Citizens for Rail Safety

Change Further On Up the Tracks?

2008-11-07T09:37:00.001-08:00

The election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States was deservedly the top headline of the week. However, perhaps just as important to those interested in the future of America's transportation infrastructure, there was another significant achievement on election day; the passage of Prop 1A by the people of California.

This act is a crucial first step in the implementation of a dedicated high speed rail link in the most populous state between two of its most populous cities.

A service economy like that on the United States has two vital components. Energy and transportation. The ability to move goods, people and ideas across the country, cheaply and effectively strengthens any economy, in good economic times or bad. It is heartening to see that even in a difficult economic climate as the one this country faces, the importance of transportation infrastructure to meet the emerging demands of the future is important to the electorate.

In The Long Run

2008-10-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

The credit crisis that has cast a worrisome pall over much of the US and world economy, is rightfully causing many to take pause and review their finances. Households, businesses and governments are all looking to tightened up their belts and purse strings, trying to weather the predicted financial tempest.

As many in the nation worry about their 401ks and other investments, the media has been innundated with columns and opinions by financial "experts" about how best to endure. The key, many experts have said is to keep an eye on the long term.

This is sage advice, both for business and the individual consumer. It is also sage advice for the government. As governments tighten their budgets, there is seemingly an instinctual reaction to restrict all spending to simply cover the short term needs of a community; police, fire, schools, municipal functions etc. However thinking in the short term is foolhardy, even in tough economic times. One eye needs to be on the short term, but one eye needs to always be looking towards the future.

Of course, this doesnt mean that governments should spend money on foolish pie-in-the-sky public works projects. Just like any individual or business, future investment in troubled times should be made on durable goods and investments, that will have positive returns, regardless of the times.

For the public sector, the sensible investment in these times is transportation. The lifeline of this economy is the movement of human capital, ideas and goods. The world wide web, is efficient for handling ideas, but we've yet to develop a way for a humans to travely safely like an electron on the endless wire, let alone less animate objects like coal, wheat, and that cute little Swarovski crystal dog you bought on an auction site. The economic transactions that will rebuild our economy and perhaps more importantly, the positive sense of our economy, will be carried on our rails, roads, ports and planes.

Thus it would make sense to focus what public and private spending that exists, into the infrastructure of the economic recovery; our transportation system.

Below are two recent news articles dealing with this very notion. The first is a report of the BNSF railyard in Galesburg, IL, near the busy transit hub that is Chicago. The second is a point/counter point discussion in the LA Times about California's Proposition 1A, a high speed rail line linking California's major cities, and operating on par with high speed rail lines in Asian and Europe.

Galesburg Register Mail

Los Angeles Times

Congress Passes Rail Safety Act

2008-09-25T11:20:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately it's a shame that it takes a tragedy and death to spur action, but in trying to deal with the tragedy of the Metrolink crash in LA, Congress has moved to pass the Rail Safety Act of 2007.

Both the House and the Senate had passed rail safety bills within this session, however the combined bill had stalled. The Metrolink collision spurred movement in the House and Senate to work on the compromise bill.

The key Congressional leaders on the bill were Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN) and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). Here's the bullet points of the legislation which were posted on the website of Senator Lautenberg.

1. Amtrak reauthorization bill which was developed from similar bills passed by the Senate last year (70-22) and passed by the House earlier this year (311-94). The bill:
• Authorizes $13.06 billion over five years for passenger rail— more than $2.6 billion annually for Amtrak, intercity passenger rail, and high speed rail programs, which is almost double what the U.S. is currently spending;
• Requires reforms at Amtrak, including a new Board of Directors, improved accounting and financial planning, and new standards for service reliability and on-time performance;
• Requires a collaborative plan for bringing the Northeast Corridor to a state-of-good-repair by 2018;
• Authorizes the Surface Transportation Board to fine freight railroads for delaying Amtrak trains; and
• Requires Amtrak stations to comply with disability accessibility standards and authorize funding for such improvements.

CRS Analysis: Transportiation of goods and people are key to the workings of any economy. Rising fuels obviously are a place where the economy is exposed, and passenger rail, especially in the most populated corridors, helps to alleivate that exposure, as well as having ancillary environmental benefits.

Congressional support of Amtrak is key to maintaining this vital cog of the American transportation infrastructure. This bill goes a long way to maintaining that cog.

2. Railroad safety improvement bill which was developed from similar bills passed unanimously by the Senate and by the House (377-38). The bill:
• Mandates positive train control (PTC) technology on passenger and certain hazmat rail main lines by 2015 and authorize $250 million in Federal grants for PTC installation;
• Guarantees a 12-hour work period and minimum 10-hour disruption-free rest period for train crews and signal employees;
• Limit the amount of time a rail worker may be in “limbo time”;
• Requires a Federal study and regulation on use of cell phones and other device distractions in locomotive cabs;
• Requires risk-based safety programs for all major railroads to prevent deaths and injuries; and
• Creates a National Transportation Safety Board office to assist families of passengers following rail disasters.

CRS Analysis: This is the vital part of the legislation. It addresses two issues, fatigue and positive train control.

The leading cause of railroad accidents, according to the FRA's Office of Safety Data Analysis, is human error. The labor unions, likethe BLET have long supported and researched the affect of schedule and fatigue on railroad operations, and any measure that could limit human error must be investigated and solutions implemented. This bill is a solid start at addressing these issues.

In the debate over positive train control, one of the stick points has been funding. Congress steps up with funds to help upgrade trains with PTC technology, and prudently identifies that trains that need PTC the most, HAZMAT freight and Passenger rail.

