Rail Industry News
Progress slow on installing PTC, report says
(Source: Associated Press, August 17, 2016) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Many commuter and freight railroads have made little progress installing safety technology designed to prevent deadly collisions and derailments despite a mandate from Congress, according to a government...
DOT: New status update underscores need for continued Positive Train Control implementation and Funding
(Source: U.S. Department of Transportation press release, August 17, 2016) WASHINGTON, D.C. — A status update released today by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) underscores the need for railroads to implement Positive Train Control (PTC) as quickly and safely...
Railroads warned: Do not delay on Positive Train Control
(Source: Chicago Tribune, August 17, 2016) CHICAGO — The federal government on Wednesday warned the nation's railroads, including Chicago's Metra, not to wait until the last minute to install a new high-tech safety system that can prevent crashes and save lives. Full...
Woman charged with assaulting MBTA conductor after refusing to pay train fare
(Source: Patch.com, August 16, 2016) SHARON, Mass. — A Sharon women attacked a train conductor after refusing to pay a fare, police said. She allegedly attacked the conductor by kicking, punching and biting him. Police say the woman also produced a folding knife and...
Track project to enable Downeaster to boost Brunswick service
(Source: Portland Press Herald, August 17, 2016) PORTLAND, Maine — Construction of a four-mile stretch of railroad track north of Portland will allow the Downeaster to run five daily round trips between Brunswick and Boston, greatly expanding a service that has seen...
Norfolk Southern investigating cause of five-car derailment in Hannibal, Mo.
(Source: Hannibal Courier-Post, August 16, 2016) HANNIBAL, Mo. — The cause of a five-car derailment in Hannibal early Tuesday morning is under investigation, according to a spokeswoman for Norfolk Southern Corp. Full story: Hannibal Courier-Post
California sets model for states to assist in retirement savings
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, August 16, 2016) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Retirement security is a top concern for Americans, for good reason. Despite the nation’s overall global standing, the U.S. falls behind much of the industrialized world...
Commuter rail workers in Boston are about to get bionic eyes
(Source: MIT Technology Review, August 17, 2016) BOSTON — Add commuter rail to the list of industries adopting augmented reality to boost efficiency, cut costs, and increase their workers’ skills. In September, Keolis Commuter Services (KCS), which operates the...
U.S. crude by rail shipments tumble as oil-price spread narrows
(Source: Petroleum Economist, August 16, 2016) LONDON — U.S. shipments of crude by rail have almost halved this year due to the narrowing spread between domestic and international crude prices, new pipelines and declining oil production in the Midwest and Gulf Coast....
Blue Cut fire forces BNSF to stop train service through Cajon Pass
(Source: San Bernardino Sun, August 16, 2016) SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — BNSF Railway Co. shut down train operations through the Cajon Pass in both directions Tuesday as a result of the Blue Cut fire, said spokeswoman Lena Kent. Full story: San Bernardino Sun
Spokane rescinds proposed fine on oil trains
(Source: Forum News Service, August 16, 2016) SPOKANE, Wash. — A city in eastern Washington has backed down from a proposal to fine railroad companies for hauling crude oil and coal through town, a move that was welcomed by a group representing North Dakota’s oil...
Man crushed by container worked for company with previous workplace violations: OSHA
(Source: The Jersey Journal, August 16, 2016) JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The man who was killed Monday when a container fell and crushed him at a Jersey City rail facility worked for a company with a history of safety violations, according to U.S Department of Labor records....
FRA awards $25 million in grants for PTC implementation
(Source: Federal Railroad Administration press release, August 16, 2016) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today awarded $25 million in grants for 11 projects in six states and the District of...
Low-wage workers bring their own heat to Fight for $15 Convention
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, August 15, 2016) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Thousands braved near-record temperatures Saturday in Richmond, Va. to let those in power know that everyday Americans struggling to get by aren’t ready to quit their...
Genesee & Wyoming plans to buy Providence & Worcester
(Source: Hartford Courant, August 15, 2016) HARTFORD, Conn. — Darien-based Genesee & Wyoming Inc. plans to spend $126 million to acquire Providence & Worcester, a midsized freight railroad with extensive routes in Connecticut Full story: Hartford Courant
BNSF touts safety record amidst oil, coal train debate
(Source: Television station KXLY, August 15, 2016) SPOKANE, Wash. — While the Spokane city council may be falling back on putting pressure against coal and oil trains passing through the Lilac City headed for west coast ports and refineries, Burlington Northern Santa...
Caltrain signs contracts for electrification, double-deck passenger cars
(Source: Railway Gazette, August 16, 2016) LOS ANGELES — On August 15 the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board formally signed contracts with Balfour Beatty to electrify the 82 km Caltrain rail corridor between San Francisco and San Jose and with Stadler to supply a...
FCC hits Canadian Pacific with $1.21 million fine for wireless radio violations
(Source: Benzinga, August 16, 2016) NEW YORK — The Federal Communication Commission ordered Canadian Pacific Railway to pay a fine of $1.21 million for violations regarding wireless radios. In 2015, Canadian Pacific's internal audit revealed it has not complied with...
Rail shippers petition DOT over tank car safety regs
(Source: Progressive Railroading, August 15, 2016) A coalition of shippers late last week petitioned the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to adopt rules that would reinforce its authority to set uniform national tank car standards. Full story: Progressive...
Senator Cantwell presses DOE on oil by rail
(Source: The Columbian, August 15, 2016) COLUMBIA, Wash. — U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., convened a hearing on Monday in Seattle with U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to discuss the increase in crude oil traveling through the state of Washington....
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