Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

On Friday, June 24, 2011, a 2008 Peterbilt truck-tractor pulling two empty trailers on northbound U.S. 95 struck the left side of an Amtrak train that was passing through a grade crossing en route from Chicago to Emeryville, Calif.

FMCSA officials are investigating the crash of a tour bus from Canada that injured 23 people in New Jersey. The bus slid down an embankment before falling on its side.

Factual information related to the accident that took place in Doswell, Va. with a Sky Express Inc. motorcoach can be accessed on the NTSB website.

Topics will include the incident command system, events involving terrorism and/or hazardous materials, interaction with the news media, communicating with the local community and families of the victims, assistance to family members, forensic aspects of recovery and identification, and long-term issues facing the affected community following a major disaster.

The meeting's purpose will be to determine probable cause of the accident and to consider proposed safety recommendations to reduce the likelihood of future mishaps.

The detailed costs were submitted by the agency to the NTSB for its investigation into the accident.

An operator for 10 years, Reginald Rideout has been involved in three accidents during his employment, two of which were minor, but deemed preventable, according to Houston Metro.

Operator of train 902 has been a Metro employee since May 2007 and a train operator since November 2008. He is currently on paid administrative leave.

Fatal motorcoach accident in Sherman, Texas on Aug. 8, 2008, likely caused by failure of the right steer axle tire, leading to loss of vehicle control, and failure of the bridge railing to redirect the vehicle and prevent it from departing the bridge.

At about 2 a.m. on July 5th, a Walt Disney World monorail train, designated the Pink train, backed into another monorail train, designated the Purple train, near the Ticket and Transportation Center monorail station. The operator of the Purple train was fatally injured; the six passengers on that train were treated at the scene.