Commuter Rail – Page 75 – Railfanning.org

Metrorail Service Back to Normal After Sunday Derailment

January 8, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Service on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) was back to normal today, a day after a six-car train derailed near the Mount Vernon Square station. The Mt. Vernon Square/7th St-Convention Center Metrorail station, which serves the Green and Yellow lines, was closed Sunday, Jan. 7, from 3:46 p.m. to midnight after a Green Line train derailed as it was pulling into the station. The fifth car (car number 5152) of the six-car Green Line train headed north toward Greenbelt derailed and struck a concrete wall in the tunnel as the train was entering the station. It

WMATA Train Derails, 20 People Injured

January 8, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Twenty people were injured yesterday following a derailment on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Service was disrupted for some time following the derailment near the Mount Vernon Square station. The train that derailed was six cars long. Although Mount Vernon Square station was open for Monday morning rush hour, authorities implemented speed restrictions for trains traveling through the area of the derailment. Of the 20 people injured, no one was reported to be in critical condition. The National Transportation Safety Board has been called in to investigate. In November, two WMATA workers were killed after they

Caltrain: The Future is Bright

January 7, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

SAN CARLOS, Calif. – Over the next two decades, Caltrain will makeover its whole railway, improving its tracks, bridges and terminals, and transitioning to an electric train system, according the to a Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, which recently released its 2006 progress report for Caltrain. “Bay Area residents can be proud that they have a world-class railroad in their back yard,” said Caltrain Board Chair and San Jose City Councilman Ken Yeager. “Our riders already appreciate the easy commute, and they are only going to see things get better.” The report provides a snapshot in time of the railroad’s

MBTA Looking to Buy New Equipment

January 7, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

BOSTON – Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is beginning the process of buying 38 new diesel electric passenger locomotives and 75 bi-level commuter rail coaches. In search of the most technologically advanced equipment, General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas directed his staff to open up the competition to every available manufacturer worldwide, the railroad said. “We need to take advantage of new technology,” said MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas. “A fuel efficient, dependable and environmentally friendly commuter rail vehicle is what our customers deserve and why we are encouraging manufacturers to competitively bid this work.” Presently, MBTA’s fleet consists of 410 coaches

Man Struck and Killed by Train on Red Line Last Week Identified

January 7, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

SILVER SPRING, Md. – A man who was struck and killed by a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Red Line train last Friday has been identified as 21-year-old Edwin Rodriguez of Silver Spring. Rodriguez was reported missing to Montgomery County Police on Jan. 1. At 6:14 p.m. Dec. 29, Rodriguez, intentionally stepped in front of a six-car Metrorail train upon its arrival at the Glenmont Metrorail station, WMATA said. The investigation was conducted by Metro Transit Police and the Montgomery County Police Major Crimes Division. The Maryland State Medical Examiner’s Office will issue the final ruling regarding the death.

Metro Employee Barred from Operating Train or Bus

January 7, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The operator of a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) train that struck and killed two Metro track inspectors on Nov. 30 has been permanently barred from operating a train or bus. The decision comes after Metro’s preliminary investigation concluded that the operator did not exercise appropriate emergency braking procedures at the time of the incident. The workers were killed Nov. 30 after they were struck by a train near the Eisenhower Avenue Metro station in Alexandria, Va. The NTSB continues to investigate. In order to protect the safety interests of Metro employees and customers, Metro management

Man Jumps on NYC Subway Tracks to Save Another

January 5, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW YORK – A Harlem resident jumped onto subway tracks to save a man who fell into harm’s way after suffering a seizure. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg subsequently presented Harlem resident Wesley Autrey with the Bronze Medallion for his bravery in saving the life of Cameron Hollopeter, a film student who fell on the No. 1 line subway tracks following a seizure on Jan. 2. “Wesley’s astonishing bravery – saving a life in the face on an oncoming subway car – is an inspiration not just to New Yorkers, but the entire world,” Bloomberg said. “His courageous rescue of a

Wreck Roundup for January 2007

January 5, 2007 The Cross-Tie

Here’s a quick look at some of the wrecks from the past month.

NTSB Finishes Field Portion of WMATA Investigation

January 4, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The National Transportation Safety Board has wrapped up the field portion of an investigation into the deaths of two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) track inspectors. The workers were killed Nov. 30 after they were struck by a train near the Eisenhower Avenue Metro station in Alexandria, Va. The NTSB continues to investigate. A sight distance test was completed in early December, and investigators have recordings and transcripts of radio conversations between the train operator and dispatchers and are reviewing them. A security camera video from the station platform that shows the accident is being enhanced.

MARTA to Review Station Gaps

January 2, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

ATLANTA — MARTA, metro Atlanta’s mass transit system, is reviewing the so-called station gaps, the distance between subway stops, according to a report in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Officials hope adding more stations to the 48-mile line will attract more riders. Extending the rail line would cost roughly $100 million per mile, while building the “infill stations” might be a cheaper approach. “MARTA’s approach has always been to extend the line, and once they’ve built that, development would come,” Lara Hodgson, a member of metro Atlanta’s regional Transit Planning Board, told the newspaper. “But what if you did the opposite?” she