May 2004 – Railfanning.org

Providence and Worcester Railroad Held Liable for Arrest

May 30, 2004 Railfanning.org News Wire

A jury has found the Providence and Worcester Railroad Company liable for more than $310,000, plus interest, in a civil rights violation lawsuit stemming from a February 1996 arrest.

UP Announces Settlement to Class Action Suit

May 25, 2004 Railfanning.org News Wire

A settlement has been reached in a class-action suit filed against Union Pacific following a May 27, 2000, derailment near Eunice, La., the railroad announced Tuesday (May 25, 2004).

Suspicious Device Placed in SEPTA Yard by Employee

May 24, 2004 Railfanning.org News Wire

An “electronic motion detector” discovered May 5 in SEPTA’s Powelton Rail Yard was placed there by an employee for personal use, the railroad and the FBI said in a joint statement.

Hamberger: Freight Business Booming, Intermodal Top Revenue Source

May 23, 2004 Railfanning.org News Wire

Railroads are experiencing a surge in traffic volumes for all commodities, including coal, and, for the first time, intermodal freight is the industry’s top revenue source, Association of American Railroads President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger said in a speech at the National Press Club.

SEPTA Employee Finds Suspicious Device, Not Linked to Terrorism

May 23, 2004 Railfanning.org News Wire

A device, described as a “commercial motion detector,” was found in a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) rail yard, arousing suspicions among officials.

Department of Homeland Security Announces New Measures to Expand Security for Rail Passengers

May 20, 2004 Railfanning.org News Wire

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on May 20, 2004 issued Security Directives (SD) requiring protective measures to be implemented by passenger rail operators.

NEWSWEEK: ‘Perfectly Formed’ Fingerprint Found on Plastic Bag Containing Bomb Materials Hours After Madrid Bombing; Logged Unexpected Hit With FBI Computer Archive

May 20, 2004 Railfanning.org News Wire

Hours after four railway bombs exploded in Madrid last March 11, Spanish investigators found a piece of evidence in a white van 20 miles from the blast that they did not reveal: on a plastic bag containing bomb materials, investigators found a “perfectly formed” fingerprint they couldn’t identify, a Spanish official tells Newsweek.

Perth Public Transport Authority Selects Honeywell for Urban Rail Safe Project; Honeywell Digital Video Manager at Core of Centralized CCTV Monitoring System

May 13, 2004 Railfanning.org News Wire

Honeywell Building Solutions on May 13, 2004, announced it has received a $7.1 million order from the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia (PTA) for the design and construction of a centralized closed circuit television (CCTV) monitoring and digital recording system for Perth’s urban railway network.

Railfanning.org Launches www.thecrosstie.com

May 13, 2004 Railfanning.org News Wire

Railfanning.org has launched www.thecrosstie.com, a website for the e-zine The Cross-Tie.

Air and Rail Machinists March to Protect Jobs in ‘Day of Action’

May 12, 2004 Railfanning.org News Wire

Airline and railroad workers represented by the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM) participated in march and rally in Washington, D.C. on May 12 to bring attention to the union’s Fight for Transportation Jobs.