Texas Department of Transportation’s Post

Awareness is the first step towards enhancing safety. 🚈 Do you recognize this blue and white sign? It's more than just part of the landscape; it's a vital tool for reporting issues and emergencies on or near the tracks. 🆘 Each sign at a railroad crossing bears a unique identifier which, when reported, pinpoints your exact location to emergency responders. Knowing this could be crucial in times of crisis. As a proponent of rail safety education, I urge everyone to take a moment and familiarize themselves with these signs. 📍 By spreading the word, we not only educate but potentially save lives. A call made to this number in a timely manner can prevent accidents, ensure swift emergency response, and maintain the integrity of our railroad infrastructure. Let's all be vigilant custodians of rail safety. ☎️ #railsafety #emergencyresponse #mta #MetroNorth Metro-North Railroad Metropolitan Transportation Authority #mnrOPEX

New Requirements for Freight Railroads to Provide Hazmat Information to First Responders: 6/24/2024 The final rule requires all railroads to generate, in hard copy and electronic versions, real-time train consist information for shipments containing hazardous materials. Required information includes the quantity and position of the hazardous materials on the train, the train’s origin and destination, emergency response information, and a designated emergency point of contact at the railroad. See the link below for the full post and the link to the new rule that goes into effect on 7/24/2024. #wittobriens Ambipar Response | United States https://lnkd.in/gKuawQ_9

The recent conclusions from the NTSB on the 2023 East Palestine derailment are prompting significant reflection and action within the U.S. rail industry. Key actions include the accelerated retirement of older DOT-111 tank cars and improvements to tank car designs. Additionally, advancements in wayside detection systems, such as more frequent placement of Hot Bearing Detectors and stricter inspection thresholds, have been implemented. Freight railroads continue to proactively adopt safety improvements, often ahead of regulatory mandates, demonstrating a strong commitment to ensuring the safety and reliability of transport. #RailSafety #NTSB #RailIndustry #TransportationSafety #InfrastructureInvestment

🚄 BREAKING NEWS: A rail worker narrowly escapes a near miss on the West Coast Main Line. According to the latest report by BBC, the incident sheds light on the importance of safety protocols in the rail industry. This close call is a stark reminder of the risks faced by workers every day. It's crucial to prioritize safety measures and work together to prevent such incidents in the future. Let's keep our rail workers safe. #RailSafety #WorkplaceSafety #RailIndustrySafety https://ift.tt/tNbl0g3

Important discussion about the future of the RCE Program and Rail Safety!

Did You Know: A 2021 study conducted by the Association of America Railroads found that Positive Train Control deployment led to a 41% reduction in train accidents compared to the pre-deployment period. PTC deployment was provisioned by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 and fully implemented in December of 2020. #PTC #PositiveTrainControl #RailSafety #RailSafetyMilestones

🚨 Breaking News: DOT Enhances Rail Safety for First Responders 🚉 This morning, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a final rules has been published in the Federal Register that will protect our communities and our first responders, and also improve public safety outcomes: 🔹 Railroads must provide real-time, electronic information about hazardous material shipments to first responders 🔹 This includes details on the quantity and position of hazardous materials, train origin/destination, and emergency contact info 🔹 The rule ensures first responders can quickly access vital information when responding to rail incidents As Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, "In a hazmat incident, firefighters and first responders arriving on scene need to know what kind of hazardous materials are present so they can protect themselves and their communities." Great step by USDOT to improve #RailSafety. #FirstResponders #Transportation #PublicSafety cc: Brian Tegtmeyer, ENP https://lnkd.in/ejbGFQpv

Today, FRA made public its accident investigation report on the Norfolk Southern Railway derailment that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3, 2023. Read more: https://bit.ly/3WetPio FRA conducted its investigation as part of an immediate and comprehensive USDOT response that began within hours of the 2023 derailment. FRA’s final report found that the derailment was caused by a roller bearing that failed due to overheating, a conclusion consistent with the investigation findings of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent federal agency. In addition, FRA looked into how Norfolk Southern transported the hazardous materials in the train and how procedures and inadequate staffing for communicating information from Hot Box Detectors (HBDs) may have contributed to the accident. The investigation findings further call attention to safety issues FRA has pressed Class I freight railroads to address. FRA will continue to push these issues and others as we build on the several safety actions taken under the Biden-Harris Administration to protect people working on, living near, and traveling along railroads from harm.

Train derailment near Field under investigation

Interpretation still continues. Are railroads getting safer, or not? NY TIMES report today suggests “not”. Selected text: Derailments rose at the top five freight railroads in 2023, according to regulatory reports for the first 10 months of the year, the most recent period for which data exists for all five companies. And there was a steep increase in the mechanical problem — an overheated wheel bearing — that regulators think caused the derailment of the 1.75-mile-long train in East Palestine. Norfolk Southern, the operator of the train and the owner of the track that runs through the town, was the only railroad among the five to report a decline in accidents in the period. “These figures show the railroad industry’s safety standards are getting worse,” said Senator J.D. Vance, Republican of Ohio and a co-sponsor of the bill. “We can reverse the trend by passing the Railway Safety Act immediately.” Rail companies say that they have taken steps since the disaster to reduce accidents, including using new technology and improving safety training, and that those changes have begun to show results. Which is correct?