The next time you're in a hurry to pass a Capital Metro bus, remember there may be an unexpected passenger on board: a police officer. The Austin Police Department is using one of our buses for its Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT) enforcement program. The goal of TACT is to reduce traffic accidents caused by unsafe driving behavior around large vehicles. KTBC profiled the program this week:
Capital Metro has an ongoing partnership with APD to prepare officers to operate buses in the event of an emergency.
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Showing posts with label safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label safety. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Let's Hear it for Rail Safety!
For the last two years, Capital Metro has been working on getting a rail safety message out to the community. We use a program called Operation Lifesaver, as well as some cool innovative ways of spreading our message. Capital Metro has presented a rail safety message to over 33,000 (LOTS!) students over the last year. We've shared the message at innumerable events and fairs, and we've even done a couple of contests (you may have seen the earlier blog about our poster competition).
Another of those innovative rail safety strategies is our coordination with the Girl Scouts of Central Texas. They created the first-ever Rail Safety Patch Program (now becoming a national model).
Girl Scouts Troop 2059 decided to earn the patch, so last week I went up to Leander to assist them in completing the final requirements. I gave them our Operation Lifesaver presentation, we watched a rail safety video, and then they showed me the rail safety cheer they wrote. It was TOO CUTE!
Using the acronym ACORN (the message we've been preaching all over Central Texas), they came up with this:
A is for Always look both ways
C is for Cross only at crosswalks
O is for Obey all signals
R is for Railroad tracks are for trains only
N is for Never try to outrun a train
I was SO impressed with their creativity and energy! I know they are going to be great rail safety advocates in their neighborhoods, and am so happy that our message is filtering through the area.
Thanks Troop 2059! Read more
Another of those innovative rail safety strategies is our coordination with the Girl Scouts of Central Texas. They created the first-ever Rail Safety Patch Program (now becoming a national model).
Girl Scouts Troop 2059 decided to earn the patch, so last week I went up to Leander to assist them in completing the final requirements. I gave them our Operation Lifesaver presentation, we watched a rail safety video, and then they showed me the rail safety cheer they wrote. It was TOO CUTE!
Using the acronym ACORN (the message we've been preaching all over Central Texas), they came up with this:
A is for Always look both ways
C is for Cross only at crosswalks
O is for Obey all signals
R is for Railroad tracks are for trains only
N is for Never try to outrun a train
I was SO impressed with their creativity and energy! I know they are going to be great rail safety advocates in their neighborhoods, and am so happy that our message is filtering through the area.
Thanks Troop 2059! Read more
Friday, May 8, 2009
Faster Trains Coming Your Way: "Look, Listen, Live"
As soon as this weekend, Capital MetroRail trains will be traveling more frequently and at higher speeds during testing along the 32-mile line from Leander to Downtown Austin.
MetroRail trains are much quieter and faster than freight trains. The passenger rail trains will soon be operating at speeds up to 60 mph in some areas.
Remember the three "L's" when you approach crossings: Look, Listen, Live. Please, too, remind children that tracks are for trains.
More life-saving tips are listed behind the cut.
When you're in a vehicle...
• Never stop your vehicle on railroad tracks. It is illegal to stop a vehicle on railroad tracks.
• Always obey all traffic signs and signals at grade crossings. The train has the right of way – look both ways before crossing.
• Never drive around lowered gates. It's illegal and deadly. If the gate is down, the road is closed.
When you're walking...
• Always stop, look, and listen for trains before crossing the tracks and be sure to look both ways.
• Never walk down a train track. It's illegal and dangerous. It can take a mile or more to stop a freight train, so by the time an engineer can see a trespasser or a vehicle on the tracks, it is too late.
• Cross tracks ONLY at designated pedestrian or roadway crossings and obey all warning signs and signals. If you cross at any other place, you are trespassing and can be ticketed or fined.
If you have children...
• Talk to them about railroads and teach the importance of crossing the tracks safely. "Stop, look and listen" is an important message for them to understand.
• Know the facts. Make sure that everyone in your family knows all these safety rules.
Visit allsystemsgo.capmetro.org/capital-metrorail-safety.shtml or stayoffthetracks.com for more information on Capital MetroRail safety.
Read more
MetroRail trains are much quieter and faster than freight trains. The passenger rail trains will soon be operating at speeds up to 60 mph in some areas.
Remember the three "L's" when you approach crossings: Look, Listen, Live. Please, too, remind children that tracks are for trains.
More life-saving tips are listed behind the cut.
When you're in a vehicle...
• Never stop your vehicle on railroad tracks. It is illegal to stop a vehicle on railroad tracks.
• Always obey all traffic signs and signals at grade crossings. The train has the right of way – look both ways before crossing.
• Never drive around lowered gates. It's illegal and deadly. If the gate is down, the road is closed.
When you're walking...
• Always stop, look, and listen for trains before crossing the tracks and be sure to look both ways.
• Never walk down a train track. It's illegal and dangerous. It can take a mile or more to stop a freight train, so by the time an engineer can see a trespasser or a vehicle on the tracks, it is too late.
• Cross tracks ONLY at designated pedestrian or roadway crossings and obey all warning signs and signals. If you cross at any other place, you are trespassing and can be ticketed or fined.
If you have children...
• Talk to them about railroads and teach the importance of crossing the tracks safely. "Stop, look and listen" is an important message for them to understand.
• Know the facts. Make sure that everyone in your family knows all these safety rules.
Visit allsystemsgo.capmetro.org/capital-metrorail-safety.shtml or stayoffthetracks.com for more information on Capital MetroRail safety.
Read more
Monday, May 4, 2009
The June Jump
Capital Metro was recognized during the opening session of the American Public Transportation Association annual conference in Seattle yesterday. We received a 2009 Bus Safety Awards Certificate of Merit for a bus operator safety program that has been successful in reducing collisions.
Since 2005, Capital Metro has implemented a safety outreach program each May and June to combat what we've called the June Jump. Data for several years prior to 2005 showed that collision accidents spiked every year during June. Other transit agencies in Texas all experienced the same phenomenon. Our safety team, led by Director of Safety & Security Mark Ostertag, researched the factors that may contribute to accidents in June, and developed a tailored bus operator training program to help curb the June Jump. Consequently, in the first two years after implementing the program, June accidents dropped 53 percent from the average of the three years prior.
You may be wondering, like I was, what makes June more hazardous than other months.
1. School is out. A greater number of higher-risk (teen) drivers are out on the road.
2. It starts getting really hot in June, and studies have shown that as temperatures rise, so does aggressive behavior.
3. June has the longest hours of daylight of the entire year, and glare is a significant concern during June.
4. June is the peak of vacation season, and out-of-town vacationers (who may be unfamiliar with our streets, or trying to read a map while they drive) driving around Austin increase by several thousand.
5. June is consistently one of the two highest months for DWI and DUI arrests.
6. Austin receives the second highest amount of rainfall in June, and wet roads make for slippery roads. Read more
Since 2005, Capital Metro has implemented a safety outreach program each May and June to combat what we've called the June Jump. Data for several years prior to 2005 showed that collision accidents spiked every year during June. Other transit agencies in Texas all experienced the same phenomenon. Our safety team, led by Director of Safety & Security Mark Ostertag, researched the factors that may contribute to accidents in June, and developed a tailored bus operator training program to help curb the June Jump. Consequently, in the first two years after implementing the program, June accidents dropped 53 percent from the average of the three years prior.
You may be wondering, like I was, what makes June more hazardous than other months.
1. School is out. A greater number of higher-risk (teen) drivers are out on the road.
2. It starts getting really hot in June, and studies have shown that as temperatures rise, so does aggressive behavior.
3. June has the longest hours of daylight of the entire year, and glare is a significant concern during June.
4. June is the peak of vacation season, and out-of-town vacationers (who may be unfamiliar with our streets, or trying to read a map while they drive) driving around Austin increase by several thousand.
5. June is consistently one of the two highest months for DWI and DUI arrests.
6. Austin receives the second highest amount of rainfall in June, and wet roads make for slippery roads. Read more
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Capital MetroRail Update
Yesterday at the Capital Metro Board meeting, Executive Vice President Doug Allen presented an update on MetroRail progress. Capital Metro and Veolia have made significant headway to ready the Red Line for passengers.
* The agency has received the official waiver letter from the Federal Railroad Administration that allows Capital Metro to operate the system when all the components are ready.
* Train engineers have been certified on the operation of MetroRail vehicles, and dispatchers have been certified on the use of the Centralized Traffic Control system.
* Veolia has hired a new safety director, Randy Jamieson, with extensive experience in freight and passenger rail operations.
