Officials at New York MTA’s Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) announced Dec. 23 that implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) was complete, just ahead of the Dec. 31, 2020, federal deadline. They teamed with systems integrator Siemens Mobility and Bombardier Transportation on the project.
MTA Metro-North Railroad has reconfigured vending machines at 12 stations throughout its commuter rail system to allow customers to purchase PPE (personal protective equipment) KN95 masks, bottled hand sanitizer and gloves at the machines starting July 10, though “free masks and hand sanitizer are still being distributed at stations and on trains for any rider that needs them,” the agency said.
MTA Metro-North Railroad President Cathy Rinaldi announced that as of March 14 Metro-North’s full Harlem and Hudson lines are operating in Positive Train Control (PTC), bringing Metro-North’s total of PTC-equipped route miles to 189, which represents 68% of its mileage.
I have this friend, a railroad professional. I know I would never question his commitment to safety. I hope he wouldn’t question mine. This friend is concerned that railroad management will unfairly use medical information it obtains from employees, from employees’ medical care providers, and from the requirements of a medical fitness for duty regulation, to disqualify employees from service. He fears railroads will weaponize the information.
MTA Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi announced that Metro-North’s Way Ahead plan has been a boon with regards to safety, service, infrastructure and customer communication, and has even helped the company’s on-time performance exceed expectations.
Amtrak’s board of directors has approved an agreement with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) that will pave the way for introduction of Metro-North commuter rail services to Penn Station New York and extension of Amtrak intercity services to Long Island.
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority will build four new stations in the East Bronx for Metro-North commuter rail service on the Northeast Corridor, after Governor Andrew Cuomo brokered a deal between the agency and Amtrak. But the deal hinges on a plan to postpone a bridge replacement that was called “beyond a state-of-good-repair” nearly a decade ago.
MTA Metro-North Railroad is the first North American to receive ISO-50001 Certification, described as “an internationally recognized framework that guides and supports organizations to manage energy more efficiently.” The certification puts Metro-North “on a path to save $2 million annually by 2020 and further reduce its carbon footprint.”
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYMTA) is partnering with Waze, a popular smart phone and tablet computer navigation app, to improve safety at Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad highway/rail grade crossings.
Passenger rail operators were returning some lines to service in the Northeast after a second straight Nor’easter whipsawed the region with heavy snow.