Year: 2009

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Commuter Rail

Metro Moves Ahead with ‘Economic Stimulus’ Projects

March 27, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Metro is moving forward with spending nearly $202 million on “economic stimulus projects” that include fixing crumbling platforms, repairing tracks and buying new hybrid-electric buses, the agency said. Metro’s Board approved a revised list of 29 projects and moving ahead with awarding nearly 100 contracts and purchases. The first purchase is expected to be made at the end of April for about 45 new hybrid-electric buses with a manufacturer Metro has already contracted with to make Metrobuses. Metro previously announced $230 million in planned stimulus projects, but the list was pared down after some of the funds went
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Commuter Rail

MARC Train Collides with Metrobus; Minor Injuries Reported

March 27, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
RIVERDALE, Md. — A Metrobus was involved in a collision with a MARC train and another Metrobus at about 4:24 p.m. March 26 at Queensbury Road and Lafayette Avenue. According to the preliminary report, Metrobus 6040, which had no passengers on board and was operating an F4 route to the New Carrollton Metrorail station, was traveling eastbound on Queensbury Road and attempting to cross the railroad tracks when it was delayed by a second Metrobus attempting to make a left turn. The second Metrobus, number 9731, operating an F4 route to the Silver Spring Metrorail station, was traveling westbound on
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FRA

FRA: Reductions in Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Crashes

March 27, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — According to preliminary statistics released this month by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), total vehicle-train collisions at highway-rail grade crossings fell 13.8 percent, from 2,752 in 2007 to 2,373 in 2008. Another 286 fatalities involving trains and a car or truck occurred last year, 14.6 percent below 2007, and 913 injuries, a decrease of 12.9 percent from 2007, according to the FRA. “We are heartened by these safety gains, as our goal is to prevent casualties at highway-rail grade crossings,” said Operation Lifesaver, Inc. President Helen M. Sramek. “As part of our ongoing efforts, Operation Lifesaver has developed
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Commuter Rail

LaHood Signs $900 Million Agreement to Fund Wiehle Avenue Extension of Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

March 27, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood earlier this month committed $900 million through 2016 to the $3.1 billion Wiehle Avenue Extension of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. “This project comes at a pivotal point as the Obama Administration begins to make vast improvements to our nation’s top transit systems,” LaHood said. “It will create construction jobs, encourage economic development opportunities, and help Tysons Corner become a more livable community.” The 11.7-mile heavy rail line will be an extension to the existing Metrorail system just east of the West Falls Church station through Tysons Corner to its terminus at Wiehle
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Miscellaneous

AAR: Rail Freight Traffic Continues to Reflect Slow Economy

March 27, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads continued to reflect the nation’s economic slowdown during the week ended March 21, the Association of American Railroads reported today. U.S. railroads reported originating 276,030 cars during the week, down 14.7 percent from the comparison week in 2008, with loadings down 13.0 percent in the West and 17.0 percent in the East. Intermodal volume of 183,795 trailers or containers was off 12.9 percent from last year, with container volume falling 7.7 percent and trailer volume dropping 30.9 percent. Total volume was estimated at 29.3 billion ton-miles, off 13.6 percent from 2008. Eighteen of
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Amtrak

Amtrak Details ‘Stimulus’ Projects

March 27, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has released a list of capital projects to be funded by $1.3 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration, the highlights of the list include railcar and locomotive restoration to augment the current fleet, projects to bring stations into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), facility improvements, track, bridge and signal replacements and upgrades. “These Amtrak projects fulfill all of the objectives of the ARRA, and more. They are ‘shovel-ready;’ they will improve the efficiency and accessibility of Amtrak trains and facilities; and we estimate they will
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Amtrak

NTSB to Discuss 2007 Amtrak Wreck

March 26, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public Board meeting March 31 on its investigation of a collision of Amtrak(National Railroad Passenger Corporation) and Norfolk Southern Railway Company (Norfolk Southern) trains near Chicago. At 11:23 a.m. on Nov. 30, 2007, Amtrak’s Pere Marquette, consisting of one locomotive and three passenger cars, struck the rear of standing Norfolk Southern freight train 23M. The forward portion of the Amtrak locomotive came to rest on top of a container on the rear car of the freight train. Sixty-six passengers and five crewmembers were transported to hospitals; 2 passengers and one
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Commuter Rail

MTA Board Approves Service Reductions and Fare/Toll Increases

March 26, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board approved a series of resolutions that will allow the MTA to move forward with fare increases of 25 to 30 percent and service reductions that will affect customers throughout its service area. These actions were required to implement the balanced budget passed by the Board in December, which closed an approximately $1.2 billion deficit, the board said. The fare and toll increases will be effective on the following dates: New York City Transit, MTA Bus and Long Island Bus (subway, buses and Staten Island Railway): May 31 Long Island Rail Road and
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Commuter Rail

MTA: Staten Island Railway Ridership Figures Show ‘Impressive Gains’ for 2008

March 25, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK — Last year, MTA Staten Island Railway (SIR) saw an impressive gain in ridership attributable to a series of factors, including the increase of p.m. rush hour express service and the unprecedented jump in gasoline prices which persuaded many commuters to leave their cars at home. From 2007, annual ridership climbed 6.1 percent to 4.38 million in 2008 while the average number of customers using SIR on an average weekday rose 5.1 percent to 15,713. “We greet these ridership figures with great enthusiasm,” said SIR General Manager John Gaul, who noted that there was no single reason for