Articles by Railfanning.org News Wire

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Commuter Rail

Spitzer: Hold Union Leaders in Contempt

December 21, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK – State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer on Dec. 21 asked a judge to hold the leadership of a transit union in contempt of court. “Hopefully, these cumulative sanctions will result in a termination of the strike,” Spitzer said in a statement. “If not, my office will be back in court seeking additional penalties until this strike is ended.” More than 7 million riders have no choice but to find another means of transportation as 33,000 New York City transit workers are on strike. The transit agency and its 33,000 workers are fighting over wages and pension contributions; the
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World

Dozens Injured in Italian Train Wreck

December 20, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire
ROME, Italy – As many as 50 people were injured Dec. 20 when two passenger trains collided near the Italian town of Roccasecca, located about 80 miles of Rome. A train traveling from Rome to Campobasso crashed into a parked train in the station at Roccasecca. The stationary train was traveling from Rome to Cassino. Crews spent some time freeing people who were trapped in the wreckage. Everyone was freed within hours of the 3:20 p.m. collision. No one was killed in the wreck, according to published news reports. In January, 17 people were killed when a passenger train and
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Commuter Rail

NYC MTA Workers on Strike

December 20, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK – Transit workers on Dec. 20 went on strike, forcing millions of city residents to find another way to commute to work. "The morning rush hour was unlike anything this City has experienced in 25 years," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "For a lot of New Yorkers, it was not an easy commute and getting home tonight won’t be easy either. The good news is New Yorkers are following the strike contingency plan we developed and put into effect early this morning." The strike is the first since an 11-day strike in 1980. The transit strike is illegal under
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Commuter Rail

NYC Subways Still Running for Rush Hour

December 16, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK –  Commuters went to work Dec. 16 under the threat of a strike by the city’s transit workers, but New York’s subway system remained open for morning rush hour. “A strike would be more than just illegal and inconvenient; it will threaten public safety and severely disrupt our City and its economy,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said previously. “Our contingency plan is designed to move as many people as possible using alternative means of transportation and to make sure that our streets remain passable for emergency vehicles.” City officials previously outlined a plan to address a transit disruption by reducing
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Commuter Rail

NYC Subway Strike Looms

December 15, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK – A strike on the city’s subway system was looming late Dec. 15. “The City is prepared for the worst case scenario with a robust contingency plan,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. “A strike would be more than just illegal and inconvenient; it will threaten public safety and severely disrupt our City and its economy,” Bloomberg said. “Our contingency plan is designed to move as many people as possible using alternative means of transportation and to make sure that our streets remain passable for emergency vehicles.” In the event of a labor action by New York City Transit unions TWU
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Commuter Rail

Metro proposes no fare increase, new buses and rail cars in FY ’07

December 14, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON – Metro is proposing no fare increase as part of next fiscal year’s budget for the second year in a row. Metro General Manager-CEO Richard A. White in early December outlined the authority’s $1.8 billion fiscal 2007 operating and capital budget proposal today before the Metro Board Budget Committee, which includes new buses, rail cars for eight-car trains and other expanded services. The more than $1 billion operating budget would provide for a traditional 1 percent increase in bus service to relieve overcrowding and improve on time performance. Managers also would like to fund another 2 percent increase in
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Terrorism/Security

TSA Teams With Railroads to Test Security Preparedness

December 13, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is partnering with Amtrak and three commuter railroads for a three-day pilot project to test the agency’s ability to assist State and local authorities by quickly deploying federal assets in response to a specific threat. The pilot will run from Dec. 14 through Dec. 16 and will involve Federal Air Marshals, surface transportation inspectors and TSA canine teams. Commuter railroads participating in the project are the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), SEPTA and Metrolink "In the event of an actual threat, relationships with partners like WMATA and Amtrak will be crucial for
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Legislation

Teamsters Support Rail Emergency Training Bill Introduced by Rep. Lynch

December 9, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON – In response to a Teamsters’ report warning that the nation’s railways are still vulnerable to terrorist attacks and other emergencies, U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, D-Mass., on Dec. 6 introduced legislation that would establish a comprehensive emergency training program for all rail workers. The Teamster Rail Conference report, "High Alert," detailed an appalling lack of emergency training for workers in this post 9-11 era. Workers overwhelmingly reported that they had not received terrorism response and prevention training in the past year. "Rep. Lynch’s bill makes significant strides to correct a bad situation," said John F. Murphy, director of