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60 Minutes on America's Railroad Safety

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  • Member since
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Posted by zugmann on Monday, March 4, 2019 2:51 AM

Don't worry.  Now we have PSR. 

 

yeah, um... yeah.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by SFbrkmn on Sunday, March 3, 2019 11:03 PM

Thank goodness I missed out on this. Mrs. watched it, gave me a review. Listening to bluegrass cd's down in basement cave was wisely worth more of my time

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Posted by Gramp on Sunday, March 3, 2019 11:01 PM

Why do people so readily attach credibility to tv productions and reporting?

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Sunday, March 3, 2019 10:29 PM

   Don't forget-- we also have an expert's opinion that "the tracks are in horrible shape."  This was from a neighborhood electical contractor.

   Sensationalism sells.

_____________ 

  "A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner

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Posted by tree68 on Sunday, March 3, 2019 10:28 PM

NorthWest
60 Minutes bashes CSX for not installing PTC...?

Rather sounds like they were bashing all railroads, and the FRA, for not having PTC up and running.

Nobody mentioned that the technology and equipment that was needed to make it work essentially had to be invented, radio spectrum had to be obtained, equpment had to be installed - likely after the manufacturers busted their butts trying to get it out the door.  

Just blame those bad, old railroads.  All they ever do is block crossings when you're in a hurry, after all...  And have massive wrecks all the time that - well, you get my drift.

 

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
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There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

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Posted by NorthWest on Sunday, March 3, 2019 9:58 PM

CSX disabled signal system for PTC work.

Amtrak train crashes into CSX train due to human error.

60 Minutes bashes CSX for not installing PTC...?

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Posted by Euclid on Sunday, March 3, 2019 9:57 PM

It is interesting to learn how this story is developing as we wait for a report that will one day tell us what went wrong that night. 

The engineer says there was nothing he could have done to prevent the wreck and he had to trust his conductor.  Yet, as I recall, he did not exactly trust his conductor.  He said he asked the conductor earlier if he was sure he got that switch because he did not see the conductor line it back for the mainline.  And he said he thought he would have seen it if it happened.  He said he knew where the conductor was during that time when the switch would have been relined, and he (the engineer) said did not believe the conductor was ever in the proximity necessary to get that switch. 

Then just before the wreck, he asked the conductor again and, despite being reassured again by the conductor, the engineer decided to walk down to the switch and check for himself. But he ran out of time and the Amtrak showed up at the misaligned switch.  What do you do when the official process says you are supposed to trust the conductor, but you don’t trust the conductor? 

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Posted by diningcar on Sunday, March 3, 2019 9:23 PM

Agree with BaltADC

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Posted by tree68 on Sunday, March 3, 2019 9:16 PM

If it bleeds, it leads.

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

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Posted by mudchicken on Sunday, March 3, 2019 8:54 PM

BaltACD

A slanted, half truthed hatchet job.  Lost a lot of respect for both Leslie Stahl and Zumwalt.

 

Ditto that comment.

The 10% comment was just a little sloppy. Nothing said on the commuter lines failure to adopt or get started .....

...and the 7-8 major derailments on a passenger MT in one given area?

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by BaltACD on Sunday, March 3, 2019 8:42 PM

A slanted, half truthed hatchet job.  Lost a lot of respect for both Leslie Stahl and Zumwalt.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Deggesty on Sunday, March 3, 2019 8:24 PM

"We have learned that Amtrak agreed decades ago, in secret indemnity contracts, to be responsible for damages even if the freight company is at fault and the accident occurs on the freight company's tracks. "--quoting Mark James

I had long understood that the standard procedure in establishing trackage rights was to hold the road with rights responsible for all damages even when the owning road's employees were at fault.  

Johnny

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Sunday, March 3, 2019 7:42 PM

Whether or not members think the piece is fair, it is a powerful indictment.  And it is still a popular program.

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Posted by jeffhergert on Sunday, March 3, 2019 7:31 PM

And after the first major accident in PTC territory (OK, the second since Amtrak had one some years ago in Michigan where their version of PTC was in effect.) they will wonder how they can still happen.

Jeff

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Sunday, March 3, 2019 7:22 PM

As of today only 10 percent of the mandated railroads have fully implemented PTC.

Lesley Stahl: It seems so obvious. It just seems so urgent that it's almost unfathomable that it doesn't get done.

Robert Sumwalt: That's why the NTSB is just flabbergasted that we still don't have it more than 10 years after Congress mandated Positive Train Control.

One issue has been the Federal Railroad Administration, FRA, the railroad's regulatory agency, criticized in government reports for not vigorously enforcing the PTC mandate. We tried to talk to the agency but they declined our interview request.   

Its handling of PTC has been a source of frustration for Robert Sumwalt of the NTSB.

Lesley Stahl: The regulatory agency, The Federal Railroad Administration, are they just not doing their job?

Robert Sumwalt: Well, we have issued recommendations to the FRA and they've not acted upon those.

Lesley Stahl: Why are they so lenient with the railroads?  Somebody told us that in his opinion they're captive to the railroad system, to the industry.

Robert Sumwalt: The regulator needs to step up to the plate and do their job and regulate.

Lesley Stahl: Who's responsible?  

Robert Sumwalt: Well, ultimately, it's up to the railroads to put this system in place. It's a steep climb for them. It's going to cost, depending on who you talk to, anywhere between $10 and $14 billion for the system to be implemented.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Sunday, March 3, 2019 7:21 PM
Amtrak and the freight railroads, especially CSX, all take a serious hit.
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60 Minutes on America's Railroad Safety
Posted by charlie hebdo on Sunday, March 3, 2019 7:18 PM

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