One person died in Jacksonville FL when an Amtrak train slammed into an SUV that was straddling the tracks last week, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The police stated that the train hit the Chevrolet Tahoe at approximately 7:20 PM on Jan. 14. The driver of the SUV died after he was taken to a local hospital. According to […]
1 Dead After Train Hits Car in Jacksonville FL
FRA Scrutinizes Railroad Merger Due to Safety Concerns
Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. wants to merge with Norfolk Southern Corp., but federal regulators in the US worry that mergers of large railroads could lead to railroad safety concerns. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulates rail safety in the United States, and is looking carefully at the proposed merger, as it scrutinizes safety worries that could result when such large […]
New York Metro Hit With $250,000 Fine for Retaliating Against Injured Worker
The US Labor Department levied a $250,000 fine against New York-based Metro-North Railroad after it retaliated against an injured railroad worker. The Labor Department ordered Metro North to pay the punitive damages award to a train coach cleaner who hurt his leg on the job in November 2011 in Connecticut. The federal government stated that a Metro North supervisor told […]
Trains Should Be Kept Fully Staffed for Safety
The Indiana State Legislative Board Chairman wrote an urgent plea last week that all train crews should be kept to two and not reduced to one, as the state government is considering, under pressure from railroad interests. There are more than 4,000 miles of track in Indiana, Brian Farkas wrote, and he argues in the article that an excellent safety […]
Switchman Who Loses Leg Sues Railroad
A former switchman for Tacoma (WA) Rail has filed a lawsuit against the railroad. He contends that the railroad created a dangerous railroad work environment that contributed to the accident that caused him to lose a leg. Nathan Johnson, 45, from Fife WA, is seeking damages for his pain and suffering, lost wages and medical expenses. An earlier claim with […]
New York Town May Shut Down Deadly Rail Crossing
A small town in Westchester County, NY may shut down the railroad crossing where an SUV driver and five train passengers died in a disastrous railroad crossing crash last year. The Feb. 3, 2015 train crash prompted the town of of Mount Pleasant NY to study whether vehicle traffic should be diverted from the hazardous railroad crossing at Commerce Street. […]
27 Pedestrian Rail Deaths In Washington State Prompts Safety Campaign
The number of pedestrian rail fatalities in Washington state climbed to 27 in 2015, rail officials stated this week, which has prompted a new safety campaign to warn people about the dangers of railroad tracks and crossings. The new goal for 2016 in the state is zero railroad fatalities. Nationwide, Washington is ranked #9 in train fatalities from Jan-Sept 2015, […]
19 Year Old Killed at Train Crossing in Idaho
A nineteen year old died last week in Kuna, Idaho, when a train slammed into his car at a railroad crossing at more than 50 MPH. The local police stated that Peter Francois was struck by the train at a crossing in Kuna ID at a crossing on Black Cat Road. They also stated that the Union Pacific train was […]
Track Defects and Human Error Cause Most Train Accidents
A new study of federal rail records has found that most train accidents are due to track problems and human error, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Some of those accidents and derailments have involved oil trains, but rather than focus on rail improvements and engineer training, US regulators continue to focus on beefing up tanker cars instead. After several dozen […]
More Passengers File Lawsuits Against Amtrak
A Philadelphia law firm stated this week that it will seek punitive damages in lawsuits filed for six more passengers in the deadly Amtrak derailment last May. The law firm, Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, stated that the complaints that were filed in federal court will be consolidated with others that were filed earlier this year. The law suits allege […]