With Positive Train Control (PTC) operational, Amtrak is seeking Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approval to remove automatic wayside signals serving as distant signals to existing interlockings on the Mid-Atlantic Division’s Philadelphia-to-Harrisburg, Pa. line (a Northeast Corridor branch), according to a notice in the Federal Register’s Dec. 7 edition.
Gas Innovations LNG Refrigerants Inc. is seeking authorization to transport cryogenic ethane via rail in DOT-113C120W9 and DOT-113C120W tank cars, according to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). PHMSA, in consultation with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), is reviewing the special permit application and requesting comments on it, since it “raises issues similar to the transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by rail, a matter for which multiple rulemakings are currently pending at the agency.”
LA Metro releases limited edition TAP wearables at Customer Centers. Also, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) approves developer for North Berkley Transit Oriented Development (TOD); a new transit station area plan for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) Huntington Metro Station, which serves the Yellow Line in Northern Virginia, has been approved; the East-West Rail Commission plans first hearing on Boston-Springfield passenger service; the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) pursues concept report for electric rail; and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) grants the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) a waiver for train safety at Grand Central Madison.
Engineering, planning and consulting services firm Michael Baker International announced Nov. 17 that it has been selected by CSX, which operates more than 2,000 miles of track throughout the state of Virginia, to lead program and construction management for significant rail enhancement projects as part of the Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV) initiative.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has published a Northeast Corridor (NEC) priority-project list that it said will serve as a “pipeline to assist Amtrak, states and the public with long-term planning that will improve service.” It is also slated to guide up to $24 billion in funding that FRA is investing in NEC intercity passenger rail service through the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program (Partnership Program).
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and its contractor have begun work on the track stabilization project in south Orange County. Also, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) announces that light-rail vehicles and bus have resumed regular operations through the Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel; and Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot joins 56 regional mayors to support an $850 million investment in the Chicago Hub Improvement Program (CHIP), formerly known as Chicago Access.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on Oct. 28 announced that, as directed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), it has kicked off a new Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Study to “evaluate the restoration of daily long-distance intercity rail passenger service and the potential for new Amtrak long-distance routes.”
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued Safety Advisory 2022-01 for railroads and railroad contractors on the importance of ensuring that portable derails are clearly visible to train crews and operators of other on-track equipment (particularly at night and in other low-light conditions) and of having processes in place to make sure that portable derails are removed when not necessary for on-track safety.
The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) on Oct. 14 petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a waiver of compliance from a provision of safety regulations contained under Section CFR 236.100(c), Hazard Detectors.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on Oct. 18 issued a new cybersecurity directive for designated passenger and freight railroads.