UTU News Digest - Wednesday, April 21, 1999

UTU Daily News Digest

Information of interest to operating railroad and transportation employees

Wednesday, April 21, 1999

CALIFORNIA: Leap in front of Metrolink train kills man

LOS ANGELES -- In what authorities are calling an apparent suicide, a man was struck and killed by a Los Angeles-bound Metrolink train traveling at 79 mph through Buena Park on Monday morning, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Witnesses said the unidentified man was standing behind a tree near the tracks and jumped into the path of the northbound commuter as it approached, according to Sgt. Ken Coovert, spokesman for the Buena Park Police Department.

"It appears to be a suicide," Coovert said.

The incident occurred just before 9 a.m. near the intersection of Beach Boulevard and the Santa Ana Freeway. Fifty-nine passengers were aboard the 450-ton train.

The train, which had left in San Juan Capistrano, was delayed 90 minutes while police investigated.

Metrolink spokesman Peter Hidalgo said the engineer slammed on the emergency brakes, but the train was traveling so fast it took nearly a third of a mile before it could stop.

"There was nothing he could do except put the emergency brakes on," Hidalgo said. "He was pretty shaken up."

The victim suffered massive head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and witnesses. He was wearing a light blue plaid shirt, jeans and a gray jacket.

CANADA: Toronto transit strike ends after marathon session

TORONTO -- Subway and bus workers returned to work early Wednesday (April 21, 1999) after reaching a tentative deal to end a two-day strike that left 800,000 Toronto commuters scrambling for other ways to get around, according to the Reuters wire service.

The transit system was to resume operations around 8 a.m. EDT today, ensuring that residents of Canada's largest city would not have to spend a third day getting to work by taxi, car, rollerblades, bicycle or on foot.

Details of the agreement, reached at 5:30 a.m. EDT after an all-night bargaining session, were not immediately available.

Hopes flagged earlier Wednesday as talks between the union representing the city's mass transit workers and management dragged on into the night.

The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), representing 7,800 striking subway, bus and streetcar workers, offered Tuesday to allow an arbitrator to settle their contract dispute with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).

The TTC agreed to the part of the proposal dealing with wages, including a tentative rise of 2 percent from April 1 this year, during an emergency meeting Tuesday. However, it rejected the idea of submitting to arbitration other disputed issues, including health benefits.

The two sides had planned to make an announcement late Tuesday, but the extended discussions made an early morning start to transit services virtually impossible.

The stoppage followed weeks of negotiations that failed to reach a deal. Unionized TTC workers have had only a 1 percent pay rise in the past seven years. At one minute after midnight EDT Monday (April 19, 1999), they went on strike, paralyzing the transit system.

In an effort to keep traffic moving, the separate suburban commuter rail system, GO Transit, added trains and buses, while the city banned parking on some major streets. Meanwhile, some parking lot operators have increased prices.

Any wage raise is expected to result in fare increases to as high as C$2.35 for a one-way ticket from the current C$2.00. The city has said it is determined to keep tax increases to a minimum while the province has been unwilling to increase grants to municipalities.

The average TTC worker makes about C$52,000 a year.

Toronto was last thrown into gridlock by a transit strike in 1991 that lasted eight days.

MISSOURI: Parkville suggests rail remedies in aftermath of train wreck

KANSAS CITY -- Parkville officials would like a railroad track switch eliminated and track relocation considered to avoid a repeat of last week's coal train derailment, the Kansas City Star said.

The 26-car derailment heavily damaged two buildings, threatened others on Main Street and hampered business for days in the historic downtown district.

Parkville officials hope to discuss safety issues such as track configuration and train speed with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.

But addressing those concerns falls to the railroad or federal law. And history plays a role. The rail line dates to the 1860s; many of the buildings near the tracks date to the 1880s.

"Both Parkville and the railroad are very old," said Steve Forsberg, a railroad spokesman. "It's a very tough situation for us to examine."

The railroad is studying the accident and operations in Parkville.

"I think we share Parkville's concern about where people are accessing buildings and where they park vehicles," Forsberg said. "I've not seen another location where those two phenomena were so close to a main-line track. We're probably going to sit down with the city (officials) and talk through a number of these issues."

Parkville Mayor Quitmeier believes a track switch near Main Street helped snag an errant wheel and caused the coal cars to overturn. The city will push to have the switch removed. Quitmeier said it is rarely used.

