BOSTON — Two state legislators are calling for a new agency to oversee safety issues with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, although they have different views on who should handle the job. The Boston Herald reports state Sen. Michael Barrett has filed legislation to create an independent commission on transportation safety oversight, while state Rep. […]
ORLANDO — Brightline has begun or is preparing for further higher-speed testing in two locations along Florida’s East Coast as it continues preparations for service to Orlando later this year. These are the current or upcoming plans: — As of today (Wednesday, Feb. 8), testing at speeds up to 79 mph will be conducted in […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation has reached agreement to provide four days of paid sick leave for members of two unions, the railroad has announced. The agreements, with the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (BMWED) and Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, cover approximately 5,000 workers — almost 4,000 […]
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said today (Tuesday, Feb. 7) that he expects Norfolk Southern to pay for the costs related to the derailment and fire in the community on the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line. “They’re the ones who created the problem,” DeWine said in a report by the Wheeling (W.Va.) Intelligencer. “It’s […]
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Residents evacuated after Friday’s derailment of a Norfolk Southern train now await word when they might be allowed to return home, although Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine cautioned Monday that it would not be soon. Cleanup of the 50-car derailment involving toxic chemicals is expected to begin to move forward following Monday’s […]
CINCINNATI — Norfolk Southern initially offered little more than half of the current price of $1.2 billion for its proposed purchase of the municipally owned Cincinnati Southern Railway — and the prospect of arbitration ultimately pushed the Cincinnati Southern board to agree to the final figure, WVXU Radio reports. NS and the City of Cincinnati […]
WASHINGTON — Responding to filings from the host railroads involved, Amtrak has argued against “adversarial, party-driven litigation” or mediation in its request for the Surface Transportation Board to investigate poor timekeeping by the Sunset Limited, and urged the board to open that investigation immediately. In a Feb. 3 filing, the passenger carrier argues that such […]
OTTAWA — The City of Ottawa will pay millions of dollars withheld over service problems to the consortium that built and operates the city’s light rail Confederation Line under a recently negotiated agreement, the CBC reports. The city and Rideau Transit Group announced in late January they had reached a settlement in a long-running dispute […]
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The controlled release of chemicals from derailed tank cars in East Palestine has been successful completed, Norfolk Southern said in a press release this afternoon (Monday, Feb. 6) As reported by the Review of East Liverpool, Ohio, the NS release said the chemical release “has been completed successfully under the supervision […]
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Authorities are once again warning those near the site of a Norfolk Southern derailment to leave the scene, this time because they plan a “controlled release” this afternoon of the toxic chemical vinyl chloride from five derailed tank cars. “We are ordering you to leave,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said at […]
MOBILE, Ala. — The start for Amtrak Gulf Coast service remains to be determined, but Amtrak trains will begin operating on the route between Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans this week. Beginning Wednesday, Feb. 8, crew-training runs with Amtrak locomotives and cars will begin, with the first crew set to mark up in Mobile at […]
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Authorities in Columbiana County, Ohio, have said they will arrest those ignoring the evacuation zone near a Norfolk Southern derailment and fire that occurred on Friday, citing the “high probability of a toxic gas release or explosion.” The announcement on the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page follows Sunday night’s evacuation […]
