
Bombardier to Overhaul 143 TWINDEXX Coaches for Israel Railw...
Bombardier will overhaul 143 first-generation double-decker TWINDEXX coaches for Israel Railways, including modernising the doors.
Bombardier will overhaul 143 first-generation double-decker TWINDEXX coaches for Israel Railways, including modernising the doors.
The European Commission has published the 7th monitoring report (2015–2018) on the development of the rail market in the EU.
Siemens Mobility has signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of 1,000km of high-speed rail lines in Egypt.
Stadler has signed a framework agreement with Austrian Federal Railways for up to 20 fire-fighting and rescue trains.
Ballard Power Systems announces order from Arcola Energy for modules to power Scotland’s first fuel cell-powered train.
Bombardier has signed a contract with SNCF for three additional OMNEO Regio 2N trains for the Île-de-France region (Paris).
Alstom's Citadis X05 trams have started carry passengers on the South Circular section of the Circular light rail line in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
BNSF and Wabtec are testing a battery-electric locomotive between Barstow and Stockton (CA) to test the viability of battery technology.
Network Rail and its partners have launched the tram train pilot learning hub, a "comprehensive body of learning" that is free to access.
A look at Edmonton's Valley Line Southeast, which is due to open in 2021. 2021 will also see the start of phase 2 construction.
Stadler will supply eight electric multiple units for the Centovalli railway between Switzerland and Italy starting in 2023.
During the Christmas closure of London King's Cross, Network Rail engineers lifted all four tracks going into the station to divert a sewer.
A look at three rail line extensions that will open in the United States in 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Seattle, and the Boston area.
Colorado Pacific Railroad will challenge a deal between Union Pacific and Rio Grande Pacific to run rail services on the Tennessee Pass Line.
Bombardier will supply 33 OMNEO Regio 2N double-decker trains to SNCF for the Hauts-de-France region. Delivery will begin in 2024.
Alstom has deployed its ground-charging technology for the Eminonu-Alibeykoy tramway in Istanbul, Turkey, 9km of which opened on 1 Jan 2021.
Bombardier will maintain the rail vehicle fleet and wayside track and overhead line assets for a Toronto light rail project for 30 years.
Alstom has completed the first test run for the Mostaganem tramway project in Algeria. The rolling stock for the 14km line is the Citadis.
Skoda Transportation will deliver a further 79 low-floor RegioPanter electric multiple units to Czech Railways (České dráhy) over four years.
TransLink has ordered 205 rail cars – 41 five-car metro trains – for Vancouver's SkyTrain from manufacturer Bombardier Transportation.
The new S-Bahn trains for Berlin, built by a Stadler-Siemens Mobility consortium, will enter passenger service on the city's Ringbahn line.
Bombardier has completed the first ZEFIRO Express for Västtrafik. The high-speed train will now undergo testing and commissioning.
Alstom has won a contract with Toulouse Metropole to supply systems for the Toulouse Aerospace Express metro line, including rolling stock.
Bombardier will upgrade 73 of Railpool's TRAXX MS2 locomotives from ETCS Baseline 2 to Baseline 3 to deliver safety and performance benefits.
HS2 has started its search for a switches and crossings supplier for Phase 1 and Phase 2a of the high-speed line between London and Crewe.
Success for the Autonomous Train project: a Prima BB 27000 locomotive ran semi-autonomously on the French national rail network under ERTMS.
Berlin will get up to 117 new FLEXITY trams after Bombardier and Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) signed a framework agreement worth €571m.
President-elect Joe Biden has nominated former Mayor of South Bend as his transportation secretary, a move welcomed by the rail industry.
The National Infrastructure Commission has published its Rail Needs Assessment report, causing widespread dismay over possible cuts to HS2.
Hitachi has partnered with Eversholt Rail to install batteries in a Class 802 Intercity Express Train, removing one of the diesel engines.
Seth Moulton introduced the American High-Speed Rail Act which proposes to invest $205 billion in the US's high-speed rail infrastructure.
Estonia's rail infrastructure manager Esti Raudtee has awarded a contract to electrify the country's rail network to a Spanish JV.
