Trains Collide in Boston, Mass.
Trains Collide in Boston, Mass.
Multiple injuries were reported as a result of two Boston Transit trains colliding Friday, July 30, 2021, according to the Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority. A Boston Fire Department Tweet said: “Update for trolley accident at Commonwealth Av & Pleasant St… we have a count of 23 patients transported by multiple EMS agencies. No life threatening…
Railways, Roads Closed Between Addis Ababa and Djibouti
Protesters, upset by a militia attack in the region that killed many, have blocked roads and railways in Ethiopia’s Somali region. Roads and railways between the capital of Addis Ababa to the seaport of Djibouti were blocked according to reports coming out of the region. Protesters are demanding an end to violent incidents that have…
French Parliament Green Lights Law Requiring Covid Pass for Travel
French parliament passed a law earlier this week requiring virus passes for all restaurants and for domestic travel in spite of recent protests against it. The law also requires all health workers to be vaccinated. French President Emmanuel Macron was firm saying the mandates are needed to protect others and avoid more lockdowns. To get…
Shortage of Train Drivers Causing Concern in Ore Mining Areas of Australia
Reports out of Australia say there is a critical shortage of train drivers especially in the Pilbara iron ore area. The train operators are planning to try and increase driver ranks by up to 45%. Brandon Craig, an iron ore asset president, told attendees at the Austmine conference recently they were “fast-tracking the delivery of…
Tibet Bullet Train Opens
An electrified railway in southwest the Tibet Autonomous Region of China opened in late June. The train connects capital city Lhasa with Nyingchi. More “Fuxing” bullet trains will enter official operation in the region in coming months. The first train has a length of 435 km aThe system has nine stations in Lhasa, Shannan and…
Preparing for the Worst-Case Scenario: The Importance of an Emergency Response Plan
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think something like this would occur,” asserted the chairman of California’s Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) during a press conference this past May. The media had gathered after the workplace shooting by a VTA employee who killed eight of his colleagues, causing a chaotic evacuation of the…
How to Deal with Totally Out of Control Passengers
Air travel is back, but you might not recognize it anymore. Not a day goes by lately without news headlines and videos on social media of out-of-control airline passengers fighting each other and fighting airline employees. The exact reason for the uptick in violence is a complicated issue. Is it too much alcohol at airport…
LESSONS RAIL, MARITIME & MASS TRANSPORT INDUSTRIES CAN LEARN FROM AVIATION
Philip Baum is the Managing Director of Green Light Limited, Visiting Professor of Aviation Security at Coventry University and the former Editor-in-Chief of Aviation Security International. Green Light runs courses in T.R.A.P. (Tactical Risk Assessment of People). He can be contacted at editor@avsec.com For those engaged in the aviation security industry, the implementation of behavioural…
I’M FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND I’M HERE TO HELP: HOW GOOD INTENTIONS LEAD TO UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
Shannon Wandmaker is the director of aviation security consulting company Cain Wandmaker and an aviation security adviser to the Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO). He is the former head of security for G4S Kuwait International Airport, the former head of cargo security for the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and prior to this led the…
U. S. State Department Holding Special Passport Acceptance Fairs
The U. S. State Department will be hosting special passport fairs across the United States to help U. S. citizens apply for passports. Most events are for first-time customers and children using Form DS-11 to apply. The State Department recommends those that are eligible to renew their passport should do so by mail. Upcoming events Broward…
Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office Releases Video of Rail Station Shooter
On 05/26/2021 at approximately 06:34am local time, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to an Active Shooter call, located at 101 West Younger Ave, San Jose – a rail yard. The video depicts deputies and officers responding to the incident. The suspect was later pronounced deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. There were…
Returning to the United States on an Expired U.S. Passport Possible in Temporary Exemption
The Biden administration is allowing U. S. citizens with expired passports to return to the U. S. Citizens with recently expired passports will be able to return until the end of the year. There were more than usual due to the pandemic. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers will accept for admission certain expired U.S….