Rail Industry News
Opinion: The plot against passenger trains
(Source: Opinion column by Adam Gopnik in The New Yorker, May 15, 2015) NEW YORK — As I wrote a few years ago, in a piece on the literature of American declinism, “The reason we don’t have beautiful new airports and efficient bullet trains is not that we have...
Pennsylvania Senator says Amtrak needs more funding
(Source: The Hill, May 17, 2015) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (D-Pa.) called on his fellow lawmakers on Sunday to increase the tax dollars available to Amtrak following a fatal crash in Philadelphia. Full story: The Hill
New Jersey Senators lobby for more safety funds for Amtrak in wake of fatal crash
(Source: www.nj.com, May 15, 2015) NEWARK, N.J. — Saying a proposed bill to increase safety funding to Amtrak and other railroads wasn't a reaction to Tuesday's fatal derailment, U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez had harsh words for House Republicans who...
Amtrak’s new rail safety system hampered by costs, politics
(Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, May 17, 2015) WASHINGTON, D.C. — A safety system that could have prevented the Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia is supposed to be in service across the country by the end of this year. But amid politics, budget wars, and technical...
House panel to hold Amtrak hearing on Amtrak crash
(Source: Associated Press, May 15, 2015) NEW YORK — A U.S. House committee announced Friday it would hold a hearing on the deadly Amtrak crash. U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, P-Pa., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said in a statement that...
Amtrak CEO on Philadelphia: ‘Ever grateful’ to city, first responders
(Source: www.nj.com, May 16, 2015) NEWARK — Amtrak CEO Joe Boardman, who spoke at a press conference in Philadelphia following Tuesday's fatal trail derailment, thanked the city, its people and first responders in a statement released late Friday. Full story:...
NTSB: ‘Nothing at all’ heard from engineer to suggest Amtrak train was hit by projectile
(Source: ABC News, May 17, 2015) NEW YORK — There was no communication between the derailed Amtrak train engineer to the dispatch center to suggest that a projectile had hit the ill-fated train, National Transportation Safety Board lead investigator Robert Sumwalt...
Amtrak ordered to take rail safety steps after Philadelphia crash
(Source: Reuters, May 16, 2015) PHILADELPHIA — Amtrak must take immediate steps to improve the safety of its busiest route after a derailment in Philadelphia this week that killed eight passengers and sent more than 200 to local hospitals, U.S. federal regulators said...
Amtrak: Northeast Corridor trains resume today in ‘complete compliance’ with FRA safety orders
(Source: Associated Press, May 17, 2015) PHILADELPHIA — Amtrak's Northeast Corridor trains will resume service Monday in "complete compliance" with federal safety orders following last week's deadly derailment, officials announced Sunday. Company president Joseph...
FRA orders Amtrak to take immediate safety actions following May 12 fatality in Philadelphia
(Source: Federal Railroad Administration press release, May 18, 2015) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following Tuesday’s derailment in Philadelphia, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has instructed Amtrak to immediately take several actions to improve safety along its...
Vandalism threatens Tacoma Rail service in Olympia and Tumwater
(Source: The Olympian, May 15, 2015) OLYMPIA, Wash. — Tacoma Rail’s presence in Thurston County may have reached the end of the line after an engine was damaged by a concrete block on the tracks last summer in Tumwater. The random act of vandalism by a still-unknown...
KCS drops revenue growth forecast
(Source: Kansas City Star, May 14, 2015) KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Declining crude oil shipments and a strong U.S. dollar led Kansas City Southern on Thursday to withdraw its own predictions about its revenue this year. Full story: Kansas City Star
AAR: Total U.S. rail traffic down 2.3 percent from 2014 for week ending May 9
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, May 13, 2015) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 9, 2015. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 551,034 carloads...
CP Rail training more office workers to operate trains in case of strike
(Source: CBC News, May 14, 2015) CALGARY — Canadian Pacific Railway will continue to use some of its office staff to drive trains, as negotiations with the Teamsters union drag on. The company and union are currently in federal government ordered arbitration,...
Amtrak seeks to fully reopen Northeast Corridor line in Philadelphia by Tuesday
(Source: Bloomberg, May 14, 2015) PHILADELPHIA — Amtrak is clearing overturned rail cars and replacing track as it seeks to fully reopen its Northeast Corridor line by Tuesday as an eighth body was recovered from the site of this week’s derailment in Pennsylvania....
Dispatcher injured in Amtrak catastrophe sues for $150,000
(Source: Washington Post, May 15, 2015) WASHINGTON, D.C. — An Amtrak dispatcher injured in the deadly derailment in Philadelphia has filed what’s apparently the first lawsuit stemming from it. Full story: Washington Post
Engineer’s memory loss delays questioning in deadly Amtrak crash
(Source: CNN, May 15, 2015) PHILADELPHIA — Injuries caused in the traumatic derailment could have caused the engineer to suffer post-traumatic amnesia, said CNN's Sanjay Gupta. A concussion can make victims forget parts of what happened before and after the injury....
Opinion: After Amtrak crash, it’s time to get serious about transportation infrastructure
(Source: Opinion column by John Cassidy in The New Yorker, May 13, 2015) NEW YORK — The crash highlights the fact that some stretches of the track that Amtrak uses are unsuitable for high-speed travel, and they are also not equipped with the modern technology...
Automatic braking was in place, but on other side of curve
(Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, May 14, 2015) PHILADELPHIA — If Amtrak Train 188 had been heading to Philadelphia from New York City, it would not have derailed at the sharp Frankford Junction curve, because an automatic braking mechanism has been in place for years...
Amtrak says budgetary shortfalls and rules delayed its safety system
(Source: New York Times, May 14, 2015) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Amtrak train that derailed in Philadelphia on Tuesday night was equipped with an automatic speed control system that officials say could have prevented the wreck, which killed eight passengers and injured...
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