Friday, June 13, 2008 (Washington, D.C)

News Digest

BTS Releases Special Report on Trade Growth and Transportation . The Bureau of Transportation Statistics has released U.S.-China Trade Growth and America’s Transportation System , a special report about the increase of traffic at air cargo hubs and seaports due to increased U.S.-China trade over the last two decades. In particular, growing air trade with China in the Southwest and Great Lakes regions and the increase in water trade at West Coast ports have put an even greater demand on the transportation infrastructure serving these areas. The report can be found on the BTS website at http://www.bts.gov/publications/bts_special_report/2008_007/ Contact Dave Smallen: 202-366-5568.

FRA Awards Grant to Alaska Railroad to Install Positive Train Control on 68 Locomotives . The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded a $735,000 grant to the Alaska Railroad to install and test its positive train control system, the Collision Avoidance System (CAS), on 68 locomotives. Positive train control systems are capable of automatically controlling train speed and movements to prevent certain accidents, including train collisions. The grant is the final step to implement the CAS throughout Alaska Railroad’s network, and will fund the installation of locomotive on-board computers which interface with the office safety servers, the computer aided dispatch system, and the radio communication network. The development of the CAS was initiated in 2005. Previous work included the installation of a new generation computer-aided dispatch system, the deployment of a communications network and locomotive tracking system, and the engineering and design of the onboard system. Contact Rob Kulat: 202-493-6024.

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