Rail investigators have not determined whether the switch was involved, Forsberg said. Officials have said a failed roller bearing caused wheels to leave the tracks. The railroad's engineers will determine whether or not the switch is needed, he said.

The track crossing at Main Street also needs to be examined to make sure it did not cause the crash, Quitmeier said.

Forsberg said grade improvements and crossing gates were city and state responsibilities, although the railroad would cooperate with improvements. He said he was not aware of a grade crossing ever having caused a train derailment.

Some community leaders say the tracks should be moved several yards south, away from the business district. That would eliminate a curve for the railroad. The current rail bed could be converted to pavement and used to connect Missouri 9 and Route FF, which would eliminate some traffic congestion downtown.

But the change would require the purchase of private property and state highway approval and expenditures.

"Moving tracks is extremely expensive," Forsberg said. "It costs $1 million a mile to build track from scratch."

Parkville would like to slow trains to 25 mph. Burlington Northern sets a 45 mph speed limit for itself inside the city, Forsberg said. The accident happened at 31 mph.

But train speeds are regulated by federal interstate commerce laws, said Missouri Rep. Fred Pouche, a Republican whose district includes downtown Parkville. Federal regulations were intended to supersede local laws so trains would not be unnecessarily slowed, said Pouche, who researched state regulations on Tuesday. Cities can file complaints with state commerce officials but are rarely successful in overriding railroad or federal policy.

Forsberg said speed was not a factor in the Parkville accident. Also, he said the coal cars are so heavy, at 110 tons apiece fully loaded, that slowing them would not eliminate the rumbling noise and rattling of buildings.

The danger is from having people and buildings so close to the tracks, he said.

TEXAS: FRA's Molitoris meets with Laredo's mayor on grade-crossing safety

LAREDO -- Federal Railroad Administrator Jolene Molitoris joined City of Laredo Mayor Elizabeth G. Flores yesterday (April 20, 1999) to discuss highway-rail grade crossing safety.

"Record levels of investment are bringing about improved rail safety, demonstrating President Clinton's leadership and emphasis on safety as the highest transportation priority," U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater said. "We need to do more by continuing to work with state and local officials to increase state and local investment and enforcement on grade crossings."

In fiscal 1999, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) provided $154.8 million to states to be used exclusively for highway-rail crossing improvements or elimination. An additional $314.8 million of funding for hazard elimination also may be used for eliminating or improving grade crossings. As part of TEA-21, Texas received $10.9 million in fiscal 1999 for highway-rail crossing improvements. In addition, $31.5 million in hazard elimination funds can be used to eliminate grade crossing hazards.

"We are conducting a series of community meetings around the country to raise awareness about the dangers of highway-rail crossings and discuss the tools available to assist Americans in reducing the risks at these crossings," Molitoris said.

"These kinds of meetings are important because they bring everyone to the table to discuss how we can become better equipped to deal with these highway-rail crossings. We live in a community dissected by railroads, and they are part of our everyday lives, so it's very important to recognize the dangers that these highway-rail crossings represent," Mayor Flores said. "But recognizing their danger isn't enough. We must try every means to put the appropriate measures in place to ensure safety for the thousands of motorists who drive across them every day."

There are more than 259,000 existing highway-rail grade crossings in the United States. States and localities, working with DOT, have closed more than 33,000 such grade crossings since 1991. Texas has closed more than 2,000.

Five years ago, the DOT launched a multi-faceted initiative to save lives at highway-rail grade crossings. Since 1993, there have been dramatic results -- almost 29 percent fewer highway-rail crossing collisions, 32 percent fewer highway-rail crossing fatalities and 30 percent fewer highway-rail crossing injuries.

NEW YORK: State senator backs Second Avenue subway for Manhattan

NEW YORK -- New York's junior Democratic senator, Charles Schumer, has endorsed building a new Second Avenue subway in Manhattan to relieve overcrowding on the Upper East Side's sole line, Tuesday's (April 20, 1999) New York Post said.

The senator also told the paper he supported doubling the tax on airline tickets to $6 from $3 to help pay for better access to New York City's two airports in Queens, John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia.

Passenger-tax revenues also might be used to help pay for the new subway line and to connect the Long Island Railroad to Grand Central Terminal in midtown, Schumer added, saying the projects could be considered links that improve access to the area's airports.

But Schumer did not say which of these billion-dollar projects should get priority, the paper said.

CANADA: Canadian National Railway reports first-quarter income rose

MONTREAL -- Canadian National today reported first-quarter 1999 net income of $138 million and continued improvement in its operating income and key operating ratio.

