BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has announced the March schedule for shutdowns as part of its ongoing effort to eliminate slow orders on its rail transit lines, along with scheduled work on several of its commuter rail lines. Already in progress are a group of shutdowns on the B, C, and D branches […]
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NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has halted the awarding of new contracts for capital programs of uncertainty over the planned congestion pricing program, a daytime toll program intended to discourage driving by charging $15 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street. The program is intended to start this year, and will help fund MTA […]
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VERO BEACH, Fla. — County Commissioners in Indian River County, Fla., will not seek to develop quiet zones at 22 grade crossings in unincorporated areas along Brightline’s route in the county, preferring the safety impact of having trains continuing to sound their horns. The TC Palm reports that the commissioners made that decision at a […]
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LINCOLN, Neb. — Less than two weeks after the Nebraska legislature killed a bill to require two-person train crews, a legislative committee has heard testimony on another rail regulation bill, this one including limits on train length. The unicameral legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications Committee on Tuesday heard testimony on LB1212, introduced by Sen. Lynne Walz […]
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DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa legislators are considering a bill requiring defect detectors on the state’s branch line, the latest example of state actions to regulate railroads in the wake of last year’s derailment and toxic-chemical release in East Palestine, Ohio. Senate File 512, introduced by state Sen. Tom Shipley (R-Corning, Iowa) requires defect detectors […]
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NEW YORK — Amtrak has fully restored service on the Northeast Corridor following computer and signal issues earlier today (Dec. 31, 2023), the company said in a post on the social media site X at 11 a.m. ET. NJ Transit and SEPTA, which were also affected, report their service has also resumed. Amtrak initially reported […]
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LOS ANGELES — Commuter rail operator Metrolink has offered more details on its upcoming four-day service shutdown to accommodate major track and signal work at Los Angeles Union Station, and has developed a list of transit options for riders during the rail outage set for Dec. 26-29. The work at Union Station will also affect […]
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NEW BUFFALO, Mich. — A technical issue at a 911 dispatching center and misidentification of the grade crossing played a part in the collision and derailment involving an Amtrak train in New Buffalo on Thursday, Nov. 16, according to the head of the dispatching center in Berrien County, Mich. The incident occurred at about 10 p.m. […]
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BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority needs a massive infusion of $24.5 billion to address state-of-good repair needs, more than twice the figure from its last estimate of such maintenance needs in 2019, the agency said in a report issued today. The figure — up from $10 billion in the 2019 assessment — includes […]
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AURORA, Colo. — The Denver-area Regional Transportation District will install an Automatic Train Stop safety system at a sharp 90-degree curve that has been the site of two light rail derailments, one of which shut down the RTD’s R Line through Aurora for more than two months, Colorado Public Radio reports. As described in a […]
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LOS ANGELES — LA-area commuter rail operator will shut down all service for a four-day period at the end of December to allow for installation of a new signal system and other work. The service suspension is set for Tuesday, Dec. 26, through Friday, Dec. 29, and will cover the entire seven-line, five-county system, including […]
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WASHINGTON — In a new report, the National Transportation Safety Board calls on the Federal Railroad Administration to incorporate new technologies into existing positive train control systems and address issues with PTC in its current form. The 51-page report, available here, says safety issues remain in existing PTC systems in the form of: — Insufficient […]
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