FRA – Page 21 – Railfanning.org

DOT Digest: FRA Grants to Short Line Railroads and for Rail-Related Research

September 21, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — BTS Releases 2006 Border-Crossing Data. The number of trucks entering the United States from Canada and Mexico was 11.4 million in 2006, 0.5 percent higher than in 2005, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration. More than 6.6 million trucks entered the U.S. from Canada and almost 4.8 million entered from Mexico. Border-crossing data posted on the BTS website includes numbers of incoming trucks, trains, buses, containers, personal vehicles, and pedestrians entering the United States through land ports and ferry crossings on the U.S.-Canada

FRA Proposed Rule Promotes Adoption of Advanced Train Braking Technology To Improve Rail Safety and Efficiency

September 20, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Advanced brake technology will enable locomotive engineers to significantly improve train control and allow trains to safely travel longer distances between required brake tests under new proposed federal rules, announced U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters. “Trains with better brakes mean safer railroad operations and improved rail freight service,” said Secretary Peters, explaining that Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) brakes provide improved train control through simultaneous and graduated application and release of the brakes on all rail cars, a significant safety improvement over conventional air brake systems. In addition, Secretary Peters noted that the proposed rule would permit a

Reducing Human Error and Strengthening Hazardous Materials Tank Cars Top Rail Safety Agenda for 2007, says DOT Secretary Peters

May 22, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Department will issue a final rule to prevent human factor-caused train accidents and complete research for new hazardous materials tank car design standards this year to continue recent improvements in rail safety, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters said as part of a progress report on a Department campaign to improve rail safety. She noted that preliminary data for 2006 shows the number of train accidents declined for the second year in a row and there were fewer highway-rail grade crossing collisions. Last year, train accidents dropped 11.3 percent over 2005 resulting in a train accident rate

FRA Launches Two New Automated Inspection Vehicles to Detect Track Flaws; 100,000 Miles of Track to be Federally Inspected Each Year

May 16, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Two new custom-built inspection vehicles equipped with state of the art technology to help identify track flaws that could lead to train derailments are now in service and will allow the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to triple the amount of track it inspects each year by automated means to nearly 100,000 miles, announced FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman. “Finding track problems and getting them fixed before a train accident occurs is key to safeguarding communities,” Boardman said. Boardman explained that the new automated track inspection vehicles increase the FRA’s fleet to five and are primarily used on high-volume

FRA Issues Grant to Nevada DOT to Complete Evaluation of Proposed Maglev Train

May 11, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is issuing a $962,240 grant to the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) to complete preliminary environmental and engineering studies for a 35-mile segment of a proposed magnetic levitation (maglev) passenger train corridor between Las Vegas and Primm, Nev. Among the factors to be examined include: regional and local planning goals; current and future demographics and land use, growth and development patterns; as well as existing and planned transportation facilities and services. — Special to Railfanning.org News Wire

FRA Releases Results of Track Inspections on CSX and Outlines Next Rail Safety Actions

April 18, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman today announced that 78 track defects and one serious violation were found by Federal Railroad Administration inspectors during a recent audit of CSX tracks in upstate New York. In addition, FRA’s ongoing review of rail safety in New York is being expanded to other railroads. Administrator Boardman added that as a result of the inspections, CSX has committed to strengthen track standards, deploy additional safety technology and develop a stronger safety culture. FRA will be vigilant in making sure CSX undertakes these preventative measures, especially improvements in the way they manage routine

FRA Approves Waiver for New Braking Technology to Improve Train Control and Safety

March 29, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

Two railroads will begin equipping and operating trains with new brake technology capable of significantly improving train control, reducing derailments, and shortening stopping distances as a result of a waiver approved by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Administrator Joseph H. Boardman announced March 29.

CSXT Pledges Prompt, Aggressive Safety Response

March 28, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Michael Ward, chairman and chief executive officer of CSX Corporation, has assured Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Boardman that CSX Transportation will move promptly and aggressively to address safety concerns, through heightened inspection standards and other special initiatives in response to a FRA inspection report. “Safety is our top priority, and we welcome the FRA’s inspections and insights,” Ward said. “We are committed to working closely with FRA on all safety issues.” Company officials reported that CSXT promptly took corrective action on the defects identified in the FRA focused inspection in January, many of them before the inspection

Federal Railroad Administrator Boardman Visits Albany to Launch Track Inspection Project for New York State, Announces Additional Measures to Improve Rail Safety

March 19, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

ALBANY, N.Y. — In the wake of several recent accidents, the federal government today is launching a rail inspection project to check nearly 1,300 miles of track across New York State for flaws that might lead to a train derailment among other new measures designed to improve rail safety in the wake of several recent accidents, Joseph H. Boardman, the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced during a visit to Albany. “A safe railroad begins with safe track, but it doesn’t end there,” Administrator Boardman said. “Railroads needs to embrace a ‘culture of safety’ and find new ways

FRA Announces Start of Environmental Impact Statement for California High-Speed Passenger Rail Project

March 16, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

LOS ANGELES — The Federal Railroad Administration announced it will jointly prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) with the California High-Speed Rail Authority for two sections of the state’s proposed high-speed passenger rail project. The two EIS documents, covering the Palmdale to Los Angeles and Los Angeles to Orange County corridors, will involve preliminary engineering designs and assess the environmental impact associated with construction, operation, and maintenance of the proposed project. These two corridors are part of the Authority’s plan to build a 700-mile high-speed rail system from Sacramento / San Francisco to San Diego capable of speeds in excess