Table of Contents 

NRC Conference Registration & Information; Sponsorship Opportunities Still Available 

FRA Issues Industry-Wide Safety Advisory on Roadway Worker Authority Limits 

Railway Age Features Past NRC Project of the Year Winners' Successful Working Practices on Transit Projects 

Caltrain Releases Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project Final Environmental Impact Report 

Twin Cities' Green Line Extension Reaches Local Funding Commitments 

IL, OH Authorize Project Funding for Grade Crossing Projects

Palmetto Railways Issues Intermodal Crane Sourcing Notice 

Unitrac Names Phil Pietrandrea as President 

NRC Conference Registration & Information; Sponsorship Opportunities Still Available

Registration for the NRC Conference & NRC-REMSA Exhibition - January 7-10, 2015 at the Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, FL is open and available at www.nrcma.org/form3.cfm or click here to download a pdf registration form. Early registration discounts are available until December 15, after which member registration increases to $650. To view a draft conference program, visit: http://www.nrcma.org/download.cfm?ID=28376. For a list of registered attendees, please visit http://www.nrcma.org/ps.nrcconference.cfm?ID=2393.       

NRC Membership - Conference registration and exhibit booths rates for NRC members are significantly discounted. If your company is not already a member of the NRC, you may join online at: www.nrcma.org/form4.cfm.  

NRC Conference Sponsorships are still available. We encourage you to take advantage of this unique marketing opportunity to showcase your company in front of an audience of Class I's, short line railroads, rail contractors, rail suppliers, and professional service firms. The NRC offers Event and General Sponsorships. To see which sponsorships are still available, visit: www.nrcma.org/go/sponsor. 

Booths are sold out for the NRC-REMSA Exhibition. To be added to the exhibitor waitlist contact Urszula Soucie at 202-715-2921 or soucie@remsa.org.

 The NRC room block at the Diplomat Resort & Spa is full. To be placed on the waitlist for a room in the NRC room block, call 954-602-8700 Monday-Friday, 8am to 6pm. It is typical that some rooms will open up in the block as the conference date approaches, so please do consider the waitlist as a viable option. Be sure to mention that you are with the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Conference. A list of recommended backup hotels in the Hollywood, FL area may be found at: www.nrcma.org/go/backuphotels.

The 2015 NRC Golf Tournament will be Friday, January 9 at 12pm at the Jacaranda Golf Club. For more information and to register visit http://www.nrcma.org/ps.nrcconference.cfm?ID=167. 

The 2015 NRC Fishing Tournament will be held on Friday, January 9 from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. For more information and to register visit http://www.nrcma.org/ps.nrcconference.cfm?ID=2371. 

Information and registration for the additional Seminars at the conference can be found at:  http://www.nrcma.org/ps.nrcconference.cfm?ID=2137. These seminars are held in addition to the scheduled conference program and include - RWT, Inc.'s Train-the-Trainer, Finance, Estimating, and Risk Management Seminars. 

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FRA Issues Industry-Wide Safety Advisory on Roadway Worker Authority Limits      

On 11/25/14 the FRA issued Safety Advisory 2014-02 on Roadway Worker Authority Limits. This safety advisory re-emphasizes the importance of clear communication and compliance with applicable rules and procedures regarding roadway worker authority limits on controlled track. FRA believes it is necessary to issue this advisory in light of miscommunication and errors involved in recent roadway worker incidents that occurred at locations that were either outside of authority limits or within authority limits that were no longer protected due to dispatcher error. This safety advisory recommends that railroads monitor their employees for compliance with existing applicable rules and procedures and that they also examine their train dispatching systems, rules, and procedures to ensure that appropriate safety redundancies are in place in the event of miscommunication or error. In addition, this safety advisory recommends that if a railroad determines that appropriate safety redundancies are not in place, the railroad should adopt electronic technology that would provide appropriate safety redundancies, and adopt certain interim safety measures and procedures at least until such technology is in place.

There are three safety measures in the advisory designed to reduce incidents that FRA expects railroads to take action on immediately:

1. Increase monitoring of their employees for compliance with existing applicable rules and procedures.
2. Examine train dispatching systems, rules, and procedures to ensure that appropriate safety redundancies are in place.
3. If a railroad determines that appropriate safety redundancies are not in place, adopt electronic technology-such as the Enhanced Employee Protection System, Hi-Rail Limits Compliance System, and the Train Approach Warning System-that would provide appropriate safety redundancies.

Until such technologies are in place, railroads should stress importance of dispatchers being advised of roadway workers' whereabouts and work plans; forbid student dispatchers from removing blocking devises until confirmed by a supervisor; and that, prior to passing any absolute signal, a roadway worker should verify the limits of his or her authority.

FRA believes Positive Train Control would have prevented the incidents described in the Safety Advisory. However, where Positive Train Control is not in effect, FRA recommends that railroads adopt one or more electronic technologies that may serve to fill the technology gap and safeguard roadway workers.

For the full advisory please visit: https://federalregister.gov/a/2014-27955   

Sources: FRA, Federal Register

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