Railfanning.org News Wire – Page 270

NTSB: WMATA Track Tircuit’s Train Occupancy Signal Fluctuating Since 2007

July 23, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board continues to make progress in its investigation of the June 22, 2009, collision of two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) trains on the Red Line in Washington, D.C. The Board has developed the following factual information: Two signal companies, Ansaldo STS USA (US&S) and Alstom Signaling Inc. (GRS), that designed and manufactured the automatic train control components for the WMATA system, are providing technical assistance to the NTSB investigation. As previously reported, an impedance bond (No. 15) for the track circuit where the accident occurred was replaced on June 17, five days

NTSB: Driver Blacked Out in San Fran Wreck; Cell Phone Not an Issue

July 22, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

SAN FRANCISCO — In its continuing investigation of the collision between two San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) light rail trains on Saturday, injuring more than 40 people, NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker has announced the following factual information: At about 2:50 p.m. PDT on Saturday, July 18, 2009, an L Line train struck the rear of a K Line train at the West Portal Station in San Francisco. Data captured by recorders in the train control center indicated that the L Line train was switched from automatic to manual mode while stopped in the tunnel at the same

CN Grows Jet-Fuel Traffic at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport

July 21, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

MONTREAL is developing a fast-growing business supplying jet fuel to airlines serving Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International Airport. The effectiveness of CN’s rail pipeline for jet fuel to Pearson prompted the construction of a new Jet Fuel Rail Offloading, Storage and Distribution Facility near the airport, adjacent to CN’s Malport rail yard in northwest Toronto. “The changing dynamics of jet-fuel supply for airlines serving Pearson airport now require the carriers to strategically source fuel across the globe, and this has opened the door to rail to play an increasingly important role in these longer supply chains,” said James Foote, executive

Rosenker Departs From NTSB

July 21, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — After leading the National Transportation Safety Board for four and a half years, Mark V. Rosenker has announced that he will resign his position as Acting Chairman and Member. He submitted his letter of resignation to President Obama July 21. Rosenker said he will delay his departure until a new chairman and an additional Board Member are confirmed to ensure a quorum remains at the Board. In his letter to the President, Rosenker said that the opportunity to serve in and lead the NTSB “has been the highlight of my entire 40-year professional life. It is an agency

CN Declares Third-Quarter 2009 Dividend

July 20, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

MONTREAL — CN announced that its Board of Directors has approved a third-quarter 2009 dividend on the Company’s common shares outstanding. A quarterly dividend of 25.25 cents per common share will be paid on Sept. 30, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Sept. 9. — PRNewswire-FirstCall

WMATA: Expect Fewer Trains, Slower Service to Continue on Red Line

July 19, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Metro Red Line riders should expect fewer and slower-moving rush hour trains on the line at least through Thursday morning’s rush hour (July 23) while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues its investigation into the cause of the June 22 train accident near the Fort Totten Metrorail station.At this point, it is unclear what the NTSB’s needs may be after Thursday morning’s rush hour and the impact on Metrorail service. In the meantime, passengers can expect that their trips may take an additional 30 minutes or possibly more to complete, and they should build that added time into

NTSB Investigating San Francisco Municipal Wreck

July 19, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

SAN FRANCISCO — The The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a light rail crash that injured more than 40 people. At 2:57 p.m. PDT on Saturday, July 18, 2009, a San Francisco Municipal light rail vehicle struck the rear of another light rail vehicle at the West Portal Station. “Given the recent transit system accidents around the country, we are especially concerned with what has happened here,” said NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker. “We are determined to find the cause of this and the other transit accidents so that the issues that our investigations turn up can be

WMATA: Takoma Station Reopens After NTSB Testing

July 19, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Takoma Metrorail station on the Red Line reopened just July 18 after an all day closure due to the ongoing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) into last month’s train crash near the station. The station will be open today (July 19). Red Line riders should expect slower-moving trains on the line as the investigation into the cause of the June 22 collision continues. Riders can expect that their trips may take an additional 30 minutes or possibly more to complete, and they should build that added time into their plans. Trains must continue to

Amtrak Unveils First ARRA Funded Rail Car to be Restored and Returned to Service

July 16, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Amtrak unveiled the first of 81 passenger rail cars to be removed from storage, restored to good condition, and returned to service as part of a program to add seating capacity to trains across its national system using funds provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), said Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman. The ARRA is better known as the “bailout” by most Americans. “The real story today is about people — the Amtrak passengers who will ride in these rehabilitated cars and the workers who are doing a great job bringing them back to life,”

FRA Issues NPRM on Technology to Prevent Train Collisions

July 16, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo announced proposed rules designed to prevent train collisions through the use of Positive Train Control. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) prescribes how railroads must use Positive Train Control systems to prevent train-to-train collisions. PTC technology is capable of automatically controlling train speeds and movements should a locomotive engineer fail to take appropriate action. For example, such technology can force a train to stop before it passes a red signal, thereby averting a potential collision. Other benefits of PTC systems include prevention of over-speed derailments and misaligned switches,