Rail Industry News
From calm to catastrophe: Amtrak crash victims tell their stories
(Source: CNN, May 13, 2015) PHILADELPHIA — Amtrak's Northeast Corridor is 363 miles of track connecting Washington to Boston. It is the busiest railroad in North America. Each day three times more people ride a train between Washington and New York City than fly the...
SEPTA train hit by projectile minutes before Amtrak crash; Unknown if two events are related
(Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, May 13, 2015) PHILADELPHIA — Just before Tuesday's deadly Amtrak derailment, a SEPTA commuter train in the same corridor was crippled by a projectile sent through the engineer's window. SEPTA officials said their investigation was...
Photos: Amtrak crash in Philadelphia
(Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, May 13, 2015) PHILADELPHIA — A gallery of 36 photos from the accident scene in Philadelphia is available on the Philadelphia Inquirer website. Full story: www.philly.com
NTSB, FRA teams on their way to investigate Amtrak derailment in Philly
(Source: National Public Radio, May 13, 2015) PHILADELPHIA — Teams from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration have been dispatched to Philadelphia to investigate the derailment of Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188, which...
Philly derailment injury and death toll may rise: Engineer, conductor survive crash
(Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, May 13, 2015) PHILADELPHIA — The death toll in the derailment of an Amtrak train in Port Richmond rose to six Wednesday as federal investigators readied to go to Philadelphia in a bid to determine what caused the wreck that also injured...
Six killed, dozens injured when Amtrak train derails in Philadelphia
(Source: New York Times, May 13, 2015) PHILADELPHIA — Emergency workers here on Wednesday searched through the wreckage of a New York-bound Amtrak train that derailed and overturned late Tuesday, killing six people, injuring dozens more, and disrupting train service...
STB hearings to address grain rates, rail revenue adequacy
(Source: Surface Transportation Board press release, May 8, 2015) WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of the Surface Transportation Board’s ongoing review of its current regulations and practices, the agency announced today two public hearings to take place this summer. A...
Lawsuit: Chicago owes Amtrak, Union Station more than $500,000 for viaduct repairs
(Source: Chicago Sun-Times, May 11, 2015) CHICAGO — The City of Chicago welshed on its obligation to maintain the Canal Street Viaduct near Union Station, costing the commuting hub and Amtrak more than $500,000 to inspect the area and remove broken concrete, a new...
Canadian bill mandating railway insurance coverage advances
(Source: Canadian Underwriter, May 8, 2015) OTTAWA — A proposal to mandate insurance coverage of up to $1 billion for railway operators in Canada is in a federal government bill that was tabled Thursday for third reading in the House of Commons, the same day a...
Caltrain logs record ridership in latest passenger count
(Source: Progressive Railroading, May 11, 2015) Caltrain's average weekday ridership hit a record 58,245 passengers, according to the commuter railroad's most recent ridership count taken in February. The number represents a 10 percent increase from last year's...
Judge okays Lac-Megantic lawsuit against companies, including CP Rail
(Source: Canadian Press, May 8, 2015) MONTREAL — A Quebec Superior Court justice has authorized a class-action lawsuit almost two years after a train derailment and explosion killed 47 people in Lac-Megantic. But in his 30-page ruling, Justice Martin Bureau has given...
Lac-Megantic disaster class-action suit gets green light
(Source: Canadian Press, May 9, 2015) OTTAWA — A class-action lawsuit has been approved almost two years after a train derailment and explosion killed 47 people in Lac-Mégantic, Que. But the Quebec Superior Court justice's ruling means it is far more limited in scope....
BNSF Railway back on track after weekend of nasty weather
(Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 11, 2015) FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has reopened its tracks north of Fort Worth after multiple storm-related incidents during the weekend, the company’s executives say. Full story: www.star-telegram.com
California ready to seek bids for third high-speed rail segment
(Source: Fresno Bee, May 11, 2015) FRESNO, Calif. — The California High-Speed Rail Authority is expected to invite contractors to submit bids to design and build the third segment of the proposed bullet-train route through the San Joaquin Valley. Full story: Fresno...
Doing the math on California’s bullet train fares
(Source: Los Angeles Times, May 11, 2015) LOS ANGELES — The current fare estimate would be one of the world's cheapest high-speed rail trips on a per-mile basis, assuming that it reflects a typical fare between downtown stations in Los Angeles and San Francisco, a...
Metro-North president says railroad is improving safety, reliability after accidents
(Source: Associated Press, May 11, 2015) HARTFORD — The president of Metro-North Railroad, the nation's second-biggest commuter railroad, told state lawmakers on Monday that progress is being made toward improving safety and reliability following a series of...
Unions, businesses clash over Massachusetts governor’s plan to overhaul MBTA
(Source: Mass Live, May 11, 2015) BOSTON — Unions were pitted against business on Monday, as hundreds of people packed Gardner Auditorium in the Statehouse to testify before a legislative committee on a bill proposed by Gov. Charlie Baker to overhaul the MBTA. Full...
Vandalism on inactive rail line used to justify oil train secrecy
(Source: McClatchy News Service, May 10, 2015) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Part of the federal government’s justification for keeping details about oil trains secret is literally hiding in the weeds on the South Dakota prairie. Itself hidden on page 255 of the U.S. Department...
10 North American oil trains have now exploded in two years
(Source: Government Executive, May 11, 2015) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The crude oil train that derailed and burst into flames last week near tiny Heimdal, North Dakota (population: 27), was the latest explosion in a disturbing series across North America. Over at Sightline,...
Acting for impaired Railroad Retirement beneficiaries
(Source: U.S. Railroad retirement Board press release, March 27, 2015) CHICAGO — According to Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) policy, every annuitant has the right to manage his or her own benefits. However, when physical or mental impairments make a railroad...
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