Bombardier has revealed its first body shell for its FLEXITY trams for Dresden, which have undergone testing and have been accepted by DVB.
On Sunday, 13 December, timetabled passenger and freight services started operating through the Ceneri Base Tunnel, completing the NRLA.
Alstom is the latest member to join the US High Speed Rail Association following Deutsche Bahn prior to Biden's inauguration.
Zurich will get a further 40 FLEXITY trams as VBZ has signed a contract with Bombardier based on an option in the original 2017 contract.
The European Commission has presented its Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy with ten flagship ideas to decarbonise transport.
Siemens Mobility has won a contract to provide signalling and train control technology for the Yellow Line of the Bangalore Metro, India.
There will be new international night trains in Europe from 2021, as agreed by the bosses of Deutsche Bahn, SNCF, OEBB and SBB.
Bombardier has won a contract to modernise the 430 and 423 fleets for S-Bahn Stuttgart, which is operated by DB Regio.
The Siemens Mobility Mireo is among the winners of the German Sustainability Award Design in the pioneer category.
United Wagon Company has received a further order from leasing company Dessa for flat cars for the transportation of timber.
DB Cargo is trialling automatic shunting locomotives and automating brake inspections at its shunting yard in Munich-North.
Amtrak will operate the Metrolink services in Southern California from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2025, having beaten four competing bids.
HS2 Ltd has revealed the first images of the north portal for the Long Itchington Wood tunnel site southeast of Birmingham.
Bombardier has handed over its 200th TRAXX locomotive to Railpool, which has ordered a total of 232 units since 2009, 10% of the global total.
BNSF has won a court case in Oklahoma challenging a state law banning trains from stopping for more than 10 minutes on a level crossing.
The Mayor of London, TfL, the DfT and the treasury have agreed a funding and financing package for the final phase of Crossrail.
Alstom's hydrogen train, the Coradia iLint, has successfully completed 3 months of test operations in regular passenger service in Austria.
Alstom and Bombardier have announced the expected closing date for Alstom's acquisition of Bombardier Transportation.
Brexit: the European Commission has proposed a regulation giving extensions covering the Channel Tunnel infrastructure and train licences.
CSX, a United States Class 1 railroad, has announced that it will acquire Pan Am Railways, expanding its presence in New England.
Jure Mikolcic, CEO of Stadler Pankow GmbH, at the VDB Digital Dialog Forum "Rail Revolution 4.0: Picking up Speed after the Crisis".
Northern has removed the last of its 102 Pacer trains from service, following regulations requiring rolling stock to be accessible.
Train operator Grand Central to resume services from December at a reduced level. These will be reservation-only to enable social distancing.
Bombardier's TRAXX Africa locomotives, operated by Transnet Freight Rail in South Africa, have completed 10 million kilometres in service.
Italy is to get its first hydrogen trains with delivery starting in 2023. FNM has ordered six Coradia Stream trains from Alstom for Lombardy.
State aid: the European Commission has approved Austrian measures to support passenger and rail freight affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Talgo has unveiled its plans to get into the hydrogen train market, with the Talgo Vittal-One, named in honour of hydrogen's atomic number.
HS2 and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) will work together on utility diversions in readiness of the metro eastside extension.
Railtex 2021, which was to be held jointly with Infrarail in May 2021, has been postponed to 7–9 September because of COVID-19.
Alstom and Kiepe Electric have won a contract with the Cologne Public Transport Authority (KVB) for 64 low-floor Citadis trams.
The FRA has published its third quarter 2020 update on the implementation of positive train control on the mandated route miles.
Reearch by City & Guilds and the National Skills Academy for Rail says the rail industry will face a critical skills shortage by 2025.
Bombardier has announced it is opening an engineering academy in Cairo, Egypt, to train engineers for its monorail project in the capital.
Deutsche Bahn and Siemens Mobility launch the H2goesRail partnership to trial a hydrogen train (Mireo Plus H) and refuelling infrastructure.
