In the News…
CSX derailment causes Amtrak delays and
cancellations
Around 1:30 AM on Saturday, June 2, 2007, 24
coal cars on a 102 car CSX train en route from Newell, PA to Cross, SC
derailed near Smithfied, NC. The cause of the accident is still unknown.
No one was injured by the derailment, but Amtrak was forced to cancel
routes between the Northeast and South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
Amtrak trains already en route were rerouted and passengers used alternate
transportation.
WBT News
Talk Radio, "CSX
train derailment in NC causes Amtrak cancellations" 3 June 2007.
FRA needs to improve crossing safety oversight
The
U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG)
recently reported that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) needs to
do more to improve the safety of grade crossings throughout the
nation. The OIG reported that the FRA could improve how it reviews
railroad crossing collision records. OIG is concerned that the FRA
currently has insufficient means of ensuring that mandatory reporting
requirements are being met and that sight obstructions are being
monitored. The FRA has stated that they agree with OIG’s
recommendations and hope to receive cooperation from railroads, states,
and municipalities to improve crossing safety.
Progressive
Railroading, "FRA needs to step up crossing safety oversight, Office
of Inspector General says" 8 May 2007.
AASHTO: America’s Freight
Challenge
The American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has released a report titled,
America’s Freight Challenge. The report examines capacity
issues on United States’ highways, railroads, and ports. The report
explains that these various modes of transportation were built to meet now
outdated demands and have become congested with the increase in freight
being transported into and throughout the country. The report
provides various recommendations on how capacity can be improved,
including greater federal support to enable improvements to be made to
highways, ports, and, railroads.
To read the full report, please
visit http://www.transportation1.org/tif3report/.
BNSF encouraging use of safer tank cars
Beginning
January 1, 2008 BNSF Railway Co. will have restructured rates based on
tank-car risk factors. The new pricing system is designed to
encourage shippers to use safer tank cars when transporting hazardous
materials. The Association of American Railroads requires that all
tank cars built after January 1, 2008 meet new haz-mat specifications and
all shippers must convert to the upgraded cars by December 31, 2018.
BNSF hopes their price incentive program will encourage shippers to make
the change sooner.
Progressive
Railroading, "BNSF to provide haz-mat shippers a pricing incentive to
use safer tank cars" 10 April 2007.
FRA new inspection vehicles now in service
The
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has recently put two new inspection
vehicles into service. The vehicles have improved technology that
allows them to identify track flaws that could lead to train
derailments. The new vehicles will allow the amount of track the FRA
inspects each year by automated means to triple to nearly 100,000
miles. Problem areas detected by the vehicles are identified by
global positioning system location and shared immediately with the
railroad so appropriate actions can be taken.
Railway Track
& Structures, “FRA fields two automated inspection vehicles to detect
track flaws” 16 May 2007.
New Sidings and Signals on NCRR 
The North Carolina Railroad Company is currently
constructing three new passing sidings near Garner, Clayton, and Selma and
installing electronic signaling for the 30-mile section. The project
includes construction of new yard tracks at Selma, the upgrade and
extension of an existing yard track that will then be converted into the
main line, conversion of the existing main line into a siding in Selma,
installation of train control between Garner and Pine Level, and upgrading
the existing train control between Raleigh and Garner.
Prior to
this project there were no passing sidings between Morehead City and
Raleigh capable of passing long freight trains. There were no signals east
of Raleigh (”dark territory”) despite the fact that two main line freight
trains, local freights, unit trains (coal, grain), and four passenger
trains operate daily between Raleigh and Selma.
This project
will improve both performance and safety with enhanced speed and capacity
to accommodate growth for both freight and passenger service. The
project is scheduled to be complete in December 2007.
Nationwide rail safety statistics in the first quarter
New safety statistics from the Federal Railroad
Administration show that there were 97 trespasser fatalities in this
year's first three months, a decline of 5.8% from the 103 fatalities in
last year's first quarter. Grade crossing fatalities, however, have
increased 3.8% to 83 fatalities in the first quarter. Train accidents have
declined 12.6%, with collisions down 16.7% and derailments down 7.4%. Yard
accidents have also declined, by 19.9%. There were four employee
fatalities in the 2007 quarter, up from the two in the 2006 period, but
below the six in 2005 and five in 2004.
Railway
Age, "Rail trespasser fatalities decline" 4 June 2007.
Did you know?
Have you ever wondered why you see locomotives from various railway
companies on a single railroad? Some in Greensboro, North Carolina
recently questioned why they saw Union Pacific, CSX, and BNSF locomotives
on a railroad operated by Norfolk Southern. The engines arrive in
“foreign” territory after pulling trains from other lines that meet up
with lines operated by a different railway company. A Union Pacific
train, for example, will travel from California to Kansas City, where a
Norfolk Southern line begins. A Norfolk Southern crew then takes
over and the locomotive can make its way to places like Greensboro. For
railroads it makes sense to keep the locomotives in use, like the
boxcars. Railroads understand that the locomotives will eventually
make there way back to the originating railroad as the route is reversed.
Meanwhile, for rail watchers, it makes for more interesting viewing and
great photographs.
Schlosser,
Jim.News & Record, "Splashes of color riding rails again" 2
April 2007.
Published by the North Carolina Railroad Company Volume 1, Issue 3 
Comments or questions? Catherine Campbell or Kat Christian
(919) 954-7601 e-mail: raillines@ncrr.com
2809 Highwoods Blvd.
Suite 100
Raleigh, NC 27604