Safety
FRA: PTC operating on 56 percent of freight route miles
(Source: Progressive Railroading, March 21, 2018) Positive train control (PTC) systems are operating on about 56 percent of freight railroads’ route miles that are required to be governed by PTC systems, up from 45 percent in third-quarter 2017 and 16 percent on Dec. 31, 2016, the Federal Railroad Administration announced yesterday. Full story: Progressive Railroading Thursday,…
Read MoreDrones Are Watching: Railroad Irks Workers With Unmanned Aircraft
(Source: The Wall Street Journal 03/14/2018) Workers say drones are a distraction; the railroad says the program will coach employees in correcting behaviors that could cause serious injury By Paul Ziobro Union Pacific Corp. UNP -0.15% riled employees recently when it started flying drones over some of its railroad yards to ensure workers were following safety guidelines. The aerial…
Read MorePTC costs to shut Utah commuter line
(Source: Railway Age 02/21/2018) Written by Stuart Chirls, Senior Editor Transit officials in Utah plan to suspend services on a segment of commuter rail connecting the suburbs north of Salt Lake City, citing the prohibitive cost of complying with new federal safety rules mandating PTC (Positive Train Control). FrontRunner commuter rail service to Pleasant View, with the lowest ridership…
Read MoreFRA kicks off rail-crossing safety campaign
(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/06/2018) The Federal Railroad Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have launched a $4.3 million campaign to educate the public about the dangers of railroad grade crossings. Federal Railroad Administrator Ronald Batory announced the campaign at his swearing-in ceremony held last week. “This subject matter will always be close to my heart, having personally experienced on…
Read MoreTwo-thirds of U.S. commuter railroads may not meet PTC deadline: report
(Source: Reuters, February 28, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. — As many as two-thirds of the 29 U.S. commuter railroads may not meet a deadline to install an anti-crash technology by the end of the year, according to a report by a government watchdog seen by Reuters. The report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office is expected…
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