Transportation News

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Amtrak suspends some service ahead of storm

WASHINGTON – Amtrak is suspending some trains as a winter storm threatens the South and the Northeast. Amtrak says the suspensions Wednesday are meant to reduce the exposure of passengers, crews and equipment to extreme weather. Read the complete story at the Associated Press.

MBTA buses get live video technology

BOSTON – Homeland Security in Washington DC has awarded the MBTA about $7 million to outfit buses with the latest in live video technology. Sophisticated new 360-degree lenses embedded in the ceilings and walls of the buses will now capture everything. And on some buses, ther [...]

Losing bidder for commuter rail contract to appeal

The loser in the battle for a $2.68 billion contract to run Massachusetts commuter rail trains is not going away quietly, vowing that it will appeal to state officials Friday to change their minds. Executives from the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co. said they intend t [...]

Amtrak launches new loco at Boston’s South Station

Amtrak will launch the first of a fleet of new locomotives out of Boston’s South Station on Friday, officials said. The 70 new locomotives have advanced technology and modern equipment that company officials hope will provide more reliable service. Read the complete story at [...]

SMART TD members picket CP in Minn.

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton on Thursday (Feb. 6) proposed initiatives to enhance railroad safety on the same day that rail workers protested Canadian Pacific’s safety practices by picketing its U.S. headquarters in Minneapolis. The governor announced through his press secretar [...]

NARP says oil shipments hurting passengers

A combination of bad weather and a large number of oil shipments has been severely delaying Amtrak riders in northern Plains states – and a rail passenger advocacy group is trying to do something about it. It hasn’t been easy to be a rail passenger lately – especially if you’ [...]

NJT general manager: ‘Great job by all’

The head of New Jersey’s transit agency Feb. 3 defended the response to delays for thousands of fans leaving the Super Bowl by train, as officials sought to understand how ridership estimates could have been so far off base. About 33,000 people took the 7-mile ride betw [...]

Local 66 Members & Contractors Tackle Fire Life Safety Issues Together

Following the examples of Local 33 and others, Local 66 contractors and members have been busily preparing to make the facilities within their jurisdiction verifiably safe. Local 66 has delivered Fire Life Safety Level 1 Technician training for the last few years through the [...]

Feds get 'aggressive' against bus co. violators

In a fundamental shift in the way tour buses are regulated, the federal agency that oversees the companies is implementing a long-sought rule to aggressively go after and shut down those that repeatedly violate safety laws, endangering the lives of tour bus riders as well as [...]

L.A. Metro proposes fare increases to address deficit

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced last week that it was considering a number of fare-restructuring options that would increase fares, change its current transfer policy and help the bus and rail operator address its mounting operating defi [...]