Commuter Rail – Page 74 – Railfanning.org

MBTA Commuter Trains Collide, One Dead

May 29, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWTON, Mass. — One person died and a dozen were injured after two Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority trains collided. The only fatality was the engineer of one of the trains. The employee had worked for MBTA for less than a year, according to media reports. According to reports, one train rammed into the rear of the other train, which was waiting at a red light. The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a Go Team to investigate the collision. NTSB Rail Investigator Wayne Workman will serve as Investigator-in-Charge and lead the 7-member team.

MBTA Commuter Trains Collide

May 28, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

BOSTON — Two Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority trains collided near Newton, Mass. The National Transportation Safety Board is dispatching a Go Team to investigate the collision. NTSB Rail Investigator Wayne Workman will serve as Investigator-in-Charge and lead the 7-member team. Board Member Kitty Higgins will accompany the team and serve as spokesman for the on-scene investigation.

Rep.: High Gas Prices Help Rail Travel

May 23, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Higher gas prices and congestion on the nation’s highways are helping to make railroads a more viable travel alternative, a congresswoman says. “Amtrak’s improved physical state and recent focus on customer service, along with increasing highway and airport congestion and rising gas prices, have made intercity passenger rail more popular and necessary than ever,” said Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. Congress’ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved a bill to reauthorize Amtrak and improve intercity passenger rail. HR 6003, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, authorizes

Bill to Reauthorize Amtrak, Improve Intercity Passenger Rail Moves Out of Committee

May 23, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — A bill to reauthorize Amtrak and improve intercity passenger rail was approved and reported out by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. HR 6003, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, authorizes $14.4 billion for Amtrak capital and operating grants, state intercity passenger grants, and high-speed rail over the next five years. “Today’s markup is a historic milestone, because the legislation we approved today is a truly significant and long overdue investment in the nation’s passenger rail system,” said Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the committee. “We can address many of the nation’s most

Metrorail Extension to Tyson’s Corner, Dulles International Airport Moving Forward

May 5, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) has substantially improved its proposal to extend Metrorail, responding various concerns the Department of Transportation raised in January, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced. “Consequently, we have sent the required 10-day notification to Congress that we intend to move the project into the Final Design stage of FTA’s New Starts Process,” Federal Transit Administrator James S. Simpson said in a statement. “FTA will commit $158.7 million to use toward completion of a financial plan, construction plans, detailed engineering specifications and cost estimates, and other technical requirements. “However, there are still hurdles facing

Two Killed at CTA Train Station

April 25, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — Two people were killed after a tractor trailer slammed into a bus shelter at the Cermak-Chinatown CTA station, authorities said. Trains on CTA’s Red Line were interrupted because of the accident. “Right now this is just a tragic traffic accident,” The Associated Press quoted Chicago Police Department Deputy Chief Joseph Patterson as saying. Two women who were walking near the shelter were killed, and more than 20 people were taken to the hospital. Red line trains continued to operate, though they bypassed the Cermak-Chinatown station. — Railfanning.org News Wire

FRA Announces Guide for Managing Gap Safety at Passenger Rail Platforms

April 3, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued a guidance document to help minimize accidents due to gaps between the edge of a passenger station platform and the threshold of a passenger train door. FRA Approach to Managing Gap Safety addresses the use of engineering evaluation and analysis to establish gap standards and the application of strategies to prevent and reduce gap accidents. While most gap incidents involving rail passengers result in relatively minor injuries, FRA believes the most effective way to address the potential risks is for railroads to develop and adopt a comprehensive program to manage gap

Trains on Northeast Corridor Come to Standstill

March 26, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWARK, N.J. — Trains along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor came to a standstill because of electrical problems, authorities said. “It was done as a precautionary measure. None of the trains lost power,” The Associated Press quoted Amtrak Spokesman Cliff Cole as saying. The voltage in the overhead wires dropped from 12,000 volts to 9,000 volts, though an exact cause was not immediately known. Trains that were in tunnels moved to nearby stations, according to published reports. In addition to Amtrak, N.J. Transit trains were also impacted by the problem. — Railfanning.org News Wire

Lumber Car Strikes MBTA Commuter Train

March 26, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

CANTON, Mass. — About 150 people were injured when a lumber car crashed into a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter train Tuesday afternoon, March 25, authorities said. “All the lights went out and people were flying down the aisles and people were on the floor of the car,” one passenger told The Boston Herald newspaper. “The car began filling up with dust and the scary part was part of the woods was burning up outside the doors.” The train was en route from Boston’s South Station to Stoughton at the time of the crash. An estimated 300 people were on

NTSB: 2007 Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority Rail Accident Was Failure to Provide Signal Protection for Track Maintenance Workers

March 18, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of the collision involving a Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority train with a maintenance truck in Woburn, Mass., was the failure of the train dispatcher to maintain blocking that provided signal protection for the track segment occupied by the maintenance-of-way work crew, and the failure of the work crew to apply a shunting device that would have provided redundant signal protection for their track segment. “This tragic accident occurred because several employees of the railroad failed to do a very important part of their job,” NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker