Metrolinx Targets Accessibility Improvements Across GO Network
With the completion of the Early Station Improvements project, Metrolinx announced Feb. 9 that two major components of that work are now improving GO station accessibility.
Safety
CTA Awards $75M Contract for Racine Blue Line Station Accessibility Improvements
The Chicago Transit Authority’s Racine Blue Line station will soon undergo a significant restoration that will include the installation of an elevator and other accessibility-related upgrades, making it the latest project to receive upgrades under the CTA’s All Stations Accessibility Program.
Ottawa Transit Commission Addresses January OC Transpo Line 1 Service Disruption
The Ottawa City Council’s Transit Commission on Feb. 9 reflected on issues surrounding a five-day OC Transpo service disruption that occurred in January after an accumulation of ice during a storm posed hazards to service.
Authorities Call for Better Oversight Along Canada’s Provincially Regulated Railways
With the release of investigation documents surrounding a 2019 accident in which a GO Transit train struck two people at a public crossing in Ontario, officials from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are expressing concerns about the safety oversight of provincially regulated railways.
ICC Approves Grade Crossing Projects in Logan, Randolph Counties
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) on Feb. 6 reported signing off on stipulated agreements to improve safety at highway/rail grade crossings in Logan and Randolph counties.
Authorities Continue Monitoring Norfolk Southern Ohio Derailment Site
The East Palestine, Ohio, community is still feeling the effects this week after a 50-car Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed and caused a fire, filling the area with smoke on Feb. 3 and prompting an evacuation order near the Pennsylvania state line.
SEPTA Makes Track Repairs Following Old City Derailment
A Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority train partially derailed the evening of Feb. 4 on the Market-Frankford Line as it traveled north out of Old City, officials said.
Watch: Union Pacific’s ‘Sierra Snow Fighters’ Keep Service Running in California
When Union Pacific Railroad senior manager Mike Upton encounters a news crew from The Weather Channel in downtown Truckee, California, he knows it’s all hands on deck in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range.
Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission Identifies $400k in Storm Damage
The Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission Branch Rail line has undergone millions of dollars in damage from recent winter storm events, and officials say details about the areas hit the hardest are still being revealed.
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.
Avalanche Derails Alaska Railroad Train Along Turnagain Arm
An Alaska Railroad freight train traveling northbound from Whittier recently encountered an avalanche at 0158, causing the derailment of two locomotives and the partial derailment of a third.
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.
Port of Longview Approves Rail Upgrades
On Jan. 25, Port of Longview commissioners unanimously approved a nearly $330,000 project to upgrade several rail tracks after a monthly assessment revealed that some of the track was undersized and needed more stable structures.
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.
Caltrain Advances Guadalupe River Bridge Replacement Project
Caltrain on Jan. 31 will host a virtual community meeting on the $63.3 million Guadalupe River Bridge Replacement Project in San Jose, Calif., which will replace the northbound wooden trestle bridge built in 1935 and extend the southbound concrete bridge built in 1990.
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.
Union Pacific Rail Yard Crew Celebrates 20-Plus Years of Safety
For more than two decades, Jerry Rhea and his crew of California-based Union Pacific railway workers have called the Roseville Rail Yard home.
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.”
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.
Norfolk Southern Works to Repair Alabama Lift Bridge
After being damaged by a vessel, Norfolk Southern’s lift bridge spanning the Tennessee River in Decatur, Ala., is expected to remain out of service for up to five days, the railroad announced in a service alert on Jan. 17.