3. The Clean Railroads Act of 2008 which:
• Allows states to clean up solid waste processing facilities on rail sites, which have avoided regulation through a loophole in Federal law; and
• Applies state standards for air pollution, water pollution and fire safety to transfer facilities handling and storing solid waste in open dumps.

CRS Anaylsis: The dangers the public faces is not limited only to HAZMATs, derailments, terrorisma nd grade crossings. Environmental concerns affect public health, and potential health hazards from rail yards and other solid waste facilites on rail property is a threat that needs to be addressed. The CRS News archives has several stories about increased cancer rates around rail yards, and other negative effects due to enivornmental contamination.

Metrolink Collision Links

2008-09-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

Here are some interesting links from around the country spurred on by the wake of the Metrolink crash last Friday.

Positive Train Control (LA Times)

Positive Train Control (NY Times)

Engineer Didn't Brake (International Herald Tribune)

Congress Imposed Railroad Liability Cap Could Be Tested (LA Times)

Sightlines Tested (Contra Costa Times)

Push for Positive Train Control Legislation (Ventura County Star)

The central theme running through today's coverage of the aftermath of the accident, as you can see, is positive train control. This is an explosive issue both on the railroad and labor side of the issue, and we'll be delving further into the topic in the future.

Disaster in Los Angeles

2008-09-17T07:24:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, our deepest thoughts of sympathy go out to the families and those affected by the disastrous collision of a Metrolink commuter train and a Union Pacific freight train last Friday. The focus now is rightfully on dealing with the grief of the losses and investigating the reasons for this senseless tragedy.

However, as live returns to normal again, we must look at what can be learned from this accident, and how those lessons can be applied to prevent further tragedies. It is inevitable that accidents, derailments, grade-crossing accidents will occur. Man if a fallible species and no matter how hard we try, we can not be perfect. However we cannot use the excuse that "accidents will happen, regardless" to justify inaction. Even if we are not a perfect species, it does not prevent us from striving for perfection.

I was working the Citizens for Rail Safety booth at a conference last summer when several representatives of some of the Class 1 railroads came to our table. One representative remarked to me "We have the safest railroad in the country." I replied "Yes, but you could always be safer." The point of CRS is not to castigate or demonize the railroads. Our mission is to further spur on the quest for the safest possible railroads for all stake holders in the railroad industry.

Yes, Operation Lifesaver has done a tremendous job throughout their history in reducing the number of grade crossing accidents, yet our recent study conducted by the University of Louisville shows that rates in many states have plateaued. Yes, the railroads have spent millions in closing redundant crossings, improving track infrastructure, and installing video recording devices. Yet there is still more than can do, from installing devices that monitor track bed shifts, to maintaining vegetation sightlines, and making sure whistle signs are at all crossings. States have done much to improve crossings, yet more can be done to reduce crossing accidents. Congress has passed legislation that make the railroads more economically efficient and safer, however many of those provisions are minimally enforced due to lack of adequate resources. These, and many more instances are all faults in the system that leave open the potential for more senseless loss of life, and damage to our local and national economies. These are all areas where the industry can be safer, and where we should work to be safer.

A safe railroad is an efficient railroad, and an efficient railroad is good for everyone.

Hopefully more people do not have to lose their lives to further illustrate this point.

Data! Data! Data!

2008-09-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

In a story featured in Progressive Railroading, the FRA is proposing new rules for the reporting of safety data.

Since Citizens for Rail Safety primarily focuses on educating the public through research, data is the lifeblood of this mission. This past Tuesday, Executive Director Patricia Abbate introduced a study conducted by the University of Louisville Center for Hazards Research about rail grade crossing regulation and data trends. (This study is available to CRS Members.Click here to join.) This study was a follow-up to the rail-grade mapping project that CRS released in August of 2007.

Both Louisville studies relied heavily on the publically available data on the FRA's Office of Safety Analysis website. This site is an invaluable tool to any researcher/policy maker who is trying to make our railroads safer, and ultimately more efficient.

However in order for policy makers and safety advocates to make the best policy decisions, develop mitigation strategies, and address the most pertinent issues, the data has to be accurate. Current data submitted to the FRA is often incomplete and inaccurate and does not adequately reflect or address the problems that the railroads face.

Some of the suggested areas for more reporting include:

- Accident incident reports from third party entities
- 24 hour report on all fatalities
- Reporting of suicides and attempted suicides to better quantify fatality data
- Platform gap injuries/fatalities
- Illnesses throughout the railroad operating environment
- Video of incidents from locomotive cameras

This is a wonderful development in the world of rail safety, and if these regulations pass Congress, it would be a tremendous step towards makign the rails safer and more efficient.

One of the problems that the researchers at Louisville came across was incomplete and sometimes inaccurate data.

Sweet Home Chicago

2008-09-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

Chicago and the state of Illinois' importance to the railroad infrastructure of this country is vital. Here's a recent snapshot of articles from Chicago and Illinois and some recent FRA data.

Derailment in Joliet

New Rail line from Chicago to Dubuque?

STB Rejects CN Plan for Early Approval of EJ&E sale

Budget cuts damage CTA capacity

METRA eliminates "Bar Car" on commuter trains

Statistics for 2008

(Source: FRA Office of Safety Data Analysis. Dates 1/1/8-6/30/8))

- 86 total accidents in the state of Illinois. 40 in Cook County, which includes Chicago.

