Denham named rail subcommittee chair
Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA), member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was named chairman of the Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee for the 113th Congress.
Safety
OSHA, BNSF sign accord regarding whistleblower policies
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has signed an accord with BNSF, announcing the railroad’s voluntary revision of several personnel policies that OSHA alleged violated the whistleblower provisions of the Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA) and dissuaded workers from reporting on-the-job injuries.
Six grade crossing projects in Washington, Ohio move forward
Washington state regulators have approved funds to improve the safety of three grade crossings; one in Whitman County and two in Pend Oreille County.
KCS participates in Officer on a Train event
Kansas City Southern partnered with the Alice Police Department to conduct an “Officer on a Train” event on Jan. 15 to promote public safety at railroad grade crossings in Alice, Texas.
NCTD to begin Phase 2 of PTC project
North County Transit District in San Diego, Calif., plans to begin the second phase of Positive Train Control (PTC) system installation on all COASTER commuter trains Jan. 15.
TTCI wins ASCE award for HCB span research, collaborates with CSU-Pueblo on new degree program
Led by Principal Engineer Duane Otter, Transportation Technology Center, Inc.’s (TTCI) work with John Hillman, inventor of the Hybrid‐Composite Beam and recipient of the 2013 Charles Pankow Award for Innovation, was recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
RailComm to provide train control system to Northshore Mining
RailComm has been chosen to provide its Domain Operations Controller (DOC) train control system for Northshore Mining in Silver Bar, Minn.
Amtrak plans significant infrastructure projects for 2013
Amtrak has set out to work on a long list of infrastructure projects during 2013.
KCS joins national campaign to end electronic device distractions
This year, KCS is joining the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) campaign to end distracted driving by promoting the message that One Text or Call Could Wreck It All.
Balfour Beatty Rail promotes and expands operations positions
The Rail Services division of Balfour Beatty Rail, Inc., has promoted and expanded the roles of key operational personnel, as well as consolidated office operations.
KCS’ Starling outlines infrastructure plans in state of the railroad
David L. Starling, Kansas City Southern’s president and CEO, outlined the state of the railroad in a letter dated Dec. 21 and posted to the KCS website. Starling says the railroad’s 125th anniversary year has been a success; something he aims to continue into 2013.
NRC names 2013 Hall of Fame inductee
The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) named James J. (Jim) Daloisio, Chairman and CEO, Railroad Construction Company of South Jersey as its 2013 Hall of Fame Inductee.
Two Ohio grade crossings to see upgrades
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) approved authorization from the Ohio Rail Development Commission to upgrade two grade crossings in Wellston and Cincinnati.
FRA proposes revisions to PTC rule
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is proposing a revision to the rule concerning positive train control (PTC) in response to a petition from the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
San Francisco rail improvement projects completed
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) Church and Duboce Track and Street Improvement Project and the Carl Street Rail Replacement Project have been completed.
Washington state Oks funds to improve three crossings
Washington state regulators approved funds to improve the safety of three railroad crossings in Kelso, Longview and Oakesdale, Wash.
NRC names 2012 special award recipients
The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) released the list of winners of the 2012 Field Employee and Rail Construction Project of the Year Awards.
LIRR full rush service returns following signal repair
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) will operate full morning and evening rush hour service beginning Monday, Dec. 10, as a result of Amtrak restoring the signal system capacity in one of its two flood-damaged East River tunnels.
Alton & Southern to expand RailComm system
Alton and Southern Railroad will expand its existing RailComm Yard Control System by adding several new components to the yard.
NCDOT awards safety improvement contract
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has awarded a $10.9-million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contract to Fred Smith Co. of Raleigh, N.C., for a rail safety improvement project.