Retired Downeaster Conductor Provides Insight into Tragic Double Suicide on Downeaster Tracks in Biddeford
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- Created: 14 May 2022 14 May 2022
The details of the Sunday double suicide are now well known - a homeless couple in their 20s lay on the tracks, got up as the train approached and then hugged each other as they were hit by the northbound Downeaster.
The couple frequented various shelters in the Biddeford area, having eaten breakfast that morning at a local church.
An Amtrak spokesman released the following statement: "According to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), trespassing along railroad rights-of-way is the leading cause of rail-related deaths in America, and railroad crossing incidents are the second leading cause of rail-related deaths in America. These incidents can affect everyone involved—those who are injured or die and their families, our train crews, and our passengers."
We interviewed Jim Nawrocki, a former Downeaster conductor and currently a TrainRiders/NE board member, about the responsibilities of train crews when trespassing incidents occur. The interview can be seen here.
Amtrak Covid-19 Mask Mandate Ended, but Justice Department will appeal the ruling
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- Created: 19 April 2022 19 April 2022
UPDATE from the Associated Press (4/21/22):
The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs, officials said Wednesday.
The notice came minutes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked the Justice Department to appeal the decision handed down by a federal judge in Florida earlier this week.
A notice of appeal was filed in federal court in Tampa (more).
EARLIER from the Wall Street Journal (4/18/22):
A federal judge in Florida declared the Biden administration’s Covid-19 mask mandate for public transportation unlawful, throwing out its requirement that travelers in the U.S. wear masks on airplanes, trains, taxis, buses and other forms of mass transit.
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa ruled Monday that the mandate exceeded the authority granted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under federal public-health law and was issued in violation of rule-making procedures.
The administration had extended the mandate through May 3rd in order to determine the impact of the new Covid-19 variant.
Amtrak released the following statement: “While Amtrak passengers and employees are no longer required to wear masks while onboard trains or in stations, masks are welcome and remain an important preventive measure against COVID-19. Anyone needing or choosing to wear one is encouraged to do so.” So masks are optional on the Downeaster.
CSX Completes Purchase of PanAm Railways
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- Created: 15 April 2022 15 April 2022
It's official! The Amtrak Downeaster will soon be running on CSX tracks from Brunswick to the NH/MA line as the US Surface Transportation Board approves the CSX Purchase of PanAM. Railway Age has a detailed report on the sale.
NNEPRA Executive Director Patricia Quinn has written, “This transaction and the physical and operational improvements CSX has indicated it will make, has the potential to sustain and enhance the safe operation of passenger and freight rail service in Maine and New Hampshire.
It also can preserve and protect the substantial financial investments which have enabled NNEPRA and its partners to achieve success to date and set the stage for even greater economic opportunities and public benefits in the future.”