- 68 Derailments in Illinois. 32 in Cook County.

- 31 of the accidents were due to human error. 19 in Cook County

- 76 Highway-Rail grade crossing accidents in Illinois. 20 in Cook County

- 18 fatalities in Illinoin from Rail grade crossing accidents. 3 in Cook County

- 12 of the crossing accidents were at private crossings. 4 in Cook County

- 27 incidents involving trains carrying HAZMATS. 13 in Cook County

McCain/Palin on Transportation

2008-09-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

Last week, we looked at how issues of transportation safety, security and capacity issues could possibly look under an Obama/Biden Administration. Now our attention turns to the Republican Nominees, Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin.

The Republican Convention is taking place in St. Paul, Minnesota where last year the I-35 bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River. With that tragedy and the increased interest in transportation infrastructure, one would think that transportation issues would merit some consideration by Senator McCain.

I thought it was discouraging that Senator Obama's website lacked a direct tab to Transportation policy, instead hiding it in a sub-menu labeled "other issues." Senator McCain doesn't even go that far. On his website, a tab for transporation issues doesn't even exist.

With out a clearly enumerated policy on the Senator's website, the voter needs to look at McCain's record as a senator, comments about the economy and security, to attempt to see what transportation policy under his Administration could be.

Amtrak:

As a Senator, John McCain's opposition to Amtrak has been well documented. While his election as President wouldn't necessarily mean that Amtrak would be eliminated, his historical opposition to Amtrak could mean protracted battles as part of the overall transportation spending bill.

Rail Security:

In January of 2007, Senator McCain introduced S.83 entitled the "Rail Security Act of 2007."This bill calls for many improvements into rail security, including threat assessment, security screening, grants for security infrastructure improvement along vital rail lines like the Northeast Corridor, and grants for security upgrades. The legislation has not made it out of committee.

If elected, hopefully President McCain would continue to support these type of proposals, which are needed to secure Americas rails. The bill echoes some of the sentiment expressed in CRS-funded studies.

Infrastructure:

S.83 called for some grants for rail infrastructure improvement. However, his record is thin beyond that bill. On his official website his concern is more with automobile traffic than rail passenger/freight traffic issues and infrastructure.

While Senator McCain does not go as far as Senator Obama in creating an Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank, the Senator's record of opposing piecemeal pork-barrel spending transportation projects is documented as well.

Governor Palin's tenure in Alaska does show her defeating the "Bridge to Nowhere." However conflicting reports indicate that she may have initially supported the project before ultimately rejecting it. It is hard to extrapolate what her actions would mean for national transportation projects.

Obama/Biden on Transportation

2008-08-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

As the Democratic National Convention wraps up today in Denver, with Barack Obama accepting his party's nomination for President, it's a perfect time to look at what an Obama Administration could mean for railroad security, safety and capacity issues. When the Republican Party holds their convention next week in St. Paul, Minnesota we will do the same for Senator McCain.

When first navigating to Senator Obama's campaign website, it is a bit disheartening to not see transportation in the initial drop-down menu under "Issues." In order to find Senator Obama's views on the transportation challenges that his administration would face, a user has to click on "Additional Issues." The placement of transportation issues, would make it appear that transportation is not high on Senator Obama's agenda.

Infrastructure

The Obama Campaign has a transportaiton "fact sheet" available on the website. At the top of the list, is transportation infrastructure.

In discussing infrastructure, Obama's chief proposal is to create a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank. This bank, with a proposed funding of $60 billion over ten years, would fund and direct vital infrastructure improvement projects. The fact sheet lists some numbers about potential job creation and increasing in economic growth, which like all government proposals have to be taken with a grain of salt.

Obviously the creation of any new bureaucratic and/or oversight insitution in the Federal government is filled with pitfalls and problems. Yet in theory the idea is sound. Many transportation advocates lament the lack of coehisiveness in the planning and distribution of transportation funds. Often times, transportation projects are approved by Congress, not as part of some comprehensive national strategy, but for members of Congress to bring federal dollars into their state or district. (See Senator Ted Steven's "Bridge to Nowhere") The fact that Obama is attempting to discuss transportation issues as a complete system, rather than a series of disconnected modes should give some in the transportaiton industry hope.

High Speed Rail and Freight

The fact sheet pays lip service to high speed passenger rail and increased freight capacity, but offers no specifics about how the Obama Administration would address these issues.

AMTRAK

The fact sheet points to Obama's commitment to funding Amtrak, including his voting record as a Senator. The inclusion of Senator Joe Biden as his running mate should give the issue a greater profile. Senator Biden's relationship with Amtrak is long and well-publicized, both as a Senator and as a commuter.

Security and Safety

The inclusion of Senator Biden also strengthen's Obama's positioning on security and safety issues. While Senator Obama's fact sheet is vague, Senator Biden's record is not. The video on the Citizens for Rail Safety homepage, features Senator Biden speaking about the issues of transportation security, worker training and the terrorist threat.

All in all, Senator Obama's positions echo much of what has been written on this site and by other transportation advocates in addressing the problems that our transportation industry faces. Of course, whether Senator Obama is elected President, time will tell whether his administration can follow through on his plans.

Monkey Business

2008-08-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

On the lighter side of the tracks:

Monkey loose in Tokyo Train Station.

Snapshot

2008-08-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

Some news items that should be noted:

Blocked Crossings in Sandusky, OH: - Includes information provided to the paper by CRS.

