FRA slams lax Metro-North safety concerns

Stressing to the hilt its longstanding public emphasis on safety as a pinnacle industry goal, the Federal Railroad Administration slammed Metro-North Railroad Thursday, March 13, 2014 for a “deficient safety culture” that favored on-time performance to operational safety procedures.

Most Bakken crude can move under FRA Emergency Order

The most onerous burdens under the Emergency Order issued by the Federal Railroad Administration Feb. 25 fall upon crude shippers and transloaders. The earlier regulatory vagueness concerning the classification of crude oil has now been sharpened by specific prescriptions for evaluating “flash point; boiling point; corrosivity to steel and aluminum; presence and content of compounds such as sulfur/hydrogen sulfide; percentage presence of flammable gases; and the vapor pressure at 50ºC.”

Feds fine three for CBR mislabeling

Three companies have been fined by federal officials for mislabeling crude-by-rail (CBR) oil produced in the Bakken Shield formation in North Dakota, which was shipped by rail.

FRA amends track inspection regulations

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on Jan. 24, 2014 issued amended regulations contained within its Federal Track Safety Standards that govern rail inspections. The amended regulations “will help identify rail flaws and further eliminate the risk of derailments,” FRA said.

NTSB, TSB issue joint CBR safety recommendations

The National Transportation Safety Board, in coordination with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, on Jan. 23, 2014 issued a series of recommendations to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), both of which are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, to address the safety risks of crude by rail (CBR). The recommendations are not unusual or groundbreaking; that NTSB and TSB have issued them jointly is indicative of increased cooperation among U.S. and Canadian regulatory bodies regarding CBR.

Senators push FRA order for locomotive cameras

Two U.S. Senators are urging the Federal Railroad Administration to mandate cameras on board passenger locomotives and operating cab cars in order to provide detailed information on potential derailments.

Virginia/N.C. reps meet to advance HSR

Virginia and North Carolina officials pursuing high speed rail development were scheduled to meet in Washington, D.C. Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, to advance HSR between the nation’s capital and Charlotte, N.C.

Will safety investments to protect railroads, public increase CBR costs?

A sell-off of shares in companies engaged in extracting oil from the mid-continent Bakken formation was the first indication from investors that they expect government scrutiny of the potentially explosive crude will disrupt crude-by-rail (CBR) and escalate its costs.

Canada cracking down on CBR shippers

Canada’s government has ordered Transport Canada to crack down hard on crude oil shippers who they say continue to evade a directive that they test the contents of tank cars before classifying them as hazardous materials for crude by rail (CBR) transportation.

FRA diving deeper into Metro-North

The Federal Railroad Administration will launch a 60-day comprehensive safety assessment of MTA Metro-North Railroad in response to the December 1st crash that killed four and injured 63. Operation Deep Dive, beginning Dec. 16, 2013, “will exhaustively review Metro-North’s compliance with federal regulations, its procedures and practices, and its safety culture,” FRA said.
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