Network Rail has announced major works at Euston for the construction of the HS2 terminus and on the West Coast Main Line in 2021.
Bombardier's BST joint venture in China has won a contract to supply 14 CR300AF high-speed electric multiple units. Delivery by January 2021.
Following the funding agreement reached between TfL and goverment, consultancy work on Crossrail 2 will end, safeguarding will continue.
Deutsche Bahn has become a member of the US High Speed Rail Association, which aims to promote support for high-speed rail in America.
CFL cargo has signed a contract with Bombardier Transportation for 10 TRAXX multi-system locomotives, which run on AC and DC, plus last mile.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's 10-Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution aims at incentivising driving and doesn't mention rail.
Amtrak, SEPTA and PennDOT have received 15.9m USD in grant funding from the FRA to upgrade signalling equipment on the Harrisburg Line.
The University of Leeds has entered into a research collaboration worth 1 million GBP with the West Coast Parnership, which will operate HS2.
Alstom will supply an additional 13 Citadis Dualis tram-trains for the Île-de-France region. These are an option from a 2007 contract.
USHSR has published a 5-point plan for developing high-speed rail in the US, starting with a new High Speed Rail Development Authority.
Hong Kong's MTR Corporation has announced that the first new Phase 5 light rail vehicles will start carrying passengers on 17 November 2020.
Project Connect was on the ballot for voters as they went to the polls on 3 November 2020 and they voted in favour of light rail in Austin.
The American Public Transportation Association says all commuter railroads in the United States are on track to meet the 2020 PTC deadline.
The European Parliament and Council have reached a provisional agreement on making 2021 the European Year of Rail.
Alstom has completed the first phase of the Lusail light rail project in Qatar. It will run 28 low-floor Citadis X05 trams.
Although hydrogen and fuel cell technology can play its part in the rail sector, it will not decarbonise transport. It is a fringe component.
Midlands Voices report by the High Speed Rail Group says the eastern leg of HS2 up to Leeds is crucial for levelling up the country.
9 new VLocity trains have entered service on Victoria's regional rail network. In total Victoria has ordered 18 new three-car VLocity trains.
Alstom gives an update on its acquisition on Bombardier Transportation in its H2 2020 financial results, including a timetable of events.
The second section of the Dawlish sea wall is being built using the 'Wavewalker', a floating barge that can withstand high tidal ranges.
Siemens Mobility has unveiled its Mireo Smart EMU. Based on its more bespoke Mireo platform, this is a cost-effective, easy alternative.
Alstom's SriCity factory in India, which opened in September 2012, has reached the milestone of having manufactured 500 metro cars.
The Siemens Mobility Vectron Dual Mode locomotive has received its operating approval from the German Federal Railway Authority (EBA).
Deutsche Bahn updated its vegetation management programme in 2018, investing more money and personnel and cutting storm damage by 25 percent.
The United States has a new president-elect, Joe Biden. But why is he called 'Amtrak Joe'? And what has he said about the importance of rail?
Issue 4 of 2020 of the Railway-News magazine, with features including Hydrogen Is a Distraction and the digital InnoTrans Convention.
Athens has procured 20 four-car Metropolis trains as well as Alstom's CBTC signalling solution for its new metro line, Line 4.
Casa Transport has ordered 66 Alstom Citadis X05 trams for the Casablanca's tramway. The contract includes an option for 22 further units.
Leeds University enters into a 10m GBP agreement with the REAL Alliance to research the electrical power supply on the East Coast Main Line.
The tunnel boring machines that will excavate the HS2 Chiltern tunnel will be equipped with robotic arms to help with the concrete segments.
The European Commission has chosen the FCH2RAIL project to explore hydrogen fuel cells for rail vehicles, using Horizon 2020 funding.
Bombardier has launched a new digital subscription-based predictive maintenance service for railway assets called EBI Sense.
A new UKRRIN research centre specialising in digital railways systems has opened at the University of Birmingham.
Bucharest's metro operator has ordered an initial 13 Alstom Metropolis trains, with an option for a further 17 units, to run on Line 5.