Amtrak Ridership Sets Monthly Record - Progressive Railroading: The key question here, does the increase in ridership represent a tectonic shift in American attitudes towards intercity transportation, or is it simply a fad spurred on by rising gasoline and jet fuel prices?

Track Improvements - UP is investing $9 million in Wisconsin to improve tracks, including tie replacement, track ballast, and crossing surfaces: Interesting note, according to the FRA's safety data, the leading single cause of non-highway crossing train incidents was reported as "Wide gauge/defective/missing ties". 801 of 12,212 incidents listed this problem as a cause for the incident.

Aging Infrastructure - Rail bridge sinks in North Carolina after a freight train passes over it.

Capacity and Community Clash in Chicagoland

2008-08-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

One of the more prominent stories in the transportation landscape is the current situation in the suburbs of Chicago. In September of 2007, Canadian National Railway(CN) announced an agreement with US Steel to purchase part of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway(EJ&E), that circumvents Chicago. Since the announcement and period of review by the Surface Transportation Board, the merger has been embroiled in a thorough public discourse.

This proposed merger is a perfect case study of all the different issues that railroad capacity entails in the current political and economic landscape.

CN's postion is the matter entirely reasonable and makes excellent long term sense, both for CN the company, and the overall transportation picture. The purchase of the EJ&E would give CN a bypass route around the busy and congested railroads and yards in Chicago. In other terms, it would be similar to building a by-pass interstate, that goes around a busy city instead of through it. With the demands of service and capacity, there's little doubt the addition of this line would improve CN's ability to serve its customers and its overall function in the economy.

The opposition and concerns regarding the merger comes from the communitys through which the current line traverses. The EJ&E is currently under-utilitzed, and the purchase by CN would increase traffic through this corridor significantly. The increase of traffic naturally raises the chances for accidents, derailments, blocked crossings and rail-grade crossing incidents. The cities and towns of this region have made noise on the local, state and federal level about these issues. These are valid concerns for the residents of this area.

Thus the age old question is set up, what is the optimal solution that allows the railroad to realize the benefits that the EJ&E would provide, but also assuages the valid concerns of the local community.

A recent article in the Aurora (IL) Beacon News, attempts to answer the question. CRS echoes this analysis. On the macro-economic sale, the benefits outway the negatives, as long as the railroads and community are able to reach an agreement that mitigates the dangers of crossing accidents, blocked crossings, noise and pollutions issues.

Hopefully both parties can come to this agreement rationally.

Eh, Oh, Way to Go Ohio

2008-08-07T08:10:00.000-07:00

Grade Crossing safety is on the mind of the residents of the Buckeye State, as evidenced by the following articles.

Closed Crossings in Springfield, OH (Springfield Sun-Times)

Ohio ranks 7th in Crossing Fatalities (nbc14.com, Columbus)

3 Drivers Nabbed Dodging Gates (Columbus Dispatch)

Although it may not be intuitive to some, increased railroad capacity goes hand in hand with increased safety issues. The greater the frequency of trains along a line increases the chances for a highway-rail grade crossing incident. Since these accidents can be costly both in terms of schedule, damage to equipment, potential HAZMAT release and the costs entailed with one of those incidents, and of course the loss of human life, rail crossings should be as safe as humanly possible.

Due to the physical nature of trains versus automobiles, there is an obvious burden on the driver to respect all railroad crossings, and obey all traffic signs and signals. Educating the public of this burden is the realm of Operation Lifesaver, who in their thirty plus years of existence have done a tremendous and commendable job in reducing the number of highway-rail grade crossing accidents and fatalities.

However, not all accidents and incidents are the fault of reckless drivers. That's why the first article from the Sun-Times is so interesting and worthy of mention. Closing a crossing and/or creating a grade separation whenever possible goes the furthest to prevent grade crossing accidents as it all but eliminates the need to cross the tracks. As the nation moves forward, one hopes that the railroads are more aggressive in closing redundant crossings, and increasing grade separation projects. Both behaviors make sense from a safety and capacity point of view.

The Limiting Factor

2008-07-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

In Lives of the Philosophers by Diogenes Laertius, the Greek Philosopher Heraclitus posits the statement that "Nothing endures, but change." Human history bears out this concept. As a species we've evloved from primative hunter-gatherers, to building huge civilizations and even exploring and utilizing extra-terrestrial realms. Innovation a driving force in every area of civilization. The quest for efficiency and innovation drives our economies, radically transforming the world as we've come to know it.

Transportation is not immune to truth of Heraclitus. While the idea for a fixed path road can be traced back as far to Ancient Greeks, slightly before the time of Heraclitus, the modern understanding of a railroad as a viable mode of transportation didn't develop until the 19th century. Since the first railroads in England and Germany, railroads have evolved in number of different areas, from propulsion, usage, design, etc. all innovations to meet specific needs. Yet the one thing that hasn't changed are the tracks themselves. Yes, material and construction of the tracks have changed, but they are still two fixed parallels lines, on which some sort of vehicle can be moved.

The simplicity of this design puts limits on the capacity of a single rail line. Trains can only move a certain speeds, and distances must be measured to ensure maximum capacity and maximum safety between trains. While computers and technology can improve the efficiency on the number of trains that can use a specific length of track, ultimately there is a limit.

With the increased demand of passenger rail service in the face of rising fuel costs, communities are going to be faced with difficult choices as they juggle capacity of rail line issues. Since most of the track in this country is owned and operated by freight rail services, those services take priority, over passenger rail. This article in the Austin American-Statesmen is just one example of the issue of freight and passenger rail coexisting, and the decision that communities have to make.

