Canadian Railroads > Is this the Smoking Gun for CN's speed cuts to VIA Ventures?

Check out what could be the smoking gun(attached) that caused CN to impose speed reductions on the Kingston Subdivision as well as 10 other CN subdivisions. These Transport Canada regulations prescribe the recording of data for warning system operation at grade crossings as part of TC's Grade Crossing Handbook. The operation data is recorded and stored for 30 days within grade crossing warning system monitoring devices. It is likely this data that CN has reviewed in early October, once Venture revenue service began in Southwest Ontario, and CN found some crossings in Southwest Ontario that were not activated by Venture-equipped trains, thus resulting in their VIA Venture Equipment Crossing Supplement requirements.

Awaiting shunt-enhancers, funding for which was recently approved for Amtrak in the US...

Eric Gagnon
​Kingston, ON



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/24 18:30 by Trackside_Treasure.

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When did the FRA approve those shunt enhancers in the U.S.?  I wasn't aware they'd been approved.  Are we sure on that?  Approved or not, though,I believe their installation is now funded.

How does the US budget process work....funding first, approval second? I would think funding would follow or at least enable approval.
 

The FRA conditionally approved Amtrak’s waiver request that will allow installation of shunt enhancing antennas in a decision letter dated Sep 20, 2024. The conditions are significant, requiring further testing, procedural changes and documentation before using the antennas in revenue service. The decision letter is published here, under Docket Documents:

https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FRA-2023-0095

The funding award is a separate process that does not imply that Amtrak has fulfilled the conditions enabling use of the antennas in revenue service.

There seems to be a difference in requirements between CN and CN(IC). The latter requires equipment heavier than any single level car.