February 2005 – Railfanning.org

The New England Council Calls on Administration to Reconsider Proposed Amtrak Funding

February 10, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

BOSTON — Following the release of President Bush’s proposed budget which would slash funding for Amtrak rail service, New England Council President James T. Brett joined other regional leaders in calling for the Administration to reconsider this proposal. Last year, Amtrak was funded at $1.2 billion. The Administration proposal for FY 2006 is only $360 million – a move that rail officials say would shut down Amtrak. "Rail service is very important to the New England economy," Brett said. "Any loss of service will have a deleterious impact on the movement of business and leisure passengers along the east coast

January 2005 Wreck Roundup

February 5, 2005 The Cross-Tie

A 54-year-old woman was killed Jan. 21 in Pickens County, S.C, when her 1997 Ford Escort was struck by the northbound Crescent Amtrak passenger train, the Anderson Independent-Mail newspaper reported. It appears the woman panicked when she realized she was stopped on the tracks, but was unable to move her car, according to the newspaper’s report. A Jan. 20 derailment at Union Station in Washington snarled rail traffic for hours. Two cars from train No. 132 derailed at the northern end of the station, an Amtrak spokesman told Reuters news agency. No one was hurt. Dozens of other trains into

NTSB Approves Safety Recommendations

February 3, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

The National Transportation Safety Board on Feb. 3 approved the following: The National Transportation Safety Board therefore makes the following safety recommendations to the Federal Railroad Administration: Require in 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 213, Track Safety Standards, that rail cracks originating from bond wire attachments be identified as rail defects and that information be collected on the methods and locations of those attachments. (R-05-01) Require in 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 225, Guide for Preparing Accident/Incident Reports, that derailments caused by rail cracks originating from bond wire attachments be reported with a specific cause code and that

Motiva Enterprises and Norfolk Southern Build Largest Rail-Served Ethanol Terminal in New York Harbor

February 2, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORFOLK, Va. — Motiva Enterprises LLC and Norfolk Southern Corporation on Feb. 2 announced the opening of a new high-capacity ethanol terminal located at Motiva’s petroleum distribution terminal in Sewaren, N.J. It is the largest rail-served ethanol terminal in the New York Harbor area. The terminal is strategically located to serve the New York and Connecticut markets for ethanol. The facility, which replaces Motiva’s 23-car-per-day terminal, is capable of unloading 40 railcars per day. The expansion more than doubled the terminal’s capacity from 1 million gallons per day to more than 2 million. Ethanol is increasingly being used as a

CN, BNSF Reach Routing Protocol Agreement

February 1, 2005 The Cross-Tie

CN and BNSF on Jan. 19 announced a routing protocol agreement to streamline their exchange of rail traffic at major gateways, to be implemented over a three-month period.

Reports: Tsunami Claims At Least 1,000 RR Passengers

February 1, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

TELWATTA, Sri Lanka — At least 1,000 train passengers were killed here when a tsunami rocked Sri Lanka and Asia. The passengers were on board a train known as the “Queen of the Sea,” when the tsunami struck, sweeping the train off its tracks and leaving behind a swath of destruction. The train left Colombo at 7:30 a.m. Dec. 26 and was heading towards Galle, Sri Lanka. The train traveled along a coastal line, which was about 200 yards from the water, The Associated Press reported. Near the village of Telwatta, the train stopped because of rising water, authorities said.

NTSB: Switch Led to Deadly S.C. Collision, Evacuations

February 1, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

GRANITEVILLE, S.C. – At least nine people were killed and thousands evacuated from their homes after two trains collided, which resulted in toxic chlorine gas leaking. Hundreds of people were treated for a variety of injuries and at least 58 people were hospitalized, about a dozen in serious condition. A toxic cloud of gas leaked into area neighborhoods and the nearby Avondale Mills plant, which employs hundreds on its graveyard shift. “The initial evidence obtained suggests that the Norfolk Southern Railway, which owned the trains and the tracks involved, is responsible for this accident and will be held accountable to

NS: Graniteville Crash to Cost $30M-$40M

February 1, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern on Jan. 24 said it expects the first quarter 2005 to reflect expenses in the range of $30 to $40 million (pretax) relating to the Jan. 6 derailment at Graniteville, S.C. The amount includes Norfolk Southern’s self-insurance retention under its insurance policies, as well as other uninsured costs. Although potential losses may exceed self-insurance retention amounts, NS expects at this time that insurance coverage is adequate to cover the potential claims or settlements. The amount does not include any fines or penalties that could be imposed. Nine people were killed in the derailment and hundreds