For commuter rail to be effective, it has to be efficient and reliable. The Texas example is typical of many areas in the country; the rail infrastructure is owned by freight rail companies. This ownership and priority of freight over passenger rail, makes reliability a major issue. Also, freight trains move slower and are generally longer than passenger trains. This means greater spacing is required in order to maintain safe operation of both passenger and freight trail service.

Yet at what cost? Except in a few cases, passenger rail is not generally a profitable endeavor. Thus there is little private industry willingness to invest the billions of dollars necessary to run a rail line, especially if the chances of recouping the cost are few. The responsibility therefore falls onto the government and the people to decided if a project is worth the capital expense. This is the sober reality that communities must deal with if they want to expand passenger rail service, especially if that service is over existing infrastructure owned by the freight railroads.

Building a Platform

2008-07-30T07:07:00.000-07:00

As the calender turns to the dog days of summer, the presidential campaigns of Senators John McCain of Arizona, and Barack Obama of Illinois are gearing up for their party's respective conventions. The formulation of the party platform is always an important element of presidential convention, and at this juncture of the election cycle, groups with particular interests attempt to get their issues included on the national agenda.

Economics, Security and Social issues are always at the forefront of any political platform, but this cycle political leaders from around the country are pushing the transportation infrastructure crisis into the platforms of both the Republican and Democratic Parties.

Last week at two different national events, Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, called upon presidential candidates to hold a national town meeting on the state of the country's ailing transportation infrastructure.

A similar message was put before the presidential candidates by the leadership of The Carmichael Conference on the Future of American Transportation,which was convened January 28-29, 2008, at St. Louis, by the National Corridors Initiative

Building America's Future , the coalition formed by the founding three co-chairs, echoes many of the sentiments expressed both on this site and in other realms of the transportation world.

The published goals of the group represent an extremely realistic view of the transportation infrastructure crisis. Building America's Future
acknowledges:

- The importance of our nation's transportation infrastructure to the overall health and well-being of our economy and national security.
- The relative lack of attention that the these issues receive in the public policy discourse.
- The high economic cost and political commitment that infrastructure repair and development needs.
- The lack of national coordination and a singular national vision to transportation policy.

Building America's Future is an organization that provides a positive step in the right direction into solving our nation's growing transportation process. Funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, the political leadership of the group is well chosen. The co-chairs hail from three of the most populous states of the union, representing both state and local government perspectives, and in all three states freight and passenger transportation are acutely prevalent issues. The involvement of Governor Schwarzenegger is particularly important, as he not only represents the largest state in the US with its wide array of transportation issues, but his cultural name recognition brings attention to the issue that transcends normal public policy.

This organization is targeting mainly the elected officials on the State, Local and Federal levels--just last week during the NCSL Legislative Summit , thousands of attending state legislators were added to its membership ranks. While our elected leaders are essential to the formulation of transportation policy, the uniqueness of transportation infrastructure, specifically the railroads, as being privately held entities, means that a public-policy only solution is not the cure-all. A fully realized and integrated transportation strategy must include rail, road, air and sea and all the subsidiary stake-holding industries that use those transportation modes.
Solving the US transportation crisis cannot be accomplished by political will alone, but a public-private partnership between all the relevant stakeholders.

That being said, this organization and other organizations like Citizens for Rail Safety are steps in the right direction. We applaud the efforts and goals of Building America's Future and those of The Carmichael Conference on the Future of American Transportation.

The time has come to address our nation's ailing infrastructure and transportation systems with focused attention.

All Aboard Amtrak

2008-07-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

With the rise in gasoline prices, it's no surprise to anyone who studies transportation issues, that ridership on passenger trains, specifically Amtrak, has increased. Here's a cross section of articles from around the country about the renewed interest in Amtrak, ranging from ridership figures, capacity demands, and Amtrak funding.

Chicago Tribune

Wichita Falls, TX

Northeast Corridor

Amtrak Fares

Acela Service

St.Louis, MO

The Huffington Post

The New York Times

Jacksonville, FL

Revisiting Las Vegas

2008-07-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

August marks the one year anniversary of a Union Pacific chlorine tanker getting loose from a siding, and rolling uncontrolled along I-15 and the Las Vegas Strip. While no one was hurt and the tanker was stopped successfully with no damage, the close call was a wake up call for many in the Las Vegas area.

Particularly interested in the events of that day was Congressman John Porter, who's district includes much of the Las Vegas metropolitan area and the growing suburb of Henderson. In October of 2007, Congressman Porter held a round table regarding the incident which included representatives from local government, the railroads, first responders, the unions and CRS's Executive Director, Patricia Abbate.

While much of the discussion focused on the incident itself, the who, what, when, why and how of the runaway tanker, the incident raised a serious question about communication between all interested parties when a situation like this occurs. A logical question put forth by first responders (police, fire, EMT, Hazmat teams) after this incidents (and echoed in the aftermath of other near misses) is whether or not railroads can/could/would/should alert communities about the hazardous materials passing through.

Like all singular events, as time moves on memory fades and the pressing issue of rail safety is merely an echo today. I was encouraging this morning to discover that a Las Vegas television station, CBS 8, has begun an investigative series following up on the incident of last August, and examing the progress that has been made, if any.

The story by George Knapp can be read in full here. It's particularly disconcerting, especially if the attitude of Union Pacific was reported accurately.

"It just is, a California spokesperson told us, "The reason it would be so difficult is because, again, it's logistically -- it would be very, very difficult because we go through so many different communities that notification would be, again, logistically," said Zoe Richmond with Union Pacific. "We don't know exactly what time it would be coming through."

