Due to delays with a couple stations and the signaling system, a revised opening date for MetroRail service is March 30.
Austin Business Journal: MetroRail now set to launch March 30
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Central Texas Commuter Rail
Started by
eastsider
, Apr 02 2005 04:13 PM
61 replies to this topic
#62
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Posted 21 March 2009 - 03:12 PM
The start of the commuter rail line has been postponed indefinitely due to federal safety violations and technical difficulties.
http://www.statesman...21capmetro.html
CAPITAL METRO
Rail opening on indefinite hold
Further rule violations, system glitches cause delay. Agency accused of making 'scapegoat' of contractor
By Ben Wear
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Capital Metro said Friday that it is indefinitely delaying the opening of its Leander-to-downtown-Austin rail service in the wake of further allegations of federal safety violations and because of continued technical problems.
In addition, the transit agency called on Veolia Transportation, its rail operations contractor, to fire its local safety director. Capital Metro is bringing in rail officials from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which has a dozen commuter rail lines in the greater Boston area, "to assist with startup operations and safety implementation."
Festivities to celebrate the opening that were scheduled for next weekend at all nine rail stations have been canceled. They were to include short demonstration rides for the public.
The opening, which has been pushed back several times, now has no target day.
"By May 15, Capital Metro will report back to the community with the status of the project and an action plan," an agency news release said.
A week ago, the Federal Railroad Administration began an investigation into a February incident in which two Veolia train engineers drove their MetroRail trains into a section of track without getting proper clearance. According to Capital Metro rail operations director Bill Le Jeune, they realized their error after a third of a mile, stopped, got proper clearance and then moved on. The violations could result in federal and state fines for Veolia.
Capital Metro then decided to delay the March 30 rail opening by as much as a month but said opening events set for March 27 and March 28 would proceed. But on Thursday, according to Le Jeune, the railroad administration accused Veolia of seven violations, alleging irregularities related to"efficiency testing" and poor documentation of hearing and vision tests on workers. On Friday, Capital Metro, which is still trying to fix a problem with signal crossing gates that in some cases don't come down quickly enough, applied the brakes to the project.
Those efficiency tests, Le Jeune said, involve testing workers on rules and procedures. Veolia, he said, had not done all required testing.
Veolia officials noted that the company is the majority owner of the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co., the passenger rail operator for the Boston transit agency that Capital Metro is bringing in to help.
"That's ironic because we run that system," said Ron Hartman, executive vice president for rail with Veolia. Veolia's five-year contract there was recently extended three years.
Hartman said Veolia disputes the allegation that its efficiency testing was inadequate and will make that case to federal regulators. He said that the hearing and vision tests had been done and that documents supporting that will be filed immediately.
Hartman also said that the replacement of the safety director was already under way and that Capital Metro was told that about two weeks ago.
http://www.statesman...21capmetro.html
CAPITAL METRO
Rail opening on indefinite hold
Further rule violations, system glitches cause delay. Agency accused of making 'scapegoat' of contractor
By Ben Wear
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Capital Metro said Friday that it is indefinitely delaying the opening of its Leander-to-downtown-Austin rail service in the wake of further allegations of federal safety violations and because of continued technical problems.
In addition, the transit agency called on Veolia Transportation, its rail operations contractor, to fire its local safety director. Capital Metro is bringing in rail officials from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which has a dozen commuter rail lines in the greater Boston area, "to assist with startup operations and safety implementation."
Festivities to celebrate the opening that were scheduled for next weekend at all nine rail stations have been canceled. They were to include short demonstration rides for the public.
The opening, which has been pushed back several times, now has no target day.
"By May 15, Capital Metro will report back to the community with the status of the project and an action plan," an agency news release said.
A week ago, the Federal Railroad Administration began an investigation into a February incident in which two Veolia train engineers drove their MetroRail trains into a section of track without getting proper clearance. According to Capital Metro rail operations director Bill Le Jeune, they realized their error after a third of a mile, stopped, got proper clearance and then moved on. The violations could result in federal and state fines for Veolia.
Capital Metro then decided to delay the March 30 rail opening by as much as a month but said opening events set for March 27 and March 28 would proceed. But on Thursday, according to Le Jeune, the railroad administration accused Veolia of seven violations, alleging irregularities related to"efficiency testing" and poor documentation of hearing and vision tests on workers. On Friday, Capital Metro, which is still trying to fix a problem with signal crossing gates that in some cases don't come down quickly enough, applied the brakes to the project.
Those efficiency tests, Le Jeune said, involve testing workers on rules and procedures. Veolia, he said, had not done all required testing.
Veolia officials noted that the company is the majority owner of the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co., the passenger rail operator for the Boston transit agency that Capital Metro is bringing in to help.
"That's ironic because we run that system," said Ron Hartman, executive vice president for rail with Veolia. Veolia's five-year contract there was recently extended three years.
Hartman said Veolia disputes the allegation that its efficiency testing was inadequate and will make that case to federal regulators. He said that the hearing and vision tests had been done and that documents supporting that will be filed immediately.
Hartman also said that the replacement of the safety director was already under way and that Capital Metro was told that about two weeks ago.
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