More Tuesday morning rail news:
Transportation Safety Board of Canada
TSB investigation of fatal CP derailment enters final phase
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has entered the report phase of its investigation of the fatal Feb. 4, 2019, runaway and derailment of a Canadian Pacific grain train near Field, B.C., the final stage in the investigative process. In a notice posted Monday on the TSB website, the agency outlined the steps in its investigative process so far, including collection of data; interview; and examinations of weather, maintenance records, train handling, and operations. While data from the event recorder on the lead locomotive could not be recovered because the locomotive and recorder were too badly damaged; data was recovered from mid-train and tail-end remote locomotives. Three crew members died in the derailment, which is also being investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police [see “Digest: RCMP opens investigation into fatal 2019 Canadian Pacific derailment,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 17, 2020]. The report phase indicates the final report is being written and circulated confidentially to be reviewed for factual and technical accuracy. No potential release date is indicated.
Amtrak to offer pay, benefits to workers receiving COVID vaccine
Amtrak is offering pay and extending benefits for workers who receive the coronavirus vaccine, Fox Business reports. The passenger railroad will offer excused absences and an allowance equal to two hours of straight-time wages for those who receive a shot during scheduled work hours, and will offer excused absences and protected pay to anyone who misses work because of vaccination side effects. For side effects lasting more than 48 hours, the railroad will continue to protect pay as long as medical documentation is provided. “Recognizing the vaccine offers the best way to protect ourselves, loved ones, coworkers, we are doing our best to ensure all employees have vaccine access while delivering a new standard of travel for our customers,” Amtrak told Fox Business in a written statement.
LA Metro San Fernando Valley light rail project receives federal certification
LA Metro’s East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project, which will build a 9.2-mile line connecting connecting Metrolink’s Sylmar/San Fernando Station to the Orange Line busway in Van Nuys, has received Record of Decision certification from the Federal Transit Administration. The move means the project meets all federal environmental guidelines and is eligible for federal funding. Construction will begin in 2022 and is slated to be finished in 2028. “This critical backbone project will be the first light rail line in the Valley, connecting communities, revitalizing neighborhoods, reducing congestion, and improving air quality,” Metro Director Paul Krekorian said in a press release. “Last month we pushed the project forward with a $30 million dollar investment in utility work to expedite construction. Now, with the Federal Transportation Authority’s Record of Decision, this line becomes eligible for federal funding opportunities, and we are well on our way toward full funding and completion of the foundation for the future of transit in the San Fernando Valley.”
