BART will temporarily stop accepting new cars
BART will temporarily stop accepting delivery of new Fleet of the Future (FOTF) rail cars beginning January 8, 2021 to allow the manufacturer, Bombardier Transportation, the time to take steps to improve
Safety
Federal Railroad Administration announces landmark achievement with full implementation of Positive Train Control
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced today that positive train control (PTC) technology is in operation on all 57,536 required freight and passenger railroad route miles, prior to
Top web stories 2020—Viral photo of COVID-19 rail freight tanker is No. 1
According to Google Analytics, There were a whopping 1.4 million pageviews on the RT&S website in 2020, and in a year that was bombarded by COVID-19 stories it is not surprising that
FRA releases NPRM on PTC systems and reporting
With the Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation deadline of December 31, 2020 just three days away, last week the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,” or NPRM to
Parsons, NJ Transit complete Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation
After months of teeth-gnashing and worry over whether NJ Transit would meet the Dec. 31, 2020 deadline of PTC implementation, Parsons announced today that the deadline has been met, with less than
ASLRRA applauds Biden Administration on selection of Pete Buttigieg as U.S. DOT Secretary
Today Chuck Baker [President of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ALSRRA)] issued the following statement on the Biden Administration’s selection of Pete Buttigieg as Secretary of Transportation: “ASLRRA welcomes
Amtrak OIG: positive train control will be interoperable but could better measure system reliability
Amtrak has installed Positive Train Control technology on the tracks it owns and expects its systems to be interoperable with host and tenant railroads by year’s end, but it can take steps
FRA publishes final rule for state highway-rail grade crossing action plans
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published a final rule requiring 40 states and the District of Columbia to develop and implement highway-rail grade crossing action plans to improve
NTSB issues 6 safety recommendations following investigation of train derailment, hazardous materials release
The National Transportation Safety Board issued Rail Accident Report 20/04 Thursday for its investigation of the Aug. 2, 2017, CSX Transportation, Inc. freight train derailment and release of hazardous materials near Hyndman, Pennsylvania.
Decatur, Ga., finalizes railroad crossing improvement project
The coronavirus pandemic has stalled many railroad projects in 2020, but the railroad crossing intersection improvement project in Decatur, Ga., now seems ready for a jumpstart. City officials met with the public
NJ Transit CEO puts job on the line if PTC deadline is not met
NJ Transit CEO Kevin Corbett says his agency will meet the Dec. 31 federal deadline for the successful installation of Positive Train Control (PTC). In fact, he’s so confident he is willing
Improving the safety and efficiency of railroad operations with automation-assisted technology
Maintaining efficient railroad operations while ensuring overall safety is an essential part of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) mission. Automation-aided technologies have the potential to save lives and improve safety while improving
Alarm bells for public transit?
“[We’re experiencing] the longest, most severe period of supressed ridership for any of the nation’s public transit systems” is how the New York Times characterized the situation facing U.S. public transit in
MTA announces signal modernization and track improvements
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that for nine days of traditionally low ridership between the Christmas and New Year holidays, the 53rd Street Tunnel, which carries the and train lines between Queens and Manhattan, will be
Rail Group On Air: Safety doesn’t happen by accident
Industry 4.0 (also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution) is a reality. Railroads, including their partners in the transportation supply chain, are at the beginning of their journey to establishing true end-to-end
Group using shunts in an attempt to disrupt, derail trains in state of Washington
Two women are now waiting on a second court date after they were charged with terror attacks against the railroad and released. Ellen Reiche and Samantha Brooks were arrested and charged with
Wabtec and RATP partner to test innovative ‘Green Friction’ braking solutions
Wabtec and RATP, a Paris region operator as well a major international public transport operator, announced this week a partnership to test Wabtec’s innovative Green Friction braking solution. The test will study
BNSF experiences derailment in New Mexico
BNSF experienced a derailment early this morning in Vado, New Mexico. There isn’t a lot of detail available at present, but BNSF released the following statement: “At approximately 5:30 a.m. central 12
Metro to sideline 6000-series railcars following second incident
Last week, Metro announced that is temporarily sidelining its fleet of 6000-series railcars following a train-separation incident on the Red Line [on November 24, 2020]. The broad safety directive, recommended by Chief
San Diego Metropolitan Transit System awards a multi-year rail maintenance contract to Advanced Rail Management
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, on behalf of the San Diego Transit Inc., has awarded Advanced Rail Management Corp. (ARM) a five-year contract for the development and operation of a long-term