Railroad

Although the NTSB is fulfilling part of its duties by investigating these railroad accidents and issuing safety recommendations, it is long past time to require more proactive measures from the railroads themselves. The railroad industry’s focus on maximizing its own profits should not stop the NTSB from requiring them to install Positive Train Control on all of its trains.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently issued its final report regarding the 2017 death of a railroad roadway worker who was struck and killed by a train in Queens Village, New York.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), an agency in the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), recently posted a final rule in the Federal Register allowing railroads to utilize ultrasonic inspection technology, supported by global positioning systems (GPS), to perform continuous rail testing (Federal Railroad Administration Announces Rail Inspection Technology Rule to Improve Track Safety).

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), an agency in the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), recently adopted a final rule mandating the development and implementation of highway-rail grade crossing action plans to improve public safety in 40 states and the District of Columbia

A recent collision at a railroad crossing between a train and a tractor-trailer in Cameron, Texas, sent a huge fireball and giant cloud of thick black smoke into the sky.

The railroad industry is more than happy to make money by traveling through local communities but is not willing to spend any of that money to ensure that these communities are safe. If the railroads refuse to pay for fencing to keep trespassers off their tracks, they should be held accountable for any tragedies that result.

It is long past time to hold the railroads responsible for guaranteeing the safety of the people in the communities they travel through instead of blaming the victims of these preventable tragedies.

Brightline Railroad and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) have requested a $25 million federal grant as part of a $45 million safety project. The funds would be used to provide safety enhancements all across the 195-mile Florida corridor covered by the Brightline tracks between Miami and West Palm Beach.

A passenger train operated by Amtrak derailed near Mendon, Missouri, on Monday afternoon. There are early reports of passenger injuries and potential casualties. Reports indicate the train derailed after colliding with a dump truck. The cause of the derailment is under investigation.

According to data from the Kansas Department of Transportation, less than half of 5,039 railroad crossings in Kansas feature active warning devices, such as flashing lights or automatic gates. Notably, active warning devices provide drivers with at least twenty seconds of warning before a train enters a railroad crossing.

After nearly being hit by a train at the same crossing, local farmer Mike Spencer had also warned local officials about the dangers at the crossing, which has a steep six-foot incline, making it difficult to see approaching trains. “I was afraid this was going to happen to somebody that was not really familiar with the crossing and how to approach it,” Spencer said. “It’s just a nightmare. I look at this and I just can’t believe it.”