* Capital Metro has completed a comprehensive inspection of rail system components along the entire 32-mile line.
Doug also outlined the "critical path" to startup, as visualized in this chart.
The agency is working with the city to complete the installation and testing of signal preemption technology that will synchronize rail and traffic signals at several major intersections. In addition, Capital Metro is working to improve shunting, which controls the timing of the crossing arms and the ability of rail dispatchers to monitor trains along the system. Both shunting and signal preemption are key components to the successful operation of Capital MetroRail. Read more
* The agency has received the official waiver letter from the Federal Railroad Administration that allows Capital Metro to operate the system when all the components are ready.
* Train engineers have been certified on the operation of MetroRail vehicles, and dispatchers have been certified on the use of the Centralized Traffic Control system.
* Veolia has hired a new safety director, Randy Jamieson, with extensive experience in freight and passenger rail operations.
* Capital Metro has completed a comprehensive inspection of rail system components along the entire 32-mile line.
Doug also outlined the "critical path" to startup, as visualized in this chart.
The agency is working with the city to complete the installation and testing of signal preemption technology that will synchronize rail and traffic signals at several major intersections. In addition, Capital Metro is working to improve shunting, which controls the timing of the crossing arms and the ability of rail dispatchers to monitor trains along the system. Both shunting and signal preemption are key components to the successful operation of Capital MetroRail. Read more
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
A Million Miles
"Congratulations, Leo." That is what I heard from many well-wishers (they did wish me well) last week on my crossing over the million mile safety record. I am looking forward to receiving my green patch to wear on my uniform. Really. It feels like being awarded a merit badge from the Boy Scouts (I'm guessing it feels good for Girl Scouts, too) for something you worked hard for. That is my feeling about it. Call me a sentimentalist. Or don't. Capital Metro has quite a number of million milers. And also a few two million milers. A million miles is almost equal to two round trips to the moon, and it takes 13 years of safe driving to achieve it. What is amusing, a little not a lot, is that I drove the million miles going north, south, east and west all over Austin. I am glad Capital Metro acknowledges our accomplishments. I can compare this with being in the Marine Corps (I was in the Marines). Both are quick to reward you for your achievement.
I want to thank my friend Erica for asking me to write for the Capital Metro blog. Thanks! I will do my best to stay inside the theme of "pi," at least my interpretation of pi. And that is the relationship of things, situations or people around me and how it pertains to or affects me. And now if you will excuse me, I have to drive the bus. Read more
I want to thank my friend Erica for asking me to write for the Capital Metro blog. Thanks! I will do my best to stay inside the theme of "pi," at least my interpretation of pi. And that is the relationship of things, situations or people around me and how it pertains to or affects me. And now if you will excuse me, I have to drive the bus. Read more
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Thorough judging from every angle
At each challenge on the obstacle course, judges evaluate the operator's performance. There are also three judges onboard the bus. The team of judges working on "Death on the Yard's" bus included bus operators Leo Guerrero and Debbie Teague, and Safety & Security Director Mark Ostertag.
Leo was judging safety habits, like the use of turn signals and seat belt. He's been with Capital Metro since 1995 and just earned his Million Mile safety award. Debbie also joined Capital Metro in 1995, and her role today was to judge smoothness of operation. For example, during my turn behind the wheel, I got a little happy with the brakes once, and so Debbie was obliged to deduct a few points. Mark was the timekeeper--he's been with us for 10 years, and this is the 10th local roadeo he's helped to produce. The roadeo is one component of a comprehensive safety and training program at Capital Metro that produces our team of safe, courteous, and responsible drivers. Read more
Leo was judging safety habits, like the use of turn signals and seat belt. He's been with Capital Metro since 1995 and just earned his Million Mile safety award. Debbie also joined Capital Metro in 1995, and her role today was to judge smoothness of operation. For example, during my turn behind the wheel, I got a little happy with the brakes once, and so Debbie was obliged to deduct a few points. Mark was the timekeeper--he's been with us for 10 years, and this is the 10th local roadeo he's helped to produce. The roadeo is one component of a comprehensive safety and training program at Capital Metro that produces our team of safe, courteous, and responsible drivers. Read more
Friday, March 20, 2009
Canceling the March 28 celebration
We received some more disappointing news today, and in the interests of safety, Capital Metro has decided to cancel the community celebration next Saturday, March 28.
Here's the statement from President/CEO Fred Gilliam today:
“Capital Metro received notification today from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) of additional alleged violations against rail contractor Veolia Transportation. This is an addition to the previous violations we learned about last Friday.
At this time, I am not satisfied with the progress Veolia has made with safety and training. Capital Metro is absolutely committed to safety. Following extensive discussions with Veolia, the FRA, TxDOT as well as Capital MetroRail staff, I have just notified our Board of Directors that I am taking the following steps:
The MetroRail celebration event planned for Saturday, March 28 is cancelled.
Capital Metro has called for Veolia to replace its safety director.
Capital Metro is bringing in rail experts from Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to assist with startup operations and safety implementation. They have experience with thirteen previous rail launches.
Capital MetroRail staff will continue testing enhancements to the signal system.
By May 15, Capital Metro will report back to the community with the status of the project and an action plan.
Capital Metro is deeply disappointed over this delay, but under no circumstances will we jeopardize safety by rushing this process.”
Read more
Here's the statement from President/CEO Fred Gilliam today:
“Capital Metro received notification today from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) of additional alleged violations against rail contractor Veolia Transportation. This is an addition to the previous violations we learned about last Friday.
At this time, I am not satisfied with the progress Veolia has made with safety and training. Capital Metro is absolutely committed to safety. Following extensive discussions with Veolia, the FRA, TxDOT as well as Capital MetroRail staff, I have just notified our Board of Directors that I am taking the following steps:
The MetroRail celebration event planned for Saturday, March 28 is cancelled.
Capital Metro has called for Veolia to replace its safety director.
Capital Metro is bringing in rail experts from Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to assist with startup operations and safety implementation. They have experience with thirteen previous rail launches.
Capital MetroRail staff will continue testing enhancements to the signal system.
By May 15, Capital Metro will report back to the community with the status of the project and an action plan.
Capital Metro is deeply disappointed over this delay, but under no circumstances will we jeopardize safety by rushing this process.”
Read more
Thursday, March 19, 2009
<15 feet = $200!!
Last month, the Austin Police Department held a press conference to draw attention to the dumb (and illegal) things drivers do near railroad tracks, like drive around the gates, park on the tracks, etc. At the press conference, APD promised they would be cracking down on motorists who park on the tracks, first by giving warnings and then by writing traffic tickets. Police officers are making good on that promise. Beginning this month, they've been handing out warnings to drivers who park too close, or on, the tracks. It's kind of a no-brainer not to park on the tracks, but you might not know that it's actually illegal to be within 15 feet of the rail. If you're closer than that, the crossing arm may be coming down right on your car if a train approaches.
APD's warning includes some lifesaving tips:
When you're in a car:
Be careful turning across train tracks — it's where more accidents happen.
Never race a train to a crossing — you will never have a second chance if you lose and even it you tie, you lose.
Expect a train on any track at any time — if a train goes by at a multiple track crossing, watch out for a second train on the other tracks, approaching in either direction.
Don't anticipate lights or creep out at rail intersections — and never, ever drive around the crossing gates.
When Capital Metro's Red Line begins full service, the police will start ticketing. That's the other important bit of info on the warning: if you do it again you might be shelling out $200! Read more
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Red Line Debut Delayed
Yesterday, Capital Metro received notification from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) of allegations issued against our rail contractor Veolia Transportation. The allegations are in reference to incidents in February where two Veolia rail supervisors operating MetroRail trains entered a section of track without prior authorization during system testing.
Veolia is investigating this matter thoroughly and working with the FRA and TxDOT to address this issue.
Based on this incident and additional issues identified during rail testing over the past several weeks, Capital Metro will allow more time for Veolia to complete the training of engineers and dispatchers and additional testing of the rail line. Capital Metro is working with Veolia to establish a revised timeline for the start of service initially planned for Monday, March 30.
The ribbon-cutting communitywide celebration of MetroRail on Saturday, March 28, will move forward as planned. Learn more about the event on our Web site.
Veolia Transportation issued a statement about the FRA allegations. Read the statement here. Read more
Veolia is investigating this matter thoroughly and working with the FRA and TxDOT to address this issue.
Based on this incident and additional issues identified during rail testing over the past several weeks, Capital Metro will allow more time for Veolia to complete the training of engineers and dispatchers and additional testing of the rail line. Capital Metro is working with Veolia to establish a revised timeline for the start of service initially planned for Monday, March 30.
