Railroad industry safety - Articles - Page 3

Engineer in fatal train crash sues railroad for $10 million

December 5, 2016

The engineer who fell asleep on the job, just before his train derailed in the Bronx, killing four people, is suing his former employer for $10 million dollars. More than 70 people were injured in the 2013 crash of a Metro-North train.

NJ commuter train crashes into station at high speed

September 29, 2016

The investigation into this morning’s deadly crash of a New Jersey commuter train is focusing on why the train barreled into the busy station at a high rate of speed.

NTSB reveals cause of deadly D.C. train accident

WMATA failed to follow its own safety rules

May 4, 2016

A short circuit on Washington’s Metrorail system that caused thick smoke to fill a stranded train, killing one passenger and injuring 91 people on Jan. 12, 2015, was the result of WMATA failing to follow its own safety procedures and inadequate safety oversight by the Tri-State Oversight Committee and the Federal Transit Administration, according to a report by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Do you live near one of the most dangerous railroad crossings in the U.S.?

Feds ID deadliest crossings, by the numbers

April 22, 2016

Of the more than 200,000 railroad crossings in the U.S., 15 have been the site of ten or more incidents during the last decade, according to a list released by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Feds strengthen safety oversight of rail transit systems

March 16, 2016

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced a final rule that significantly strengthens state safety oversight and enforcement authority to prevent and mitigate accidents and incidents on rail transit systems.

NTSB opens accident docket on Philly Amtrak derailment

February 2, 2016

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) yesterday opened the accident docket and publicly released more than 2,000 pages of information as part of the NTSB’s ongoing investigation of the May 12, 2015, Amtrak passenger train derailment in Philadelphia.

Feds collect record level of penalties for rail safety violations

January 21, 2016

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) says stepped-up enforcement of railroad safety regulations led to the highest-ever civil penalty collection rate in the agency’s 50-year history.

A FairWarning story

For big railroads, a carload of whistleblower complaints

Stuart Silverstein Brian Joseph

October 21, 2015

As both a veteran railroad worker and union official responsible for safety, Mike Elliott became alarmed when he learned of trouble-plagued train signals in his home state of Washington. Signals, he said, at times would inexplicably switch from red to yellow to green – potentially creating confusion that could lead to a crash. Elliott raised that and other signal issues repeatedly with his managers at BNSF Railway Co.

NTSB study: ECP brakes out-perform other systems

All systems substantially improved by increased net braking ratio

July 29, 2015

As part of its ongoing investigation of the 2014 derailment of a crude oil unit train in Casselton, North Dakota, the National Transportation Safety Board has produced a Train Braking Simulation Study, which it placed into the investigation docket.

NTSB wants railroads to use “fatigue science” when scheduling personnel

May 15, 2015

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a number of recommendations based on its investigation into a crash involving a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train.