The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) last week issued a status update that is calling for railroads to come out with Positive Train Control (PTC) technologies, which uses GNSS technology, as some as they are able to do so. This update also emphasizes the Obama administration’s call to send more funding to help commuter railroads to implement Positive Train Control. PTC […]
FRA Issues Status Updates for Positive Train Control Progress
FRA Final Rule Requires Better Safety Approach for Passenger Rail
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued a final rule in August 2016 that states that passenger railroads will need to adopt more proactive safety rules to prevent serious accidents, injuries and deaths. The final rule issued by the US railroad regulator is called the system Safety Program. Under it, railroads are required to develop a better and quantifiable safety […]
Oregon Train Derailment Caused by Broken Bolts Missed During Inspection
On June 3, a crude oil train derailed in Mosier, Oregon, spilling thousands of gallons of oil and causing local residents to evacuate. The 16 car derailment in Oregon was caused by a set of broken bolts that were missed during a routine inspection by a track inspector with the Oregon Department of Transportation. ODOT recently concluded that several lag bolts that […]
Madison County IL Leads Country in Mesothelioma Lawsuits
Madison County IL led the US in mesothelioma lawsuits in 2015. This deadly lung and organ lining cancer is caused exclusively by exposure to asbestos fibers, most often in industrial and railroad employment that occurred prior to the 1980s. The report compiled by the consulting firm KCIC found that Madison County IL accounted for almost 50% of the country’s mesothelioma […]
Indiana Truck Driver Injured At Railroad Crossing
A Pike County, Indiana truck driver suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries when his tractor trailer was hit by a train at a railroad crossing near Winslow IN. The truck driver was driving southbound on SR 61 in a truck owned by C&M Giant Tire when a Norfolk Southern train struck the truck at the crossing. The railroad crossing has warning […]
New York State Assembly Passes Legislation to Increase Railroad Safety
An agreement was reached in early July in the New York State Assembly that would improve railroad safety throughout the state. The new legislation will establish state coordination of inspections by railroads and local officials of grade crossing warning systems that are connected with traffic lights. The new regulations also will align state law with federal railroad bridge inspection standards […]