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Published:
05 Feb 2018
Tags
Brightline
Level Crossing Safety
Level Crossings: The Safest Approach?
After the recent fatalities involving Brightline trains on the Florida East Coast Railroad, Railway-News asks what the industry can do to eliminate trespassing on the tracks and reduce fatalities.
The start of services in South Florida on 13 January by Brightline, the first private rail system in the United States since 1983, was supposed to be the cheerful start of a new initiative in public transit in the state; connecting Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach on the Florida East Coast Railway. Since then, Brightline attracted national media attention of a very different tone when three people were killed by the trains in the first two weeks of service. On 12 January, however, the day before even the first paying passenger had boarded the train, Melissa Lavell was killed whilst trying to cross the tracks.
Of the two other victims, Jeffrey D. King was also killed on impact after he apparently cycled along the tracks whilst a third person suffered serious injuries. The publicity surrounding the new service has focussed on safety flaws, and corporate responsibility. The families of the people hit and local representatives have called for Brightline to accept responsibility for these incidents. However, South Florida Regional Transportation Authority has confirmed that the company complied with all federal and state regulations for safety and the state police have confirmed that they believe all three people had ignored safety warnings, including down guard gates and flashing lights, in attempts to cross the tracks ahead of the train.
The extreme risk of crossing the tracks at all, especially when a train is known to be en route, has prompted general calls for people to be more aware of the current safety precautions. Some locals have complained that the current services which run on the tracks – freight trains and Tri-Rail, a subsidiary of the SFRTA which runs services between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach – are much louder than the newly built Brightline trains which has accustomed people to having more time to cross the tracks before a train arrives, even after the barriers are down. The problem is that the speed of a train or its distance ought not to be a consideration for people who obey the protocols at level crossings. The fact that many people prefer to making an individual judgement on the risk of actually being hit by the train, rather than simply accepting the brief delay in their journey is an issue which transport authorities and train companies must address in addition to the actual construction of a crossing.
The Problem: Isolated Incidents or Common Behaviour?
The furore surrounding these accidents has created a debate on whether people’s responsibility for their own safety around the railroad is mitigated by the expectation that there would be no more risk in crossing the track in front of a Brightline train than any other local engine. The consequences of this grim start for Brightline are uncertain. The reaction is occurring in the context of significant opposition to the operation of high-speed rail in the state at all, and some experts are warning of ‘brand damage’ to Brightline from these incidents, which might affect the planned expansion of services between Orlando and Miami. On the other hand, many locals have questioned the judgement of people who seem to have ignored substantial warnings and stepped on to the tracks. The frequency of these accidents in such a brief period suggests that something is not right, and it is a problem for rail systems around the world.
In November 2016 the European Union published a statistic that 97% of rail accidents in member states were caused by ‘rolling stock in motion or…at level-crossings. The reduction of injury and death around rail systems, from accident or suicide, are a constant concern in the industry. The design of many new metro systems around the world includes platform doors to prevent people jumping or falling on to the tracks. In a 2012 leaflet the European Union Agency for Railways’ Safety Unit reported that only a minority of accidents at level crossings investigated by the National Investigated Body of a member state were ‘solely the fault of road users’ and many were actually caused or exacerbated by ‘insufficiencies in safety management systems’. In 2017 Prorail, which maintains railway infrastructure in the Netherlands, announced that it would eliminate the remaining 123 unguarded crossings on its network, by either upgrading the crossings, or diverting traffic to guarded ones. The guards skipped by the victims of the Brightline collisions did not block the entire crossing. The Australasian Centre for Rail Innovation, which is supported by transport authorities and rail companies in Australia and New Zealand, has completed several research projects on level crossings; the findings of these projects are currently only available to its funders, but one of the questions it sought to answer was whether the design of level crossings can cause difficulties for drivers assessing the length of a train and the distance of it from the crossing. These factors in the design and maintenance of crossings must be reviewed, but part of ACRI’s research has focussed on transgressions in ‘user behaviour’ and it must be acknowledged that there are many accidents across the world every year caused by people’s desire to ignore safety warnings and skip safety barriers.
