Friday morning rail news:
Auditor General criticizes Transport Canada safety oversight; Transport Minister says agency will address issues
Canada’s Auditor General said Thursday that Transport Canada has failed to implement recommendations included in a 2013 audit of its safety practices. The CBC reports the auditor general found the agency has improved its focus on high-risk areas of rail practices and its followup on railroads’ practices, but has not examined whether rail companies’ practices are effective, only whether they meet regulatory requirements. In a statement responding to the report, Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra noted improvements including regulations on video and voice recorders in locomotives, fatigue management, and employee safety in yards, but said the agency will work “to address all of the Auditor General’s recommendations to further improve the effectiveness of our safety oversight.” Transport Canada will begin consultations on strengthening safety management systems and hot to better measure the effectiveness of its oversight program, he said.
U.S. DOT to loan Dallas Area Rapid Transit $908 million for Silver Line project
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced it will loan $908 million to Dallas Area Rapid Transit for the Silver Line regional rail project under its Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program. The loan will allow DART to refinance existing loans, saving about $190 million. The funds will help finance construction of the 26-mile, 10-station line from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to Plano, Texas.
SEPTA board approves use of COVID relief funds to free up money for King of Prussia project
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority board of directors has approved a plan to use federal COVID-19 relief money to free up other funds for work on its King of Prussia rail extension. The plan approved Thursday will use $40 million of the federal money to pay SEPTA’s lease on Amtrak tracks, allowing it to spend $40 million of capital funds on prep work for the King of Prussia line [see “Digest: NS, CSX trains collide …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 25, 2021]. WHYY public broadcasting also reports the board approved a five-year strategic plan including the King of Prussia project as one of five that would speed economic growth.
