FRA

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Commuter Rail

FRA Administrator Szabo Joins Portland Officials to Review Portland-Seattle Train Project

March 18, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire
PORTLAND, Ore. – Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo on March 16 joined local officials at Union Station to celebrate the Pacific Northwest Passenger Rail Corridor construction project in Portland. Through the High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Program (HSIPR), the U.S. Department of Transportation has invested $814 million to pay for upgrades to one of the busiest intercity passenger rail corridors in the nation, which runs between Vancouver, BC, and Eugene, OR.  The upgrades are essential, as the number of roundtrips between Portland and Seattle is expected to increase by 50 percent in just five years. “All across the country,
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FRA

FRA Proposes Rule Establishing Training Standards for Railroad Employees

February 8, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Feb. 7 announced a proposal to require railroads to train and qualify employees in safety-related positions on federal railroad safety laws, regulations and orders. “Safety is our highest priority and we will continue to work to create a safer operating environment for employees, passengers and communities,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We have made dramatic progress in improving safety, but there is always more we can do to reduce incidents.” The proposed rule would require each railroad or contractor with safety-related railroad employees to develop a training program designating the qualifications