The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has updated its technical guidance concerning level crossings with effect from December 2011. The updated guidance which remains substabtively the same can be found on the ORR website at: www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/level_crossings_guidance.pdf.

(December 15th, 2011)

 

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is to audit Canadian National’s (CN) Co.'s progress in maintaining and upgrading the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern (EJ&E) railway it purchased in 2009 (LXinfo January 2009). The audit was agreed to during the process leading to the federal STB approving the acquisition.

In a statement, the STB says that the audit will focus on the information in CN's operational reports for the months of November and December 2011, and on CN's fourth-quarter 2011 environmental report. The audit will include an evaluation of CN's progress in delivering level crossing improvements and related road closures.

A previous STB audit found that CN had under-reported the number of delays at level crossings along the EJ&E right-of-way. As a result of under-reporting CN was fined USD 0.25 million by the STB.

(December 7th 2011)

The Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB) has announced that its Board agreed on November 23rd, 2011, that the Railway Level Crossings standard (AS7658) is ready for publication and use.

This standard specifies level crossing safety requirements for any member or participant of the Australian rail industry that is involved in any phase of the life cycle of a level crossing. It complements AS 1742.

(December 6th, 2011)