Fighting for Life-Saving Change

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May 2009

Court allows suit over North Dakota train derailment

Posted Tue, 05/19/2009 - 11:31

Canadian Pacific Railway's attempt to block a lawsuit was denied by the Supreme Court. Residents of Minot, ND are filing the lawsuit against CP, whose train derailed in 2002 and released toxic anhydrous ammonia farm fertilizer into the air over the city. The toxic fumes killed one local man and caused damage to several other residents.

In 2006, a U.S district judge ruled that federal law protected CP from any claims that might arise from the derailment. However, the federal law changed the same year. Now, the Supreme Court has denied that CP is protected.

CN Railway under-reporting train problems?

Posted Wed, 05/13/2009 - 17:27

Chicagoland municipalities are claiming that Canadian National Railway has failed to disclose all of the accidents and delays that occurred earlier this year at their grade crossings. The Regional Answer to Canadian National (TRAC) claims that CN did not account for numerous incidents - at least 18 delays due to gate malfunctions, and a handful of accidents, including a brush fire started from track sparks which caused damage to a building, several trailers, and a vehicle.

Maryland woman survives train versus car collision

Posted Mon, 05/11/2009 - 10:49

25-year-old Cemile Valencia of Rockville, MD survived a deadly collision at a railroad crossing on Friday. Valencia was driving along Randolph Road when traffic came to a stop just as she began crossing the tracks. A MARC train approached and Valencia tried moving her car off the tracks - to no avail against the stopped traffic. The train hit the passenger side of her car causing major damage. Valencia, 7 months pregnant, suffered only minor injuries, and her unborn child is unharmed. None of the 540 train passengers were hurt.

Massachusetts trolley crash may lead to cell phone ban

Posted Sat, 05/09/2009 - 16:01

A train trolley crash underneath downtown Boston left 50 passengers injured last Friday. The conductor admitted that he was looking down at the time of the crash as he was texting his girlfriend. Officials are cracking down - the head of the Boston-area transit authority is pushing for a ban on cell phone usage for any employee working aboard mass transit carriers (buses and trains).

Three family members in train-car collision survive without injuries

Posted Wed, 05/06/2009 - 15:31

Three members of a Hannibal, MO family - a father, his 4-year-old daughter, and his 2-year-old son, were headed back from a fishing trip on Tuesday when they began crossing a railroad crossing at the wrong time. Their van was immediately pummeled by an incoming train. Amazingly, though the van was destroyed, no one in the family was injured. The crossing itself is outfitted with flashing lights but no protective gate.

Iowa man hit on tracks

Posted Fri, 05/01/2009 - 16:52

A Waverly, IA man came to a railroad crossing in his vehicle and, neither seeing nor hearing a train (and being prevented by no gate or light), proceeded to cross the track. Sound reasonable? We think so too. There was in fact a train coming, however, and the broadside of his car was struck by the train, inflicting injuries on the man and destroying the vehicle.