SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Caltrain will receive $43 million for its electrification project from the omnibus spending bill passed by Congress and awaiting the signature of President Joe Biden, the commuter rail agency said. The federal money will help fill a funding gap in the project expected to be completed in 2024. “The electrification of […]
WASHINGTON — The independent body that oversees DC Metrorail safety issues has indicated reservations about the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s plan to restore automated operation of Metrorail trains, which was disengaged following a fatal collision in 2009. The Washington Post reports the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission says it will work with WMATA on the […]
WASHINGTON — The DC Metrorail system will seek to return to automated train operation, discontinued after a fatal train collision in 2009, according to a presentation to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority board on Monday. The website DCist reports the presentation calls for the Red Line to be returned to Automatic Train Operation in […]
BREDA, Netherlands — Alstom says it has demonstrated fully autonomous operation for a switching locomotive in the Netherlands — with starting, movement, stopping, and handling of unexpected obstacles without involvement of on-train staff. The company says this week’s announcement concludes a series of tests that are part of a partnership with Dutch infrastructure manager ProRail and […]
NEW YORK — The Federal Railroad Administration will grant a waiver allowing the Long Island Rail Road to open its route to the new Grand Central Madison terminal without installation of equipment to prevent Amtrak trains from inadvertently taking the wrong route, the New York Post reports. The move should allow the long-delayed terminal, some […]
As the caboose of a Maine Central train passes, the operator resets the ball signals at the Maine Central/Boston & Maine crossing at Whitefield, N.H., in 1979. This was the last surviving ball signal in commercial use on a U.S. railroad. Ben Bachman photo […]
FORT WORTH, Texas – Union Pacific’s Tower 55 in Forth Worth, which once controlled the busiest railroad junction in Texas, is being demolished this week. Demolition work began Nov. 14. Originally a wood structure, it was replaced by a three-story brick structure in the 1930s. As railroads expanded in Texas, several railroads reached Forth Worth. […]
BURBANK — LA-area commuter rail operator Metrolink broke ground Wednesday (Nov. 9) at its Burbank-Downtown station for its Burbank Junction Speed Improvement Project. The work will improve operations at the spot where its Ventura County and Antelope Valley lines meet. The Burbank Junction Speed Improvement Project, located north of the Burbank-Downtown Station, will realign a […]
GATINEAU, Quebec — Two rail-specific issues — failure by crew members to follow railway signal indications, and unplanned or uncontrolled equipment movements — are on the 2022 Watchlist of leading safety issues released Wednesday, Oct. 26, by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Three other issues on the eight-item list — fatigue, safety management, and […]
COCOA, Fla.— Brightline is scheduled begin higher-speed testing on another segment of its route to Orlando as of this Saturday, a 13-mile portion of track in north Brevard County that will see 79 mph testing beginning this Saturday and 110-mph testing in early 2023. During testing, flaggers will be stationed at a total of 18 […]
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority needs another $1 billion to complete infrastructure improvements on its rapid-transit Orange and Red lines, the Boston Herald reports. That’s beyond the $1.6 billion already budgeted in its capital investment plan. While the agency recently completed a 30-day shutdown of the Orange Line to address pressing maintenance needs, […]
WASHINGTON — A Federal Railroad Administration-sponsored study on the use of locomotive cab automation systems found human errors occurred in three of 10 sessions in a locomotive simulator, and recommends further training on the systems for engineers, conductors and dispatchers. The study, “Human Error Analyses Associated with Locomotive Cab Automation,” also calls for further study […]
