Technology
FRA publishes railroads’ second quarter 2018 PTC data
(Source: Federal Railroad Administration press release, August 24, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today released the 2018 Quarter 2 status update on railroads’ self-reported progress toward implementing positive train control (PTC) systems. The latest data, current as of June 30, 2018, shows that 15 railroads have installed…
Read MoreBartek awarded two U.S. patents
(Source: Railway Age 08/21/2018) Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief The United States Patent Office has granted two patents in the area of autonomous inter-vehicle communications and collision avoidance to Peter M. Bartek, President and CEO of start-up Focused Technology Solutions, a division of The Marmon/Berkshire Hathaway Company. According to Bartek, who has lengthy experience in radio, sensor…
Read MoreHouse Democrats warn FRA against PTC exemptions
(Source: Progressive Railroading 07/02/2018) House Democrats last week warned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) against issuing exemptions that allow railroads to avoid implementing positive train control(PTC). In a letter to FRA Administrator Ron Batory, the lawmakers said the exemptions included in the FRA’s PTC regulations were “overly broad.” Although Congress did not authorize exemptions to the PTC mandate, the…
Read MoreThe Use of Social Media while at work
Below is the body of an email that I received discussing the points made by a panel of arbitrators at a recent Arbitration Conference held in Seattle. Although they do not discuss the specifics of the cases that they discussed they did bring up some good points. This issue is being talked about in all industries…
Read MoreBatory to railroads: We’re here for you
(Source: Railway Age March 20, 2018) Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief Characterizing progress on Positive Train Control as “uneven,” Federal Railroad Administrator Ron Batory pledged that the agency he now officially leads “is taking a proactive approach to ensure railroads acquire, install, test and fully implement certified PTC systems in time to meet the congressional interim deadline…
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