FRA
Safety
Amtrak
Amtrak Joins FRA’s ‘Close Call’ Pilot Program
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced that Amtrak is joining the agency’s Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS), a safety pilot project that permits rail employees to voluntarily and anonymously report “close call” incidents that could have resulted in an accident or injury but did not.
BNSF
CSX
CSXT Enters Rail Security Partnership with Mississippi
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation (CSXT) announced it has entered into a rail security partnership with the State of Mississippi, which represents a model CSXT successfully uses with other states. The partnership, called SecureNOW, formalizes and enhances CSXT’s ongoing commitment to share information, resources, and strategies to better protect communities in which the company operates. CSXT also has partnerships with several other states. “This partnership allows CSXT and state officials to effectively and seamlessly share information and work side by side to safeguard the communities and customers that we serve,” said Skip Elliott, CSXT Vice President of Public Safety and
FRA
New Rule Strengthens Railroad Bridge Safety Programs, Oversight
WASHINGTON — Federal Railroad Administrator (FRA) Joseph Szabo has announced a Final Rule requiring railroad track owners to adopt and follow specific procedures to protect the safety of their bridges, and to strengthen federal oversight of railroad bridge maintenance programs. This rule is a requirement under the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. “This Final Rule will help ensure the 100,000 railroad bridges in the United States are maintained and inspected to the standards accepted by sound engineering practices,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “The structural integrity of bridges that carry railroad tracks is vitally important to the safety of
Amtrak
Amtrak Joins DHS Rail Security Initiative
WASHINGTON—Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano launched the first phase of DHS’ nationwide “See Something, Say Something” campaign and announced a new national information-sharing partnership with Amtrak as part of the Department’s nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) initiative during a whistlestop train tour—highlighting the public’s role in keeping our country safe and the Obama administration’s commitment to bolstering surface transportation security. “Implementing a national suspicious activity reporting partnership with Amtrak and expanding the ‘See Something, Say Something,’ campaign strengthens our ability to guard against terrorism and crime,” said Secretary Napolitano. “These initiatives enable us to provide frontline security
CSX
CSX Reminds Travelers of Importance of Rail Safety During Holiday Weekend
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As the July 4th holiday approaches, CSX Corp. is reminding people to use common sense and extreme caution around railroad tracks and crossings. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, injuries and fatalities associated with trespassing on railroad property are significant, with nearly 1,800 fatalities in the past ten years. The rail safety education group Operation Lifesaver reports that a motorist is almost 20 times more likely to die in a crash involving a train than in a collision involving another motor vehicle. The chance of serious accidents increases during the summer, as children are out of school
BNSF