Passenger Trains > FRA Emergency Order No. 31

This concerns the emergency order in which the FRA required
Amtrak to impose a 50mph speed limit on the curve in
Philadelphia where the deadly wreck of Amtrak
Train 188(12) occurred; to implement Automatic Train
Control at that location; to survey its entire Northeast
Corridor for more such locations where additional speed
limitations and enforcement will be required; and to
install speed warning and advisory signage on the Northeast
Corridor.

==============================================

FRA Emergency Order No. 31

WASHINGTON – The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today issued
an Emergency Order that will assist in controlling passenger train
speeds at certain locations on the Northeast Corridor (NEC). Today’s
order is the latest in a series of actions the FRA has taken in the
wake of last week’s derailment of Amtrak Train #188.

FRA also announced today its intention to take additional actions in
the coming days to address potential speed issues on all other
passenger corridors.

Last Saturday, FRA instructed Amtrak to immediately take several
actions to improve safety along the NEC.  As stated in that weekend
announcement, today’s Emergency Order formalizes those instructions.

“Although we do not yet know what caused the derailment of Amtrak
Train #188, the information we do have underscores the need to
continue to do all we can to further promote safety along the
Northeast Corridor,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
“Today’s action will help prevent similar incidents from occurring on
the NEC until Amtrak completes its installation of Positive Train
Control later this year.”

The Emergency Order requires Amtrak to take a series of steps to
improve safety along the Northeast Corridor, including implementing
Automatic Train Control (ATC) code changes and modifications,
adopting other safety procedures at several curve locations with
significant speed reductions, and submitting an action plan to FRA
outlining additional steps.

FRA will take additional steps in the coming days and weeks to ensure
other corridors are addressing potential over-speed issues as well.

“The Northeast Corridor is the busiest rail corridor in the country,
and the steps we have ordered Amtrak to take will immediately improve
safety on this busy corridor,” said Acting Federal Railroad
Administrator Sarah Feinberg. “But in the days and weeks to come, we
will also do more – while FRA will continue to push Amtrak and other
commuter lines to achieve full implementation of Positive Train
Control, we will also work with them in the short term to immediately
address potential over-speed issues.”

The Emergency Order requires Amtrak to immediately implement a code
change to its ATC system near the Frankford Junction curve in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The change must enforce the passenger
train speed limit of 50 mph, or lower, for northbound trains
approaching the curve. Amtrak implemented this change prior to the
restart of service on Monday.

In addition, Amtrak must survey the NEC to identify each main track
curve where there is a reduction of more than 20 mph from the maximum
authorized approach speed to that curve for passenger trains, and
provide a list of each location to the FRA.

Following Amtrak’s identification of the curves referenced above,
Amtrak must develop and submit an action plan to FRA that
accomplishes each of the following:

Identify appropriate modifications to Amtrak’s existing ATC system or
other signal systems (or alternative operational changes) to enable
warning and enforcement of applicable passenger train speeds at
identified curves.

Target dates for implementing each identified modification to
Amtrak’s existing ATC system or other signal systems (or alternative
operational changes) to enable warning and enforcement of passenger
train speeds at the identified curves.

Amtrak must submit the action plan to the FRA within 20 days of the
date of the Emergency Order.

In addition, Amtrak must begin to install additional wayside signage
alerting engineers and conductors of the maximum authorized passenger
train speed throughout its Northeast Corridor system no later than 30
days after the date of the order.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/15 14:36 by GenePoon.

The new directive requires Amtrak to install wayside signs regarding speed.

I wonder if the remaining Pnnsylvania Railroad  speed signs in the catenary still qualify?  Pennsy had signs at various points to remind engineers about speed limits. Many are still in existence, although I don't know if they are used as intended. In NJ, one exists at the south end of Metropark station for tracks 2-3, I believe there are several at Elizabeth - Elmora.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The new directive requires Amtrak to install
> wayside signs regarding speed.
>
> I wonder if the remaining Pnnsylvania Railroad 
> speed signs in the catenary still qualify? 
> Pennsy had signs at various points to remind
> engineers about speed limits. Many are still in
> existence, although I don't know if they are used
> as intended. In NJ, one exists at the south end of
> Metropark station for tracks 2-3, I believe there
> are several at Elizabeth - Elmora.

They certainly have wayside signs of this nature at various locations north of New Haven.
 

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The new directive requires Amtrak to install
> wayside signs regarding speed.
>
> I wonder if the remaining Pnnsylvania Railroad 
> speed signs in the catenary still qualify? 
> Pennsy had signs at various points to remind
> engineers about speed limits. Many are still in
> existence, although I don't know if they are used
> as intended. In NJ, one exists at the south end of
> Metropark station for tracks 2-3, I believe there
> are several at Elizabeth - Elmora.

PRR never had signs.  The ones you are talking about were installed by Amtrak as part of an emergency order following the Back Bay wreck. 

 

Most every major curve south of NYP had speed limit signs hanging from the catenary wire.

I'm seen reports here on T.O. That the ATC upgrade for the curve was minor work that required only a few hours to install.  Does anyone have a good estimate on what the cost to Amtrak was to protect this curve with ATC?

MEKoch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Most every major curve south of NYP had speed
> limit signs hanging from the catenary wire.

they were slotted for wind resistence and reflective and are highly visible at night when illuminated by the motor's headlights

Posted from Android

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MEKoch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Most every major curve south of NYP had speed
> > limit signs hanging from the catenary wire.
>
> they were slotted for wind resistence and
> reflective and are highly visible at night when
> illuminated by the motor's headlights
>
> Posted from Android

Thanks for everyone's contributions on the hanging speed signs.  I just thought they had been there "forever"

>
> PRR never had signs.  The ones you are talking
> about were installed by Amtrak as part of an
> emergency order following the Back Bay wreck. 
>
>  

Actually they are called "Scab Boards" and were installed in advance of a threatened work stoppage in the 1980's.  Managers were going to run the trains and they needed help route knowledge.

I suspect we'll see a bunch of Metro North style 1/10th of a mile speed restrictions to make sure that Amtrak doesn't have any speed drops that would require further ATC changes.

BTW, anyone notice that on tracks 1 and 4 the Frankford Junction curve would not even fall into the FRA's sweep since approach speeds are only 70mph?  That's called Safety Theatre.

 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/15 06:38 by mbrotzman.