Commentary

Safety first? Or privacy first?

I have this friend, a railroad professional. I know I would never question his commitment to safety. I hope he wouldn’t question mine. This friend is concerned that railroad management will unfairly use medical information it obtains from employees, from employees’ medical care providers, and from the requirements of a medical fitness for duty regulation, to disqualify employees from service. He fears railroads will weaponize the information.

Metro-North touts its performance, Way Ahead plan

MTA Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi announced that Metro-North’s Way Ahead plan has been a boon with regards to safety, service, infrastructure and customer communication, and has even helped the company’s on-time performance exceed expectations.

Amtrak approves Metro-North PSNY access plan

Amtrak’s board of directors has approved an agreement with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) that will pave the way for introduction of Metro-North commuter rail services to Penn Station New York and extension of Amtrak intercity services to Long Island.

For MTA, Amtrak, an East Bronx tale

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority will build four new stations in the East Bronx for Metro-North commuter rail service on the Northeast Corridor, after Governor Andrew Cuomo brokered a deal between the agency and Amtrak. But the deal hinges on a plan to postpone a bridge replacement that was called “beyond a state-of-good-repair” nearly a decade ago.

Metro-North first with ISO-50001

MTA Metro-North Railroad is the first North American to receive ISO-50001 Certification, described as “an internationally recognized framework that guides and supports organizations to manage energy more efficiently.” The certification puts Metro-North “on a path to save $2 million annually by 2020 and further reduce its carbon footprint.”

Grade crossing safety: The “Waze” of the future

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYMTA) is partnering with Waze, a popular smart phone and tablet computer navigation app, to improve safety at Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad highway/rail grade crossings.

Winter storm rakes Northeast rail lines

Passenger rail operators were returning some lines to service in the Northeast after a second straight Nor’easter whipsawed the region with heavy snow.

MTA Board approves contract for Metro-North station enhancements

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board has approved a $91.5 million design-build contract to the firm Halmar International to make improvements to five Metro-North stations.

Goodbye MetroCard, hello Oyster

It has been about 20 years since MTA New York City Transit phased out tokens for the now-iconic MetroCard farecard used on the system’s subways and buses. Now, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority will be phasing in a new system similar to Transport for London’s Oyster open-payment, contactless-based fare collection system.

FRA, FMCSA withdraw proposed sleep apnea rule

The Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have withdrawn a proposed rule that would have regulated actions addressing sleep apnea for workers in safety-sensitive positions.

LOAD MORE