BNSF, first responders hold winter safety training
It’s better to be safe than sorry—even in sub-freezing weather.
Safety
IDOT grant awarded to OmniTRAX affiliate
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has awarded an Illinois Competitive Freight Program (ICFP) grant to the City of Peru, Ill. and OmniTRAX, Inc.-managed Peru Industrial Railroad (PIR) to help fund the Peru Intermodal, Safety, Congestion and Energy Security Project (PISCES). The funds will be used to improve the PIR, which operates a small but vital three miles of track, providing switching services for the Peru Industrial Park, part of the City of Peru Enterprise Zone. PIR interchanges with OmniTRAX-managed Illinois Railway and BNSF.
You get one chance to get it right
On June 8, the Associated Press reported that Virginia authorities had indicted a garbage truck driver on charges of involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence, after he allegedly drove into the path of an Amtrak charter train carrying Republican members of Congress, near Charlottesville.
CSX on plan: More job cuts, capex to shrink
Management at CSX are staying the course set by E. Hunter Harrison.
Baltimore rail shutting down for a fix up
The Maryland Department of Transportation has determined the entire Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) rail system will remain closed for up to four weeks following an inspection.
SunRail selects Wabtec for PTC
Wabtec Corporation announced it has signed a contract worth about $62 million to design, install, test and commission Positive Train Control (PTC) for the Central Florida Rail Corridor, which operates the SunRail commuter rail service.
Acting FRA chief Hall resigns
Heath Hall, the acting administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, the nation’s rail safety watchdog, resigned Feb. 11 amid allegations that he was working a second job as a public relations consultant.
Acela pull-apart preliminary findings: FRA
The Federal Railroad Administration has issued preliminary findings on the Feb. 6 incident in which an Acela Express trainset experienced a separation between two cars at a speed of approximately 125 mph.
Avante offers rail visibility safety solutions
Avante International Technology has developed a series of patented and patent-pending systems for rail visibility and safety, which are cost- effective in implementation without interfering with daily operations of trains. Avante’s Switch-Point Monitoring System provides supplementary and independent monitoring of switch point positions to central command and oncoming trains within three to six miles.
Zarembski recognized for contributions to track engineering
Dr. Allan M. Zarembski, Professor of Practice and Director of the University of Delaware Railroad Engineering and Safety Program, has received the 2017 Fumio Tatsuoka Best Paper Award from the journal Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology. He was recognized for four papers that made significant impact on geotechnology in railway engineering, specifically in the realms of track geometry defects and track substructure.