After several years worth of DC Metro safety incidents that have led to several deaths and dozens of personal injury lawsuits, the general manager for the trouble-plagued metro system fired 20 station managers as part of his effort to reform the system. The general manager, Paul Wiedefeld, followed through on earlier threats to fire managers in the troubled public transit […]
DC Metro Fires 20 Managers After Multiple Smoke/Fire Injuries
Train Conductor Sues Union Pacific for Injuries on Job
Union Pacific Railroad is being sued after one of its employees was allegedly thrown from a rail car in Cheyenne WY. The plaintiff filed his lawsuit on April 8 in Laramie County District Court in Wyoming. The complaint stated that he was working as a conductor on Oct. 30, 2014 when he was thrown from the car and suffered a […]
Feds Issue New Safety Orders for DC Metro
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has ordered the Washington Metrorail system to take immediate action to reduce the chances of smoke and fire problems after a tunnel fire last week that forced metro officials to close a station for the evening. The FTA has issued the new safety orders that mandate that the transit agency pinpoint power hot spots and […]
FRA Announces $25 Million Funding for Rail Safety Improvements
The Federal Railroad Administration has started to take applications from local governments, states and railroads for $25 million in grants to fund their railroad safety efforts. Applicants can ask for funds for safety upgrades to railroad crossings, tracks, tunnels, yards, bridges, etc. The grants have been made available under the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act. According to US Transportation Secretary Anthony […]
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 […]
Worker Sues Railroad For Injuries on the Job
A man from Benton IL has sued his former railroad company, claiming that he suffered disabling injuries when he fell down a hole while on the job as a railroad conductor. The man filed the railroad lawsuit Jan. 8 in the US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against the Illinois Central Railroad Company. The suit alleges that […]
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 […]
Tired BNSF Employees Complain About 12 Hour Shifts
Some BNSF Railway workers in Whitefish, Montana are warning that they are working 12 hour shits that compromise safety. They claim that the long shifts can lead to extreme fatigue that could cause dangerous situations when hauling hazardous commodities. One BNSF employee told the media that the company had started a new schedule that has workers working for 12 hours […]
Northern Virginia Law Enforcement Increasing Train Track Safety Awareness
Officers from Fairfax County (VA) Police and the Norfolk Southern Railroad Police have been cracking down on people who illegally walk across railroad tracks Northern Virginia. The Norfolk Southern Police are in the midst of a year-long Trespass Abatement Program and are focusing their efforts on five areas in Fairfax County in recent days. That is due to the high […]