Congress in 2015 ordered the DOT to draft rules within two years to require passenger railroads to install inward-facing and outward-facing cameras in all locomotives and other operating compartments such as cab cars and Highliner cars.
The Chicago Metra board of directors approved an $11 million contract to replace the camera system on its trains with an upgraded system that includes inward-facing cameras in the locomotives, cab cars, and Highliner cars to record the actions of engineers.
Congress in 2015 ordered the U.S. Department of Transportation to draft rules within two years to require passenger railroads to install inward-facing and outward-facing cameras in all locomotives and other operating compartments such as cab cars and Highliner cars. Those rules are expected from the Federal Railroad Administration by the end of 2017.
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“At Metra, safety is our highest priority, and we are pleased to be moving forward with this safety feature before the requirement takes effect,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno. “These cameras will give us another tool to ensure we are operating as safely as possible.”
The new system will include recorders, forward-facing cameras, rear-facing cameras, microphones, storage memory, and crash-hardened memory. It also will include inward-facing cameras in Metra’s fleet of 150 locomotives, 187 cab cars, and the 186 self-propelled Highliner cars used on the Metra Electric Line. The current camera system, which has reached the end of its useful life, does not include inward-facing cameras. The contract was awarded to Railhead Corp. of Alsip, Ill.
According to the federal legislation, the cameras are to be used to: verify that the train crew is following safety laws and operating rules and procedures; assist an investigation of an accident or incident; and document a criminal act or monitor unauthorized people in the locomotive cabs.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has long advocated the use of cameras inside locomotive cabs as an aid in accident investigations and for use in efficiency testing and performance monitoring programs. The cameras also can help railroad management prevent accidents by identifying safety issues before they lead to injuries and loss of life by using them to develop valuable training tools, according to the NTSB.
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Fred Ferguson, president and CEO of the American Bus Association (ABA), discussed how the industry prepares for emergencies, the growing recognition of motorcoaches as critical infrastructure, and steps operators can take to strengthen disaster readiness.
The approved contract modification will increase funding for transit security officer services to a total not-to-exceed amount of $32.1 million, ensuring a continued and visible security presence across DART’s buses, trains, stations, and facilities.
The Siemens CBTC System, Trainguard MT, in compliance with New York Subway Interoperability Interface Specifications, enables trains to run as close as 90 seconds apart, using next-generation signaling and continuous communication to keep operations moving seamlessly.
According to the new quarterly data, there were double-digit reductions in five of the eight serious crime categories, including aggravated assaults and robberies.
The project, finalized on February 12, provides the city with two different configurations of high-definition cameras to outfit 16 buses in the Pretzel City Area Transit fleet.
The funds will specifically reconstruct the portion of the pier used by PSTA’s Clearwater Ferry, creating a permanent dock for the ferry service, which serves as an important transportation and tourism link to other Pinellas County communities.
