SANDSTONE, W.Va. — CSX Transportation has completed removal of the 22 empty coal hoppers that derailed Wednesday when its train hit a rock slide in the New River Gorge, the railroad reports, as it continues efforts to reopen its rail line. The derailment occurred at 4:51 a.m. Wednesday when the train hit several large boulders, […]
CHARLESTON, W.Va — A bill allowing West Virginia’s Public Service Commission to investigate and fine railroads for safety and operational violations will advance to the full Senate after being advanced by the Senate’s judiciary committee. WCHS-TV reports a CSX Transportation representative testified earlier this month that the railroad believes federal law would prevent HB3059 from taking […]
TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas has joined the list of states considering legislation to limit the length of freight trains. Senate Bill 271, introduced at the request of state Sen. Mike Petersen (R-Wichita) would limit trains to a length of 8,500 feet. It also requires rolling stock stored on sidings to be at least 250 feet […]
WASHINGTON — A conductor’s use of an emergency door release to open a car door while her train was operating at 40 mph, and Amtrak’s accepted practice of allowing such doors to be opened to monitor platforms while approaching a station, contributed to the death of the conductor in a January 2022 accident in Westerly, […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today proposed a rule that would require railroads to provide emergency breathing apparatus for locomotive crews who are operating trains carrying hazardous materials that would pose an inhalation danger in the event of a release during a derailment. The proposed rule, the FRA says, would protect crews from inhalation […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board today approved Montana Rail Link’s plan to terminate its lease with BNSF Railway, paving the way for BNSF to regain control of the former Northern Pacific main line between Jones Junction, Mont., and Sandpoint, Idaho. Although the STB’s decision is effective on April 7, the date for BNSF to […]
WASHINGTON — Class I railroads are taking several steps to improve their wayside detection systems — including installing an additional 1,000 hot bearing detectors this year — in the aftermath of the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The Association of American Railroads announced a multi-step safety plan this morning, a day […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An empty CSX Transportation coal train struck a rock slide and derailed in Sandstone, W.Va., on Wednesday morning. All four of the train’s locomotives and nine coal hoppers derailed, the railroad said in a statement. The boulders are estimated to be 10 feet high and 25 feet long. “The lead locomotive had […]
PORTLAND, Maine — Alcohol sales on the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority’s Downeasters will be allowed to continue in New Hampshire while the officials work out a “creative solution” to address a state liquor law, the Associated Press reports. That represents a reversal of a plan by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission to enforce […]
MIAMI — Brightline has completed work to improve 48 grade crossings in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, a $5.4 million project supported by a $2.3 million federal grant as well as local funding. Federal Railroad Administration funding came in the form of a $2.3 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement, or CRISI, grant […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration announced this evening (Tuesday, March 7) that it would conduct a 60-day supplemental safety assessment of Norfolk Southern Railway, joining the National Transportation Safety Board, which has announced its own investigation of NS safety practices. “After a series of derailments and the death of one of its workers, we […]
WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a special investigation into Norfolk Southern’s safety practices in light of a spate of recent accidents. “Given the number and significance of recent Norfolk Southern accidents, the NTSB also urges the company to take immediate action today to review and assess its safety practices, with the […]
