Commuter Rail – Page 65 – Railfanning.org

SEPTA to Display Mock-Up of New Silverliner V

October 1, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

PHILADELPHIA — The public to get a glimpse of SEPTA’s future regional rail cars with a display of a mock-up version of the new Silverliner V car at Suburban Station on Oct. 2 during a special ceremony beginning at noon. The mock-up of the Silverliner V car will remain on display at Suburban Station from from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 2 through Oct. 16 (weekdays only) to provide an extended opportunity for everyone to “steel” a peek into the future of SEPTA. The mock-up was built to help engineers in the design and manufacturing process for the fleet of commuter rail cars ordered by SEPTA from United Transit

NTSB: Metrolink Engineer Sent Text Message 22 Seconds Before Fatal Crash

October 1, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

LOS ANGELES – The engineer of a Metrolink commuter train that crashed head-on with a Union Pacific freight train sent a text message 22 seconds before the wreck, the National Transportation Safety Board said. On Sept. 12, the day of the crash that killed 25 people and injured 130 more, the Metrolink engineer was on duty twice during the day. First, he was responsible for the operation of a train from 6:44 am until 8:53 a.m., and during that time, the engineer’s cell phone received 21 text messages and sent 24 text messages. The engineer was off duty until 2 p.m. Later on Sept. 12, the engineer was responsible for

Greater Baltimore Committee Urges Adoption of Red Line Plan with Light Rail, Strategic Tunnels

September 30, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

BALTIMORE — The Greater Baltimore Committee is urging state transportation planners to adopt a plan that would make the east-west Red Line from Woodlawn to Bayview a light rail system with two strategically-placed tunnels. The plan the GBC favors, called Alternative 4-C, would tunnel a light rail line under Baltimore’s downtown and Fells Point, and under Cooks Lane on the western leg of the route, said GBC President & CEO Donald C. Fry. “The combination of light rail with these two tunnels at key points of potential congestion would offer the most efficient and most cost-effective practical option for the Red Line project,” Fry said. “A quality east-west light rail

SEPTA to Hold ‘Safety Blitz’ Along Route 101 Line

September 30, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

PHILADELPHIA — SEPTA will conduct a “Safety Blitz” at its Woodland Avenue Station on the Route 101 Media trolley today.During the session SEPTA safety officers, Transit Police, and invited officials from local schools will be on hand to raise public awareness about safety, the dangers of walking along rail tracks and precautions the public should take whenever near a railroad. SEPTA, which periodically conducts safety blitzes throughout the year, is particularly interested in reaching local students with its message following the recent commencement of the academic school year.

Despite Recent Decline in Gas Prices, National Study Reports SEPTA Passengers Save Even More Money

September 30, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

PHILADELPHIA — A recent national study of 20 cities with the highest mass transit ridership totals reported that although overall fuel prices have shown a marginal decline, commuters can save even more riding SEPTA, the agency said. In a comprehensive study titled, “Transit Savings Report,” the American Public Transportation Authority (APTA) outlined monthly and annual savings per household. The study was based on a household expenditure of $800 per month on fuel and factored in the average price ($3.67) for a gallon of gasoline. Although the median savings nationwide was just over $9,500 the report concluded SEPTA riders can save up to $11,000 annually on fuel and more than $900

BART’s Warm Springs Extension Gets Boost From Regional Measure 2 Cash

September 30, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) this week committed $91 million in voter-approved Regional Measure 2 bridge toll money to help finance an $890 million extension of the BART system to Fremont’s Warm Springs district. Construction of the 5.4-mile extension from the current terminus at the Fremont station — which would be the first leg of a planned $6.1 billion extension of the BART system to Milpitas, San Jose and Santa Clara — is slated to begin in the summer of 2009. MTC made the financing pledge as part of a strategic plan for implementing the $17.4 billion Regional Transit Expansion Program adopted by the Commission in 2001

Justice Department Files Religious Discrimination Lawsuit Against Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

September 29, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, alleging that WMATA is engaged in a pattern or practice of religious discrimination, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin and religion. The complaint alleges that WMATA failed to reasonably accommodate and provide equal employment opportunities to employees and prospective employees whose religious practices conflict with WMATA’s uniform policy. WMATA’s practice is to deny all requests for religious accommodations to its uniform policy, regardless of whether reasonable accommodations are available that would resolve the

House Approves Rail Safety Bill; Billions to go to Passenger Rail

September 27, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives has approved legislation that proponents say will improve the Nation’s intercity passenger rail system and the safety of the nation’s railroads. The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 and the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 will increase funding for Amtrak over the next five years, require new safety controls on trains that help reduce crashes, allow states to regulate solid waste processing facilities along rail lines and allocate funding for improvements to Washington’s Metro transit system. The legislation sets “an aggressive deadline” of 2015 for implementation of positive train control (PTC) across most of the rail network, Edward R. Hamberger, President

UP Brakeman Sues Metrolink Over Crash

September 27, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

LOS ANGELES — The brakeman on the Union Pacific train involved in a deadly collision with a California commuter train is suing Metrolink, saying they failed to properly screen, train and supervise the engineer who is being blamed for the wreck. On Sept. 12, a Metrolink commuter train and a Union Pacific freight train collided near Chatsworth, Calif., killing 25 people and injuring more than 130 more. As part of its investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board said the Metrolink engineer sent and received text messages prior to the crash. “Basically the guy was asleep at the switch and not paying attention to what was going on around him,” The

Feds Looking Into ‘Sweetheart Deals’ at LIRR

September 24, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

Federal investigators are looking into sweetheart deals that allowed nearly all workers who retire from the Long Island Railroad, able-bodied or not, to receive federal disability benefits, officials said.