FRA – Page 22 – Railfanning.org

FRA: Passenger Train Safety to Be Improved with New Requirements for Emergency Communication, Evacuation, and Rescue Features

February 6, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Commuter and intercity passenger rail equipment will be safer under a new federal rule that ensures improved emergency window exit availability, specifies additional emergency rescue features, and requires two-way communication systems, Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman said. “These safety features will help rail passengers evacuate from a train more quickly and provide emergency responders additional ways to reach trapped or injured riders should the need arise,” Boardman said. The new regulations issued by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) mandate that passenger rail cars be equipped with two-way communication systems that better help train crews inform and instruct passengers during emergency situations and allow passengers to report potential

Federal Rail Safety Program Surpasses One Million Miles of Track Inspected

February 6, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Automated Track Inspection Program (ATIP) recently surpassed the milestone of inspecting its one millionth mile of track for compliance with federal standards, announced FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman. The custom-built inspection vehicles are equipped with state of the art technology to help identify track flaws that could lead to train derailments. The ATIP program uses a variety of technologies to measure track geometry flaws, such as whether the two rails are level, if the width between the rails is acceptable, and if the surface of each rail meets federal standards. Problem areas are identified utilizing global positioning system (GPS) location and shared immediately

FRA Announces $4.6 Million RRIF Loan to Nashville and Eastern Railroad

February 6, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced that the Nashville and Eastern Railroad Corporation (NERC) is receiving a $4.6 million loan under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) program. The NERC will use the loan to purchase fifty new triple hopper railcars and two rehabilitated locomotives. The locomotives and 25 of the 50 rail cars will be used primarily to serve a major new customer, Lojac Minerals. The NERC will be transporting sand from Lojac’s mine in Monterey, Tenn., to its manufacturing facilities in Lebanon and Hermitage, Tenn., where the sand will be used to produce concrete, concrete blocks, and other building materials. The increased rail service will lower

FRA Announces $3 Million RRIF Loan to Columbia Basin Railroad Co.

January 9, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

The Columbia Basin Railroad Co. is receiving a $3 million loan under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) program, the Federal Railroad Administration said. The CBRC will use the loan funds to purchase 73 miles of track it currently leases from the BNSF Railway between Connell and Moses Lake in eastern Washington State. The line acquisition is expected to increase efficiency and lower costs, allowing the CBRC to upgrade its track to handle heavier carloads for the benefit of its customers and the communities of McDonald, Grow, Sieler, Wheeler, Bassett Junction, Schrag, Warden, Warden Junction, Othello, Bruce, and Shano, the FRA said in a news release. The CBRC primarily

FRA: Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad Correct to Close Tunnels

December 2, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

COOS BAY, Ore. — Three tunnels on the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad (CORP) “need immediate repairs to permit the safe resumption of railroad operations,” meaning the railroad was correct to close the passageways, the Federal Railroad Administration said in a statement. “FRA agrees that all three tunnels need immediate repairs to permit the safe resumption of railroad operations,” the administration said. In September, CORP made the decision to embargo rail traffic on its Coos Bay Subdivision line as a result of the tunnel safety issues. The three tunnels are located between Eugene, Ore., and Coquille, Ore. FRA reached its determination after a team of federal inspectors, lead by the

FRA Publishes Collision Hazard Analysis Guide for Passenger Rail Operators

November 25, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has published a step-by-step guidebook on how to identify and analyze potential hazards along a rail corridor for use in developing effective risk reduction strategies that will improve the safety of commuter and intercity passenger rail operations. The analysis provides a foundation for ensuring that hazards such as highway-rail grade crossings, overhead and trackside structures, or bridge abutments are evaluated and addressed. The FRA publication supports the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) ongoing Commuter Rail System Safety Program Plan initiative, officials said.

FRA Sends Model Legislation to Governors to Protect Against Scam Railroads

November 25, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration sent model State legislation to the nation’s Governors, which if enacted, would ensure that only people employed by actual railroad carriers, as defined by Federal rail safety laws and confirmed in writing by the FRA Administrator, are commissioned by state authorities to serve as railroad police officers. In addition, the model state law sets forth minimum qualifications required for a person to be commissioned as a railroad police officer including passing a criminal background investigation and submitting fingerprints to the FBI for clearance.

Virginia Railway Express Receives FRA RRIF Loan for New Railcars

November 24, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Virginia Railway Express, a commuter railroad operating in northern Virginia, is receiving a $72.5 million loan from the Federal Railroad Administration to finance a portion of the cost of acquiring 50 new bi-level passenger railcars. The new equipment will allow VRE to replace old railcars, increase the size of its fleet, add seating capacity to each railcar and improve service for its riders, officials said. The state of Virginia is providing an additional $20 million. VRE is the first commuter rail operator to receive a loan under FRA’s Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan program.

House Approves Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007

October 17, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The House voted 377-38 to approve the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007. HR 2095 will reauthorize the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and improve the safety of our Nation’s railroads. In addition to authorizing $1.1 billion over the next four years, the bill imposes new work rules that require longer rest periods and work shifts for rail workers that generally cannot exceed 12 hours; and it increases the number of rail safety inspection and enforcement personnel. “A comparison of the modes is revealing,” Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., said. “A commercial airline pilot … can work up to 100 hours per month, a commercial airline pilot …

FRA: Nation’s First Freight Train Equipped with New, Safer Brake Technology Begins Operations

October 11, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The first train fully equipped with electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brake technology began hauling coal today in southwestern Pennsylvania under a waiver approved by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), announced Administrator Joseph H. Boardman. Norfolk Southern Railway is the first railroad to operate revenue service trains equipped with ECP brakes under the waiver, Boardman said. BNSF Railway also received waiver approval and is expected to operate trains with the new, safer brake technology before the end of 2007. “These railroads understand using ECP brake technology can bring significant safety and business benefits, and I encourage other railroads to follow their lead,” Boardman said. In contrast to conventional air