Safety
FRA extends temporary safety reg waiver for freight railroads
(Source: Progressive Railroading 05/29/2020) The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has extended for 60 days temporary waivers of certain safety regulations for freight railroads, according to letters the agency sent last week to the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA). The FRA also sent a similar letter to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) addressed…
Read MoreReport: U.S. railroads push against rising demand for crude-oil storage in rail cars
(Source: Progressive Railroading 04/14/2020) U.S. railroads are pushing against oil companies’ increasing demand to store crude oil in rail cars, according to Reuters. Globally, storage space for crude oil could run out by mid-2020, according to IHS Markit, and most U.S. onshore storage is expected to fill by May, the news service reported. However, railroads including Union Pacific…
Read MoreNTSB: Undetected cracks in tank car led to ethanol release in CSX yard
(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/26/2020) The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined earlier this week that an Archer Daniels Midland Co. rail tank car, while stationed at a CSX rail yard in Fredericksburg, Virginia, released denatured ethanol — a flammable hazardous material — from undetected cracks in the bottom of the tank car’s shell. About 68 gallons of the material…
Read MoreWashington State Legislature passes train crew bill
(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/18/2020) The Washington State Legislature has passed a bill that would establish a minimum crew size on certain trains, rail labor unions reported yesterday. The bill, HB 1841-Establishing Minimum Crews on Certain Trains, passed out of the State House on March 10. The Senate signed off on the legislation on March 12, according…
Read MoreFor the first time in 15 years, grade crossing safety gains a hearing
(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/13/2020) By Julie Sneider, Senior Associate Editor For the first time in 15 years, the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials held a hearing to address grade crossing safety. Subcommittee Chairman Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) called the Feb. 5 hearing as part of the panel’s work on legislation to reauthorize the Fixing America’s Surface…
Read More