For the comparable quarter of 1998, net income was $146 million, including the $42-million cumulative effect of change in accounting policy for pensions. Excluding the accounting policy change, net income for first-quarter 1998 was $104 million.

Diluted earnings per share for the first three months of 1999 were $1.42, compared with first-quarter 1998 diluted earnings per share of $1.69, including the accounting policy change. Excluding the change, diluted earnings per share for first-quarter 1998 were $1.21.

First-quarter 1999 net income included $12 million of after-tax income from fiber optic right-of-way license fees. Excluding this non-recurring item, net income was $126 million, or $1.30 per share, diluted.

Operating income for the most recent quarter increased 28 per cent to $236 million from $184 million for the first quarter of 1998. CN's operating ratio for the first quarter of 1999 was 76.8 per cent, an improvement of 5.8 points over the performance of 82.6 per cent for the first quarter of 1998.

CN President and Chief Executive Officer Paul M. Tellier said: "I am pleased that the majority of CN's business units recorded revenue gains during the quarter. Automotive revenue was particularly strong. However, grain revenue continued to be weak, reflecting lower overseas sales; and coal, sulfur and fertilizers revenue was affected by depressed demand for metallurgical coal. Excluding these bulk commodity groups, overall revenue was up three per cent.

"CN continues to benefit from improvements in cost control and asset utilization attributable to its comprehensive service plan introduced last fall. The service plan is designed to provide CN customers with more timely and consistent transportation services and to ensure CN makes the most of its assets. As a result, expense reduction during the quarter outpaced the overall decline in revenue, producing a significant increase in operating income and improved operating ratio. In sum, CN turned in a credible performance during the quarter."

For the first quarter of 1999, CN's equity in the earnings of Illinois Central Corporation (IC), less after-tax interest costs associated with the acquisition of IC, increased CN's net income by $6 million, compared with $4 million for the quarter ended March 31, 1998.

The CN/IC merger won approval of the United States Surface Transportation Board (STB) in a unanimous vote March 25, 1999. The STB is scheduled to issue its written merger decision on May 25. That decision, reflecting the March 25 oral vote, is expected to become effective June 24, after which CN will be permitted to exercise control over IC operations and assets. A step-by-step integration of the two railroads is expected to start July 1.

CN's operating expenses for the first quarter of 1999 declined 11 per cent to $782 million from $875 million for the same period of 1998, owing largely to lower expenses for labor and fringe benefits, material, fuel and equipment rents.

Revenue for the first quarter of 1999 declined four per cent to $1,018 million from $1,059 million for the comparable quarter of 1998. The four business units that recorded increased revenue were automotive (12 per cent), industrial products (two per cent), forest products (two per cent) and intermodal (two per cent). Grain and grain products revenue fell 30 per cent, while coal, sulfur and fertilizers revenue declined five per cent.

Carloads for the most recent quarter declined two per cent to 617 thousand from 631 thousand for the year-earlier period.

Canadian National Railway Company serves all of Canada and the U.S. Midwest, including the ports of Vancouver, Montreal and Halifax, and the key cities of Toronto, Chicago, Detroit and Buffalo, with connections to all points in North America.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: FRA puts accident database online

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is experimenting with a new service that allows Internet users access to its database on accident/incident and inspection files covering U.S. railroads.

According to the agency, the public will be able to search the database and get information on incidents with casualties, accidents at highway crossings, data on train accidents, and more.

Those wishing to access the database should point their Web browsers to: http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/Safety/Safety.asp

NEW YORK: Parents settle lawsuit stemming from school-bus-related death

WHITE PLAINS -- The parents of a girl killed when she caught the drawstring of her jacket on a school bus handrail have settled their $30 million lawsuit.

Andrea Chen, 14, was getting off her school bus on Feb. 8, 1996, when one end of the drawstring around the bottom of her parka slipped between the handrail and the wall of the stairway leading down from the bus.

Though regulations say a school bus cannot leave until departing children are 15 feet away, the bus drove off. The parka was still attached to the handrail and Andrea was dragged beneath the bus and crushed by its back wheels.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed but the parents' lawyer, Donald Silverman, said, "It's an extraordinary amount for the wrongful death of a child."

The settlement came Monday, after a jury had been selected for the trial.

Silverman said Michael and Sin-Chai Chen were recovering money from the bus company, Advance Transit Co., as well as from an insurer for the company and for the bus driver.