Railfanning.org News Wire

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Commuter Rail

Wabtec Awarded $8 Million Contract To Remanufacture Switcher Locomotives For New Jersey Transit

July 24, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

WILMERDING, Pa. — Wabtec Corporation on July 21 announced that its MotivePower subsidiary has been awarded an $8 million contract by New Jersey Transit Corporation to supply five "clean-diesel" switcher locomotives operating at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 2 emissions levels. The locomotives, which will be remanufactured at MotivePower’s Boise, Idaho facility, will meet new environmental emissions standards and be equipped with an automatic start/stop system to improve fuel efficiency and extend component life on idling units. The locomotives will be delivered in 2007. "Wabtec’s modern, environmentally friendly switcher locomotives offer our customers many operational benefits," said Albert J. Neupaver,

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Amtrak

New York Sergeant Named Amtrak Police Officer of the Year

July 24, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

ISELIN, N.J. – Sergeant Kenneth Metz of Aberdeen, N.J., has been named the Amtrak Police Department’s Officer of the Year. Sergeant Metz received this prestigious, nationwide award in recognition of his many contributions to the corporation and the department. He has displayed exemplary performance of his duties. Sergeant Metz began his career with the Amtrak Police Department in 1990, working uniformed patrol in New York and New Jersey. Sergeant Metz was recently promoted to his current rank and is assigned to patrol duty in the New York Division. "Sergeant Metz has maintained a consistent and diligent effort to provide the

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Union Pacific

Union Pacific Announces Over $90 Million Investment in a New State-of-the-Art Intermodal Terminal in Bexar County

July 24, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Union Pacific on July 20 announced plans to invest over $90 million in Southwest Bexar County to develop a new state-of-the-art intermodal terminal. The 300-acre rail port will serve as an economic development and job growth catalyst for the area. The new terminal will ship and receive containers and trailers with household goods and other items supporting retailers and distribution centers, as well as auto parts for the new Toyota plant in San Antonio. "Union Pacific is pleased to make a significant investment in Bexar County as we expect intermodal volumes to experience significant growth in

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Terrorism/Security

Explosive Detection Technologies To Be Tested at Jersey City’s Exchange Place Station

July 12, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, with the cooperation of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), will test and evaluate security equipment and operating procedures at the Exchange Place Port Authority-Trans Hudson (PATH) Station from July 13-27. The testing is part of the Department’s broader efforts to protect citizens and critical infrastructure from possible terrorist attacks. The test represents the second phase of a rail security pilot project. In phase one, which was conducted from Feb. 6 through March 1, bags and passengers at Exchange Place Station were screened deliberately and randomly

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NTSB

NTSB: Failure to Adhere to Track Warrant Control Led to Fatal Texas Wreck

July 10, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – The probable cause of a May 19, 2004, fatal collision between two BNSF trains was caused by one crew’s failure to adhere to an after-arrival track warrant requiring them to stay in one location until the northbound train arrived, the National Transportation Safety Board has determined. Contributing to the accident was BNSF Railway Co.’s use of after-arrival track warrant authority in non-signaled territory, and the Federal Railroad Administration’s failure to prohibit the use of such authority. Also contributing to the accident was the train dispatcher’s informal communications regarding planned train meeting locations. “This accident could have been prevented

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FRA

FRA Promotes Highway-Rail Grade Croessing Safety and Prevention with Grant to Operation Lifesaver

July 1, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Preventing and reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries arising from highway-rail grade crossing and railroad trespass incidents is the goal of a $1.03 million Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) grant to Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI), a not-for-profit railroad safety education organization. Trespassing and highway-rail grade crossing deaths comprise approximately 95 percent of all rail-related fatalities in the United States each year. The grant funding will be used for public education and awareness programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As part of the grant agreement, OLI is required to receive 25 percent matching in-kind contributions from non-government

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FRA

New FRA Study Re-Affirms Safety of Push-Pull Passenger Rail Operations

July 1, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — A comprehensive federal study of accident data found that push-pull passenger rail service has an excellent safety record and that a train being pushed has virtually no greater likelihood of derailing after a highway-rail grade crossing collision than one with a locomotive in the lead, Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman announced. The new analysis of grade crossing accidents found that from 1996 to 2005, only three push trains derailed out of 218 collisions and two pull trains derailed out of 290 collisions. This difference in the rate of derailment between push and pull modes is a statistically

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FRA

FRA: First-Ever Freight Locomotive Crashworthiness Standards to Improve Protection for Train Crews

June 29, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Train crews involved in a locomotive collision will have a better chance of survival with reduced injuries as a result of the first-ever federal freight locomotive crashworthiness standards, Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman said. The regulation published June 28 is intended to prevent the locomotive cab from being crushed during a head-on collision with another locomotive, or when it strikes the rear of another train, a shifted load on a train on an adjacent track, or a vehicle at a highway-rail grade crossing, Boardman said. “This regulation will give engineers and conductors a better chance to walk