Federal Railroad Administration Awards $1 Million Rail Safety Grant to Operation Lifesaver, Inc.
Posted by Lou on Aug 6, 2009
Thursday, August 06, 2009 (Washington, DC ) Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo today announced a $1,015,000 grant for Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI), providing the Alexandria, VA-based nonprofit organization support to continue its wide-ranging public education outreach efforts to raise awareness about the potential hazards at grade crossings and the dangers of illegal trespassing on railroad property.
In 2008, there were 2,395 grade crossing incidents resulting in 287 deaths, as well as 453 deaths due to rail trespassing, slightly fewer than similar incidents in 2007.
“Despite decreases in the number of train-vehicle collisions, promoting railroad safety is as important as ever,” Administrator Szabo said. “Through this sustained public-private partnership, OLI, with the support of the Federal Railroad Administration, will continue to draw attention to the devastating and irreversible consequences of trespassing, the leading cause of rail-related deaths in America.”
OLI’s initiatives include State Assistance Programs, which provide grants to individual state programs that support railroad safety awareness programs, training and education programs for presenters, and communications programs. In the past, OLI’s efforts have successfully increased public awareness through presentations, training, and public service announcements. OLI recently announced new initiatives to aid its efforts, including projects designed to target new and nontraditional audiences at the state and local level—training, a new safety video for professional drivers, and most notably the “Common Sense” campaign, which includes an interactive website, internet ads, videos, and local events aimed at informing youth about the risks of trespassing.
This grant supports the goals of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation’s Action Plan for Highway Rail Grade Crossing Safety and Trespass Prevention, and the recently enacted Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, which provides a roadmap for guiding federal, state, local, industry, and other entities in combating these problems.
Source: Federal Railroad Administration
Disaster Assistance Grants Awarded to States to Cover Costs of Railroad Emergency Repairs Following Natural Disasters
Posted by Lou on May 27, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009 (Washington, DC)
Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo today announced the award of $15 million to nine states for emergency repairs to damaged railroad infrastructure resulting from natural disasters.
Funding from the Federal Railroad Administrations (FRA) Railroad Rehabilitation and Repair Program (RRRP) will go to state Departments of Transportation to reimburse short line and regional railroads for the cost of repairs.
“Freight railroads are critical to local economies and we are committed to helping them restore rail service after a major disruption,” said Szabo. “This funding will help the carriers defray repair costs and keep the trains running.”
Funds awarded under the RRRP can cover up to 80 percent of the total cost of a selected project, with the remainder to be provided from non-federal sources. Grants may be used to repair bridges, signals and other infrastructure which are part of the general rail transportation system. The grant recipients are as follows:
Vice President Biden, Railroad Administrator, Members of Congress Announce Funding for Amtrak in Recovery Act
Posted by Lou on Mar 16, 2009
Standing at Washington, DC’s Union Station, one of the most traveled railway stations in the nation, Vice President Joe Biden announced that Amtrak will receive $1.3 billion in grant funding from the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to expand passenger rail capacity. He was joined by Jo Strang, Acting Federal Railroad Administrator, along with several members of Congress, including: Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA); Senator John Kerry (D-MA); Senator John D. Rockefeller, IV (D-W.Va); Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL); Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ); Senator Ted Kaufman (D-DE); Congressman Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.); Congresswoman Corrine Brown (D-FL); Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD); Congressman Rick Larsen (D-WA); Congressman Christopher Carney (D-PA); and Congressman Andre Carson (D-IN).
