Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton visited the site of a truck/train crash and derailment over the weekend in Callaway MN, and he praised the town and first responders for their quick actions to prevent major injuries. He also used that accident to illustrate the need to upgrade railroad crossings around the state. More than 200 residents of the town were forced […]
MN Governor Visits Site of Truck-Train Crash
Improvements Being Made to Deadly Michigan Railroad Crossing
Major safety improvements are being made to a Wexford County, MI railroad crossing where a woman was killed a year ago. The woman, Kathryn Paddock, was killed at the deadly railroad crossing in Manton MI last March when her SUV was hit by a train. Since 1987, the Federal Railroad Administration reports that there have been five crashes at this […]
Railroad Worker Sues for Injuries from Tank Car Accident
The switch conductor for a railroad tank car in New Orleans has filed a personal injury lawsuit alleged that the railroad is liable for injuries he suffered on the job. The railroad worker states that he was employed by SGS Petroleum Services Corp, and on Aug. 23, 2015, while he was performing duties on a railroad tank car, he fell […]
Amtrak Train Derails in Kansas – 29 Injured
Five cars on an Amtrak train in Cimarron, Kansas derailed early yesterday morning, sending 29 people to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. According to Amtrak, the train was traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago when it derailed at approximately midnight on Feb. 12. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, five cars derailed and were on their side. Although the […]
Local Government Can Now Request Railroad Bridge Safety Data
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) last month launched a new web request page for train bridge safety inquiries. Now state and local officials can request information about the safety of railroad bridges in their communities. Once the request has been filed with the FRA, the railroad has 30 days to provide a safety report. According to FRA Administrator Sarah Feinberg, […]
NYC’s Metro-North Line Reports More Injuries in 2015
Metro-North, a major commuter railroad line in the New York City metro region, reported this week that both customer and employee injuries increased in 2015. Statistics show that total employee injuries are up by 9.5% from 2014. Meanwhile, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reportable injuries have increased by 1.7%. However, injuries for customers on Metro-North increased in 2015 by 30%. Metro-North […]
Florida Supreme Court Takes FELA Case Involving Railroad Worker Death
Almost 10 years after a CSX railroad conductor died in a remote part of Florida as he worked for the railroad, the Florida Supreme Court has agreed to take up a lawsuit about CSX Transportation’s duty to provide medical assistance. The widow of the deceased train worker, Larry Sells, appealed to the FL Supreme Court after the First District Court […]
Two Hurt in Train Crossing Crash in Iowa
Two people suffered non-life threatening injuries in Nashua, Iowa on March 2 when a train hit a tractor trailer at a train crossing. Nashua IA police stated that after the crash, the truck driver and train conductor were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Police stated that they thought that the truck driver did not see the train as […]
FRA Seeks Comments on Train Horn Rules
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is inviting comments about its controversial train horn rules that are 11 years old. Current rules mandate that locomotives blast their horn when approaching a railroad crossing for safety purposes. Several members of Congress from Colorado, including several representatives in the House and both US senators, applauded the FRA’s move and urged residents of the […]
Railroad Tries to Dismiss Employee Lawsuit
Norfolk Southern Railway Company has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against it, alleging that a former employee has falsified a workplace injury. The former railroad worker filed his workplace injury lawsuit in September 2015, but Norfolk states that the federal court in which it was filed lacks subject matter jurisdiction. The man claims that he was working for […]