Frankenstorm, super storm, perfect storm, call it what you will, Hurricane Sandy has launched East Coast passenger and freight rail operations into a flurry of activity to prepare for the approaching wind and rain associated with the Category 1 tempest.
The Railroad Research Foundation (RRF) has received two new federal grants from the Federal Railroad Administration; one related to the transportation of hazardous materials and the other to discourage employee distractions on the job. These grants support the central goals of the RRF to promote safety in the railroad industry.
The state of Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) has approved $20,000 from the Grade Crossing Protective Fund (GCPF) to pay for upgrades at a railroad-highway grade crossing in King County.
The Federal Railroad Administration published a Notice Of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register Oct. 19, proposing to amend the Federal Track Safety Standards “to promote the safety of railroad operations by enhancing rail-flaw detection processes.”
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn joined state and local officials and representatives of Metra and BNSF on October 17 to mark the completion of the Belmont Road grade separation project in DuPage County, Ill.
The Railway Association of Canada (RAC) selected the winners of the 2012 Safety Awards. The awards were presented as part of the RAC’s Canadian Rail Summit and annual meeting held in Montreal.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) has approved construction authorization from the Ohio Rail Development Commission directing CSX Transportation (CSX) and Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway (W&LE) to install flashing lights and gates at three grade crossings.
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) approved $7.8 million for five Metrolink grade crossing safety improvement projects. The CTC decided to allocate the Proposition 1B Highway Railroad Crossing Safety Account (HRCSA) funding at its September monthly meeting.
CalAmp Corp., provider of wireless products, services and solutions, has been awarded a contract to supply wireless communications devices for an interoperable Positive Train Control (PTC) system for the Southern California Regional Rail Authority’s (SCRRA) Metrolink commuter rail network.
Union Pacific Railroad is enhancing Illinois’ transportation infrastructure by investing nearly $8 million in the rail line that runs between Villa Grove and Findlay.
A crucial bridge that provides the only access into Manhattan for all Metro-North trains traveling to and from Grand Central Terminal is due for a major upgrade, the railroad said on Oct. 9.
As part of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE), the Blue Island-Riverdale-Dolton Signal Modernization Project is complete.
Canadian National revitalized its company-wide employee training program, which will be anchored by two modern training centers to be built in Winnipeg, MB, Canada, and in suburban Chicago, Ill.
RailComm has been selected to provide a wireless remote control derail system at BNSF’s Amarillo yard for the roundhouse engine tracks.
This system will provide wireless remote control for derail locations outside the roundhouse. The derail machines will be outfitted with blue strobe lights that will be activated whenever a derail is in place. RailComm’s Domain Operations Controller (DOC) System will reside in the roundhouse office and will provide the operator with a user interface to remotely control the field devices. All derail operation will be logged, along with the user, date and time.
RailComm’s 2.4 GHz Spread Spectrum RADiANT data radios will be used to establish wireless communications networks to link the derail and office locations.
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) released $39.8 million in allocations for critical work to advance the San Francisco-area Caltrain Modernization Program and prepare the corridor for a future blended system with California high-speed rail.
Colo Railroad Builders’ Texas Division has worked 1,000 days injury free.
Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chairman James Simpson joined NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein September 21 at Plauderville Station in Garfield to unveil a new “Another Train Coming” rail safety device designed to enhance pedestrian safety around the tracks. The installation is part of an ongoing effort to ramp up rail safety across the state through recommendations from the NJ Safety at Railroad Crossings Leadership Oversight Committee.
“Ensuring the safety of NJ Transit customers and residents in the communities we serve requires a multifaceted approach, which is what the committee aims to achieve through its ‘E-cubed’ tactics-engineering, enforcement and education,” said Commissioner Simpson. “While Plauderville Station’s new technological warning system represents the engineering component, it will be supported by an array of other initiatives, including crossing enforcement by the NJ Transit Police Department and NJ Transit’s continuous efforts to educate our school children through our successful rail safety program.”
The New Jersey Department of Transportation and NJ Transit recently installed the “Another Train Coming” warning system at the Outwater Lane grade crossing, adjacent to the Plauderville rail station. The warning system consists of active signs in all four quadrants of the rail crossing, with an LED text message that reads, “DANGER, Another Train Coming,” as well as an audio component that repeatedly sounds the same message.
As part of California’s Rail Safety Month, Metrolink and the Southern California Rail Safety Team (SCRST) targeted law violators at five crossings in the cities of Los Angeles and San Fernando on September 21.
The U.S. Department of Transportation kicked off the first meeting of the Transit Rail Advisory Committee for Safety (TRACS) since President Obama signed the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act” (MAP-21), which granted the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) authority to implement and enforce transit safety oversight standards on heavy rail, light rail, buses, ferries and streetcars.
BNSF was awarded the 2012 Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence during the AREMA Annual Conference in Chicago, Ill.