FRA – Page 18 – Railfanning.org

FRA and Railroads Take Action to Strengthen Bridge Safety Policy

September 25, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Enhanced bridge safety will be the result of the first standard railroad bridge inspection and maintenance agreement between railroads and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman said. “Having a common set of baseline inspection and maintenance practices against which all railroads are measured will help ensure the structural integrity and safety of the nation’s rail bridges for years to come,” Boardman said. He added that the agreement is a major step forward in providing transparency within the industry and for the public about how the safety of railroad bridges is managed. Boardman explained that

FRA to Accept Applications for Rail Relocation and Improvement Grant Program

September 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — On Sept. 15, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will begin accepting applications for the $14.9 million available in capital grants under the new Rail Line Relocation and Improvement program. In order to be eligible for grant funding, a project must mitigate the adverse effects of rail traffic on safety, motor vehicle traffic flow, community quality of life or involve a lateral or vertical relocation of any portion of the rail line. A state or other eligible entity will be required to pay at least 10 percent of the shared costs of the project. Applications can be submitted until

Illinois Commerce Commission Receives FRA Grant for Grade Crossing Safety and Enforcement Study

September 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is awarding a $490,000 grant to the Illinois Commerce Commission to continue the Public Education and Enforcement Research Study (PEERS) to improve highway-rail grade crossing safety. The funds will support an expansion of the PEERS effort that provides funding to railroads, safety-related non-profit agencies, and at least 26 cities and towns in Illinois that are implementing customized public outreach and awareness programs and enforcement blitzes targeted to reduce or eliminate pedestrian and motor vehicle grade crossing violations.

Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad Receives FRA Grant for Bridge Replacement Project

September 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad (BPRR) is receiving a $245,000 from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a railroad bridge replacement project located between Karns City and Bruin, Penn. The Chicora Bridge project will replace a 13-foot deteriorating wood pile bridge with a new concrete box culvert that will increase the capacity of the bridge to support heavier railcars. Grant funds will also be used to perform safety inspections on four other BPRR bridges along the same rail line.

Marshall University Receives FRA Grant to Test Mobile Integrated Track Technology

September 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Marshall University in West Virginia is receiving a $286,650 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration to demonstrate and test the integration of different track inspection technologies on a mobile platform or high-rail vehicle to assist rail inspectors in identifying track flaws. The project will combine high-accuracy differential GPS with technologies that can evaluate subsurface areas under the track ballast, identify potential track buckling locations, measure track gage widths, and assess weak rail segments among other capabilities. Marshall University is partnering with CSX Transportation in the performance of this project.

FRA to Study Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Locomotive Crews

September 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The potential for locomotive crews to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) when involved in highway-rail grade crossing accidents and trespasser incidents where individuals may be severely or fatally injured is a growing concern. As such, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is awarding a $100,000 grant to the American Association of Suicidology to determine the prevalence of PTSD in, and the current and best practices in the railroad industry for the treatment of, locomotive engineers and other train crew members following such events.

FRA Grant Supports Highway-Rail Project in Vicksburg, Miss.

September 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The City of Vicksburg, Miss., is receiving a $4.3 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to make significant improvements where the Washington Street highway bridge crosses over Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS) tracks. The project involves constructing a tunnel for KCS trains above which the existing highway bridge will be removed and replaced with an at-grade roadway. As a result, heavy trucks can resume operating on Washington Street, KCS will straighten its right-of-way, and a new connector road will be built to accommodate the closure of the Lee Street highway-rail grade crossing. The City of Vicksburg

Portland & Western Railroad to Use FRA Grants for Bridge and Track Work

September 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is awarding two grants to the Portland & Western Railroad (PNWR). The first is $129,431 to supplement a larger, ongoing project to replace over eight miles of track between Willamina and Whiteson, Oregon with continuous welded rail capable of handling heavier rail car loads and accommodating higher train speeds. These federal funds will be used specifically to rehabilitate a siding and improve several highway-rail grade crossings. The PNWR is providing $32,358 in matching funds for this project. The second grant is in the amount of $1,386,766 to continue work on a project to

New England Central Railroad Receives FRA Grants for Bridge and Tunnel Upgrades

September 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is awarding two grants to the New England Central Railroad (NECR). The railroad will receive $960,000 with the NECR is providing $240,000 in matching funds for structural repairs to a 1860s vintage rail tunnel located in Burlington, Vt. The repairs include removing old brick, installing tunnel liner, and improving drainage which is intended to extend the life of the tunnel by up to 20 years. The tunnel is located on a branch line of the railroad which has a critical rail interchange with the Vermont Railway that serves northern Vermont. The second grant

FRA Grant to West Virginia University Continues Research into Strengthening Railroad Crossties

September 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — West Virginia University at Morgantown is receiving a $191,100 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to continue research into upgrading or rehabilitating deteriorated wooden railroad crossties with thermoplastic reinforcements. The grant funds will specifically be used to manufacture and perform full-scale field-testing of the crossties under normal rail traffic conditions on the South Branch Valley Railroad as well as subject them to freeze-thaw cycles. The results of the research may be applied to strengthen materials used for timber constructed railroad bridges.