The Causes: Design or Indifference?
This disregard for the risk itself is a problem which ‘safety management systems’ can mitigate, but cannot prevent and all measures assume expectations of personal responsibility by people on or near stations and trains. Trespassing on the tracks is an offence in most jurisdictions: in the USA penalties vary depending on the state but it is classified as a ‘misdemeanour’ punishable by a fine of up to $1000; in the UK it is punishable by up to one month’s imprisonment. The lesson from the incidents in Florida show that how people perceive these regulations depends on their own experiences of them. The danger of crossing rail tracks, implied by a severe penalty for it, is outweighed by the perception of whether it is a real risk. The people who crossed in front of the Brightline trains assumed that there would be the same level of risk as crossing in front of a Tri-Rail train, and did not account for the different speed of the engines. It seems this is a common problem: On YouTube there are dozens of videos of people around the world walking or driving across train tracks and narrowly missing oncoming trains. The Guardian recently reported that between 2012 and 2017 115 people in the UK have died after being hit by a train and BBC News published a statistic that one person per hour probably trespasses on the tracks; in 2017 22 Floridians were killed by Tri-Rail trains. Sadly, some of these people had intended to let themselves be hit by the train, but others simply never imagined that this might happen to them.
It seems that the frequency of these transgressions arises from two different attitudes to the railway. Firstly, many people, especially in Europe, have become so used to living around trains that they assume that they have sufficiently assessed the risk of being hit, to the point that they might not do so consciously; whilst others, who live in areas with sparse rail coverage are less aware of the risks and do not realise the difference between trespassing on the tracks and jaywalking. The importance of acknowledging this problem is an increasing priority in the approach to developing the technology and protocols for reducing accidents caused by this cognitive dissonance between the theoretical understanding of danger and accepting the actual risk of it. The ACRI has also conducted studies to ‘determine the frequency and context in which transgressions occur’ and the prioritisation of this question, and the indication that transgressions are a likely event, highlight the ubiquity of this problem of ‘user behaviour’ in the cause of these accidents.
Solutions: Signs or Schemes?
The decision by Prorail to decommission unguarded crossings is sensible because these types of guard are definitely outmoded, and the same fate might befall crossings which do not completely barricade the road or path, but the problem is that no barrier will reduce that original desire to circumvent it, and many accidents do not occur at crossings at all, but on the many miles of track where nobody is ever supposed to be.
The abundance of research, reports and recommendations on this issue demonstrate how seriously that the rail industry and governments approach this problem, but in the future it looks like transport authorities and rail franchises will have to become increasingly proactive in reminding people of the unique dangers presented by train tracks. In response to the accidents on the Florida East Coast line, Brightline has commissioned new, larger signs to warn people of the dangers of trespassing on the tracks and also initiated a scheme of Safety Ambassadors who will patrol the crossings on the sections of the lined used by their trains. The New Zealand Transport Agency has published resources on rail safety for primary schools around the country and representatives of the national train company, Kiwi Rail, are also available to visit classrooms.
The British Transport Police have opted for a more direct approach by publishing videos of people actually being hit by trains on their website. In 2000 the British Government launched THINK! An extensive, long-term advertising campaign which warned people, especially the young, of the dangers of drink-driving. The campaign is generally considered very successful in imparting its messages across a variety of media: television, radio and online; a report produced by the Department of Transport in 2009, which evaluated the success of it demonstrated the extent to which awareness of the messages had filtered into people’s consciousness’ beyond simply watching an advertisement. It seems unlikely that the more specific issue of trespassing on train tracks would attract the level of funding and long-term commitment warranted by a drink-driving campaign, but it does illustrate the benefits of investing in schemes which challenge and change attitudes to dangerous behaviour which can seem safe, simply because it is common. In the UK the recent launch of a campaign by Network Rail specifically focussed on warning people of the danger of trespassing on electrified tracks highlights the increased engagement with this type of messaging. These initiatives, might be the best route ahead for safety because it addresses the problem – trespassing – before people have even stepped near the tracks, regardless of whether the guards are up or down.