Railfanning.org News Wire – Page 345

CSXT Pledges Prompt, Aggressive Safety Response

March 28, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Michael Ward, chairman and chief executive officer of CSX Corporation, has assured Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Boardman that CSX Transportation will move promptly and aggressively to address safety concerns, through heightened inspection standards and other special initiatives in response to a FRA inspection report. “Safety is our top priority, and we welcome the FRA’s inspections and insights,” Ward said. “We are committed to working closely with FRA on all safety issues.” Company officials reported that CSXT promptly took corrective action on the defects identified in the FRA focused inspection in January, many of them before the inspection

MARTA Sees Ridership Increase

March 23, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

ATLANTA – From July to December 2006, MARTA’s passenger counts grew by 7.2 percent and passenger revenue increased by 3.8 percent over the same period last year. Nationwide, public transit ridership grew by 2.9 percent from 2005 to 2006. “MARTA is working hard to improve service and attract more riders to the system and we are pleased to see the positive results of our efforts,” said General Manager Richard McCrillis. “We hope to sustain this trend through the multiple renewal and improvement efforts we have underway – including our rail car rehabilitation project, increased service levels, and heightened focus on

FRA Issues RRIF Loans to DM&E and R.J. Corman Railroad Group

March 23, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration approved a Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan to a pair of short line railroads. The FRA gave one grant to the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E) of $48.3 million to improve safety and service between Wall, South Dakota and Colony, Wyo. Rail line improvements will be made to accommodate heavier freight cars that haul grains, ethanol, and minerals. Specifically, 134 miles of track will be upgraded, including the replacement of 60 miles of rail between Wall and Owanka, and from Whitewood to the SD-WY state line. Major bridge repairs will occur

Norfolk Southern Facilitates $2 Billion of Industrial Investment Along Rail Lines in 2006

March 22, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern Corp. participated in the location of 70 new industrial facilities and provided support for the expansion of 45 additional industrial facilities along its rail lines in 2006, the company announced. New plants and expansions represent an investment of $2 billion by Norfolk Southern customers and are expected to create an estimated 3,578 customer jobs in the railroad’s territory and eventually generate more than 95,000 carloads of new rail traffic annually. Norfolk Southern assisted state and local government and economic development officials throughout 19 states in helping customers identify ideal locations for new and expanded facilities.

Amtrak Continues Work on Quantico Bridge

March 21, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Beginning March 24, Amtrak will operate on a single track over Quantico Creek in Quantico, Va. The track work is a continuation of work that started February 16-23 to build a second bridge span over the Quantico Creek to allow for multiple track operation from Richmond to Washington, DC. Service on the Carolinian, which operates between New York and Charlotte, NC, will be affected from March 24 through April 1 to accommodate the track work. Saturday March 24 through Sunday April 1 Carolinian trains (79 and 80) will operate between Rocky Mount and Charlotte only, with no alternate

Amtrak Adjusts Missouri Service Schedules to Accommodate Trackwork

March 21, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — Amtrak is adjusting train schedules between St. Louis and Kansas City effective April 2, 2007, due to a major track repair project by the line’s owner, Union Pacific Railroad (UP). The project will continue through the fall of 2007 and is expected to lead to improved ride quality and reliability. During the construction period, UP will install new rail, ties, ballast and replace surfaces at road crossings. Unlike 2006, when Amtrak and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) regularly chartered motorcoaches, this year’s plan calls for two daily round-trips to be provided solely by train. “Although we were

NTSB: Crew’s Failure to Comply With Signals Caused Miss. Derailment, Fatigue Also a Possible Factor

March 20, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board today determined that the probable cause of a fatal train collision was the failure by the crew to comply with wayside signals requiring them to stop at North Anding. The crew’s attention to the signals was most likely reduced by fatigue, the Board said, although other factors cannot be ruled out. ” This was an accident that could have been prevented,” said NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker. “We will continue to promote and reiterate the importance of having positive train control on our railroad system.” On July 10, 2005, two CN freight trains

Federal Railroad Administrator Boardman Visits Albany to Launch Track Inspection Project for New York State, Announces Additional Measures to Improve Rail Safety

March 19, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

ALBANY, N.Y. — In the wake of several recent accidents, the federal government today is launching a rail inspection project to check nearly 1,300 miles of track across New York State for flaws that might lead to a train derailment among other new measures designed to improve rail safety in the wake of several recent accidents, Joseph H. Boardman, the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced during a visit to Albany. “A safe railroad begins with safe track, but it doesn’t end there,” Administrator Boardman said. “Railroads needs to embrace a ‘culture of safety’ and find new ways

FRA Announces Start of Environmental Impact Statement for California High-Speed Passenger Rail Project

March 16, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

LOS ANGELES — The Federal Railroad Administration announced it will jointly prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) with the California High-Speed Rail Authority for two sections of the state’s proposed high-speed passenger rail project. The two EIS documents, covering the Palmdale to Los Angeles and Los Angeles to Orange County corridors, will involve preliminary engineering designs and assess the environmental impact associated with construction, operation, and maintenance of the proposed project. These two corridors are part of the Authority’s plan to build a 700-mile high-speed rail system from Sacramento / San Francisco to San Diego capable of speeds in excess

NTSB Investigating N.Y. Derailment

March 12, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

ONEIDA, N.Y. — The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team to the scene of a train derailment and fire that occurred this morning in Oneida, New York. Around 7:12 a.m., a CSX freight train derailed an unknown number of cars resulting in a significant fire. About 40 Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cars were in the consist and several were involved in fire. An evacuation of one-mile around the accident site has been implemented. No injuries have been reported at this time. NTSB investigator Ted Turpin has been designated Investigator-in-Charge of a 7-member team. Information on the progress of