2014

Yesterday, we related the news that the DOT-111A train car currently used to shuttle crude oil across the country may have suffered from safety shortcomings dating back decades.  The issue of train safety has captured the spotlight on the heels of multiple crashes in which a train carrying combustible oil derailed and endangered persons in… read more

The transportation of crude oil may be under scrutiny following a series of high-profile train derailments, but as a new report shows, the safety of the cars used to haul this oil could have been called into question long before these latest media reports.  At issue is the DOT-111A car, which has been around for… read more

The safety of rail cars has been called into question recently, and a new investigation from NBC News indicates that regulators may have known about potential problems long before a series of crashes led to calls for improvements. This issue has grown in importance in recent years as oil companies seek to transport vast amounts… read more

Another train wreck has safety advocates and federal officials worried about the current state of the industry.  This time, the National Transportation Safety Board has vowed to look into the matter, and their efforts as well as the current state of things are examined in a new report from the Los Angeles Times. In question… read more

This past October, the safety policies of Bay Area Rapid Transit came into question after two workers were struck by a train that was traveling down the tracks.  The scrutiny was applied to something called simple approval, a process that requires employees on the tracks to take safety into their own hands, looking down the… read more

Back in 2008, California was the site of a train crash that claimed the lives of 25 individuals.  At that time, the National Transportation Safety Board investigated the matter and sought to determine how such accidents could be prevented in the future.  The solution they came up with involved installing video cameras on the back… read more

This past Sunday, a train collision in New York claimed the lives of four people, casting a spotlight on the safety of these vehicles.  A new report shows how the incident has served as a reminder that many train operators are lagging in their quest to meet a federally imposed deadline designed to foster safety. Before… read more

In recent months, a spotlight has been placed on oil tanker car safety following a crash in Quebec over the summer that claimed the lives of 42 individuals and two additional incidents that caused destruction in the United States.  Now, the Association of American Railroads has called upon the government to make marked safety improvements… read more

Recently, a serious accident that claimed the lives of two workers called into question the safety practices of Bay Area Rapid Transit.  At the center of the controversy was a policy known as “simple approval,” which basically required workers to look out for trains on the tracks without any additional safeguards.  This process was in… read more

On the heels of an incident wherein an incoming Bay Area Rapid Transit train took the lives of two BART workers along the tracks, the California Public Utilities Commission has given the go-ahead to a set of regulations that could hopefully improve safety. The new rules will impact the dozen agencies that the Commission oversees. … read more

Following a recent tragedy, Bay Area Rapid Transit will reportedly cease taking part in a practice wherein workers along tracks are not alerted to approaching trains.  The move has come after years of protests among employees and safety advocates who wondered about how the policy could endanger workers.  The situation is explored further in a… read more

We previously addressed the various steps being taken to illustrate to Californians the importance of train safety during September’s classification as Rail Safety Month.  One of the campaigns being enacted hails from Amtrak and Caltrans and attempts to get citizens across the state to “Be Track Smart.” The aptly titled campaign seeks to stress through… read more