The ribbon-cutting communitywide celebration of MetroRail on Saturday, March 28, will move forward as planned. Learn more about the event on our Web site.
Veolia Transportation issued a statement about the FRA allegations. Read the statement here. Read more
Monday, March 9, 2009
Rail Safety Poster Winners
Tonight, at the AISD board meeting, 12 Central Texas students will be honored for the artwork they submitted in the Capital Metro Rail Safety Poster Competition.
Becca Coplen, an eighth grader at Canyon Vista Middle School, is the grand prize winner for the middle school category.
Earlier this year, Capital Metro and its volunteer coalition GROW (Grassroots Rail Outreach Working Group) invited students to submit artwork in a rail safety poster competition. Three winning designs (one each representing elementary, middle and high school campuses) will be printed and hung in every school campus and public library located within two miles of the Capital MetroRail tracks.
Kayleigh Treanor, a senior at Austin High School, won the grand prize in the high school category.
Six first-place and six second-place designs were chosen. First-place winners will each receive a laptop computer donated by Dell. Second-place winners will each receive a pair of running shoes donated by RunTex.
Cindy Carrosco, a fifth grader at Blackshear Elementary School, won the grand prize in the elementary school category.
The poster contest is part of an ongoing rail safety effort that began more than two years ago and has blanketed the community with messages about rail safety. When the Capital MetroRail Red Line begins service on March 30, train traffic along the tracks will increase significantly, and MetroRail trains are faster and quieter than freight locomotives.
1st Place Winners
Kayleigh Treanor, Austin High School, Grade 12
Becca Coplen, Canyon Vista Middle School, Grade 8
Cameron Henderson, Kealing Middle School, Grade 6
Cindy Carrosco, Blackshear Elementary School, Grade 5
David Hernandez, Blackshear Elementary School, Grade 3
Jaylin Mason, Blackshear Elementary School, Grade 1
2nd Place Winners
Rene Salazar, San Juan Diego Catholic High School, Grade 11
Kristin May, Running Brushy Middle School, Grade 8
Gustavo Lang, Running Brushy Middle School, Grade 6
Gerardo Torres, Blackshear Elementary School, Grade 5
Jonathan Garcia, Blackshear Elementary School, Grade 3
Stella Behal, Maplewood Elementary School, Grade 2
Honorary Participant
Cristal Garcia Marchan, Metz Elementary School, Grade 5
The students will be recognized today, March 9, at 6:15 p.m. (before the AISD Board Meeting) in the Board Auditorium at the Carruth Administration Center, 1111 W 6th. St., Room B-100.
During the Citizen’s Communication portion of the Board Meeting (roughly 7:15), Capital Metro will acknowledge the contest winners and their schools. Read more
Becca Coplen, an eighth grader at Canyon Vista Middle School, is the grand prize winner for the middle school category. Earlier this year, Capital Metro and its volunteer coalition GROW (Grassroots Rail Outreach Working Group) invited students to submit artwork in a rail safety poster competition. Three winning designs (one each representing elementary, middle and high school campuses) will be printed and hung in every school campus and public library located within two miles of the Capital MetroRail tracks.
Kayleigh Treanor, a senior at Austin High School, won the grand prize in the high school category.Six first-place and six second-place designs were chosen. First-place winners will each receive a laptop computer donated by Dell. Second-place winners will each receive a pair of running shoes donated by RunTex.
Cindy Carrosco, a fifth grader at Blackshear Elementary School, won the grand prize in the elementary school category.The poster contest is part of an ongoing rail safety effort that began more than two years ago and has blanketed the community with messages about rail safety. When the Capital MetroRail Red Line begins service on March 30, train traffic along the tracks will increase significantly, and MetroRail trains are faster and quieter than freight locomotives.
1st Place Winners
Kayleigh Treanor, Austin High School, Grade 12
Becca Coplen, Canyon Vista Middle School, Grade 8
Cameron Henderson, Kealing Middle School, Grade 6
Cindy Carrosco, Blackshear Elementary School, Grade 5
David Hernandez, Blackshear Elementary School, Grade 3
Jaylin Mason, Blackshear Elementary School, Grade 1
2nd Place Winners
Rene Salazar, San Juan Diego Catholic High School, Grade 11
Kristin May, Running Brushy Middle School, Grade 8
Gustavo Lang, Running Brushy Middle School, Grade 6
Gerardo Torres, Blackshear Elementary School, Grade 5
Jonathan Garcia, Blackshear Elementary School, Grade 3
Stella Behal, Maplewood Elementary School, Grade 2
Honorary Participant
Cristal Garcia Marchan, Metz Elementary School, Grade 5
The students will be recognized today, March 9, at 6:15 p.m. (before the AISD Board Meeting) in the Board Auditorium at the Carruth Administration Center, 1111 W 6th. St., Room B-100.
During the Citizen’s Communication portion of the Board Meeting (roughly 7:15), Capital Metro will acknowledge the contest winners and their schools. Read more
Thursday, February 26, 2009
MetroRail Testing Update
Capital Metro is in the process of extensively testing each component of the MetroRail system in preparation for the launch of service anticipated for March 30. Thorough testing allows us to identify and resolve any issues that may arise. When issues are resolved, Capital Metro’s rail operator will complete training of dispatchers and engineers and we will finalize rail schedules.
As part of this testing Capital Metro discovered an issue with shunting, the circuit detection system that activates as a train moves on the tracks. Shunting allows dispatchers to properly dispatch trains and controls crossing signals. To resolve this issue, we brought in a nationally recognized shunting expert to recommend remedies.
As other issues arise during testing, Capital Metro will work diligently to resolve them to ensure a safe, reliable passenger rail system. Safety will always the top priority in any decisions we make that may potentially affect the anticipated start of service on March 30. Click here to view the MetroRail status update presented at the Board of Directors meeting February 25.
Read more
As part of this testing Capital Metro discovered an issue with shunting, the circuit detection system that activates as a train moves on the tracks. Shunting allows dispatchers to properly dispatch trains and controls crossing signals. To resolve this issue, we brought in a nationally recognized shunting expert to recommend remedies.
As other issues arise during testing, Capital Metro will work diligently to resolve them to ensure a safe, reliable passenger rail system. Safety will always the top priority in any decisions we make that may potentially affect the anticipated start of service on March 30. Click here to view the MetroRail status update presented at the Board of Directors meeting February 25.
Read more
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
DO NOT STOP ON THE TRACKS!
One more time: Do not stop on the tracks. We can never say this enough. Today Capital Metro participated in an Austin Police Department rail safety news conference near the 51st Street crossing. TV cameras captured many shots of people stopping on the railroad tracks. At one point, cars were stopped on the tracks as the gates were coming down and a train was approaching.
I hope that having images like these on TV will help raise awareness about rail safety:
Note the moped on the tracks in this one:
Read more
Thursday, February 5, 2009
"This is only a test"
If you happened to be traveling on 183 through Leander last Thursday, you may have done a double take at the Leander Station. Several fire engines, police vehicles and ambulances were on the scene participating in a Capital MetroRail emergency preparedness drill.
The scenario: A car has collided with the MetroRail train at the Leander Station crossing. Eighty passengers onboard the train, as well as the driver of the car, have varying degrees of injury. Ready? And, go!
At 10:58 a.m., the train engineer called into dispatch to report the collision, and thus set in motion the drill. Within minutes the Leander Police Department was on the scene, followed by the fire department and EMS. The drill lasted almost four hours, and every angle of the response was analyzed and evaluated by safety experts.
What was the point? Obviously the main answer is to help us prepare for this kind of situation. "It's new," says Leander Deputy Fire Chief Bill Gardner. "It gives us a good opportunity to practice a unified approach." If a crisis of this magnitude actually occurred, it would require the help of and response by multiple departments in surrounding communities.
Following the drill, the participants debriefed and got useful feedback from the evaluators. A few other drills are planned between now and the Red Line debut on March 30.
Here is some footage from the drill taken by Joe Wrubleski in Capital Metro's training department. In the video, yours truly plays the part of newscaster. Note to self: don't give up day job.
Read more
The scenario: A car has collided with the MetroRail train at the Leander Station crossing. Eighty passengers onboard the train, as well as the driver of the car, have varying degrees of injury. Ready? And, go!
At 10:58 a.m., the train engineer called into dispatch to report the collision, and thus set in motion the drill. Within minutes the Leander Police Department was on the scene, followed by the fire department and EMS. The drill lasted almost four hours, and every angle of the response was analyzed and evaluated by safety experts.
