New York Air Brake’s test train. New York Air Brake ATLANTA — One independent railroad professional sees New York Air Brake’s recent automation break through as an incremental step to fully automated railroading. Gary Wolf, principal at Wolf Railway Consulting, tells Trains that New York Air Brake’s Friday announcement that it started a stopped freight […]
SEATTLE — The Pierce County Council has passed a resolution calling on Amtrak, the Washington State Department of Transportation, Sound Transit, and other agencies not to reopen the ill-fated Point Defiance Bypass line to passenger service until the full menu of recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board is put in place. WSDOT and Amtrak […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today provided a quarterly status update on railroads’ progress in fully implementing positive train control systems. Based on railroads’ second quarter 2019 PTC Progress Reports which were due to FRA by July 31, 2019, the 42 railroads subject to the statutory PTC mandate are making steady progress. “FRA is […]
Even as railroads continue to roll out positive train control, one question remains front and center: Are the systems vulnerable to a cyber-attack? “Those are questions that have been raised at the highest level to the lowest levels,” says Jim McKenney, technical director at United Kingdom-based NCC Group’s Transportation Assurance Practice. “Those are continuously being […]
Wig-wag signals in downtown Richmond, Calif., are being restored to operating condition. Google Street View RICHMOND, Calif. — Richmond will hold a “Wig Wags Forever” festival on Sunday, celebrating the restoration to operating condition of two of the nearly extinct grade-crossing protection devices. The signals, near 1 West Richmond Ave. at a grade crossing in Point […]
WILMERDING, Pa. — Wabtec Corp. was selected to provide fully integrated positive train control, digital imaging, and data transfer and analytics capabilities for Iowa Northern Railway, marking Wabtec’s first such deal since closing its merger with GE Transportation. Under the contract, Wabtec will provide an integrated offering, including its Interoperable Electronic Train Management System PTC […]
MISSOULA, Mont. – Montana Rail Link has obtained a $3.5 million grant from the federal government to install positive train control on 600 miles of main line across Montana and Idaho. MRL spokesperson Ross Lane tells Trains News Wire that the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will […]
Train length is an issue that Congress is interested in. These Union Pacific trains are meeting at Nunn, Colo. Trains: Jim Wrinn WASHINGTON — During an at times testy hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday, congress members peppered Federal Railroad Administration administrator Ron Batory about Precision Scheduled Railroading, Positive Train Control, and the recently dismissed crew […]
MIAMI — Positive train control issues will delay Miami’s Tri-Rail commuter service from starting operations at Virgin Trains USA’s MiamiCentral station before the end of the year, as had been anticipated. Miami Today reports that Virgin Trains host and parent Florida East Coast Railway is still awaiting government certification for its PTC system, and that […]
A view of the wreckage of derailed Amtrak Cascades Train 501 on Dec. 18, 2017. Steve Carter SEATTLE — The city council in Lakewood, Wash., has approved a resolution asking the Washington State Department of Transportation and Amtrak not to reopen the Point Defiance Bypass until all of the National Transportation Safety Board’s recommendations are […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today released a status update reflecting railroads’ self-reported progress toward fully implementing positive train control systems as required by Congress. PTC supports the Department of Transportation’s top priority of safety. Based upon railroad’s First Quarter 2019 PTC Progress Reports submitted to FRA by April 30, those required to implement […]
WILMERDING, Pa. — Wabtec was selected to implement the positive train control system for the New Mexico Rail Runner Express, in an order worth $55 million. Building on ongoing design work, Wabtec will provide full-system integration for deployment of PTC on Rail Runner’s full fleet of 18 locomotives/cab cars and nearly 100 miles of track […]
