Commuter Rail

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Commuter Rail

MBTA Trolly Driver Charged for Texting on the Job

July 8, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
NEWTON, Mass. — A Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was indicted on charges he sent text messages while on the job. The driver told investigators he was sending a text message to his girlfriend on May when he ran through two signals — one yellow and one red. The Green Line trolley, traveling about 25 mph, crashed into a second trolley; 49 people were injured in the collision, according to The Boston Globe. “When people board a public conveyance, they place their lives and safety in the operator’s hands,” Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said in a statement, according
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Commuter Rail

NTSB to Hold Hearing on 2008 MBTA Trolley Wreck

July 6, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public Board meeting Tuesday, July 14, to discuss a 2008 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) trolley wreck. On May 28, 2008, at about 5:51 p.m. EDT, MBTA Green Line train, traveling westbound at about 38 mph, struck the rear of another westbound Green Line train, which had stopped for a red signal. The wreck occurred in Newton, Mass., a suburb of Boston. Each train consisted of two light rail trolley cars and carried both a train operator in the lead car and a trail operator in the second car. The
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Commuter Rail

Red Line Trains to Operate at Regular Speeds Starting Friday, July 3

July 2, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Starting at 7 a.m. Friday, July 3, Washington Metro trains will return to regular speeds on the Red Line except for those passing through the area of last week’s accident between Takoma and Fort Totten Metrorail stations. The Takoma Metrorail station will close at 10 p.m. Thursday, July 2, to allow investigators to continue their work to determine the cause of the accident. The Takoma Metrorail station will reopen with normal speeds at 7 a.m. on Friday, July 3, when the rail system will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. on the Federal Independence Day holiday.
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Commuter Rail

NTSB Offers Update on WMATA Wreck

July 1, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — In its continuing investigation of the June 22 wreck involving the collision of two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) trains on the Red Line in Washington, D.C., the National Transportation Safety Board has developed the following factual information: — The examination of factors leading up to the accident continues.  Investigators have been conducting nightly tests of the train control system at the accident site.  Test progress was delayed by some water in underground access areas that made it unsafe for technicians to work on electrical cables until the water could be pumped out.  The components being tested
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Commuter Rail

WMATA: Track Circuits to be Inspected, Trains Operate in Manual Mode

June 25, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — An estimated 3,000 signaling circuits in the Metro system are being inspected in the wake of Monday’s deadly Red Line collision, Metro general manager John Catoe told board members at their monthly meeting (June 25). “We do not know if the circuits had anything to do with this accident, but we won’t just sit back and wait for someone to tell us,” said Catoe. “We’re going to be proactive and get out there to test all of them.” Metro safety and operations officials are working hand-in-hand with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to investigate the cause of
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Commuter Rail

Washington Metro: Two Red Line Trains Collide, Fatalities Reported

June 22, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Two six-car Red Line trains collided at 5 p.m. Monday, June 22, leaving four people dead, including a female train operator. In addition, there were a number of injuries reported, many serious. According to authorities, one train rear-ended the other. The operator who was killed in the crash was on the trailing train. “We are extremely saddened that there are fatalities as a result of this accident, which has touched our Metro family. We hope to have more details about the casualties later today. Our safety officials are investigating, and will continue to investigate until we determine why
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Commuter Rail

LaHood Announces Guidelines for Receiving Economic Recovery Funds for High-Speed Rail

June 17, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The Department of Transportation moved another step closer to realizing President Obama’s vision for high-speed rail in America today, publishing guidelines for states and regions to apply for federal funds as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. “The time has finally come for the United States to get serious about building a national network of high-speed rail corridors we can all be proud of,” Secretary Ray LaHood said. “High-speed rail can reduce traffic congestion and link up with light rail, subways and buses to make travel more convenient and our communities more livable.” The historic commitment
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Commuter Rail

Biden, LaHood Meet with Governors on Future of U.S. High-Speed Rail

June 3, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood challenged governors to think boldly when designing high-speed rail plans during a roundtable discussion at the White House. The session was a unique opportunity for state leaders to share their ideas with the Obama Administration about the future of high-speed trains in America.In April, President Obama released a strategic plan outlining his vision for high-speed rail. The plan identifies $13 billion in federal funds — $8 billion in the Recovery Act and $5 billion requested in the President’s budget — to jump-start a potential world-class passenger rail system and
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Commuter Rail

NTSB Investigating MBTA Trolley Collision

May 9, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
BOSTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a go-team to investigate the collision of two trolleys on Boston’s MBTA Green Line. At approximately 7:19 pm on Friday, May 8, a trolley struck another trolley from behind near the Government Center station in downtown Boston. Multiple injuries have been reported.