Commuter Rail

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Commuter Rail

NTSB Announces Hearing on Fatal WMATA Wreck

November 12, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board today announced that it will hold a public hearing on February 23-24, 2010, as part of its ongoing investigation into the collision of two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail Red Line trains on June 22 that occurred between the Fort Totten and Takoma Park stations in Washington, D.C. As a result of this accident, there were nine fatalities and numerous injuries. The two-day hearing will convene on Tuesday, February 23, 2010, at the NTSB’s Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington. The purpose of the hearing will be
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Amtrak

Amtrak Reaches Understanding With Metrolink to Operate Los Angeles Area Commuter Trains

October 24, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON – Amtrak and the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) are moving forward today with a Memorandum of Understanding for Amtrak to provide the train and engine crews needed to operate Metrolink commuter trains on all seven of its lines in the Los Angeles area beginning July 1, 2010. “Amtrak and its employees appreciate the confidence and trust Metrolink has placed in us to provide their passengers the highest standards of safety, efficiency and reliability,” said Amtrak President and CEO Joseph H. Boardman, adding the commuter rail system on average operates 149 trains and carries 43,000 riders every weekday.
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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