Seventy-four rail industry professionals attended ASLRRA's recent Railroad Accident/Incident (Part 225) training seminar in New Orleans. JR Gelnar and Sabrina Waiss were on hand to run the event, which also featured 10 speakers from the Federal Railroad Administration. (Caption and Photograph Courtesy of ASLRRA)

ASLRRA Briefs: Safety Seminar Wrap-Up, Training Template Available

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) presents the Railroad Accidents/Incidents (Part 225) education seminar to a sold-out crowd; spots are still open for its final training seminar of 2024. Also, the Safety and Training Committee develops a new template to teach contractors host-railroad specific rules.

NGTC Conference Announcement: FRA RD&T Session

FRA RD&T Director Discusses Tech Innovations

Safety is the principal driver of FRA RD&T. With that in mind, Dr. Maryam Allahyar Wyrick—Director of the Office of Research, Development and Technology (RD&T) at the Federal Railroad Administration—joins Railway Age

Transit Briefs: DART, LA Metro, BART, SCVTA, KC Streetcar, TTC

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) begins a second run of vehicle testing on the Silver Line Regional Rail alignment. Also, LA Metro ridership grows 8.2% in July; Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) begins the installation of a third set of Next Generation Fare Gates; the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) unveils a project microsite for the BART Phase II Extension Project; KC Streetcar begins test runs; and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) begins modernizing the streetcar power network on Queens Quay and Fleet Street.

Transit Briefs: Amtrak Virginia, Amtrak/NJ Transit, SEPTA, WMATA

Amtrak Virginia begins service to the Newport News Transportation Center. Also, Amtrak and NJ Transit announce a series of actions that both companies will take following a spike of service disruptions in New Jersey and New York Penn Station during May and June; the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) enhances safety measures for the new school year; and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) Board of Directors approves a new four-year contract with Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689.

ASLRRA representatives will share examples of the ways short lines, including Missiion Mountain Railroad, have grown their businesses at next month’s STB hearing on freight rail industry growth trends and strategies. (Photograph Courtesy of ASLRRA)

ASLRRA Briefs

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) submits testimony for the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) September hearing on freight rail growth. Also, the association urges Class II’s and III’s seeking a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) exemption for certain one-person train crew operations to file their relevant paperwork now.

Transit Briefs: DART, SBCTA

Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) Orange Line celebrates a decade of providing service to DFW Airport. Also, state and federal leaders join the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA), Stadler and Metrolink to celebrate the technology behind the Zero Emission Multiple Unit (ZEMU).

NS earlier this month hosted a RailCAST meeting that brought together a range of stakeholders, including representatives from U.S. and Canadian Class I railroads and federal regulatory agencies, as well as labor leaders. (Photograph Courtesy of NS)

Class I Briefs: NS, BNSF

Norfolk Southern (NS) hosts the Rail Coalition of Advanced Safety Technology (RailCAST) meeting in Georgia. Also, BNSF’s Hobart and Fresno facility teams in California celebrate safety achievements, and its dimensional clearance team is recognized by the Railroad Industrial Clearance Association.

FRA Sponsors Research on Expertise Management for Safety Leadership Positions

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently announced that it has sponsored TrueSafety Evaluation, LLC, in partnership with Perigean Technologies, to conduct research on Expertise Management (EM), a knowledge-management approach centered around Cognitive

Overhead view of NS's Lambert's Point Yard. (Source: Google Earth via NS; Courtesy of NTSB)

NTSB Issues Preliminary Report on July 19 NS Switching Accident

The National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) ongoing investigation of the July 19, 2024, accident involving a Norfolk Southern (NS) conductor seriously injured while switching out single coal cars at a Virginia yard will focus on

NS, ATDA Initiate C3RS Pilot Program

Norfolk Southern (NS) and the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA), in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), announced Aug. 6 their joint participation in the Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS) pilot program, which is designed to “enhance communication and transparency to help improve railroad safety.”

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