NEW YORK — Amtrak has fully restored service on the Northeast Corridor following computer and signal issues earlier today (Dec. 31, 2023), the company said in a post on the social media site X at 11 a.m. ET. NJ Transit and SEPTA, which were also affected, report their service has also resumed. Amtrak initially reported […]
Train Topic: Signals & Train Control
Metrolink, Amtrak prepare for four-day shutdown of tracks at LA Union Station
LOS ANGELES — Commuter rail operator Metrolink has offered more details on its upcoming four-day service shutdown to accommodate major track and signal work at Los Angeles Union Station, and has developed a list of transit options for riders during the rail outage set for Dec. 26-29. The work at Union Station will also affect […]
Dispatching center error played part in Amtrak collision and derailment in Michigan
NEW BUFFALO, Mich. — A technical issue at a 911 dispatching center and misidentification of the grade crossing played a part in the collision and derailment involving an Amtrak train in New Buffalo on Thursday, Nov. 16, according to the head of the dispatching center in Berrien County, Mich. The incident occurred at about 10 p.m. […]
MBTA state-of-good-repair needs grow to $24.5 billion
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority needs a massive infusion of $24.5 billion to address state-of-good repair needs, more than twice the figure from its last estimate of such maintenance needs in 2019, the agency said in a report issued today. The figure — up from $10 billion in the 2019 assessment — includes […]
Denver RTD to install Automatic Train Stop system at site of light rail accidents
AURORA, Colo. — The Denver-area Regional Transportation District will install an Automatic Train Stop safety system at a sharp 90-degree curve that has been the site of two light rail derailments, one of which shut down the RTD’s R Line through Aurora for more than two months, Colorado Public Radio reports. As described in a […]
LA’s Metrolink plans four-day shutdown in December
LOS ANGELES — LA-area commuter rail operator will shut down all service for a four-day period at the end of December to allow for installation of a new signal system and other work. The service suspension is set for Tuesday, Dec. 26, through Friday, Dec. 29, and will cover the entire seven-line, five-county system, including […]
NTSB calls for improvements to PTC technology
WASHINGTON — In a new report, the National Transportation Safety Board calls on the Federal Railroad Administration to incorporate new technologies into existing positive train control systems and address issues with PTC in its current form. The 51-page report, available here, says safety issues remain in existing PTC systems in the form of: — Insufficient […]
CSX, Signalmen’s union complete second agreement on paid sick time
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Corp. has announced ratification of a second agreement covering paid sick leave with members of the Brotherood of Railroad Signalmen, this time with approximately 200 workers on the company’s L&N property. The agreement announced today (Oct. 25) follows a similar deal last with 400 members of the same union on CSX’s […]
Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen, Norfolk Southern announce new safety initiative
ATLANTA — The Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen and Norfolk Southern will create a new program, the Signal Safety Collaboration — including joint inspections, information sharing, and training — to address signal safety, the two parties announced last week. The one-year pilot program was developed with input from the Federal Railroad Administration. A joint letter to […]
MTA releases 20-year needs assessment, outlining ‘unconstrained’ list of improvement projects
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday released a 20-year assessment of the transit system’s needs over the next 20 years, calling it an “unconstrainted view of the MTA’s needs, rather than constraining it to meet an arbitrary budget target.” The resulting document, entitled “The Future Rides With Us,” is available here. (A […]
The quest to counteract ‘loss of shunt:’ Special Report
First of two parts EFFINGHAM, Ill, —What happens when electrical current connected with signal systems doesn’t reliably travel from one rail to another when a train passes? Dispatchers “lose” the train — it disappears from their screens — and warning lights don’t flash or gates don’t lower at highway crossings as the train approaches. The […]
DC Metrorail not ready for return of automatic operation, safety group says
WASHINGTON — The independent organization that oversees DC Metrorail safety issues says the rail transit system is not yet ready to return to the use of its automated operating system. WRC-TV reports that the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission observed significant issues during recent overnight testing of Automatic Train Operation, which has been disabled on the […]