
Commuter Rail


NTSB to Hold Three-Day Hearing on Fatal 2009 Wreck
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has released additional information about the Board’s scheduled public hearing as part of its ongoing investigation into the cause of the collision of two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail Red Line trains. The collision occurred on June 22, 2009, between the Fort Totten and Takoma stations in Washington, D.C. As a result of this accident, there were nine fatalities and numerous injuries. The three-day hearing will convene at 9:00 a.m. on Feb. 23 and is expected to conclude before the close of business on Feb. 25.

Federal Railroad Administration Initiates Trespass Prevention Study in South Florida
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced that the City of West Palm Beach, FL and the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA), among other partners, will participate in the Trespass Prevention Research Study, a program designed to identify and review trespass laws and mitigation strategies. The goal is to successfully reduce trespassing incidents and fatalities, the feds said. The SFRTA area experienced ten fatalities due to illegal trespassing in the first eight months of 2008, half of which occurred in the West Palm Beach area. Research done by FRA in the region will help the agency better understand trespassing

NTSB Heads to WMATA Derailment
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched an investigator to a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) derailment in Washington, DC. NTSB has designated Jim Southworth, Chief, Railroad Division, as the Investigator-in-Charge. At 10:15 am, (EST), a northbound WMATA Red Line train, consisting of six train cars, derailed north of the Farragut North station. There were three minor injuries reported.

NTSB Schedules Heading as Part of Fatal WMATA Wreck Investigation
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board released additional information about the Board’s scheduled public hearing as part of its ongoing investigation into the cause of the collision of two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail Red Line trains. The collision occurred on June 22, 2009, between the Fort Totten and Takoma stations in Washington, D.C. As a result of this accident, there were nine fatalities and numerous injuries. The hearing, which will now extend to three days, will convene at 9 a.m. on Feb. 23 at the NTSB’s Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. The agenda for the hearing, which will focus not only

NTSB Sets WMATA Hearing
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board released additional information about the Board’s scheduled public hearing as part of its ongoing investigation into the cause of the collision of two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail Red Line trains. The collision occurred on June 22, 2009, between the Fort Totten and Takoma stations in Washington, D.C. As a result of this accident, there were nine fatalities and numerous injuries. The hearing, which will now extend to three days, will convene at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 23, 2010, at the NTSB’s Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. The agenda for the hearing, which will focus

Gertler: America Moves from Anticipation to Action
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — “America takes its first step toward transforming its transportation system,” said HNTB Corporation’s Peter Gertler in response to President Barack Obama’s announcement allocating $8 billion to high-speed rail projects across the country. Gertler, high-speed rail services chair for the national infrastructure firm, said these projects – along current and proposed rail lines in California, Illinois, Wisconsin, Florida, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey and elsewhere – will yield significant benefits to the recipient states and regions. “Even in the short-term, such an investment will spur construction, create jobs and boost local transit systems. In the future,

Amtrak to Perform High-Speed Rail Improvement Study in Michigan
CHICAGO – Amtrak will perform a high-speed rail improvement study that will focus on determining what infrastructure upgrades are needed to provide 110 mph train service on the Norfolk Southern-owned rail corridor between Kalamazoo, Mich., and Detroit. “Amtrak believes 110 mph train service across Michigan is critical for the future and we’re committed to understanding what it will take to get there,” said President and CEO Joseph Boardman, noting that Amtrak’s Wolverine service provides three daily roundtrips between Chicago and Pontiac via Detroit over the corridor. Boardman said Amtrak trains currently operate at 79 mph over the Norfolk Southern line between