We mentioned to one Union Pacific employee that Mayor Goodman had asked the railroad to provide advance notice of dangerous shipments. The employee said the railroad was here long before Oscar and they'll still be here long after he's gone."

The second statement is stunning for it's arrogance. However since it's from an unnamed Union Pacific employee, it's hard to determine whether it's an accurate reflection of the attitude of Union Pacific or the attidude of one singular employee.

What is more interesting is the first statement by the Union Pacific spokesperson in California, Zoe Richmond. In this age of instant communication, a statement like that is unbelievable. School children can instantly communicate with friends, parents, and others via text message on their cellphones in tenths of seconds, yet a billion-dollar railroad company cannot send a message to local law enforcement and first responders that a train is coming through their town carrying potentially dangers material?

A study by the UNLV's Institue for Security Studies suggested that a chlorine tanker accident along the route the runaway tanker took last August, could kill upwards of 90,000 people. This is a situation that the general public, both in Las Vegas and around the nation, should not ignore.

Independence Thoughts

2008-07-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

"Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." -- Wendell Phillips

With the ideas of liberty and freedom on our minds this Fourth of July, here's a news article that is encouraging to those in the rail safety field about our Government's efforts to prevent another terrorist attack.

News UP, STB, and BLET News of Note

2008-07-02T07:38:00.001-07:00

Three major stakeholders in the Railroad Industry have released news in the past few days that highlight security, safety and capacity issues.

Surface Transportation Board:

The STB is an economic regulatory group, that is part of the Department of Transportation, charged with settling service disputes on the railroads and overseeing railroad mergers, as well as some regulatory authority over other transportation modes.

On June 30th, the STB announced a decision calling for rate relief for DuPont Chemicals from CSX. This dispute is an example of the frustration some rail consumers are having with railroad rates.

Union Pacific Railroad:

Union Pacific, the largest railroad in the US, announced two track improvement projects, one in Iowa and one between Iowa and Nebraska. The track improvement projects combined will be an investment of $10 million dollars.

Track safety comes a close second in leading cause of railroad accidents (not including Highway-Grade crossing accidents.) Improvements and track maintenance is always a wise investment in terms of both safety and capacity issues.

Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen:

The BLET is the that union represents approximately 59,000 railroad workers. It recently released a July 2008 legislative update on various issues concerning railroad workers.

It's a Gas

2008-07-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

The rising cost of fuel is on everyone's mind, including all modes of the transportation industry. In the following article by John D. Schultz at Logistics Management.com, Schultz paints a detailed landscape of the battles between rail users and the railroads over fuel costs.

Definitely an interesting read about the pressures that both the railroads and rail users face in trying to keep costs low amid rising fuel prices.

Citizens for Rail Safety: What we are about?

2008-06-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

It's seemingly required for every group to have a mission statement, whether they be making widgets or changing the world. At the various conferences and events that CRS participates in, one of the most common questions we get is "who are you and what do you?"

Below is our mission statement.

"The mission of Citizens for Rail Safety, Inc. (CRS) is to improve the safety, security and capacity of our railroads through public education and research. CRS' objective is to be "the source" of information on all aspects of rail safety, security and capacity for the public, and private sectors. Through academic research, monitoring and reporting on railroad accidents, and published recommendations, CRS seeks to provide the accurate and timely information needed to elevate rail safety as a national priority.

I will take it point by point to further illuminate what this means in real terms.

"The mission of Citizens for Rail Safety, Inc. (CRS) is to improve the safety, security and capacity of our railroads through public education and research."

Transportation issues are a tangled webs of interest and influences, dipping into the realms of public utility, private industries, and economies of local, state and national scale. CRS is attempting to bring together and clarify these issues, without the obvious bias of affiliation with any one particular stake holder, besides the general public. CRS is not pro or against any stakeholder in the railroads. CRS recognizes that each group, whether it be the railroads, unions, shippers, safety advocates, all have their own agenda and their own goals. Our mission at CRS is to try and illuminate these issues and positions, to present to the general public as clear as possible picture of where the rail industry stands today.

"CRS' objective is to be "the source" of information on all aspects of rail safety, security and capacity for the public, and private sectors."

CRS desires to be the "fact tank" for all things railroad when it comes to public policy. The biggest areas that affect the general public are safety, whether it be crossings, derailments, infrastructure issues. Security deals more with the potential terrorist threats that have evolved since 9/11. In regards to capacity issues, we try to focus on how railroad capacity relates in the overall transporation network, whether it be freight or passenger rail. These three areas affect the public, in many ways, whether they be consumer, passenger, shipper, or simply someone who gets their electricity from coal. Our goal is to be unbiased, favoring no one, but simply presenting the situation as it is.

"Through academic research, monitoring and reporting on railroad accidents, and published recommendations, CRS seeks to provide the accurate and timely information needed to elevate rail safety as a national priority."

With the formation of the EU, and the emergence of China, the global economic landscape has changed dramatically in the past decade. More and more does the health and well-being of the United States economy rely on its aging transportation infrastructure. As the Minnesota Bridge Collapse of 2007, the Midwest Floods of 2008, Hurricane Katrina, demonstrate, due to our interconnectedness and dependence localized events have major national consequences in terms of safety, security and capacity. Yet, these issues are only attention worthy in Washington, when tragedy strikes. Our goal is to try and raise the profile of transportation issues to a level on par with its importance in the overall workings of our economy. Without railroads, people would not get to work, power plants would not have coal to generate electricity, and supermarkets would be without food. Neglet of any one of these issues of safety, security and capacity could have potentially damaging effects to our nation.

