Safety

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Amtrak

Amtrak Adds Trains, Staffing, Security for Inauguration Day

December 24, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON – Amtrak has expanded capacity by adding trains and cars to maximize available space for service to and from Washington, D.C., during the inauguration of the nation’s 44th president on Jan. 20. The extra trains and cars will be added to Northeast Corridor Amtrak trains on January 20, with a majority of the extra capacity available southbound toward Washington in the morning and northbound from Washington in the afternoon and evening. All Amtrak trains in the Northeast require reservations and ticket purchases prior to boarding. Supplementing Amtrak service in the Washington, D.C. area will be commuter rail service in Maryland
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Canadian Pacific

Poll: Safety Concerns Drive Seven in Ten Rochester Residents to Oppose Increased Freight Traffic through Minn. City

November 28, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Safety, potential accidents and quality of life concerns are prompting nearly 70 percent of Rochester residents to oppose plans to increase freight train traffic through their city, a new survey shows. The survey of more than 500 Rochester residents, conducted October 8-16, also shows strong public sentiment for area elected officials to resist plans to expand freight rail traffic in the city. The Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) recently acquired the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (DM&E) and associated tracks through downtown Rochester. During the acquisition, CP officials outlined plans to upgrade tracks through Rochester in anticipation of
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FRA

FRA Issues Final Rule on Advanced Train Braking Technology

November 26, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Advanced brake technology will enable locomotive engineers to have better train control, lower the risk of derailment, and allow trains to safely travel longer distances between required brake tests under a new federal rule, announced U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters. “The concept is simple, better brakes allow trains to operate more safely,” Peters said, noting that the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) final rule on Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) brakes will facilitate the widespread deployment of this technology by railroads and railcar owners. Peters explained that ECP brakes provide numerous safety and business benefits compared to conventional air
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NTSB

NTSB: Rail Fatalities Increased in 2007

October 16, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON –Rail fatalities increased slightly in 2007 from 2006, according to preliminary figures released by the National Transportation Safety Board. Overall, transportation fatalities in all modes totaled 43,193 in 2007, compared to 45,085 in 2006. “While statistics show that transportation fatalities have declined this past year,” said Acting Chairman Mark Rosenker, “there is still much work to do to prevent the loss of life on our roads, rails, waterways, and skies.” Rail fatalities increased slightly from 774 to 808. The vast majority of these fatalities were people struck by a rail vehicle, the NTSB said. — Railfanning.org News Wire
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Commuter Rail

Rosenker: Take Advantage of New Safety Technologies

October 7, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — National Transportation Safety Board Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker has told the rail transportation industry to take advantage of newly emerging technologies that can provide the biggest safety improvements in coming years. Speaking to the International Railroad Safety Conference in Denver, Colo., Rosenker acknowledged the improving safety trends in the railroad industry over recent decades; since 1980, employee fatalities are down 82 percent and grade crossing fatalities down 59 percent. But accidents continue to occur, and the nation is still shocked by the collision in Chatsworth, Calif., last month that killed 25 and injured more than 100. Although
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Commuter Rail

NTSB: Metrolink Engineer Sent Text Message 22 Seconds Before Fatal Crash

October 1, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
LOS ANGELES – The engineer of a Metrolink commuter train that crashed head-on with a Union Pacific freight train sent a text message 22 seconds before the wreck, the National Transportation Safety Board said. On Sept. 12, the day of the crash that killed 25 people and injured 130 more, the Metrolink engineer was on duty twice during the day. First, he was responsible for the operation of a train from 6:44 am until 8:53 a.m., and during that time, the engineer’s cell phone received 21 text messages and sent 24 text messages. The engineer was off duty until 2
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Amtrak

Rail Safety Focus of International Conference

September 27, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Demonstrating an international commitment to railroad safety, senior safety professionals and government officials from around the world plan to convene in Denver, CO, October 5 thru 10, at the 18th Annual International Railway Safety Conference to discuss rail safety issues. The rail safety conference, which was first held in 1990, provides a forum for improving rail safety. Conference delegates will present papers and discuss different aspects of railroad safety, including accident prevention, environmental responsibility and international harmonization of infrastructure. “Safety is the railroad industry’s number one priority and this conference will help us better appreciate new methods for
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BNSF

House Approves Rail Safety Bill; Billions to go to Passenger Rail

September 27, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives has approved legislation that proponents say will improve the Nation’s intercity passenger rail system and the safety of the nation’s railroads. The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 and the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 will increase funding for Amtrak over the next five years, require new safety controls on trains that help reduce crashes, allow states to regulate solid waste processing facilities along rail lines and allocate funding for improvements to Washington’s Metro transit system. The legislation sets “an aggressive deadline” of 2015 for implementation of positive train control (PTC)
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FRA

FRA and Railroads Take Action to Strengthen Bridge Safety Policy

September 25, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire
WASHINGTON — Enhanced bridge safety will be the result of the first standard railroad bridge inspection and maintenance agreement between railroads and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman said. “Having a common set of baseline inspection and maintenance practices against which all railroads are measured will help ensure the structural integrity and safety of the nation’s rail bridges for years to come,” Boardman said. He added that the agreement is a major step forward in providing transparency within the industry and for the public about how the safety of railroad bridges is managed. Boardman explained that