GOVERNMENT AND REGULATORY

ARTC 2009 - 2018 Hunter Valley Corridor Capacity Strategy released

ARTC CEO, David Marchant, explained that the Capacity Strategy provides the road map for ARTC's investment in the Hunter Valley rail network to accommodate projected growth in coal volumes till 2018. Works include:

• A new loop at Braefield by early 2010
• By 2011, the extension of the loops at Parkville, Murrurundi and Quipolly, construction of new loops at Watermark and Koolbury, reconfiguration of Scone loop, and reinstatement of the Gap-Werris Creek alternative route to bypass the bottleneck at Werris Creek rail yard
• By 2012, new loops at Wingen, Burilda and South Gunnedah, and an extension of the Quirindi loop
• By 2013, a new alignment over the Liverpool Range, including providing effective double track from Willow Tree to Murrurundi
• Progressive duplication between Koolbury and Gunnedah between 2014 and 2017
• A new loop between Emerald Hill and Boggabri by 2015.

Transport Medical Standards review to ensure best practice

The National Transport Commission (NTC) is seeking public comment to assist with a review of transport medical standards for drivers and rail safety workers. NTC is reviewing the medical standards contained in the National Standard for Health Assessment of Rail Safety Workers (June 2004).

Report released on trends in CityRail customer satisfaction

ITSRR has published a report on trends in customer satisfaction with CityRail's services. The report documents the trends in satisfaction recorded from the past five years of ITSRR's annual CityRail customer survey. During the five years, customer satisfaction levels have increased for seven aspects of CityRail services, decreased for three and remained consistent for 27. Increases in satisfaction were noted for punctuality of trains and delays and cancellations, while train users expressed a decrease in satisfaction for availability of secure car parking.

Canadian Transportation Agency finds Union-Pearson rail link not under federal jurisdiction

The Canadian Transportation Agency has ruled that the proposed construction and operation of a passenger rail service between Toronto's Union Station and Lester B. Pearson International Airport does not fall under federal jurisdiction. As a result, the project's proponent, Union-Pearson AirLink Group (UPAG), will not be required to obtain an Agency-issued certificate of fitness, nor will it have to seek federal approvals under the Canada Transportation Act and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act for the proposed railway line.

Work on rail track to Mannar

The Ceylon Government Railway (Sri Lanka Railways) has embarked on a project to relay the railway track between Talaimannar and Medawachchiya, which ceased in 1990. Six main stations, five substations and four bridges have to be rebuilt on the Mannar to Medawachchiya stretch.

INDUSTRY

Network Rail opens vehicle development centre

Network Rail announced the opening of its rail vehicle development centre in Nottinghamshire on July 10. The facility will help develop rail vehicles, technology and equipment. Jerry England, Network Rail’s director, engineering said: “The new facility will enable our rail vehicle engineers to safely trial, optimise and commission new and modified rail vehicles and on-track plant in typical conditions, without causing disruption to the network. It has wider benefits in that we can also carry out trials in realistic conditions of new machinery, thereby further supporting our product acceptance processes."

C2c Becomes Most Punctual Operator Ever

Train operator c2c, which runs commuter services from London Fenchurch Street, has become Britain's most punctual operator - ever - reaching an average of 95.8% of services on time over the 12 months to 27 June 2009. c2c has beaten the previous record set by Chiltern Railways of 95.4% in December 2005. Robin Gisby, director of operations and customer service, said: "Network Rail and train operators have worked tirelessly to boost train punctuality. Passengers and freight users are seeing the results of that hard work with more on time journeys.”

ACCIDENTS

Investigation under way into Geelong Depot fuel spill

V/Line will investigate the cause of a fuel spill overnight in the Geelong locomotive depot in which an estimated 80,000 litres of diesel are believed to have spilled into the yards and the local sewage system. The Environmental Protection Agency and Barwon Water were notified of the spill immediately after V/Line contractors – who manage the site – became aware of the loss on July 9.

First suits filed for DC Metro crash

On 8 July 2009, it was reported that three civil claims were filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C. relating to the 22 June Metro crash on the Red Line. The complaints accuse the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority of gross negligence after safety recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board were ignored, according to families of those who died.

NTSB issues urgent safety recommendations in wake of recent fatal Washington, D.C. Metrorail collision

The National Transportation Safety Board issued an urgent safety recommendation to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) calling for enhanced safety redundancy of its train control system on July 13. A recent accident on the Metrorail's Red Line between the Fort Totten and Takoma stations has shown that WMATA's train control system is susceptible to a single point failure because it did not fail safe and stop a train when detection of a preceding train was lost. Although the NTSB's investigation is not yet complete and no determination of probable cause has been reached, investigators have concerns regarding the safety redundancy of WMATA's train control system.

NTSB cites human fatigue and positive train control in 2008 trolley collision that killed one

The National Transportation Safety Board determined on July 14 that the two-train collision on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line last year occurred as a result of the trolley operator's failure to obey a signal indication, likely because she became disengaged from her environment consistent with experiencing an episode of micro-sleep. The lack of a positive train control system, which would have intervened to stop the train and prevented the collision, was cited as a contributing factor. The Safety Board recommended to MBTA that train operators be required to notify fellow crewmembers when a restrictive signal is encountered, and the intended means of complying with the restriction.

CPR’s bid to appeal $3.5m award to Newbury man in crash is rejected

A 15-year battle against Canadian Pacific Railway is finally over for a Newbury man who lost both arms and a leg in a collision with a freight train. Zsoldos was driving his motorcycle home after visiting friends when he collided with a dark, 58-car freight train running through an unlit crossing with no warning signs or signal lights. The Supreme Court of Canada on July 9 dismissed the railway's request to seek leave to appeal a lower court decision awarding Jason Zsoldos $3.5 million, plus costs.

Man dragged by train loses lower leg

A 28-year-old man dragged six kilometres by a train who managed to dial 911 on his cell phone had his leg amputated at the knee on July 13. The man was drinking with two or three friends in the Lambert train yard at Dundas Street West and Runnymede Avenue on a flat-bed car on the night of July 12. When the train started moving, his friends jumped off. Police said the man was too drunk to get off the train, and tumbled into a cargo well.