What was the point? Obviously the main answer is to help us prepare for this kind of situation. "It's new," says Leander Deputy Fire Chief Bill Gardner. "It gives us a good opportunity to practice a unified approach." If a crisis of this magnitude actually occurred, it would require the help of and response by multiple departments in surrounding communities.
Following the drill, the participants debriefed and got useful feedback from the evaluators. A few other drills are planned between now and the Red Line debut on March 30.
Here is some footage from the drill taken by Joe Wrubleski in Capital Metro's training department. In the video, yours truly plays the part of newscaster. Note to self: don't give up day job.
Read more
Friday, January 23, 2009
This is (not) an Emergency
“This is MetroRail #104. I just had a collision with a car at the Metro Drive crossing, and people are injured.” That’s more or less what one of our train engineers will say when he or she contacts rail dispatchers on Thursday morning around 10 o’clock. Fortunately, this is just a test. Capital Metro will stage a rail emergency drill at the crossing by the entrance to the Leander station.
It’ll be a great opportunity for Capital Metro and the first responders to practice coordinated emergency procedures in a “live” situation. We’ll try to make this as realistic as possible. Here’s the scenario: a car speeds through a railroad crossing and is struck by a train. The engineer notifies dispatch, then the dispatcher calls 9-1-1. There will be mock victims with a varying level of injuries and perhaps a few other surprises that we won’t mention ahead of time since you don’t get that kind of advanced warning in a real emergency.
Following the rescue efforts, there will be a debriefing to critique the operation. You can spend years preparing for emergencies—and believe me, we have— but you never know for sure what will happen if and when you ever have to put those plans into action.
Capital Metro meets regularly with the various police, fire and other emergency responders in the area to focus on rail safety and emergency preparedness. Thursday’s drill is just one part of the overall safety and emergency plan.
I wouldn’t want to post something about rail safety without also encouraging you to review these safety tips. I’m sure you’ve heard these things before. But despite the fact that it’s dangerous and illegal to walk on railroad tracks or drive around railroad gates, people still do it.
Read more
It’ll be a great opportunity for Capital Metro and the first responders to practice coordinated emergency procedures in a “live” situation. We’ll try to make this as realistic as possible. Here’s the scenario: a car speeds through a railroad crossing and is struck by a train. The engineer notifies dispatch, then the dispatcher calls 9-1-1. There will be mock victims with a varying level of injuries and perhaps a few other surprises that we won’t mention ahead of time since you don’t get that kind of advanced warning in a real emergency.
Following the rescue efforts, there will be a debriefing to critique the operation. You can spend years preparing for emergencies—and believe me, we have— but you never know for sure what will happen if and when you ever have to put those plans into action.
Capital Metro meets regularly with the various police, fire and other emergency responders in the area to focus on rail safety and emergency preparedness. Thursday’s drill is just one part of the overall safety and emergency plan.
I wouldn’t want to post something about rail safety without also encouraging you to review these safety tips. I’m sure you’ve heard these things before. But despite the fact that it’s dangerous and illegal to walk on railroad tracks or drive around railroad gates, people still do it.
Read more
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
To Tree or not to Tree
The Statesman ran a story today about the removal of some trees on Capital Metro property near the railroad tracks. Good story.
The most important thing to remember here is that we’re talking about safety and federal regulations. Imagine if you were in your car approaching a major intersection and your view of a traffic light or stop sign is blocked by a tree. The consequences could be deadly. A train operator has to have a clear view of signals too.
We're required to clear any obstructions in these circumstances:
Line of sight to crossing signals: Train operators must have a clear view of all crossing signals and gates up to 20-seconds prior to reaching a crossing so the train has time to stop if the signals are malfunctioning. Drivers on the road must also have a clear view of all signals, signs and gates.
Line of sight to train signals: These are the signals that train operators look out for so they know whether they must stop or keep moving. Operators must have a clear view of all signals. Most signals on Capital Metro's line are placed within 12 to 16 feet from the center of the track and are about 12 feet tall. In areas with straight track, the line of sight could be as long as a half-mile from the signal itself.
Operating envelope clearance: There cannot be any obstructions within the operating envelope of a train. The size of the operating envelope varies depending on the curve of the track. The industry standard is 10-feet from the center of the track on each side and 22-feet high.
Failure to remove obstructions could result in a serious safety situation as well as violations from the Federal Railroad Administration.
MetroRail staff will continue to work closely with the landscape contractor to make sure that crews only remove what’s absolutely necessary to comply with the federal regs. And as the story mentioned, we’ll work with neighborhood groups to try to let them know in advance if there’s going to be any major trimming happening nearby.
Read more
The most important thing to remember here is that we’re talking about safety and federal regulations. Imagine if you were in your car approaching a major intersection and your view of a traffic light or stop sign is blocked by a tree. The consequences could be deadly. A train operator has to have a clear view of signals too.
We're required to clear any obstructions in these circumstances:
Line of sight to crossing signals: Train operators must have a clear view of all crossing signals and gates up to 20-seconds prior to reaching a crossing so the train has time to stop if the signals are malfunctioning. Drivers on the road must also have a clear view of all signals, signs and gates.
Line of sight to train signals: These are the signals that train operators look out for so they know whether they must stop or keep moving. Operators must have a clear view of all signals. Most signals on Capital Metro's line are placed within 12 to 16 feet from the center of the track and are about 12 feet tall. In areas with straight track, the line of sight could be as long as a half-mile from the signal itself.
Operating envelope clearance: There cannot be any obstructions within the operating envelope of a train. The size of the operating envelope varies depending on the curve of the track. The industry standard is 10-feet from the center of the track on each side and 22-feet high.
Failure to remove obstructions could result in a serious safety situation as well as violations from the Federal Railroad Administration.
MetroRail staff will continue to work closely with the landscape contractor to make sure that crews only remove what’s absolutely necessary to comply with the federal regs. And as the story mentioned, we’ll work with neighborhood groups to try to let them know in advance if there’s going to be any major trimming happening nearby.
Read more
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Happy New Year - Don't Blow Your Horn
It’s going to get a little quieter along part of the Capital MetroRail line beginning January 1. More importantly, safety will be enhanced as well. A new federally-approved quiet zone will take effect at these crossings: Block House Drive, New Hope Drive, RM 1431, Discovery Boulevard, Park Street and Brushy Creek Road.
Once the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approves a quiet zone, trains are no longer required to sound horns at those crossings. As part of Capital Metro’s commitment to safety and to reduce noise near neighborhoods, crews have been upgrading the safety technology at many crossings up and down the 32-mile line.
Many of the crossings now have (or soon will have) quad gates which prevent cars from driving around lowered gates, like this:
Upgraded safety systems like quad gates allow for the possibility of quiet zones. But simply adding quad gates doesn’t automatically initiate a quiet zone. It’s actually up to the local jurisdictions, not Capital Metro, to submit quiet zone applications to the FRA. After the initial application there is a 60-day comment period. Then the applicant files a letter of establishment followed by a 20-day notification period before the quiet zone is official. That process is now complete for those Cedar Park crossings listed above.
Quiet zones already are in effect at crossings in the City of Leander. In Austin, the City has submitted quiet zone paperwork for crossings from McNeil Drive to Gracy Farms Road, and from Hwy. 183 to Downtown.
Once a quiet zone takes effect, that doesn’t mean you won’t hear train horns. Train operators will still sound the horn in emergency situations such as when there’s a car or pedestrian on the tracks. Unfortunately, people make the dangerous and illegal mistake of walking on railroad tracks. MetroRail trains are lighter, quieter and faster than freight trains – another good reason to stay off the tracks.
This is just a small sample of some of the rules. The regulations are very thorough, all for one good reason: safety. The details are available on the FRA’s site.
Read more
Once the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approves a quiet zone, trains are no longer required to sound horns at those crossings. As part of Capital Metro’s commitment to safety and to reduce noise near neighborhoods, crews have been upgrading the safety technology at many crossings up and down the 32-mile line.
Many of the crossings now have (or soon will have) quad gates which prevent cars from driving around lowered gates, like this:
Upgraded safety systems like quad gates allow for the possibility of quiet zones. But simply adding quad gates doesn’t automatically initiate a quiet zone. It’s actually up to the local jurisdictions, not Capital Metro, to submit quiet zone applications to the FRA. After the initial application there is a 60-day comment period. Then the applicant files a letter of establishment followed by a 20-day notification period before the quiet zone is official. That process is now complete for those Cedar Park crossings listed above.
Quiet zones already are in effect at crossings in the City of Leander. In Austin, the City has submitted quiet zone paperwork for crossings from McNeil Drive to Gracy Farms Road, and from Hwy. 183 to Downtown.
