DC Metro releases report saying earlier claims of misconduct are ‘unsubstantiated’
DC Metro has released a report on an independent investigation into its Rail Operations Control Center that says complaints about misconduct by officials at the facility are “unsubstantiated.” The Washington Post reports the WMATA report, released Friday, is in response to an audit by the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission that labeled the control center a “toxic workplace” with incidents of sexual and racial harassment and acts of retaliation [see “Digest: Report describes ‘toxic workplace’ …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 8, 2020]. The report from law firm Littler Mendelson, hired by Metro to conduct an investigation, said it found no proof confirming allegations against two top officials at the control center, but confirmed that “disrespectful and unprofessional conduct is commonplace” at the center.
BNSF plans test trains to prepare for coal trains on Lincoln-Nebraska City line
BNSF Railway will run a series of test trains on a branch line in the Lincoln, Neb., area to prepare for the resumption of service on the line to an Omaha Public Power District Power Plant. The Lincoln Journal Star reports the railroad will run 40-car trains on the Arbor Line, between Lincoln and Nebraska City, nightly beginning Monday, Dec. 14; daytime trains are scheduled to run Dec. 19-20. The route has not been used for 17 years, and the trains are intended to compact ballast along the route, as well as allow crews to become certified, a BNSF spokeswoman told the newspaper.
Wabtec braking system receives independent certification
Wabtec’s new Metroflexx braking system for mass transit has been certified by independent testing organization TUV SUD, validating that it meets standards set at an organizational, local, or international level. Alstom will use the system on 219 metro cars being built for the Grand Paris Express. “This certification by TUV SUD marks an important step for the Metroflexx brake as we continue to provide the transit industry with cutting-edge technologies to address operational challenges,” Lilian Leroux, president of Wabtec’s transit business, said in a press release. “It highlights our commitment to deliver the safe, sustainable and reliable solutions our customers need to be successful.”