Pennsylvania Derailment Footage

2008-06-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

Footage from the recent derailment in Johnstown, PA of four CSX coal cars.

Lost in the Floods

2008-06-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

While the focus on the Midwest floods now, is rightly on the human tragedy of the residents in the afflicted areas, the economic ramifications of the floods cannot be ignored.

The railroads have been hit particularly hard by the flood waters, as mainlines that crisscross the great American Heartland have been disrupted by nature's tide. Traffic has been re-routed or stopped, delaying goods to market, and many of the crops carried by the railroads have been destroyed by the flood waters.

Here are some articles about the economic impact that the Midwest floods have had on the railroad sector. Union Pacific and BNSF have been hit especially hard by the flooding.

Des Moines Register

Bloomberg

Toronto Globe and Mail

Forbes

Reuters

Appetite for Amtrak

2008-06-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

An editorial in the Salt Lake City Tribune recently outlined the growth of the appeal of passenger rail. The issues put forth by the paper, are well known and points that Citizens for Rail Safety supports as a method for achieving a sensible and rational transportation policy.

However, one area that often gets overlooked when it comes to capacity expansion is safety. There's an old saying among railroad workers, "uphill slow, downhill fast/tonnage first, safety last." With passenger rail however, safety cannot be short shifted.

Any increase in passenger rail capacity must be met with an equal increase in security measures. Railroads and passenger stations are popular targets for terrorist organizations, as witnessed by bombings in India, London, and Madrid. Railroad employees need to be trained on how to deal with these situations, and transportation systems must work to keep passengers as secure as reasonably possible.

Passenger safety extends beyond just the issue of potential terrorist violence. Increased passenger rail capacity in most areas involves using rail line used by freight rail trains as well. Increased capacity on existing rail lines requires safe signalling practices, to ensure efficient use of rails, as well as safe use of rails.

Incidents where derailments and the mixing of slower freight trains and faster passenger trains have caused damage and injury are numerous. Here, here and here are just three examples. Death, destruction and delays are the three D's that railroads need to strive to avoid.

Passenger rail is enjoying popularity right now due to soaring fuel costs. However, if the public believes in the slightest that railroads are not safe to use for passenger travel, then the popularity of passenger rail will quickly wane.
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Freight Rail Works.Org - Not What it Seems

2008-06-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

The Association of American Railroads has recently stepped up its advertising about the benefits of freight rail. Included in this campaign is the site FreightRailWorks.org.

Since the Association of American Railroads is the advocacy group for the railroads, the message it promotes is the agenda of the railroads. On this new site, the AAR correctly points out the benefit of freight rail, that are pretty obvious to everyone in the transportation industry.

-Freight rail is the most efficient way, both in terms of cost and fuel efficiency, to transport goods, especially bulk goods, over long distances.
-Freight rail lessens the strain on the nation's highways by freight trucks.
- Freight rail is more environmentally friendly than diesel trucks.

Just below the surface of these glittering generalities of the benefits of freight rail, exists the agenda of the site and the AAR. There are two main points 1.) fighting attempts by Congress to re-regulate the railroads 2.) the price wars.

1.) The 1980 Staggers Act was important to the freight railroads as it allowed them to adjust their businesses to become more efficient and competitive. Cheap gas and the development of the Eisenhower Interstate System raised the efficiency of freight trucking at the expense of the railroads. However the railroads were stymied by regulations and could not seriously adjust their business model. The Staggers Act released them from some of the more pernicious restrictions, which set off a wave of track closings, mergers, and a return to profitability.

So it's obvious from a pure profit standpoint why the railroads would want to aggressively attack any attempts by Congress at re-regulating the railroads.

2.) Despite the efficiency of freight rail both in terms of cost, freight rail prices have increased over the years. The CRS News Archive is littered with stories about how end users, for whom the railroads are essentially the only option for transport of goods, (coal, grain, dangerous chemicals) are complaining about the railroads pushing freight rates unreasonably. The public advocacy groups for those particular industries, such the American Chemistry Council have attempted to study how the railroads have behaved in terms of their pricing in recent years.

Since the debate goes to the heart of any private enterprise; profits, it's nasty and pointed on both sides. Obviously the shippers and end users want lower costs to ship their goods, and the railroads, who are privately owned companies, want to make as much profit as they can.

Freight rail prices used to be regulated by the government, so this growing debate between the railroads and their end users, logically leads to appeals to Congress by two very powerful sides to help their particular point of view.

This website by the AAR is simply the first public relations salvo, in this upcoming showdown.

Rail Project Planning: A Difficult Task

2008-06-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

In a follow up to yesterday's blog post, here's an interesting article about the problem Chicago is facing in allocating their 1.5 billion dollar CREATE program, which was passed in 2003 to address the future increased in rail traffic through Chicago.

The issues addressed in the article reflect how difficult and costly rail projects are to conceive and implement, and the potential pitfalls if they are not planned properly.

The Future of Passenger Rail

2008-06-03T11:20:00.001-07:00

The spike in fuel costs is being felt across all sectors of the economy, not simply transportation. This article in today's Tampa Tribune offers an a local perspective on how the increased energy costs are creating new demands on the transportation infrastructure.

It is obvious that increasing passenger rail does relieve some demand on our nation's highways. Imagine the traffic conditions in cities like Boston, New York and Chicago, which already are congested, if there was no regional rail system. Yikes!