Once a quiet zone takes effect, that doesn’t mean you won’t hear train horns. Train operators will still sound the horn in emergency situations such as when there’s a car or pedestrian on the tracks. Unfortunately, people make the dangerous and illegal mistake of walking on railroad tracks. MetroRail trains are lighter, quieter and faster than freight trains – another good reason to stay off the tracks.
This is just a small sample of some of the rules. The regulations are very thorough, all for one good reason: safety. The details are available on the FRA’s site.
Read more
Friday, December 5, 2008
An Exhaustive Look at Railcar Safety
We spotted an article recently in R&D magazine about the extraordinary safety measures in the design of Stadler’s GTW railcars. Capital Metro will use the same type of vehicle for MetroRail service that begins in March.
The story is highly technical, but it’s a good read if you really appreciate the nitty-gritty details of crashworthiness testing. It definitely highlights the modern safety technology that we have in place for our upcoming passenger rail system. I'll paste the article below.
Now If you’re not ready to get into the highly technical details and prefer something more fun on a Friday, then definitely read Misty’s post about Uncle Skulky and friends who will greet passengers on the rail platforms in Portland.
---------------------------
Realistic Simulation Makes a Safe Impact on Train Design
Swiss-based Stadler Rail Group produces about 700 light and commuter rail vehicles per year. All of its products meet stringent requirements governing safety equipment, strength of train units (cars and engines), and, above all, passenger and crew protection from the forces of impact.
But with a recent order from the Netherlands for 43 of the latest generation of Stadler’s GTW articulated rail cars, the company faced a new challenge: the train units had to meet as-yet unreleased crashworthiness standards that the country had adopted in advance of their approval by the European reviewing committee. Among the requirements was that the units provide passenger zone protection during a 36 km/h front-end collision between two units with a vertical offset of up to 40 mm.
Two developments drove the new requirements. First, head-on impacts could easily include a small offset because two train units had differing amounts of wheel wear or braking inclination. A second reason was more urgent: a recent numerical simulation of an offset collision indicated that the previous design of a crash module (a safety device on the front of the train car) might not prevent damage to the passenger zone of the train units during such an impact.
“Numerical simulation suggested that the crash module could undergo global shear deformation and fail at the fixation point, falling off the front structure,” says Alois Starlinger, head of structural analysis, testing, and certification at Stadler. “In such a shear-mode failure, the module would not absorb any significant energy.” In a worst-case scenario, both trains would then climb over each other, deforming the passenger zones severely.
To satisfy the new safety requirement—which is scheduled to become the standard throughout Europe in 2008—Stadler designed a new crash module with an anti-climb feature. Engineers validated the module design through a combination of dynamic physical testing and simulations in Abaqus finite element analysis (FEA) software from the SIMULIA brand of Dassault Systèmes, Providence, R.I.
A “crash” design project
The crash module is a slightly tapered rectangular tube that is 12 in high and wide at the front, 30 in long, and 14 in high and wide at the rear, where it is welded to an end plate bolted onto the crash wall of the train unit. Partitions divide the module into chambers that provide stability to counter eccentric forces. On the front of the module are five horizontally aligned teeth, 70 mm apart with a depth of 40 mm, which are designed to engage the teeth of a similar module on an oncoming rail car and prevent climb.
Once the teeth have engaged, the rest of the crash module is optimized for controlled structural deformation from the front to the back. Targeted slots on the sides create intentional weak points that initiate buckling and subsequent energy absorption. In developing the design, engineers built on lessons learned while producing crash modules for previous generations of GTWs.
For the new design, the engineers selected the aluminum alloy AW 5754. This alloy combines low yield strength with good plastic forming characteristics, enabling it to undergo large deformations without fracture. An important engineering goal was to create modules that could absorb up to 900 kJ of a crash impact while decelerating the train unit at 5 g (g-forces) or less as far as was practicable.
To capture the material behavior of the module, Stadler extracted information from its own materials database, compiled from exacting physical tests. Engineers incorporated the data into an Abaqus model and calibrated the metals simulation still further by extracting aluminum samples from a series version crash module and testing the samples to create stress-strain curves. By comparing these curves to results generated by Abaqus simulations, the engineers were able to fine-tune the behavior of the FEA so that it closely matched the real-world characteristics of the aluminum alloy in a crash module.
The engineers were then ready to build a model of the crash module and analyze its behavior on impact. Simulation of the head-on offset impact followed a number of parameters:
-Collision masses (train units): 100,000 kg each;
-Closing speed (combined speed): 36 km/h;
-Maximum energy to be absorbed by crash components of both train units: 2,230 kJ ; and
-Maximum energy to be absorbed by a single train unit: 1,115 kJ.
Because of the complexity of the analysis, engineers chose to run nonlinear dynamic simulations with Abaqus/Explicit so that they could observe the elastic-plastic behavior of the metal, measure progressive damage and failure of welding, analyze the large deformations of the module, and model contact and friction. ?“Abaqus was able to capture all the forces and materials behavior we needed,” Starlinger says. “General contact capabilities of the software were particularly useful.”
The finite element model and the analysis task before it were both dauntingly large. There were 450,000 elements in the model, and the dynamic simulations captured a period of 0.4 sec broken down into 200,000 “snapshots.” To promote a speedy run time, the engineers ran the software on an SGI Altix 350 with four Itanium processors with activated parallel processing.
Train units were modeled in 3-D with running bogies (wheel, axle, and frame assemblies) and suspension characteristics to capture any lift-off of the wheels and axles on impact. Contact conditions were defined between the wheels and the rails, as well as between the bogies and the train unit body. Forces applied on impact by attached articulated units were modeled axially with 1-D elements and mass elements.
Safe, speedy arrival at results
Abaqus simulation results correlate very well with physical dynamic tests. The anti-climb teeth prevent either train unit from moving over the other, and the module body undergoes controlled deformation to absorb 1.1 MJ. Aluminum buckling decelerates the train unit at an average of 1.25 g.
“Our goal was to achieve an overall compressive strength for the train unit to 1,500 kN, without undergoing any yield and deformation in the passenger structure,” Starlinger says. “In fact, our crashworthiness engineering improved the compressive strength to about 3,600 kN, with only small amounts of plastic deformation in the passenger zone.” He adds, “And we proved out the anti-climb device against offsets as high as 80 mm.”
In addition to the accuracy of the Abaqus simulations, their fast run time (18-46 hr) was important. “We were able to release the crash module for production exactly eight months after the contract was signed,” Starlinger says. “The whole GTW Arriva went into operation ten months later, which is probably a record for starting a design from scratch in passenger train service.” Six units of the same GTW model have recently been sold to Capital Metro in Austin, Texas.
Stadler plans to build on its experience and continue making each new train design safer than the last. Starlinger sees Abaqus software as an important part of that process. “In its own way,” Stadler says, “FEA is now as essential to ensuring train safety as brakes are.”
—Nick O'Donohoe is a technology writer based in Providence, R.I.
Read more
The story is highly technical, but it’s a good read if you really appreciate the nitty-gritty details of crashworthiness testing. It definitely highlights the modern safety technology that we have in place for our upcoming passenger rail system. I'll paste the article below.
Now If you’re not ready to get into the highly technical details and prefer something more fun on a Friday, then definitely read Misty’s post about Uncle Skulky and friends who will greet passengers on the rail platforms in Portland.
---------------------------
Realistic Simulation Makes a Safe Impact on Train Design
Swiss-based Stadler Rail Group produces about 700 light and commuter rail vehicles per year. All of its products meet stringent requirements governing safety equipment, strength of train units (cars and engines), and, above all, passenger and crew protection from the forces of impact.
But with a recent order from the Netherlands for 43 of the latest generation of Stadler’s GTW articulated rail cars, the company faced a new challenge: the train units had to meet as-yet unreleased crashworthiness standards that the country had adopted in advance of their approval by the European reviewing committee. Among the requirements was that the units provide passenger zone protection during a 36 km/h front-end collision between two units with a vertical offset of up to 40 mm.
Two developments drove the new requirements. First, head-on impacts could easily include a small offset because two train units had differing amounts of wheel wear or braking inclination. A second reason was more urgent: a recent numerical simulation of an offset collision indicated that the previous design of a crash module (a safety device on the front of the train car) might not prevent damage to the passenger zone of the train units during such an impact.
“Numerical simulation suggested that the crash module could undergo global shear deformation and fail at the fixation point, falling off the front structure,” says Alois Starlinger, head of structural analysis, testing, and certification at Stadler. “In such a shear-mode failure, the module would not absorb any significant energy.” In a worst-case scenario, both trains would then climb over each other, deforming the passenger zones severely.
