NEW YORK — A misaligned switch — incorrectly shown to dispatchers as being correctly aligned for a straight-ahead move — was the cause of last week’s derailment of a Long Island Rail Road train at Hall Interlocking in Queens, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said today (Aug. 11). Thirteen people were injured, two seriously, in the […]
Train Topic: Signals & Train Control
MBTA plans 58-day disruption of commuter rail Haverhill Line
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will halt service most of on its Haverhill commuter rail line for 58 days beginning Saturday, Sept. 9, to accommodate signal system upgrades related to Automatic Train Control upgrades to positive train control. Trains will be diverted from the Haverhill Line to the Lowell Line south of Ballardvale […]
Missouri DOT unveils plans to improve grade crossings along state’s passenger routes
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The grade crossing near Mendon, Mo., that was the site of the fatal 2022 collision and derailment involving Amtrak’s Southwest Chief is among 52 included in plans for upgrades, closures, or other changes released Thursday by the Missouri Department of Transportation. The Kansas City Star reports the plan, with an estimated […]
Missouri governor set to approve funding for grade-crossing improvements
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parsons will sign legislation this week including $50 million in funding for grade-crossing improvements, and will announce a crossing safety plan with the Missouri Department of Transportation, WDAF-TV reports. Parsons will sign House Bill 4, an appropriations bill governing the Department of Revenue and Department of Transportation passed […]
Brightline testing set for Melbourne, Brevard County area
MELBOURNE, Fla. — Brightline testing at speeds up to 110 mph will move into the Melbourne area as soon as this Friday, July 28, as the passenger operator continues preparations to launch service between Orlando and South Florida later this summer. Testing will take place on approximately 41 miles of track and include a total […]
Railroad signals 101
There is more to understanding railroad wayside signals than simply “green means go, red means stop.” To appreciate what the signals you see along the track are telling you, you first have to grasp a few basic concepts. Railroad traffic control boils down to three situations: trains running in the same direction on the same […]
Brightline testing at 110 mph scheduled in three Florida counties
ORLANDO, Fla. — Brightline will resume 110 mph on two sections of its route to Orlando this week, including the segment in Martin County that includes St. Lucie River bridge that has become a point of concern for the passenger operator’s service plans. Testing at speeds up to 110 mph is scheduled to resume in […]
Three rail employees arrested in India rail disaster
NEW DELHI — Three employees of Indian Railways have been arrested over the three-train collision in June that killed almost 300 people, Agence France-Presse reports. The country’s Central Bureau of Investigation said the men — two signal engineers and one technician — have charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and destruction of evidence. […]
Error during signal repairs led to rail disaster in India, report says
BHUBANSWAR, India — A signal repair error led to the three-train collision that killed 288 people in June, according to a Reuters report. The news report cites a report from investigators for the Commission of Railway Safety that says workers trying to address problems at a nearby grade crossing did not have a circuit diagram, […]
Brightline celebrates completion of Orlando route construction
ORLANDO, Fla. — With a display of civic support from mayors along its route, Brightline has celebrated completion of construction on its route to Orlando, as well as the contribution its employees have made in forging a unique passenger rail operation. The event today (Wednesday, June 21) at Brightline’s Orlando International Airport station comes as […]
Brightline testing in Martin County postponed
STUART, Fla. — Brightline high speed testing in Florida’s Martin County, which had been scheduled for later this week, has been postponed, the passenger operator said today (Tuesday, June 20). Testing had been scheduled for Wednesday, June 21, through Friday, June 23, at speeds up to 110 mph through a series of grade crossings, as […]
Brightline set for more 110-mph testing in Florida’s Martin County
ORLANDO, Fla. — Brightline will resume testing at speeds up to 110 mph in Martin County, Fla., Wednesday through Friday of this week, June 21-23 — testing that will also impact the St. Lucie River drawbridge in Stuart, Fla. It had initially been scheduled to being today (Monday, June 19). Testing is scheduled for 6 […]