based railway involved in Quebec crash that killed 47 files for bankruptcy |publisher=Bangor Daily News |date=2013-08-07 |accessdate=2013-08-08}} (under Chapter 11).{{cite news |author=Kim Mackrael |url=http://www3.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/rail-company-involved-in-megantic-disaster-files-for-bankruptcy/article13644535/ |title=MM&A files for bankruptcy after Lac-Mégantic rail disaster |publisher=The Globe & Mail |date=2013-08-07 |accessdate=2013-08-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130808095635/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/rail-company-involved-in-megantic-disaster-files-for-bankruptcy/article13644535/ |archivedate=2013-08-08 }}{{Cite web |url=https://montrealgazette.com/business/Adonis+opens+urban+format+downtown+store/8759563/story.html |title=Montreal Gazette: "Montreal, Maine and Atlantic files for bankruptcy protection", August 7. 2013. In this report, however, the US bankruptcy case was filed in Chicago. |access-date=2019-01-27 |archive-date=2017-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027125645/http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Adonis+opens+urban+format+downtown+store/8759563/story.html |url-status=dead }} The company owes more than seven million dollars to the municipality of Lac-Mégantic in cleanup costs the town has already paid to MM&A contractors and owes severance pay to its laid-off workers; liabilities are expected to increase as lawsuits are filed on behalf of victims of the disaster and as the long process of environmental decontamination and local rebuilding continues.{{cite news|url=http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/societe/2013/08/07/001-mma-syndicat-metallos-employes-voles.shtml |title=Le Syndicat des Métallos accuse la MMA de voler ses employés |publisher=Radio-Canada |language=French |date=2013-08-07 |accessdate=2013-08-07}} The MM&A's certificate of fitness was revoked by the Canadian Transportation Agency on August 13, 2013, citing inadequate liability insurance; this effectively bans the MM&A from operating in Canada.{{Cite web|url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2013/08/13/railway-in-quebec-tragedy-has-its-canadian-licence-suspended/|title = Railway in Quebec tragedy has its Canadian licence suspended - CityNews Toronto| date=13 August 2013 }}{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/lac-m%C3%A9gantic-disaster-railway-can-no-longer-operate-in-canada-1.1336347 |title=Lac-Mégantic rail disaster company can no longer operate in Canada |publisher=CBC Montréal |date=2013-08-13 |access-date=2013-08-13}}

• Eesti Raudtee (25.5%) from August 2001 until January 2007[http://www.rrdc.com/news_rdc_brs_09_04_2001.pdf Baltic Rail Services Completes the Purchase of a Controlling Interest in Eesti Raudtee, Estonian State Railways] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927135046/http://www.rrdc.com/news_rdc_brs_09_04_2001.pdf |date=2011-09-27 }} Railroad Development Corporation September 4, 2001[http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view//evrs-private-interlude-is-over.html EVR's private interlude is over] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531205724/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/evrs-private-interlude-is-over.html |date=2012-05-31 }} Railway Gazette International February 2007

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• {{Official website|http://www.railworld-inc.com/}}

Category:Companies based in Chicago

Category:Railway companies established in 1999

Category:United States railroad holding companies

Category:1999 establishments in Illinois