Amtrak Requests PTC System Regression Testing Waiver for ACSES II
Amtrak has requested a waiver for regression testing of its certified Positive Train Control system, according to a Federal Register notice published on Feb. 2.
Regulatory
Biden Visits MTA, Announces Funding at LIRR West Side Yard
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority welcomed President Joe Biden Jan. 31 to the MTA Long Island Rail Road West Side Yard at Hudson Yards.
Biden Visits Baltimore Rail Tunnel Replacement Location Set to Modernize Northeast Corridor
President Joe Biden traveled to Baltimore, Maryland, on Jan. 30 to kick off the Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel replacement project funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.
State Officials, Railroads Clash Over Legislative Overhaul of Broadband Railroad Crossing Fees
During this year’s legislative session, bills introduced in the Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia Senate seek to standardize the process and associated fees for broadband providers crossing railroads.
Gov. Parson Requests Funding to Improve Rail Crossing Safety After Fatal Collisions
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson requested a new line item in the fiscal year 2024 budget to increase safety measures at railroad crossings during his State of the State address on Jan. 18.
Researchers Identify Subway Station Air Quality Degradation Near River Crossings
A new study from New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine has found that subway stations near river tunnels can have much greater quantities of potentially harmful particles, a phenomenon known as the “river-tunnel effect.”
Second Portion of Ohio’s Historic Hamilton Train Station Relocated
Last month, onlookers witnessed the roughly 1,000-foot relocation of a two-story building that was previously part of a CSX train depot to the intersection of Maple Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Hamilton, Ohio.
GDOT Completes Upgrade Project for HOG
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) in January wrapped up its first Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program grant project, which included upgrades along 138 miles of the 219-mile Heart of Georgia (HOG) Railroad.
Ohio Commission OK’s Grade Crossing Safety Projects
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) has approved safety upgrades at highway/rail grade crossings in Clinton, Fairfield and Jackson counties.
ASLRRA Working to Advocate for Railroads Experiencing Damage from Natural Disasters
Railway Track & Structures’ cover story for the November 2022 issue focused on the severe damage to the Seminole Gulf Railway in southwest Florida by Hurricane Ian. The storm not only impacted the railroad, but the service it provides to the community after a natural disaster occurs, especially moving building materials along its lines to support rebuilding efforts.
WMATA, Regulator Clash Over Safety, Plan to Use Suspended Rail Cars
New conflicts between the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and its regulator have called into question the effectiveness of an oversight arrangement established by Congress six years ago to make service safer, lawmakers say.
Amtrak Petitions FRA to Retire Maryland Fixed Wayside Signals
Amtrak is seeking Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approval to retire fixed wayside signals as automatic block points on the Mid-Atlantic Division’s Philadelphia-to-Washington, line (a Northeast Corridor branch), according to a notice in the Federal Register’s Jan. 17 edition.
TSB Canada Releases Report on 2021 CN Derailment near Moncton, New Brunswick
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has released its investigation report on the August 2021 freight train derailment near Moncton, New Brunswick.
Union Pacific Maintains Embargoes in Areas Hard Hit by Winter Weather
Union Pacific is maintaining an embargo it imposed last week on all travel to and from Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin because of persistently severe winter weather.
ICC Approves Highway/Rail Grade Crossing Projects
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) last month reported signing off on stipulated agreements to improve safety at highway/rail grade crossings in Fayette, Pike, Stephenson and McLean counties.
NYSDOT Livingston Avenue Bridge Replacement Project to Break Ground in 2023
As New York state officials plan for forward movement on the project to replace the Livingston Avenue Railroad Bridge, the plan received a “Finding of No Significant Impact” from Federal Railroad Administration, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Dec. 21.
BNSF Rail Bridge Project Makes Gains With Water Certification
BNSF Railway’s plans to build a new bridge over the Missouri River, linking Bismarck and Mandan, made headway Dec. 12 as state regulators issued a water quality certification crucial to move forward
Amtrak Looks to Remove Pennsylvania ‘Distant Signals’
With Positive Train Control (PTC) operational, Amtrak is seeking Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approval to remove automatic wayside signals serving as distant signals to existing interlockings on the Mid-Atlantic Division’s Philadelphia-to-Harrisburg, Pa.
Transport Canada to Address Climate Change Impacts on Rail
Transport Canada has launched its first climate change-focused call for proposals to help ensure “railway infrastructure is resilient to extreme weather events.”
Canada: Agreement-in-Principle for Lac-Mégantic Bypass
More than nine years after the horrific derailment of a crude oil unit train at Lac-Mégantic, Quebec that claimed 47 lives and led to new regulations for railroad hazmat tank cars, the