Railroad News

2/17/2017    

Rail News: Supplier Spotlight

2/17/2017    

Rail News: Union Pacific Railroad

2/17/2017    

Rail News: Passenger Rail

2/17/2017    

Rail News: CSX Transportation

2/17/2017    

Rail News: BNSF Railway

2/17/2017    

Rail News: Amtrak

2/17/2017    

Rail News: Safety

Rail News Home C&S February 2017 Rail News: C&S

TransLink’s SkyTrain extension of the Millennium Line in Vancouver, British Columbia — which opened late last year — features Thales’ SelTrac system.Photo – Thales By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Managing EditorA train-control technology that’s been employed in North America for more than 30 years is becoming a bit more high-tech. Categorized as communications-based train control (CBTC), it also is evolving into a signaling option for both passenger and freight railroads.CBTC is an automated system that employs continuous, bidirectional train-to-wayside communications to monitor a train’s location and ensure the safe operation of rail vehicles. It differs from conventional signaling by determining a train’s location independent of track circuits via transponder tags or beacons installed along a wayside.To date, CBTC is employed at a dozen or so passenger railroads and airport trams, while several others in the North American rail industry are considering whether to adopt it.To help more railroads meet today’s demanding operational challenges — including the addition of positive train control (PTC) — several suppliers are trying to enhance their CBTC systems for increasingly complex rail environments. In addition, others are working to develop and market their system for broader rail industry applications.Count Siemens among those pursuing system enhancements. The radio and Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) aspects of its Trainguard MT CBTC system are maturing to better provide the functionality transit agencies need, says Bill Conis, director of business development for Siemens Mobility.Trainguard MT is designed to operate at different train-control levels, handle trains with different train control equipment at the same time in the same network, and help reduce lifecycle costs by minimizing the number of outdoor elements and maximizing energy efficiency.Since there are growing concerns in the passenger-rail industry about computer hacking, Siemens recommends that transit agencies use a licensed radio band for their CBTC system instead of a proprietary radio — they need to “stay away from public Wi-Fi bands,” Conis says.“I think more agencies in the future will go with a licensed band. It’s not expensive and you don’t need a lot of bandwidth,” he adds. “It’s critical to ensure others won’t hack your system.”In addition, the ATS portion of CBTC now is much more sophisticated, with greater functionality than there was four or five years ago, he says. Recent enhancements include junction and work-zone management, a graphical user interface, and the ability to access a supervisory control and data acquisition system to determine if track is energized or de-energized.New York state of mindIn terms of ongoing CBTC projects, Siemens continues to work on equipment for MTA New York City Transit’s (NYCT) Queens Boulevard Line (QBL). The transit agency plans to eventually have CBTC systems in place on all of its 24 lines, says NYCT spokesman Kevin Ortiz.Slated to enter service in 2021, the QBL CBTC system will enable the agency to operate more trains per hour on the underground line between Queens and Manhattan and provide more reliable service.Last month, RailWorks Corp. subsidiary L.K. Comstock & Co. Inc. won a $223.3 million contract to install CBTC, upgrade signals and complete new systems work on the line.Siemens will provide 90 percent of the CBTC equipment for the QBL, with the other 10 percent supplied by Thales, says Conis.Siemens previously provided the CBTC system for MTA New York City Transit's Canarsie Line. Siemens

2/16/2017    

Rail News: Safety

2/16/2017    

Rail News: People

2/16/2017    

Rail News: Passenger Rail

2/16/2017    

Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation

2/16/2017    

Rail News: Rail Industry Trends

2/16/2017    

Rail News: Short Lines & Regionals

Rail News Home Passenger Rail February 2017 Rail News: Passenger Rail

As part of its modernization efforts, the MBTA will completely replace its Red Line subway fleet.Photo – CRRC MA Corp. — By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Associate EditorTwo years ago, a series of unforgiving winter storms pummeled the Boston area. In February 2015 alone, a record 64.8 inches of snow blanketed the region.The storms had a devastating effect on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) commuter-rail system, which reported an average on-time performance rating of 33 percent that month. The agency's locomotives sustained significant damage as they struggled through the snow.While crews worked to dig out the system, the MBTA ran trains on limited schedules and even shut down service entirely on some segments.After the February storms, it took weeks for the agency's commuter-rail service to return to normal. In the wake of the service disruptions, Beverly Scott resigned as the MBTA's general manager, while Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker formed a panel to perform a comprehensive review of the agency. He also established a fiscal management and control board to keep closer tabs on the MBTA's finances.The panel's findings painted a bleak picture of the agency, known locally as The T."The catastrophic winter breakdowns were symptomatic of structural problems that require fundamental change in virtually all aspects of the MBTA," the group's report stated.Those problems included ballooning operating expenses, poor customer service and a general lack of accountability. The MBTA also had failed to use available funding to pay for much-needed infrastructure repairs and improvements, according to the report.Since then, however, the MBTA has made progress on several fronts, including boosting on-time performance, cutting costs and modernizing its system. Although more work remains, agency officials and observers say The T is headed in the right direction."We've seen a series of improvements and also different ways of doing business," says Joseph Aiello, chairman of the MBTA's fiscal control board. "The commuter-rail system is not where we want it to be, but it's significantly better than it was when we stepped in."Staying on scheduleAnd indeed, the metrics are trending in the right direction: For 2016, the commuter-rail system's on-time performance came in at 89 percent across all lines. When adjusted for factors beyond the operator's control, such as trespassers, that figure rose to 94 percent.Hiring additional locomotive engineers and conductors has helped improve performance, says David Scorey, general manager of Keolis Commuter Services, which has a contract to operate The T's commuter-rail system. The company brought on 100 more conductors over the past year.Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker called for a comprehensive review of the MBTA after severe service disruptions in early 2015.Photo – MBTA

2/15/2017    

Rail News: Passenger Rail

2/15/2017    

Rail News: Passenger Rail

2/15/2017    

Rail News: Passenger Rail

2/15/2017    

Rail News: Canadian Pacific

2/15/2017    

Rail News: Norfolk Southern Railway