Category: Positive Train Control
President Previsich testifies before House subcommittee
SMART Transportation Division President John Previsich testifies Thursday afternoon before the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. SMART Transportation Division President John Previsich appeared before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Railroads, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Railroad Technology Event Report form available online
To better understand and evaluate the use of certain technologies implemented by carriers, SMART Transportation Division is seeking information regarding the operation of the technologies such as Positive Train Control, Trip Optimizer/Leader and others. In order for our organ [...]
“60 Minutes” segment details fatal 2018 Cayce, S.C., accident
One of two crew members of the CSX freight train that was struck by the Amtrak Silver Star on Feb. 4, 2018, recounted the accident in a segment for CBS’s “60 Minutes” program that was broadcast Sunday night. SMART Transportation Division Local 30 member Michael Cella, 36, the [...]Local 951 conductor expresses opinion on carrier push toward automation
Robert Peterson, a BNSF conductor out of Local 951 (Sheridan, Wyo.), questions the cost and need for freight railroads to push into automated technology in an opinion piece published Feb. 12 on the Railway Age website. Class I freight carriers are thriving with booming profit [...]
Two members of TD Local 446 killed in collision
SMART Transportation Division is mourning the loss of two members who were killed in a deadly train collision that occurred Oct. 4 west of Cheyenne, Wyo. Benjamin Brozovich, 39, of Lusk, Wyo., and Jason V. Martinez, 40, of Cheyenne, died when their Union Pacific freight train [...]
Amtrak executive says carrier committed to SW Chief through FY2019
During a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation committee hearing on the implementation of positive train control (PTC) among U.S. railroads Oct. 3, an Amtrak executive said that the carrier plans to continue operating the Southwest Chief passenger route through at least [...]