rail safety News

Passenger Train Safety Upgrade Spurs Crash-Halting Tech Feud

Two companies battling for a share of more than $14 billion in mandated safety upgrades on U.S. railroads are set to collide in federal court to resolve a dispute over technology that prevents train accidents. Germany’s Siemens AG accuses U.S. …

BNSF on Track for Positive Train Control Installation

BNSF Railway is one of the first railroads to fully implement new safety technology that will be required by federal regulators by the end of the year, a company spokeswoman said. The new technology, known as positive train control, is …

Phoenix Rail Crossing May Close if Needed Safeguards Aren’t Installed

A Phoenix, Ariz., railroad crossing over a busy road will be shut down if the city doesn’t install long overdue safety enhancements, state regulators said. The Arizona Corporation Commission, which oversees railroad safety, announced the unanimous vote for the closure …

Houston Metro Continues to Struggle With Rail Safety

Collisions remain a constant along the Metro’s light rail track despite a months-long effort to improve rail safety in the Houston area. The Metropolitan Transit Authority logged November as its second-worst month for train crashes in more than a year, …

North Dakota May Stop Rail Inspections Aimed at Derailments

The end of the line may be in sight for a North Dakota safety program aimed at lowering the risk of disastrous train derailments involving the state’s crude oil. The pilot program, which includes two rail safety inspectors and a …

Deadly Mississippi Tour Bus, Train Crash Spurs Call for Safer Railroad Crossings

The mayor of the Mississippi city where a train slammed into a bus, killing four Texas tourists, says he will keep working with the railroad to close some crossings and make others safer. Biloxi Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich said Wednesday …

Minnesota Trains Getting Positive Train Control

New safety technology that may have prevented last week’s deadly train crash in New Jersey is being implemented along some rail lines in Minnesota and elsewhere. The new technology, known as positive train control, is designed to automatically slow or …

After Crash, Review of Federal Data Shows NJ Transit Had 150 Accidents in 5 Years

New Jersey Transit trains have been involved in more than 150 accidents that caused more than $4.8 million in damage to tracks or equipment since 2011, and the commuter rail has paid more than $500,000 to settle safety violations, according …

Following Recent Train Derailments, Officials Eye Worn Rails as Safety Issue

A pair of train derailments in 2012 that killed two people in Maryland and triggered a fiery explosion in Ohio exposed a little-known and unsettling truth about railroads in the U.S. and Canada: No rules govern when rail becomes too …

Highway Transportation Bill Rounds Out Safety Provisions for Auto, Freight

A sweeping transportation bill approved by the House on Thursday would put a new emphasis on freight corridors when designating highway funds and includes provisions sought by both industry and safety advocates to address auto, truck, bus, and railroad safety. …