To satisfy the new safety requirement—which is scheduled to become the standard throughout Europe in 2008—Stadler designed a new crash module with an anti-climb feature. Engineers validated the module design through a combination of dynamic physical testing and simulations in Abaqus finite element analysis (FEA) software from the SIMULIA brand of Dassault Systèmes, Providence, R.I.
A “crash” design project
The crash module is a slightly tapered rectangular tube that is 12 in high and wide at the front, 30 in long, and 14 in high and wide at the rear, where it is welded to an end plate bolted onto the crash wall of the train unit. Partitions divide the module into chambers that provide stability to counter eccentric forces. On the front of the module are five horizontally aligned teeth, 70 mm apart with a depth of 40 mm, which are designed to engage the teeth of a similar module on an oncoming rail car and prevent climb.
Once the teeth have engaged, the rest of the crash module is optimized for controlled structural deformation from the front to the back. Targeted slots on the sides create intentional weak points that initiate buckling and subsequent energy absorption. In developing the design, engineers built on lessons learned while producing crash modules for previous generations of GTWs.
For the new design, the engineers selected the aluminum alloy AW 5754. This alloy combines low yield strength with good plastic forming characteristics, enabling it to undergo large deformations without fracture. An important engineering goal was to create modules that could absorb up to 900 kJ of a crash impact while decelerating the train unit at 5 g (g-forces) or less as far as was practicable.
To capture the material behavior of the module, Stadler extracted information from its own materials database, compiled from exacting physical tests. Engineers incorporated the data into an Abaqus model and calibrated the metals simulation still further by extracting aluminum samples from a series version crash module and testing the samples to create stress-strain curves. By comparing these curves to results generated by Abaqus simulations, the engineers were able to fine-tune the behavior of the FEA so that it closely matched the real-world characteristics of the aluminum alloy in a crash module.
The engineers were then ready to build a model of the crash module and analyze its behavior on impact. Simulation of the head-on offset impact followed a number of parameters:
-Collision masses (train units): 100,000 kg each;
-Closing speed (combined speed): 36 km/h;
-Maximum energy to be absorbed by crash components of both train units: 2,230 kJ ; and
-Maximum energy to be absorbed by a single train unit: 1,115 kJ.
Because of the complexity of the analysis, engineers chose to run nonlinear dynamic simulations with Abaqus/Explicit so that they could observe the elastic-plastic behavior of the metal, measure progressive damage and failure of welding, analyze the large deformations of the module, and model contact and friction. ?“Abaqus was able to capture all the forces and materials behavior we needed,” Starlinger says. “General contact capabilities of the software were particularly useful.”
The finite element model and the analysis task before it were both dauntingly large. There were 450,000 elements in the model, and the dynamic simulations captured a period of 0.4 sec broken down into 200,000 “snapshots.” To promote a speedy run time, the engineers ran the software on an SGI Altix 350 with four Itanium processors with activated parallel processing.
Train units were modeled in 3-D with running bogies (wheel, axle, and frame assemblies) and suspension characteristics to capture any lift-off of the wheels and axles on impact. Contact conditions were defined between the wheels and the rails, as well as between the bogies and the train unit body. Forces applied on impact by attached articulated units were modeled axially with 1-D elements and mass elements.
Safe, speedy arrival at results
Abaqus simulation results correlate very well with physical dynamic tests. The anti-climb teeth prevent either train unit from moving over the other, and the module body undergoes controlled deformation to absorb 1.1 MJ. Aluminum buckling decelerates the train unit at an average of 1.25 g.
“Our goal was to achieve an overall compressive strength for the train unit to 1,500 kN, without undergoing any yield and deformation in the passenger structure,” Starlinger says. “In fact, our crashworthiness engineering improved the compressive strength to about 3,600 kN, with only small amounts of plastic deformation in the passenger zone.” He adds, “And we proved out the anti-climb device against offsets as high as 80 mm.”
In addition to the accuracy of the Abaqus simulations, their fast run time (18-46 hr) was important. “We were able to release the crash module for production exactly eight months after the contract was signed,” Starlinger says. “The whole GTW Arriva went into operation ten months later, which is probably a record for starting a design from scratch in passenger train service.” Six units of the same GTW model have recently been sold to Capital Metro in Austin, Texas.
Stadler plans to build on its experience and continue making each new train design safer than the last. Starlinger sees Abaqus software as an important part of that process. “In its own way,” Stadler says, “FEA is now as essential to ensuring train safety as brakes are.”
—Nick O'Donohoe is a technology writer based in Providence, R.I.
Read more
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Letter from the FRA
This week Capital Metro’s president/CEO Fred Gilliam received a letter from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) with an update on the status of our ongoing work with the agency that has federal oversight of rail systems. Some quick background: FRA safety regulations are based on larger, heavier, locomotive-hauled trains typically used for freight operations. Since Capital Metro is using lighter trains for MetroRail service, we are submitting documentation that demonstrates that our rail cars have equivalent safety measures. Here’s the letter:
October 10, 2008
Dear Mr. Gilliam:
Thank you for your September 23, 2008, letter responding to the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) February 19, 2008, ruling on the Capital Metro Transportation Authority (CMTA) petition for waiver. Your letter accurately describes the excellent working relationship that has developed between CMTA and FRA staff, and acknowledges the challenging work ahead.
The CMTA Revenue Service Requirements List attached to your letter was developed by CMTA and FRA representatives during the September 3 and 4, 2008, technical meeting. The list represents, to the best of our knowledge, the remaining issues to be addressed before revenue service. More importantly, however, the list contains acceptable strategies for closing each item that will result in a safe and efficient transportation system for the citizens of greater Austin.
FRA agrees with CMTA’s suggested approach to work off the remaining issues through individual document and white paper submissions. We expect that the forthcoming submissions will establish compliance or demonstrate equivalent safety with respect to our regulations. FRA will attempt to review and respond to each submission as quickly as possible in support of CMTA’s construction and revenue service milestones. At this time, we have not identified any concerns that could potentially delay a successful startup.
Thank you for your continued cooperation. We look forward to working with you to resolve these remaining issues. Please contact Mr. Robert Lauby or Mr. John Mardente if you have questions of concerns regarding the submissions.
Sincerely,
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety and Program Development
Federal Railroad Administration
Read more
October 10, 2008
Dear Mr. Gilliam:
Thank you for your September 23, 2008, letter responding to the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) February 19, 2008, ruling on the Capital Metro Transportation Authority (CMTA) petition for waiver. Your letter accurately describes the excellent working relationship that has developed between CMTA and FRA staff, and acknowledges the challenging work ahead.
The CMTA Revenue Service Requirements List attached to your letter was developed by CMTA and FRA representatives during the September 3 and 4, 2008, technical meeting. The list represents, to the best of our knowledge, the remaining issues to be addressed before revenue service. More importantly, however, the list contains acceptable strategies for closing each item that will result in a safe and efficient transportation system for the citizens of greater Austin.
FRA agrees with CMTA’s suggested approach to work off the remaining issues through individual document and white paper submissions. We expect that the forthcoming submissions will establish compliance or demonstrate equivalent safety with respect to our regulations. FRA will attempt to review and respond to each submission as quickly as possible in support of CMTA’s construction and revenue service milestones. At this time, we have not identified any concerns that could potentially delay a successful startup.
Thank you for your continued cooperation. We look forward to working with you to resolve these remaining issues. Please contact Mr. Robert Lauby or Mr. John Mardente if you have questions of concerns regarding the submissions.
Sincerely,
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety and Program Development
Federal Railroad Administration
Read more
Sunday, October 5, 2008
How Safe Are the Rails?
On today's front page, the Austin American-Statesman took a closer look at Capital MetroRail safety:
How safe are the rails?
By Ben Wear
Even for Texans caught up in the approach and violent arrival of Hurricane Ike, the Sept. 12 images of twisted train cars in Southern California and news of the collision's toll — 25 dead, dozens more seriously injured after a freight train and a commuter train hit head-on — were sobering.
With Central Texas on the cusp of having its own passenger rail service, how likely is it that a calamity like that could occur here after Capital Metro begins service next year?
Unlikely to the point of near impossibility, says Capital Metro's rail manager, given that passenger trains will run during the day and freight trains only at night, and that the agency is taking several measures to ensure that freight trains — all of which are operated by Capital Metro — will be quarantined outside the 32-mile Red Line corridor when it's time to carry people.
But Capital Metro has other safety challenges. The MetroRail passenger trains will run in both directions between Leander and downtown Austin during the morning and evening rush hours on what is primarily a single thread of track. So, the agency will have to depend on a few stretches of siding tracks, signals, electronic monitoring and good communication to ensure that two passenger trains don't collide.
