FRA – Page 12 – Railfanning.org

FRA Issues Proposed Rulemaking on Vehicle/Track Interaction Safety

May 18, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has announced proposed rules to amend the Track Safety Standards and Passenger Equipment Safety Standards for high-speed and high cant deficiency train operations to promote safer rail vehicle and track interaction.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Announces Proposed Regulations to Prevent Railroad Crew Distractions While Operating Trains

May 17, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

U.S Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood continued his campaign to stop distracted driving by announcing a proposed rule to prohibit the improper use of distracting electronic devices by on-duty railroad operating employees.

Federal Transportation Officials Seek Public Input on First Ever National Rail Plan

May 17, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Dates and locations of public outreach meetings to solicit input toward the development of the nation’s first National Rail Plan were announced by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Federal Railroad Administration Seeks Applications for $115 Million in Planning and Construction Grants for High-Speed Rail

April 1, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will begin accepting applications for $115 million in planning and construction project funds for high-speed intercity passenger rail.

FRA Launches A New Train Safety Tool

March 24, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Efforts to prevent train accidents caused by human error took moved forward with the installation of a technologically advanced train simulator, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Administrator Joseph C. Szabo announced.

Institute Asks Federal Railroad Administration to Reconsider Positive Train Control Rule

March 16, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Chlorine Institute is asking the Federal Railroad Administration to re-issue its Positive Train Control rule with a corrected cost-benefit analysis.

AAR: 2009 Safest Year Ever for Nation’s Freight Railroads

March 12, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads announced that 2009 was the safest year in freight railroad history, with preliminary year-end data indicating the train accident rate, employee casualty rate and grade crossing incident rates were all at record low levels last year.

NTSB to FRA: Require Audio and Image Recorders on Locomotives

February 24, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board makes the following recommendations to the Federal Railroad Administration: Require the installation, in all controlling locomotive cabs and cab car operating compartments, of crash- and fire-protected inward- and outward-facing audio and image recorders capable of providing recordings to verify that train crew actions are in accordance with rules and procedures that are essential to safety as well as train operating conditions.

Federal Railroad Administration Initiates Trespass Prevention Study in South Florida

February 17, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced that the City of West Palm Beach, FL and the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA), among other partners, will participate in the Trespass Prevention Research Study, a program designed to identify and review trespass laws and mitigation strategies. The goal is to successfully reduce trespassing incidents and fatalities, the feds said. The SFRTA area experienced ten fatalities due to illegal trespassing in the first eight months of 2008, half of which occurred in the West Palm Beach area. Research done by FRA in the region will help the agency better understand trespassing

Feds Announce New Safety Standards for Freight and Passenger Trains

January 23, 2010 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Administrator Joseph Szabo on Jan. 12 announced historic safety regulations requiring that Positive Train Control (PTC) technology be installed on the nation’s major rail lines as well as commuter and intercity passenger rail routes.