Industry News
New DOT Council to Enhance Safety Focus
October 26, 2009 | 02:55 p.m. CDT
Secretary Ray LaHood Oct. 26 convened the first meeting of a newly created U.S. Department of Transportation Safety Council formed to tackle critical transportation safety issues facing the department's 10 operating administrations.
Before taking office, LaHood saw that many important safety initiatives were being pursued in the department's agencies without a formal process for sharing data, best practices and strategies. LaHood created the Safety Council to serve that broad-based safety leadership role and help break down organizational stovepipes, enabling an even stronger safety culture.
The Council, chaired by Transportation Deputy Secretary John Porcari, is comprised of the heads of the Department's 10 agencies, including the Federal Railroad Administration. The goals of the Safety Council are to further enhance the safety focus throughout all agencies of the department and improve the impact of the department's safety programs.
"Now is the time to identify and address the top safety issues that cut across our agencies," LaHood said. "The Council will take our commitment to safety, which is our highest priority, to the next level."
Deputy Secretary Porcari said the Council will be action oriented, data driven, emphasize open dialogue about common issues, and provide a forum for fresh ideas and new perspectives. "The Council will enhance the department's safety culture which should then resonate out into industry," Porcari said.
FRA: Freight Rail Fuel Efficiency Up
Nov. 20, 2009 | 03:05 p.m. CST
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Nov. 19 released a study showing vast improvements in freight rail fuel efficiency over the last two decades, approximately 22 percent between 1990 and 2006. More...
Freight Volume Down During Holiday Week
Nov. 20, 2009 | 02:55 p.m. CST
U.S. railroads reported originating 281,218 carloads for the Veterans Day holiday week ended Nov. 14, down 8.9 percent compared to the same week in 2008 and down 17 percent from from the same week in 2007, reports the Association of American Railroads. More...
New Jersey Transit Joins Safety Pilot Program
Nov. 20, 2009 | 02:40 p.m. CST
New Jersey Transit has started its participation in the Close Call Project, a safety pilot program designed to give rail employees the ability to voluntarily and anonymously report "close call" incidents that could have resulted in an accident but did not. More...
STB: Rails Cut More Jobs
Nov. 18, 2009 | 02:00 p.m. CST
The U.S. lines of the seven Class I railroads trimmed another 408 jobs as of mid-October from a month earlier, taking their total employment level down to a new low. More...
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