Then there are automobiles — public streets cross the track at 61 places along the route, along with 14 privately owned crossings — and pedestrians to avoid. "The toughest thing to predict is the vehicular traffic," said Bill Le Jeune, Capital Metro's director of commuter rail and railroad management. "You just don't know when you're going to meet the next idiot. But one thing I say with confidence is we aren't going to meet a freight. Because we're going to lock them out."
Keeping passenger trains from hitting one another will be the most urgent issue. Capital Metro plans to initiate service on March 30; the trains are expected to have about 2,000 boardings a day. At least initially, Capital Metro plans to run passenger trains every 30 minutes, with the first trains leaving from Leander in the morning and from downtown Austin in the afternoon. There are no plans for midday or weekend service in the beginning.
However, there will be some trains going the opposite direction during both rush hours. To accommodate this, Capital Metro will have siding tracks 3,000 feet to more than a mile long at the Leander station and at three intermediate points: at the MLK Jr. Boulevard station in East Austin, at the Kramer Lane station in North Austin and just south of the Lakeline Boulevard station in Northwest Austin. The locations were chosen based on those 30-minute intervals to minimize or eliminate train delays, Le Jeune said.
This is how it's supposed to work: Trains would arrive at the MLK and Kramer stations and, after letting passengers disembark and board, would face a red light. A train operator would have to make a conscious decision to ignore the light and get the train moving. This is in contrast to the situation in the California wreck and on shared tracks across the country where the engineer of a moving train has to actually spot a warning or stop light and then act to stop the train.
The station stop lights (or a light along the track south of the Lakeline station) would not switch to "go" mode until the train heading the opposite way had safely passed. That might sometimes require a wait of several minutes, Le Jeune said. But he said the train forced to wait would always be the one running against the rush-hour flow — the train heading to Leander in the morning or to Austin in the afternoon.
In all, Capital Metro is building 3.6 miles of siding track. The agency says it will spend $6 million on sidings but only $3.3 million of that is for passenger rail. The rest, spokesman Adam Shaivitz said, is a freight rail cost.
If Capital Metro were to buy more trains so that it could increase capacity by running in 15-minute intervals, more sidings would have to be built to accommodate more such passing maneuvers, Le Jeune said. Capital Metro officials said this week that their long-term intention is to build a second track from downtown to the Howard Lane station in North Austin, but it is not clear when that would happen.
What if an error occurs and engineers on a passenger train see a train ahead? The Federal Railroad Administration earlier this year, concerned about the strength of Capital Metro rail cars' superstructures, mandated that the cars run at no more than 60 mph on the Red Line. The agency had been hoping to run them at up to 75 mph on more rural stretches north of Howard Lane.
The Swiss-manufactured cars, according to data provided by Capital Metro, can stop much more quickly than a freight train or a typical two-decker commuter train powered by a locomotive.
Even at 60 mph, Capital Metro's rail cars can stop within 600 feet, the agency says. A typical commuter train in that situation would need 1,200 feet to stop, the agency says, and a long and loaded freight train would lumber on for more than 3,700 feet. The agency says the MetroRail passenger trains are likely to travel at 45 mph or less in the urban sections.
Capital Metro, in response to federal regulators' concerns that the fuel tank attached to the bottom of each passenger train might rupture in a wreck and cause a fire, agreed to install a protective steel cage around each tank. However, the agency has federal permission to wait to do so on its first six cars until it orders more cars.
The cars also have a feature requiring the train operator to respond every 30 seconds to a signal within the cab. If there is no response, because the operator is asleep or otherwise incapacitated, the train will automatically shut down its power and brake to a stop.
Agency controls all freight trains
Capital Metro has no plans to install "positive train controls," devices that automatically shut down trains (or allow dispatchers to do so from afar) when a train bypasses a stop signal or otherwise ventures where it shouldn't go. In the wake of the Sept. 12 Metrolink disaster in California, some safety advocates have been calling for widespread installation of the devices, which the railroad industry has long resisted because of the cost.
Told about Capital Metro's plans, Barry Sweedler, a San Francisco-based transportation safety consultant, said the agency "has a pretty good handle on the freight situation."
A key distinction: Capital Metro's track will have only freight trains run by the agency's subcontractor and thus directly under the control of agency dispatchers. Metrolink shares the Southern California track with freight trains from many companies.
Sweedler said that 90 percent of the roughly 3,000 rail accidents reported each year are caused by human error: drug use, fatigue, inattentiveness, miscommunication. The train engineer thought to have caused the Metrolink accident had more than 20 years of experience, according to Le Jeune, who used to work on the Metrolink system. The engineer might have been distracted; he sent a text message on his cell phone 22 seconds before the crash, investigators said last week.
Without a system that can shut down a train when it enters a danger zone, "anything can happen," said Sweedler, a former National Transportation Safety Board accident investigator.
Such systems, Sweedler said, can cost as much as $35,000 per train. He said it's harder to estimate the additional cost of associated dispatch and track equipment because of different central control systems.
"What we're going to have is 'positive separation,' " Le Jeune said.
Capital Metro's track is 162 miles long, extending far west and east of the 32 miles that will have passenger service. The agency, using subcontractors, has run a freight operation for years, primarily hauling rock from the Hill Country.
Capital Metro is installing "derails" at either end of the passenger corridor, switches that dispatchers would activate early each morning when the switch from freight to passenger service is about to occur. A freight train approaching the corridor during passenger service hours would encounter this derail switch and be routed off the track. "It just derails the train off into the ditch," Le Jeune said. The system will have two derail switches within the passenger rail corridor should the need arise to cordon off another section of the track. The cost of the four derail switches: $900,000.
But what if afreight train happens to be within the 32 miles when it's time for MetroRail to run? Le Jeune said dispatchers will have two ways electronically to spot them.
Each of the agency's 14 freight locomotives (as well as the self-propelled passenger cars, which can carry 108 seated passengers and 90 or so standees) will have global positioning devices, allowing dispatchers to see where they are. In addition, Le Jeune said, the agency has electric "track circuits" on its freight trains that show if a train is within certain segments of the line. Finally, dispatchers will conduct a roll call of all freight trains before passenger service begins at 5 a.m. weekdays.
The likeliest candidates for a collision with a train? Cars and trucks at the 75 places Capital Metro's rail line crosses roads or private drives. Up to now, motorists have had to worry about only a handful of rumbling freight trains each day, moving half as fast as (or slower than) the passenger trains to come. Even so, Le Jeune said that in his eight years at Capital Metro, cars on three occasions have slammed into the side of a freight train on the Llano-to-Giddings track.
The problem, quite often, is that impatient motorists will drive around the signal arm blocking their side of the road when a train is approaching. To prevent that, Capital Metro in the past four years has installed "quad" gates at 38 intersections at a cost of $150,000 to $250,000 per intersection. With four arms in place, two per side of the track, cars can't get by. The other 23 public crossings will have more typical dual gates. The private crossings will have signal lights, old-fashioned railroad crossing signs or, at seldom-used crossings, chains blocking the way.
As for pedestrians, Capital Metro is installing almost 24,000 feet of chain-link fencing along the line (covering about 7 percent of the run), all between U.S. 183 and downtown Austin. The fencing will have breaks at cross streets, so people determined to walk along the tracks will be able to do so. The agency has put signs in the rail right of way warning of the faster, quieter trains to come.
And Capital Metro officials for months have been making presentations at the 71 schools within two miles of the line, telling children that "tracks are for trains, not for playing games." Working with Girl Scout officials, they even managed to create a train safety patch.
How safe are the rails?
By Ben Wear
Even for Texans caught up in the approach and violent arrival of Hurricane Ike, the Sept. 12 images of twisted train cars in Southern California and news of the collision's toll — 25 dead, dozens more seriously injured after a freight train and a commuter train hit head-on — were sobering.
With Central Texas on the cusp of having its own passenger rail service, how likely is it that a calamity like that could occur here after Capital Metro begins service next year?
Unlikely to the point of near impossibility, says Capital Metro's rail manager, given that passenger trains will run during the day and freight trains only at night, and that the agency is taking several measures to ensure that freight trains — all of which are operated by Capital Metro — will be quarantined outside the 32-mile Red Line corridor when it's time to carry people.
But Capital Metro has other safety challenges. The MetroRail passenger trains will run in both directions between Leander and downtown Austin during the morning and evening rush hours on what is primarily a single thread of track. So, the agency will have to depend on a few stretches of siding tracks, signals, electronic monitoring and good communication to ensure that two passenger trains don't collide.
