Lackawanna Coalition

advocating for rail passengers since 1979

Month: December 2013

  • Metro-North Hit by Worker Fraud Charges

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    John Bobsin

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    Metro-North Railroad, still reeling from the fatal train wreck on December 1 and consequent operating changes forced by federal inquiries, now is contending with an investigation by the inspector general of its parent agency, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, according to reporting by Matt Flegenheimer in The New York Times (Dec. 19). The investigation, covering a…

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  • Raritan–Manhattan Direct Service Begins March 2

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    John Bobsin

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    NJ Transit will begin offering limited direct service from stations on the Raritan Valley Line to New York Penn Station beginning March 2, the first direct service to Manhattan ever offered to riders on the line.  However, the service will not be provided during peak commuter hours, because of the unavailability of timeslots to add…

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  • Charges Unlikely in Metro-North Wreck

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    John Bobsin

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    After 4 passengers died in the Metro-North wreck on December 1, suspicion rapidly focused on the engineer after it became apparent that he either dozed off or was in some sort of “highway hypnosis” state before the crash—but does that put him at fault, or is he just human?  According to reporting online by Murray…

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  • Metro-North Safety Commitment Questioned

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    John Bobsin

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    Two weeks after Metro-North (M-N) Railroad’s fatal crash on December 1, questions continue to surface regarding the railroad’s attention to safety.  Significant changes in the line’s safety procedures were implemented startlingly quickly after the wreck, within days in some cases, leading observers to wonder why they couldn’t have been in effect earlier and prevented the…

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  • US Orders Metro-North Safety Review

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    John Bobsin

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    Following the fatal train wreck on December 1, the United States Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on December 12 ordered an “extraordinarily rare” review of Metro-North Railroad’s operations and “safety culture”, according to reporting by Matt Flegenheimer in The New York Times (Dec. 13).  The FRA dubbed the review, expected to last 60 days, “Operation Deep…

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  • Metro-North to Upgrade Signals After Wreck

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    John Bobsin

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    Acting quickly on December 8 after the Federal Railway Administration ordered enhanced safety precautions following the fatal Metro-North crash on December 1, Metro-North Railroad said it had enhanced its signal systems to warn trains approaching the slow-speed curve at Spuyten Duyvil in the Bronx.  In addition, if the train is within the curve and exceeding…

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  • NJT Super Pass on Super Bowl Weekend

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    John Bobsin

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    NJ Transit is gearing up for Super Bowl weekend.  To encourage transit use by the 400,000 visitors expected in the metropolitan area (only 80,000 of whom can fit in MetLife Stadium for the game itself), NJT plans to offer an unlimited-ride ticket called the Super Pass, good from January 27 through February 3, for a…

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  • Super Bowl Transit Plans Emerge

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    John Bobsin

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    Super Bowl 2014 at the MetLife Stadium in the Jersey Meadows on February 2 promises to set new records in public transportation, or perhaps in gridlock, which organizers hope to avoid.  This won’t just be any game at the Meadowlands, according to reporting by Nate Schweber in The New York Times (Dec. 10). For one…

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  • Train Late? MTA Writes Excuse Notes

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    John Bobsin

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    If your subway train is late in New York, your boss may not understand, and a note from Mom may not further your career.  However, in New York City, there’s an alternative: the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will be happy to write the excuse note, and Mom won’t have to after all. Over the last…

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  • Safety Board Reports on Crash Investigation

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    John Bobsin

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    The National Transportation Safety Board’s on-site team investigating the December 1 fatal crash on Metro-North Railroad has completed its initial work and has returned to Washington; it may return to gather additional information.  On December 9, it released a report on progress so far:  Inspection of the train that crashed has uncovered no mechanical anomalies;…

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