Friday afternoon rail news:
— The National Transportation Safety Board will make the performance of DOT-111A, DOT-117, and DOT-117R tank cars one of the focal points in its investigation of a Feb. 13 derailment of a CSX train in Draffin, Ky. The preliminary report on the accident, released Thursday, also indicates the agency will look at slide detectors, weather alerts, and the positioning of cars within the train consist. The train was transporting 96 loaded cars of ethanol when it derailed on a hillside along the Russell Fork River, leading to a fire involving two of the cars of ethanol as well as diesel fuel from the locomotives.
— A VIA Rail Canada employee who was working the Quebec City-Windsor, Ont., corridor has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, the passenger carrier announced. CTV News reports VIA has contacted crews and other employees who may have had contact with the employee in question, and is contacting passengers who may have had direct or indirect contact. The employee worked trains 61, 44, 642, and 68 on March 14-15, began displaying symptoms on March 18, and was tested on March 21.
— Union Pacific has donated 6,600 N95 respirator masks — in short supply nationally because of the COVID-19 outbreak, and needed by health-care professionals — to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, the North Platte Telegraph reports. The railroad determined had more than enough for its employees and gathered the masks from nine locations on its system to donate to the medical facility.
The NYC MTA has eliminated collecting bus fares except for SBS and Express Buses. Every passenger except for the express buses must enter through the back door. Since there is no back door on the express buses the people still have to pay. On the Select Bus Service. People have to pay at the vending machines and get a receipt as proof of purchase to show to inspectors.
Here is the source for the N95 mask comment. It turns out that union did not have them but found a distributor who had access to them. https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/coronavirus/seiu-locates-39-million-n95-masks-for-healthcare-workers-local-governments/2262072/
Mr. Winter, Please provide a source for the statistic you offer on N95 masks. I find it hard to believe that a union would own them, let alone this number, which would likely be more than anywhere in the US, by far. For instance, just today, in extensive virus reporting, the New York Times quoted mayors and governors asking for masks in the hundreds of thousands, not millions. It is my hope that you are not reporting internet rumors.
@ Edwin, I’m thinking the same thing. Restructuring I guess. I’ve noticed that it has cut down comments immensely. Maybe that’s the point.
What is trains news digest plus 2nd & 3rd section?
haven’t been on here for awhile.
Nice of UP to donate 6600 N95 respirators. Now if the SEIU Union would have as much ethics after finding (or hoarding) 39 million N95 respirators in a warehouse in CA. They are so generous to sell them for $5 a piece. What a bunch of losers.