SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Caltrain has reached a major milestone in the electrification of its San Francisco-San Jose main line, with the commuter rail operator announcing Tuesday that electrified trains have begun operating under power from the overhead contact system. The agency posted video Tuesday of trains making low-speed initial tests. These initial runs will […]
BOSTON — Revised communications procedures are at the heart of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s rail worker safety plan resubmitted to the Federal Transit Administration on Monday, WGBH Radio reports. The new plan replaces one that the FTA rejected in mid-May as “insufficient” because it included some items that would not be addressed until late […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner was repeatedly asked to defend his near-$500,000 annual salary, and the company’s practice of giving out six-figure performance bonuses in light of the company’s reliance on more than $1 million in annual taxpayer support during today’s hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. But there were numerous other […]
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives on Monday passed a wide-ranging bill on rail regulations at the state level, sending the measure on to the state Senate for consideration. HB 1028 passed by a 141-62 vote, with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporting 39 Republicans joined all 102 Democrats in voting for the bill. The legislation […]
CHARLOTTE — Deltrin Harris, who had been chief of rail operations for the troubled Charlotte Area Transit System, has been fired, WFAE Radio reports. The station reports Harris’ termination letter says he was fired for unsatisfactory performance and a “lack of confidence in his leadership ability.” Meanwhile, the Charlotte Observer reports CATS violated overtime policy […]
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo has vetoed a bill that would have limited train lengths in the state to 7,500 feet, and set requirements for hotbox detectors along rail lines. Assembly Bill 456, which had passed the Assembly 28-14 and the Senate 13-8, required wayside detectors every 10 to 15 miles or […]
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — The latest resumption of Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink service through south Orange County lasted barely a week. Passenger traffic through San Clemente was halted Monday morning after new debris was found along the rail right-of-way below the site of an earlier landside adjacent to the Casa Romantica Cultural Center, the San […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak today has announced applications for nearly $7.3 billion in Federal Railroad Administration funds for 14 projects to improve infrastructure and service on the Northeast Corridor, as well as $716 million for 16 projects to address long-distance network needs and expand service. The two announcements come the day before Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded more than $570 million for grade-crossing elimination projects in 32 states, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced today. The funds, from the Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program, will fund a total of 63 projects, addressing more than 400 grade crossing by separating roads and rail rights-of-way, closing […]
NEW YORK — Madison Square Garden’s location and boundaries are no longer compatible with the operation of Penn Station, the station’s three passenger operators say — a statement likely to complicate the effort by the arena’s owners to extend their permit to operate the structure. The current Madison Square Garden, which opened in 1968, was […]
BOSTON — The incidents that led federal officials to reject a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority safety plan included one in which a track worker was hospitalized after being struck by a 2,000-pound counterweight, the Boston Herald reports. The Herald reviewed documents with details on six incidents that caused the Federal Transit Administration to order the […]
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers has ratified a new contract with Amtrak, the union announced today (Sunday, June 4). General Chairman Daniel N. Tavares III said in a letter to members that the agreement includes a 30% wage increase over the life of the contract, which compounds to […]
