rail Tag

New Rail Report Offers Policymakers Insight into Train Length

07 Aug 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Washington, D.C. (August 7, 2023) – The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) published its latest report Monday, Evaluating Train Length: Mitigating the Costs and Enhancing the Benefits of Longer Trains. The report evaluates train length amidst a wide-ranging national debate over railroad safety and issues such…

I-95

How the I-95 Collapse Could Affect Passenger Rail

16 Jun 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

On Sunday, June 11th, 2023, at 6:20am a tanker truck carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline crashed underneath a raised portion of I-95 in Northern Philadelphia, sparking a fire and explosion that caused the bridge to collapse. While the incident is still being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB),…

longer trains climate

A Longer View on Longer Trains: Part 3 Climate Impact

08 May 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Analysis, Blog Posts

This is the third and final policy blog in the series investigating train length. The purpose is to survey the impacts and implications of longer trains to the U.S. economy, public safety, and the world. Because railroads are so central to the nation’s supply chain and transportation network, it is…

longer trains cost

A Longer View on Longer Trains: Part 2 Costs

01 May 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Analysis, Blog Posts

In this blog series, we are tackling the question of what longer trains mean for the United States and the world. We are using three lenses to evaluate this policy issue: safety, costs, and climate impact. Be sure to read our first blog overviewing modern day freight rail and explaining…

derailments

What is Causing 1,000 Derailments Each Year?

25 Feb 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

In one of his early responses to the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg referenced the apparent common phenomenon of derailments in the United States. Whether to downplay or simply place it in context, Buttigieg stated that around 1,000 trains derail every year – around three each…

longer trains safe

A Longer View on Longer Trains: Part 1 Safety

22 Feb 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Analysis, Blog Posts

Longer trains can be a blessing or a curse, depending on where you sit. Certainly when stuck at a blocked crossing, one can only see the negatives. But what does a more wholistic assessment of longer trains reveal? Does the frustration outweigh the benefits, or are longer trains a key…

east palestine

Uncoupling Derailment from Disaster in East Palestine

14 Feb 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

On Friday, February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train moving through Ohio derailed in the city of East Palestine. While the definitive cause is still being investigated, reports indicate that 38 cars, including 11 carrying hazardous materials, derailed from a 150-car train with many damaged by fire. Subsequently, officials…

crew size

What the Data Says About Train Crew Size

13 Dec 2022, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Analysis, Blog Posts

Following two significant railroad incidents in 2013, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) began taking a sharper look at train crew sizes. Under the theory that human error was causing substantial harm to rail workers, the public, and the environment, the FRA proposed a minimum crew size on locomotives to ensure…

crew size

New Rail Report Calls for More Data Before New Rules

12 Dec 2022, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Washington, D.C. (December 12, 2022) – The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) published its latest report Monday, The Safety Impact of Technology and Crew Size: An analysis of accident data, incorporation of technology, and train crew staff levels on rail safety trends. This report will also be submitted to…

sick leave

Sick Leave Will Not Derail the Supply Chain

02 Dec 2022, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

After years of negotiation through the collective bargaining process and a number of close calls with threatened labor strikes, President Biden on Friday signed into law a settlement of terms between railroad unions and railroad companies. The terms of the agreement are those recommended by the Presidential Emergency Board (PEB),…

Expanded Amtrak Service Finds Friends in Federal Government

07 Sep 2022, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

The relationship between passenger rail and freight rail often comes across the way cinematic thrillers depict tension between the FBI and local police. Both want to ensure public safety and maintain order, but each wants to flex its jurisdiction and make sure it gets the respect it deserves. Like fictionalized…

Gulf Coast Gambit: Amtrak’s Play For New Passenger Rail Service

07 Sep 2022, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

Amtrak is seeking to establish twice daily passenger service between Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana. With Hurricane Katrina damaging rail infrastructure back in 2005, many passenger routes along the Gulf Cost have long been dormant. However, over the last several years, Amtrak has increasingly ramped up its efforts to…

5 Things I Learned Taking Amtrak Down the East Coast 

13 Jun 2022, Posted by John Cassibry in All Posts, Blog Posts

The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line that is the busiest passenger rail in the United States. A ride on an Amtrak train from Boston to Washington D.C. covers almost 440 miles and makes stops in New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. This transportation network supports the Northeast…

New Strides in Public Transit with Hudson Tunnel Project

19 May 2022, Posted by John Cassibry in All Posts, Blog Posts

With gas prices on the rise and the population growth rapidly increasing every year, major cities are having to prioritize innovations in public transportation. One historic project that recently received a go-ahead will soon take travelers underneath the Hudson River– the Hudson Tunnel Project. On March 28, the U.S. Department…