Commuter Rail

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Commuter Rail

NTSB Identifies Signal Failure in DC Crash

September 22, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued nine safety recommendations, six of which are urgent, as part of its investigation into the collision between two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) trains on June 22, 2009. The trains crashed on the Red Line near the Fort Totten station in Washington. The NTSB’s recommendations address concerns about the safety of train control systems that use audio frequency track circuits, authorities said. As part of its investigation, the NTSB said it discovered that a failure occurred in which a spurious signal generated by a track circuit module transmitter mimicked
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Commuter Rail

Feds: Transit Systems Should be Alert

September 22, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK — Federal authorities sent warnings to transit systems, hotels and stadiums nationwide that Islamic terrorists might target them. Law enforcement continued to search for suspects in “a possible al-Qaida plot to set off hydrogen-peroxide bombs hidden in backpacks,” The Associated Press reported. The DHS and the FBI “have no information regarding the timing, location or target of any planned attack, we believe it is prudent to raise the security awareness of our local law enforcement partners regarding the targets and tactics of previous terrorist activity,” the groups said in a statement, according to The Associated Press. “The MTA
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Commuter Rail

WMATA: Person Fatally Struck by Train

September 17, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — A person was fatally struck by a six-car Yellow Line train as it pulled into the Columbia Heights Metrorail station today at 1:55 p.m., WMATA said. The train was headed downtown. The preliminary indication leads investigators to believe that the individual intentionally placed himself/herself (gender not yet confirmed) in the path of the train.
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Commuter Rail

Man Dies After Being Struck by WMATA Train

September 13, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — A man was struck and killed by a six-car Red Line train headed in the direction of Shady Grove at 7:58 a.m. this morning, Sept. 13. Eyewitness accounts indicate that the man, a customer, placed himself in the path of the train. Customers can expect major delays on the Red Line throughout the remainder of the morning while police conduct an investigation. Shuttle buses are moving customers between Farragut North, Metro Center, Gallery Place and Judiciary Square Metrorail stations. Sunday is the least traveled day on the Metrorail system. The Red Line at Metro Center and Gallery Place-Chinatown
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Commuter Rail

Wamp: DOT Awards $14.2M for High-Speed Magnetic Levitation

September 11, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., said the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will award $14.2 million to accelerate an environmental impact statement for a high-speed magnetic levitation, or maglev, train between Atlanta, Chattanooga and Nashville. The majority of the grant will be used for the studies required in the National Environmental Policy Act identifying the corridor routes and the station locations for this proposed project. “This funding is a game changer for the prospect of high-speed rail in the southeast and dramatically increases our chances of success in the years ahead. A high-speed rail connection between Atlanta, Chattanooga
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Commuter Rail

Washington Metro: Blue and Orange Lines About to Get a Major Overhaul

September 11, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON –Washington Metro’s Board Planning, Development and Real Estate committee on Sept. 10 gave preliminarily approval to the transit agency’s second system infrastructure and rehabilitation program designed to cover all aspects of maintenance repairs throughout the Metrorail system. This program is scheduled for overhauling the Blue and Orange lines between the Stadium-Armory and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Metrorail stations. The $380 million maintenance project will encompass 24 miles of mainline track and 20 Metrorail stations. “This type of work is vital to maintaining the rail system and keeping the system operating as safely as possible,” said Metro General Manager
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Commuter Rail

Overhaul Planned for Six West-of-Hudson Locomotives

September 10, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK — MTA Metro-North Railroad has approved a $7.9 million contract to overhaul six 3,000-horsepower F40 locomotives in use on its West of Hudson service. The overhaul will include new, larger fuel tanks for more efficient operations. This overhaul program will help improve train operations and provide more reliable service for Port Jervis and Pascack Valley line customers, officials said.

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Commuter Rail

MTA Metro-North Railroad Renews Study of Access to Pennsylvania Station

September 10, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEW YORK — MTA Metro-North Railroad is streamlining its study of how best to provide direct train service from its New Haven and Hudson lines into Penn Station, New York via the east Bronx and Manhattan’s West Side, officials said. An environmental review began a decade ago with the intent of developing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a “Preferred Alternative” pursuant to the National Environmental Protection Act. Through two screening processes, an initial list of 22 service alternatives was narrowed to four “Build” alternatives; two alternatives for Hudson Line service to Penn Station and two alternatives for New Haven
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Amtrak

Amtrak, TSA and Local Law Enforcement Deploy Across Northeast Corridor Rail Stations

September 10, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Amtrak Police, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel and law enforcement officers from more than 100 federal, state, local, rail and transit police agencies were deployed at approximately 150 passenger rail stations throughout the Northeast Corridor region in an exercise of expanded counterterrorism and incident response capabilities. The deployment happened Sept. 9. The multi-force security surge across 13 states and Washington, DC, is NOT in response to any particular threat or incident. Rather, today’s deployment is part of Operation ALERTS (Allied Law Enforcement for Rail and Transit Security), a coordinated effort involving activities such as heightened station patrols, increased