David C. Lester Photograph

Norfolk Southern Outlines New Six-Point Safety Plan

Norfolk Southern (NS) on March 6 announced a six-point plan to immediately enhance the safety of its operations. The initiatives are based on the preliminary findings of the National Transportation Safety Board

“We’re proud to support construction technology that helps communities build transit projects more quickly,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

USDOT Marks ‘Significant Progress’ on Key Rail Safety Reforms Following NS Ohio Derailment

Following the derailment of 11 Norfolk Southern (NS) hazardous materials (hazmat) tank cars in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) says it is “marking significant early progress on its efforts to hold the rail industry accountable to work with Congress on key rail safety reforms that will improve safety for communities and rail workers in the long-term.”

Aerial photograph of derailment site, courtesy of the NTSB.

East Palestine: NTSB Examining Tank Car Hatch Covers

Following the completion of damage assessment inspections of the 11 Norfolk Southern (NS) hazardous materials (hazmat) tank cars, including the five carrying vinyl chloride, that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says it is “concerned that aluminum protective housing covers on some tank cars melted or were consumed when pressure relief devices (PRDs) vented burning gas while functioning as designed to relieve tank pressure.”

FRA Administrator Amit Bose speaks about national rail safety initiatives at a FEMA-led press briefing.

FRA Announces New Hazmat Safety Initiative (Updated)

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on March 1 announced a national initiative for focused inspections on routes that carry high-hazard flammable trains (HHFTs) and other trains carrying large volumes of hazardous material (hazmat) commodities.

(FRA Photograph)

FRA Releases Scenario-Based Training Research Report

Scenario-based training (SBT) can help new railroad transportation employees learn about real-world scenarios they might not encounter during standard training, according to a new report released by the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Office of Research, Development and Technology.

ENSCO Creates Brazilian Subsidiary

Railway inspection technology supplier ENSCO, Inc. announced Feb. 14 that it has created a new subsidiary, ENSCO Tecnologias do Brasil LTDA, that will serve Brazilian and South American railway customers.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology Dr. Robert C. Hampshire

USDOT: $1.7MM for SBIR Program

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on Feb. 7 announced that it is now accepting proposals for funding ranging from $150,000 to $200,000 from its Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) to “spur research and commercialization of innovative transportation technologies in select research areas,” including the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

Previous Partnership Program grants from the FRA have funded rehabilitation-type projects such as the Kalamazoo to Dearborn rail corridor in Michigan and the Piedmont Corridor in North Carolina.

FRA Boosts Funding, Extends Deadline for Partnership Program NOFO

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on Feb. 3 issued an extension and supplemental funding notice for the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program (Partnership Program) for projects not located on the Northeast Corridor. The total funding now available has nearly doubled.

CP 4Q22: ‘Well Positioned to Execute a Historic Year’ in 2023 (Updated, Cowen)

“We finished the year with the people, capacity and resources in place to meet the needs of our customers today and are well-positioned to make history in 2023,” Canadian Pacific (CP) President and CEO Keith Creel reported Jan. 31 during the railroad’s quarterly earnings announcement.

Chuck Baker, President, American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association
Commentary

2023: A Milestone Anniversary Year

ASLRRA PERSPECTIVE, RAILWAY AGE FEBRUARY 2023 ISSUE: This year is the 110th anniversary of the founding of the American Short Line Association, our oldest predecessor.

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