Railfanning.org News Wire – Page 351

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 transportation between Rocky Mount and New York. Passengers may use

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 able to maintain frequencies by using buses last year, ridership

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 collided head on in Anding, Mississippi. The collision occurred on

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 to prevent the kind of accidents that have disrupted lives

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 of 200 miles per hour. — Special to Railfanning.org News

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 the investigation will be released as it becomes available. —

Amtrak Launches New Whistle Stop Community Website

March 12, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Seeking an outlet to share the numerous, heart-warming stories it regularly receives from passengers, Amtrak has launched a new website for travelers to share their train travel experiences. Christened Whistle Stop, the site, found at whistlestop.amtrak.com, includes feature stories on Amtrak routes with photos taken from the train along those routes. The first three feature stories on Whistle Stop focus on three of Amtrak’s most popular long-distance routes: the Adirondack (Montreal – New York), the Empire Builder (Chicago – Portland/Seattle) and the Southwest Chief (Chicago – Los Angeles). These features are first-person travelogues by professional writers that provide readers with detailed descriptions of what passengers may experience when

Norfolk Southern’s Harrisburg Division Sets Standard for Rail Worker Safety

March 8, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

HARRISBURG, Pa. — With the statistics tabulated and verified, Norfolk Southern announced that its Harrisburg Division was the safest operating division on the railroad’s 22-state network for 2006, with an injury ratio of .56. The Harrisburg Division’s Transportation Department recorded the lowest operating department injury ratio in the history of Norfolk Southern, with a ratio of .31. The corporate goal for 2006 was a .89 injury ratio, which also was bettered by the Harrisburg Division’s Maintenance of Way and Structures Department, and Communications and Signals Department. Rail industry injury ratios are based on Federal Railroad Administration reportable incidents per 200,000 employee-hours worked. “Between the volume of train traffic on the

State of Minnesota, Northstar and BNSF Sign Key Agreement

March 7, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

ANOKA, Minn. — Officials from the state of Minnesota, the Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) and BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) signed a key agreement today that defines Northstar’s rights to operate along the 40-mile stretch of BNSF train tracks between Big Lake and downtown Minneapolis. “This agreement is another significant milestone toward delivering Minnesota’s first commuter rail system, one that is in high demand among Northstar Corridor residents,” said NCDA Chair Dan Erhart. “BNSF has a long history of working with commuter rail agencies to provide access to our right of way for passenger service while also preserving our capacity to serve rail freight shippers,” said D.J. Mitchell, BNSF’s Assistant

Train Accidents Decline for Second Year in a Row Preliminary 2006 Safety Data Show

March 7, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – The number of train accidents declined for the second year in a row and there were fewer highway-rail grade crossing collisions according to preliminary 2006 rail safety data announced today by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters. “The aggressive actions we are taking to improve rail safety are paying dividends,” Secretary Peters said. “As a result, many communities where trains operate are safer,” she added, noting that 36 states experienced fewer train accidents in 2006 as compared to 2005. The preliminary statistics released today by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reveal that in 2006 railroads had 402 fewer train accidents nationwide, or a 12.4 percent reduction