The exuberance to increase passenger rail capacity is well founded, but to borrow a phrase from former Federal Reserve Chairman, passenger rail advocates cannot get carried away by "irrational exuberance." Increased intercity passenger rail service should certainly be part of any cogent national transportation strategy, but it is not a panacea or magic bullet that will make congestion and higher fuel prices disappear.

There are a many pitfalls that have to be considered if communities do invest the large amounts of capital required for construction and maintenance of new passenger rail lines.

- dedicated track - Many passenger railroads share all or part of their track with freight railroads, and often times freight railroad shipments take precedent over passenger rail.

- price elasticity - Simply because oil prices have so high now, does not mean that they will remain at $4.00 per gallon levels going forward. If oil prices do drop, or a new technology such as hybrid cars or fuel cells take off in the market place, and the cost of transit decreases, then the demand for passenger rail service will decrease as well.

- competition - passenger rail currently has an edge in intercity transportation over passenger cars and passenger aviation due to the increasing costs. However, if and when fuel prices fall, passenger rails will be faced with the same inefficiencies that it faced in the 1950s - 1970s. Passenger aviation is faster over long distances and if the costs are reasonable comparable, consumers prefer to fly. Passenger cars allow personal choice and freedom, which are two ideas ingrained in the American identity. As witnessed by the decline of passenger rail in that post WWII period, when costs are equal, most consumers prefer flight or passenger cars, over intercity passenger rail.

- high capital investment - building a railroad is a costly process, and can only be accomplished through intense capital investment. The exuberance to increase passenger rail capacity must be tempered by the long term. Can new track or a new line remain viable and competitive when and if fuel prices return to normal? If not, then the conditions of too much track, as witnessed by the rail industry in the 1970's before the Staggers Act, will be relived, only at the cost of wasted billions of dollars.

If the expansion of passenger rail service is to be a viable part of any national transportation strategy, new service must be handled with the utmost discretion and planning. The capital intensive nature of new lines, must be planned with the short and long term future in mind. Rail must find a competitive advantage that does not rely purely on the elasticity of fuel prices. New projects must also provide new solutions that avoid the problems that make Amtrak a lesser desirable option when the costs are relatively equal. As advocates in rail safety, security and capacity, CRS, obviously supports the idea of increased passenger rail capacity. However, increased capacity must be planned responsibly with an eye on the future as well as the present.

Maintenaince Schedules

2008-05-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

Progressive Railroading has this interesting blurb about AMTRAK's plans to suspend service between Boston and New Haven on the NE Corridor in order to conduct much needed maintenance on the Thames River Bridge.

As witnessed by the tragedy of the Minnesota I-35 Bridge collapse in 2007, the importance of infrastructure maintenance is vital keeping our national transportation infrastructure moving and efficient. The suspension of service, which will affect many customers who use the vital route linking Boston and New York City, demonstrates yet another systemic problem that the rail system faces. In order for tracks to be safe, they need to be maintained. Yet with the ever increasing demand for service, whether it be freight or passenger rail, adequate time for maintenance is difficult to come by, so drastic measures such as service suspension are required.

Boston Commuter Tragedy

2008-05-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

The collision of a Boston MBTA commuter rail trolley with another, killing the operator and injuring several passengers is tragic. The emotional toll is high for the family of those involved as well as the community. As the NTSB investigators arrive in the Boston area to ask the questions of what happened? what went wrong? and what can be done, if anything to prevent it from happening? there are other less vital but still relevant questions that need to be asked.

As fuel prices soar and demand for passenger and freight rail increase, accidents like this tragedy, or the recent derailment in Louisiana, or any hundreds of other accidents put a strain on our nation's transportation infrastructure. How as a nation do we address the long and short term transportation problems that we face, and are brought to light when tragedies like this occur?

Hazardous Materials Routing

2008-05-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

In light of the recent derailment and chemical release in Louisiana, newspapers have been following up on the topic of the routing of HAZMAT trains through populate areas.

This article in the Lafayette (LA) Daily Advertiser highlights the problem facing the public on the local level.
- Due to Federal laws, there is little regulation that a state, city, or town can do to control what passes through a community on the rails.
- There is little to no advanced communication between the railroads and area first responders when HAZMAT trains go through a place.

This article from the Baltimore Sun highlights the ineffectiveness of Federal regulations on addressing the issue of HAZMAT routing.
- Railroads will be conducting the studies of the routing procedures independently.
- Congress passed legislation calling for route analysis, but called for little oversight of the studies.

As both articles and statistics indicate, railroads are the most efficient and safest method by which hazardous materials can be and should be shipped. The railroads, the FRA, and the AAR, boast a 99% safety record when it comes to these shipments, which is laudable. Understandably, the railroads should be allowed to run their businesses as efficiently as possible. However allowing the routing of HAZMATs through densely populated areas like Baltimore, Washington, DC etc. is troubling. What is more troubling is the lack of oversight and concern by Congress. Yes, they've passed recent legislation in the wake of 9/11 to address these concerns, but Congress has been weak on implementing these new regulations.

Passenger Capacity?

2008-05-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

In the growing emphasis on passenger rail capacity in the United States, we cannot forget passenger safety.

We do not want this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbyJbtOpIU4 to be a common scene in US commuter rail hubs.

Welcome to the CRS Blog

2008-02-25T07:53:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the new CRS blog! Here you will hear our voice and views on the issues facing our nation related to rail safety.