A railroad crossing in Halifax PA where new mother Trisha Hoffman died on Sept. 4 has been termed ‘seriously deficient’ by two railway experts interviewed in early September by PennLive.com. Pennsylvania state law does not require that drivers stop at all railroad crossings. They only must stop for flashing lights, gates, or if they know a train is oncoming. The problem […]
Lethal PA Railroad Crossing Called ‘Seriously Deficient’ by Railroad Experts
Kentucky RR Crossing Has Major Safety Issues
Changes have not yet been made to a railroad crossing in Oakland KY that saw a local man lose his life in a train-car accident in early August 2016. And State Rep. Michael Meredith has taken notice. Meredith stated recently that the crossing makes it too easy for a train to sneak up on the driver. He noted that you […]
Railroads Sluggish to Adopt Safety Technology as Deadline Passes
Many commuter and freight railroads continue to be slow to adopt safety technology that could prevent deadly crashes and derailments. This is in spite of the fact that that Congress has mandated that railroads install positive train control or PTC. PTC uses digital radio signals, GPS and signals on tracks to monitor the position of trains. It has the ability […]
Ohio Man Dies in Railroad Crossing Accident
A 70 year old man in West Chester Township OH near Cincinnati died on Aug. 24 in a rail road crossing accident. The driver was crossing the railroad track when his SUV was struck at high speed by a train. There were witness reports that stated that the crossing gates may not have come down in time. West Chester Township […]
New Study: Peritoneal Mesothelioma Risk Does Not Decline After Decades
A recent published clinical study in Italy has shown one of the most devastating and deadly factors about malignant peritoneal mesothelioma: The risk for contracting the terminal disease is high even many decades after the asbestos exposure ended. Peritoneal mesothelioma is a horrible form of mesothelioma that infests the membranes that surround the organs in the abdomen. Asbestos exposure is well […]
FRA Issues Status Updates for Positive Train Control Progress
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 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 […]