The head of the Federal Rail Administration (FRA) promised to be aggressive in urging railroad companies to install newly mandated safety systems as soon as possible, even though Congress moved the deadline back to 2018. The safety system is called Positive Train Control or PTC, and was supposed to be operating nationwide by the end of 2015. Its widespread use […]
FRA Pushes for Fast Upgrades to Train Safety Systems
Ohio Man Dies in Rail Crossing Accident
A man died in Huron Township OH on Nov. 24 after a train smashed into his car at a railroad crossing. The man was driving a 2008 Ford van on Rye Beach Rd. in Huron Township when he approached the railroad tracks south of SR 2. He tried to skirt the railroad crossing gates when a Norfolk Southern train slammed […]
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 […]
Safety Improvements Underway at Deadly TN Railroad Crossing
Work is currently underway at a deadly railroad crossing in Harriman, Tennessee that was the site of a deadly crash that killed two people in 2014. In May 2014, a car was struck by a train at the crossing of US 27 and Mountain View Rd. in Harriman. Several safety improvements were announced early this year, which were funded by […]
20 Year Anniversary of School Bus-Train Crash Remembered
It was 20 years ago on Oct. 25 that a horrifying collision between a Chicago commuter train and a school bus in Fox River Grove IL at a railroad crossing led to the deaths of seven students. Since then, there have been a number of safety improvements at railroad crossings across the US, but accidents can and still do occur. […]
Families of Canada Train Derailment Victims Sue Railroad
A lawyer who represents most of the families of the 47 people who died in an oil train derailment in Quebec two years ago said last week that a Canadian railroad’s refusal to pay into a settlement fund is ‘reprehensible,’ and the families will sue the railroad. Canadian Pacific states that it does not have any responsibility for the disastrous, […]
Congress Passes Bill To Delay Train Safety Upgrades
After the deadly Amtrak wreck in Philadelphia earlier this year that killed five, some lawmakers wanted to see a speed enforcement system implemented right away. However, this week Congress passed a bill that will delay mandates for railroads to add such safety upgrades. After the derailing in May, the CEO of Amtrak pledged to make the safety upgrades by the […]
Questions Arise After Fatal Pedestrian/Train Accident
A 16 year-old boy was hit by a train in NW Houston TX last Friday and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police reported that the young man was hit at 8:45 am near West 34th Street and TC Jester in Houston. His body was thrown under a trestle on the bridge that crosses the street White Oak Bayou. Police […]
Broken Rail Led to WV Oil Train Derailment, Officials State
By Randy Appleton, Virginia Railroad Accident Attorney A West Virginia crude oil train derailment in February 2015 that caused a fire and forced several hundred people to leave their homes was due to a split rail, according to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) last week. Two CSX rail inspections in December 2014 and January 2015 did not detect the defect […]
Family Files Suit for Death at Dangerous Train Crossing Guardrail
By Richard Shapiro, Virginia Railroad Accident Attorney A 22 year-old man from Richmond CA was killed last March when he died at a railroad crossing in this small California town. Media reports stated that the man spent all day and night volunteering at a school, and he then was driving home. He reportedly fell asleep at the wheel and crashed […]