Category: Amtrak/Commuter News
Photos released in shooting of SEPTA conductor
Police continue to search for two suspects in the attempted robbery of a SEPTA conductor May 10 that ended with the conductor being shot in the hip. A $6,000 reward has been offered and video footage showing the suspects in the Carpenter Station incident has been released to [...]
Kansas senator delays Amtrak board nominations, wants SW Chief commitment
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R) of Kansas is putting a delay on the consideration by the U.S. Senate of three nominees to the Amtrak Board of Directors and wants a solid commitment from the carrier that the long-distance Southwest Chief route will be preserved. Amtrak President and [...]
U.S. Rep. Lipinski urges Metra to improve
At a meeting last week involving Metra and suburban Chicago city leaders, U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, chairman of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, told the carrier that it needed to step up its performance. “Too often, Metra riders are [...]
DOT posts final rule amending drug testing rule
The U.S. Department of Transportation published a final rule April 23 that makes technical corrections to regulations governing drug testing for safety-sensitive employees to ensure consistency with recent amendments made to DOT’s “Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug [...]
Sen. Tester presses Amtrak for accountability while administration tries to cut funding once again
U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D – Mont.) recently criticized the Trump administration for budget proposals that would cut funding for Amtrak rural services, especially the Montana Empire Builder line, and wrote Amtrak’s President Richard Anderson asking for accountability and answ [...]
FRA chief of safety Bob Lauby retires
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will have some major shoes to fill with the April 13, 2019, retirement of Robert “Bob” Lauby, the agency’s chief safety officer. Lauby had served in that capacity for FRA since September 2013. He was a frequent presenter at SMART Tran [...]
NTSB rules on cause of Washington D.C. accident that killed two
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ruled last month on the probable cause of a fatal accident in June 2017 that killed both a CSX conductor and a conductor trainee. The men were struck from behind at 11:18 p.m. June 27, 2017, by an Amtrak train while walking to t [...]
FRA announces meeting of reconvened RSAC
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced Tuesday, April 9, that the Rail Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) will meet later this month for the first time since its reinstatement last autumn. According to a notice published in the Federal Register, RSAC is scheduled t [...]