Hotline
Your weekly source of fresh takes on news affecting America's passengers. See also the RPA Blog.
Hotline #984
NTSB Issues Update On Hoboken; Report Claims AVs will Disrupt Rail; Amtrak Releases First National Magazine
October 7, 2016
In a week since the train accident in Hoboken, NJ, the New Jersey Transit and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have been moving forward with investigating the cause of the crash. According to a preliminary report from the NTSB, which is based on data pulled from a the train’s data recorder and video, the commuter train was traveling twice the 10 mph speed limit just before it crashed into Hoboken's terminal. The NTSB revealed that the train was traveling at 8 mph and the throttl
Hotline #983
Commuter Train Crash in Hoboken; Accident Places Spotlight on PTC; Penn Station Renovation Set To Begin
September 30, 2016
Tragic news struck this week in passenger rail, after a New Jersey Transit commuter train crashed into a station in Hoboken Thursday morning. The crash resulted in more than 100 injuries for passengers on the train and people standing on the platform, and in addition to the injuries, one fatality occurred due to falling debris. When the train arrived at the station, it went “over the bumper block, through the depot” and came to rest at the wall right before the station’s waiting area accor
Hotline #982
Lawmakers Pursue New TSA Legislation; NYC Transit Agencies Increase Security Following Bombings; Tom Hanks Supports National Rail Network
September 23, 2016
The U.S. Senate Republicans released the text of a proposed Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded past September 30th, including language to allow for a new Amtrak accounting structure. The provision, called an anomaly, is necessary to allow for the old funding structure to be applied using the new structure required by the FAST Act of 2015. It avoids saddling Amtrak with additional costs and wasted hours that would come from having to run two parallel accounting systems, and is
Hotline #981
FRA Awards $25 Million in Grants; Transit Agencies Warn Against Samsung Phone; APTA Reveals $200 Billion in Transit on Voters’ Ballots in November
September 16, 2016
In a major effort to increase safety improvements for the country’s railroad infrastructure, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded $25 million in grants to transit agencies across the U.S. Through the Railroad Safety Infrastructure Improvement Grants fund, the FRA is supporting 23 projects in 14 states and Washington, D.C. Projects include the acquisition, improvement, or rehabilitation of intermodal facilities; improvements to track, bridges, rail yards, and tunnels; upgrades to r
Hotline #980
New Study Confirms Public Transit is Safer Than Driving; Progressive Railroading Highlights Summer by Rail; Amtrak to Keep Late Night Hiawatha Service
September 9, 2016
A new study by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) provided further evidence public transportation is still the safest way to travel. Overall, APTA’s new report found that taking public transit, such as trains and buses, decreases the chances of an individual being in an accident by more than 90 percent when compared to driving. This is an important stat for the future of U.S. transit, as federal and local governments look for ways to incorporate safe public transportation in
Hotline #979
High-Speed Rail Projects Move Forward; New Orleans Transit System Slowly Returns Post-Katrina, Winter Park Express In High Demand
September 2, 2016
Options for high-speed rail have received some significant attention over the past week thanks for a major announcement from Amtrak for new Acela trains, a federal hearing on the status of the high-speed rail project in California, and a trade agreement between Maryland and Japan. All three highlighted that there is continued, as well as growing, interest to pursue and develop high-speed rail systems throughout the country. Last week, Amtrak announced its investment for the next generation of h
Hotline #978
Biden Helps Amtrak Unveil “Avelia Liberty” Next Gen Trainsets; Motorists Set Record for Miles Driven as Accidents and Fatalities Rise; NARP Hires Director of Resource Development
August 26, 2016
The National Association of Railroad Passengers was on hand at today’s event in Wilmington Station, where Vice President Joe Biden announced $2.45 billion in federally secured loans to support Amtrak’s purchase of new high-speed trainsets for the Northeast Corridor, station upgrades, and track improvements. The “Avelia Liberty” model trainsets will be designed and manufactured by the French company Alstom at its Hornell and Rochester, New York facilities, creating 400 local jobs. NARP�
Hotline #977
Amtrak announces new CEO; FRA Provides Boost for
August 19, 2016
Amtrak announced today that longtime rail industry executive Charles “Wick” Moorman will be the company’s next President and CEO beginning September 1 “Wick comes to Amtrak after more than 40 years at NS where he rose from management trainee to CEO,” stated Amtrak in an employee advisory. “Having worked at NS from the ground up, he and his team modernized the way that NS conducted business, served customers and worked with communities. As CEO, Wick emphasized performance and teamwor
Hotline #976
AAR Petition’s STB’s OTP Rule; Amtrak to Implement New Acela Locomotives; APTA Names Metro Transit in Minneapolis system of the year
August 12, 2016
Following the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) final rule to define on-time performance for passenger rail using on-time arrival and departure at all stations along a passenger-train's route—a huge victory for passengers—the Association of American Railroads (AAR) filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia questioning the STB’s authority to define on-time for passenger rail. The AAR maintains that Congress gave the Federal Railroad Administration and
Hotline #975
Amtrak Sees Reduction in Delays; NTSB Releases Preliminary Findings of Metro Derailment; NARP Hires New Customer Advisory Director
August 5, 2016
Investment in new technology, maintenance and equipment pays off, which is evident with Amtrak’s implementation of new Siemens locomotives in the Northeast Corridor. According to new statistics from the railroad, the introduction of 70 new locomotives, known as the Amtrak Cities Sprinter, which started revenue service three years ago, has helped reduce delays by more than 20 percent. Overall, data show that there were 1,138 locomotive-related delays in the 10 months ending in July 2013. That n