FRA SEEKS TO AMEND PTC REGULATIONS

The Federal Railroad Administration has proposed a rule to ensure that railroad operations can continue safely under limited circumstances when positive train control (PTC) systems are temporarily disabled.

As of December 2020, PTC is in operation on all required freight and passenger railroad route miles, and PTC currently governs rail operations on nearly 59,000 route miles. However, short-term outages of the PTC or a system being temporarily disabled can cause significant delays for trains and passengers. This new rule, said FRA Administrator Amit Bose, “ensure(s) that railroads consistently provide FRA with the information necessary to assess the temporary outages in a timely manner, establish additional operating requirements to protect public and worker safety when outages occur and enhance the efficiency of rail operations.”

Read the Federal Register Notice here. FRA is accepting public comments at this time.

FRA TO CLARIFY “PUBLIC INTEREST”

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) considers the “public interest” when evaluating requests for regulatory relief. The FRA is now proposing to define both this term and the connected “consistent with railroad safety” component of the statutory standard that they must use in their evaluations of waiver or suspension requests.

FRA proposes that the phrase in the public interest signify not only how a proposal for regulatory relief may improve railroad operations, but also that they serve the public interest by empowering workers, ensuring fairness, protecting the environment, or creating robust infrastructure amongst other possible positive factors. Requests for waivers and suspensions must also demonstrate that they are consistent with railroad safety, defined as resulting in railroad operations that are at least as safe as or safer than without the proposed relief.

“FRA’s waiver procedures are designed to ensure that regulatory relief is granted in limited and specific circumstances that create benefits for railroads and the public — such as by advancing innovation, supporting workers, or strengthening infrastructure — while improving safety,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “This proposed rule will help ensure that petitions for regulatory relief meet FRA’s safety standards and align with the agency’s policy priorities to advance the development of a safe, efficient, and resilient American rail network.”

CRC’s John Cline (l) and KellyAnne Gallagher joined VRE’s Joe Swartz on Capitol Hill last week. At meetings with the offices of Virginia Senators Warner and Kaine, the group asked for support of CRC’s legislative proposal to expand the 30-day implementation timeline for the excess liability cap.

LAST CHANCE! PASSENGER RAIL LAW WORKSHOP FAST APPROACHING

Today is the last chance to pre-register for next week’s Passenger Rail Law Workshop.

Co-hosted by the Commuter Rail Coalition (CRC) and Kaplan Kirsch LLP, lawyers, policymakers and advocates are invited to attend Nov. 7 & 8 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C.

STB Vice Chair Karen Hedlund will give the keynote address. Review the full program and register here. One-day registrations are also available on request.

GOVERNOR MURPHY JOINS NJT TO SHOWCASE NEW MULTILEVEL RAILCARS

KEARNY, NJ – Governor Phil Murphy and NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett today previewed the next generation of multilevel rail cars, modernizing the fleet which will significantly improve reliability, capacity and customer comfort.

Governor Murphy was joined at the event by US Senator Cory Booker, state senator George Helmy and Congressman Rob Menendez, among others.

Manufactured in upstate New York by Alstom, “the new fleet, supported by $567.5 million in federal funds, includes state-of-the-art technologies providing improved accessibility, safety, and efficiency, which will leave an indelible mark on riders and align seamlessly with the goals of the FTA and the Biden-Harris Administration.” said Michael Culotta, Regional Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration.

"NJ TRANSIT is committed to improving every aspect of the customer journey, and the 174 new multilevel rail cars will achieve that through vastly improving reliability, increasing capacity, and enhancing the onboard experience,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “NJ TRANSIT is grateful to Governor Murphy and our partners at the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for delivering the necessary funding to ensure our system continues to meet the growing demands of our region, and the expectations of our customers.”

Governor Murphy and Corbett previewed the first of 174 Multilevel III cars during an event in Kearny. They highlighted many of the new car’s amenities, including USB charging ports and onboard information displays. The new cars, manufactured by Alstom Transportation in Plattsburgh, NY, will offer a range of benefits over the older, 40+ year-old single level cars they will replace, including dramatic improvement in mechanical reliability. The vehicle maximum speed will increase to 110 miles per hour. The cars, which will begin entering service mid-next year, will be compliant with the latest federal regulations, including Positive Train Control.

The Multilevel III Power Cars are Electric Multiple Units (EMUs), meaning they are self-propelled and don’t require a separate locomotive. Electric motors are incorporated within one or a number of the vehicles on the train. They are the first of their kind in North America.

METROLINK REIMAGINED

On October 21 Metrolink introduced the largest schedule change in agency history. Adding 32 trains has increased weekday service by more than 22 percent. This shift toward regional passenger rail service offers customers more mid-day options and greater connectivity. Read more here.