Then there are automobiles — public streets cross the track at 61 places along the route, along with 14 privately owned crossings — and pedestrians to avoid. "The toughest thing to predict is the vehicular traffic," said Bill Le Jeune, Capital Metro's director of commuter rail and railroad management. "You just don't know when you're going to meet the next idiot. But one thing I say with confidence is we aren't going to meet a freight. Because we're going to lock them out."
Keeping passenger trains from hitting one another will be the most urgent issue. Capital Metro plans to initiate service on March 30; the trains are expected to have about 2,000 boardings a day. At least initially, Capital Metro plans to run passenger trains every 30 minutes, with the first trains leaving from Leander in the morning and from downtown Austin in the afternoon. There are no plans for midday or weekend service in the beginning.
However, there will be some trains going the opposite direction during both rush hours. To accommodate this, Capital Metro will have siding tracks 3,000 feet to more than a mile long at the Leander station and at three intermediate points: at the MLK Jr. Boulevard station in East Austin, at the Kramer Lane station in North Austin and just south of the Lakeline Boulevard station in Northwest Austin. The locations were chosen based on those 30-minute intervals to minimize or eliminate train delays, Le Jeune said.
This is how it's supposed to work: Trains would arrive at the MLK and Kramer stations and, after letting passengers disembark and board, would face a red light. A train operator would have to make a conscious decision to ignore the light and get the train moving. This is in contrast to the situation in the California wreck and on shared tracks across the country where the engineer of a moving train has to actually spot a warning or stop light and then act to stop the train.
The station stop lights (or a light along the track south of the Lakeline station) would not switch to "go" mode until the train heading the opposite way had safely passed. That might sometimes require a wait of several minutes, Le Jeune said. But he said the train forced to wait would always be the one running against the rush-hour flow — the train heading to Leander in the morning or to Austin in the afternoon.
In all, Capital Metro is building 3.6 miles of siding track. The agency says it will spend $6 million on sidings but only $3.3 million of that is for passenger rail. The rest, spokesman Adam Shaivitz said, is a freight rail cost.
If Capital Metro were to buy more trains so that it could increase capacity by running in 15-minute intervals, more sidings would have to be built to accommodate more such passing maneuvers, Le Jeune said. Capital Metro officials said this week that their long-term intention is to build a second track from downtown to the Howard Lane station in North Austin, but it is not clear when that would happen.
What if an error occurs and engineers on a passenger train see a train ahead? The Federal Railroad Administration earlier this year, concerned about the strength of Capital Metro rail cars' superstructures, mandated that the cars run at no more than 60 mph on the Red Line. The agency had been hoping to run them at up to 75 mph on more rural stretches north of Howard Lane.
The Swiss-manufactured cars, according to data provided by Capital Metro, can stop much more quickly than a freight train or a typical two-decker commuter train powered by a locomotive.
Even at 60 mph, Capital Metro's rail cars can stop within 600 feet, the agency says. A typical commuter train in that situation would need 1,200 feet to stop, the agency says, and a long and loaded freight train would lumber on for more than 3,700 feet. The agency says the MetroRail passenger trains are likely to travel at 45 mph or less in the urban sections.
Capital Metro, in response to federal regulators' concerns that the fuel tank attached to the bottom of each passenger train might rupture in a wreck and cause a fire, agreed to install a protective steel cage around each tank. However, the agency has federal permission to wait to do so on its first six cars until it orders more cars.
The cars also have a feature requiring the train operator to respond every 30 seconds to a signal within the cab. If there is no response, because the operator is asleep or otherwise incapacitated, the train will automatically shut down its power and brake to a stop.
Agency controls all freight trains
Capital Metro has no plans to install "positive train controls," devices that automatically shut down trains (or allow dispatchers to do so from afar) when a train bypasses a stop signal or otherwise ventures where it shouldn't go. In the wake of the Sept. 12 Metrolink disaster in California, some safety advocates have been calling for widespread installation of the devices, which the railroad industry has long resisted because of the cost.
Told about Capital Metro's plans, Barry Sweedler, a San Francisco-based transportation safety consultant, said the agency "has a pretty good handle on the freight situation."
A key distinction: Capital Metro's track will have only freight trains run by the agency's subcontractor and thus directly under the control of agency dispatchers. Metrolink shares the Southern California track with freight trains from many companies.
Sweedler said that 90 percent of the roughly 3,000 rail accidents reported each year are caused by human error: drug use, fatigue, inattentiveness, miscommunication. The train engineer thought to have caused the Metrolink accident had more than 20 years of experience, according to Le Jeune, who used to work on the Metrolink system. The engineer might have been distracted; he sent a text message on his cell phone 22 seconds before the crash, investigators said last week.
Without a system that can shut down a train when it enters a danger zone, "anything can happen," said Sweedler, a former National Transportation Safety Board accident investigator.
Such systems, Sweedler said, can cost as much as $35,000 per train. He said it's harder to estimate the additional cost of associated dispatch and track equipment because of different central control systems.
"What we're going to have is 'positive separation,' " Le Jeune said.
Capital Metro's track is 162 miles long, extending far west and east of the 32 miles that will have passenger service. The agency, using subcontractors, has run a freight operation for years, primarily hauling rock from the Hill Country.
Capital Metro is installing "derails" at either end of the passenger corridor, switches that dispatchers would activate early each morning when the switch from freight to passenger service is about to occur. A freight train approaching the corridor during passenger service hours would encounter this derail switch and be routed off the track. "It just derails the train off into the ditch," Le Jeune said. The system will have two derail switches within the passenger rail corridor should the need arise to cordon off another section of the track. The cost of the four derail switches: $900,000.
But what if afreight train happens to be within the 32 miles when it's time for MetroRail to run? Le Jeune said dispatchers will have two ways electronically to spot them.
Each of the agency's 14 freight locomotives (as well as the self-propelled passenger cars, which can carry 108 seated passengers and 90 or so standees) will have global positioning devices, allowing dispatchers to see where they are. In addition, Le Jeune said, the agency has electric "track circuits" on its freight trains that show if a train is within certain segments of the line. Finally, dispatchers will conduct a roll call of all freight trains before passenger service begins at 5 a.m. weekdays.
The likeliest candidates for a collision with a train? Cars and trucks at the 75 places Capital Metro's rail line crosses roads or private drives. Up to now, motorists have had to worry about only a handful of rumbling freight trains each day, moving half as fast as (or slower than) the passenger trains to come. Even so, Le Jeune said that in his eight years at Capital Metro, cars on three occasions have slammed into the side of a freight train on the Llano-to-Giddings track.
The problem, quite often, is that impatient motorists will drive around the signal arm blocking their side of the road when a train is approaching. To prevent that, Capital Metro in the past four years has installed "quad" gates at 38 intersections at a cost of $150,000 to $250,000 per intersection. With four arms in place, two per side of the track, cars can't get by. The other 23 public crossings will have more typical dual gates. The private crossings will have signal lights, old-fashioned railroad crossing signs or, at seldom-used crossings, chains blocking the way.
As for pedestrians, Capital Metro is installing almost 24,000 feet of chain-link fencing along the line (covering about 7 percent of the run), all between U.S. 183 and downtown Austin. The fencing will have breaks at cross streets, so people determined to walk along the tracks will be able to do so. The agency has put signs in the rail right of way warning of the faster, quieter trains to come.
And Capital Metro officials for months have been making presentations at the 71 schools within two miles of the line, telling children that "tracks are for trains, not for playing games." Working with Girl Scout officials, they even managed to create a train safety patch.
Kelly West/AMERICAN-STATESMAN - Capital Metro had hoped to run its trains up to 75 mph, but the Federal Railroad Administration said the Swiss-made cars may not exceed 60 mph on the Red Line.
Jay Janner/AMERICAN-STATESMAN - Capital Metro's single thread of railroad track is 162 miles long, used now by freight trains. MetroRail will use 32 miles for its rush-hour passenger service between Austin and Leander.
[Blog editor's note: This represents MetroRail stopping distance under normal stopping conditions. In an emergency, an engineer would be able to stop the train in about half the distance of what's indicated on the red line in this chart.]
Dual gates
Traditional two-armed gates will be installed at 23 intersections of public streets, primarily lesser traveled roadways.
Quad gates
Quad gates — with four arms that prevent cars from driving around the lowered barriers when a train is approaching — have been installed at 38 busy intersections.
Signals and signs
The 14 private roads and driveways that intersect the rail line will have signs or blinking lights to warn cars of approaching trains or, in some cases where a road is used only occasionally, it will be blocked with chains.
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