[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 114 (Friday, June 13, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33992-33993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-13796]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[Safety Advisory 14-2]
Verification of Rail Vehicle Safe Stopping Distances in Terminal
Stations
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Safety Advisory.
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SUMMARY: Today the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is issuing
Safety Advisory 14-2 to provide guidance to rail fixed guideway public
transportation agencies of the need to assess the adequacy of safe
stopping distances for rail transit trains in terminal stations. This
safety advisory recommends specific and immediate action for rail
transit agencies not overseen by the Federal Railroad Administration
(FRA), and provides supporting technical resources. FTA is issuing this
guidance in response to preliminary investigative findings from the
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the collision and
derailment that occurred at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) on
March 24, 2014.
Further, FTA is directing each State Safety Oversight (SSO) agency
designated to implement FTA's SSO program specified at 49 CFR part 659
and 49 U.S.C. 5329(e) to coordinate with every rail transit agency
within its jurisdiction to review and approve, as necessary, corrective
action plans to be implemented to address Safety Advisory 14-2,
``Verification of Rail Vehicle Safe Stopping Distances in Terminal
Stations'' by August 12, 2014. Additionally, FTA directs SSO agencies
to provide a summary of actions taken by each rail transit agency in
the next Annual SSO Program Report.
FTA's Safety Advisory 14-2, ``Verification of Rail Vehicle Safe
Stopping Distances in Terminal Stations,'' is available in its entirety
on the agency's public Web site (http://www.fta.dot.gov/tso_15922.html).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For program matters, Thomas Littleton,
Associate Administrator for Transit Safety and Oversight, telephone
(202) 366-1783 or [email protected]. For legal matters, Scott
Biehl, Senior Counsel, telephone (202) 366-0826 or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On Monday, March 24, 2014, about 2:49 a.m.,
central daylight time, a CTA Blue Line train derailed after colliding
with
[[Page 33993]]
an end-of-track bumper post at the Chicago-O'Hare International Airport
Station. The lead car derailed and struck a station escalator used by
the public to access the airport terminals. The train operator and 32
train passengers were transported to hospitals. The damage to the
equipment and the station was estimated to be $9.1 million.
On April 7, 2014, the NTSB issued ``Preliminary Railroad Report
DCA14FR007,'' which describes initial findings from the ongoing
investigation into this collision and derailment. The NTSB determined
that seconds before the derailment, the train was traveling about 26
mph as it crossed a fixed trip stop that activated the train emergency
braking system. Due to the train speed, the distance from the fixed
trip stop to the track bumper post was too short to stop the train, and
it collided with the bumper post.
This accident confirms the critical importance of ensuring the
appropriate configuration of the systems, technology and procedures
designed to guarantee safe stopping for a train in emergency braking at
a terminal station. Results of analysis from the accident scene
indicate a discrepancy between the original safe braking design for
Chicago-O'Hare International Airport Station and its sufficiency during
the actual emergency event. This discrepancy resulted in a lack of
stopping space available for the passenger train, which entered the
station at authorized speed but failed to slow as required.
Based on this information, FTA is issuing Safety Advisory 14-2 to
urge each rail transit agency to ensure that enough space is available
for trains in emergency braking to stop in terminal stations before
collision with bumper posts or other end-of-the-line equipment.
Over time, changes made to authorized train speeds, the design or
layout of the terminal station, or the placement of signals and trip
stops can affect the minimum safe stopping distance required for trains
in emergency braking. To protect rail transit passengers and employees,
FTA's advisory recommends each rail transit agency to immediately
review the performance of its automatic signals and trip stops under
the actual operating speeds and conditions present for each terminal
station.
If insufficient stopping space is identified, FTA's advisory
requests the rail transit agency to undertake an analysis to evaluate
and resolve the deficiency. Speed restrictions, re-configuring
automatic signals and trip stops, modifying the placement and
performance of bumping posts and installations, and recalculating safe
braking rates are all steps that rail transit agencies can take to
address this critical safety concern.
Further, FTA is directing the SSO agencies to confirm actions taken
to address Safety Advisory 14-2 and approve any required corrective
actions to be implemented by rail transit agencies by August 12, 2014.
FTA is also directing SSO agencies to provide a summary of actions
taken by each rail transit agency in their jurisdiction when providing
their annual report to FTA's Office of Safety and Oversight.
NTSB's initial investigative findings necessitated issuing this
safety advisory. FTA is calling for immediate action from the rail
transit agencies and subsequent follow-up verification from the SSO
agencies to execute the recommendations in Safety Advisory 14-2.
FTA's issuance of Safety Advisory 14-2 is in accordance with the
Federal Transit Administrator's authority to ``investigate public
transportation accidents and incidents and provide guidance to
recipients regarding prevention of accident and incidents.'' 49 U.S.C.
5329(f)(5). The requests for information and data from the SSOAs and
the rail transit agencies within their jurisdiction are based on FTA's
authority to request program information pertinent to rail transit
safety under the State Safety Oversight rule, 49 CFR 659.39(d).
Issued in Washington, DC, this 6th day of June 2014.
Dorval R. Carter, Jr.,
Chief Counsel, Federal Transit Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-13796 Filed 6-12-14; 8:45 am]
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