Amtrak was forced to sign a consent agreement with the FDA in the early 90’s because of sanitation issues. It lasted 5 years, gave the FDA absolute authority over any train with food service and cost Amtrak a fortune.
Amtrak was forced to sign a consent agreement with the FDA in the early 90’s because of sanitation issues. It lasted 5 years, gave the FDA absolute authority over any train with food service and cost Amtrak a fortune.
All of their hundreds of MU commuter cars are built for one operator, subway style. The 2 man rule should be interesting in some cases where the hefties are involved.
Is the conductor or the trainman qualified, at least in the DOT view ?
Mr. Armstrong of NH wrote of an ‘Amtrak’ crew that pulled out in front of an Amtrak train… Sir, PLEASE get your facts straight…
There are enough people piling on Amtrak as it is. The crew and locomotives which pulled onto the Amtrak main line at Chase, MD were CONRAIL, not Amtrak.
One person pointed out there were likely more than one fatality on the highways in the NY area the day of this crash, and if not that day, then certainly other days. Metro-North is already far safer than the alternatives. Increasing costs to the railroad will divert funds (read that as effort, because it’s not just about the money) from projects that keep the roads safe and the railroad an economical choice for the masses, and instead increase the cost of the railroad, likely meaning fare increases and people choosing the less safe alternative. Look for workable solutions that don’t add significantly to increased cost.
And to the guy from New Jersey, I don’t believe all trains stop at that next station just around the curve.
There certainly is daytime freight traffic on the NEC-Providence and Worcester operates from Groton, CT to New Haven,CT during the day…
@Mr. Kerner, in addition to the above mentioned P&W job that uses the NEC between Groton and New Haven, NS trains are often out on the former PRR side of the NEC in daylight hours. I’ve seen lots of pics documenting this in Railpace.
@ Mr. McLaughlin, yes the Hudson Line has the same cab signal/no waysides as the Harlem and New Haven Lines have. The only waysides are the absolute signals governing movements through control points. However, those absolute signals are non-traditional. They only display “No Go” or “Go” in a three-light vertical cluster. “No Go” is the top and bottom reds light and the middle light out. “Go” is the top and bottom extinguished and the middle flashing green.
The indications are in the cab and unlike the ACSES system deployed on the NEC, the system only gives reduce speed indications based on track occupancy ahead or preparatory to the train taking a diverging route where the diverging route speed is lower than the straight track speed. The MNR does not indicate for permanent or temporary speed restrictions. Part of a locomotive engineer’s job is to be aware of those restrictions through the Special Instructions or the daily operating notice.
@Mr. Tracy from Florida, yes the older MNR emus, in service on all three lines, do have subway style cubicle engineer’s cabs. But the M7s and M8s have full-width cabs equipped with a spring-loaded seat on the “fireman’s” side. The M9s going out to contract, which will replace all or most of the old stuff, has an outwardly similar carbody and will undoubtedly retain the full-width cab feature.
As for the issue of having a second crew member in the cab until the signal system changes go into service, I found the following: Go to MTA.info homepage, click on “Rail”, then “Transparency”, and go to “Press Releases” in the dropdown menu. See article dated 12/8, “Metro North makes immediate safety improvements”. The 5th paragraph reads as follows: “Conductors will stand with engineer at each train’s control cab through the critical curves to verbally confirm that speed limits are being adhered to. Where the train layout prohibits the conductor from reaching the engineer in a locomotive, they will communicate by radio.”
That seems to resolve the logistical problem of how the conductors of trains on the roads were going to get to the locomotive or whether MNR was going to add extra crew members, at least to outbound trains using push-pull equipment.
As an Engineer for over 17 years, I feel ALL trains should have 2 operating employees in the cab at ALL times. It is just too easy with everything going on to miss a slow order or to simply get distracted. There is a bill in congress right now for this, lets hope it passes. It is also funny how the STB and the NTSB and FRA have all stated in the last few months that 95% of major incidents in the last 3 years have crew fatigue as a major contributing factor, but they refuse to make the carriers responsible for fixing the lineup problems. With the draconian managment systems now in place on most major carriers it is all too common for Engineers and Conductors to go to work fatigued and not lay-off in fear of dicipline.
It seems to me a reduction in speed from 70mph to 30mph is to short and severe and causes more brake, wheel ware and possible passenger discomfort. Use a declining distance to start braking with signage to have the consist under proper control at the 30mph mark. Need to be alert and responsible.