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Center Delivers Train-the-Trainer Course at BART
Last week, six current and future maintenance trainers at BART went through the Center developed Train-the-Trainer course developed as part of the Transit Elevator/Escalator Training Consortium. This program was co-facilitated by the Center's Manager of Instructional Design Julie Deibel and BART's Section Manager of Elevator/Escalator Power & Mechanical Maintenance George Younger. Over the course of this learner-centered, engaging course, participants learned about:
* Characteristics of adult learners and how to accommodate them
* Qualities of an effective instructor
* Gagne's 9 events of instruction
* The pros and cons of different teaching techniques
* Using consortium developed training materials
* Evaluation techniques
Although there were some experienced trainers in the class, there was room for growth for everyone. Phill Collins, Elevator/Escalator Employee Development Specialist said this of the course: "When they told me I was going to a Train-the-Trainer course I was like 'Why? It's like going through a driving course after you've been driving for 30 years.' Little did I know I had been driving with one eye shut." These thoughts were further supported by an average learning gain of 70% as measured by pre- and post-course assessments.
For more information on the Train-the-Trainer course, contact Julie Deibel.
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Signals Training Consortium Pilots Introduction and Overview Course on Grade Crossings at CATS
The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) rail group hosted a Signals Training Consortium pilot of Course 104: Introduction and Overview to Highway Grade Crossings. CATS signals trainer Rick Lawrence presented the course over a three day period to eight signals maintainers of varying experience and to three signals supervisors and two managers. Signals Engineer Anthony Candarini supplemented the course with higher level training on logic operations in the gate crossing "stick" circuit. He explained the logic formula for insuring that gates stay in the down position until the rear of the train has passed through the intersection and cleared the island circuit. Participants went out onto the line to observe a crossing with interactive traffic light preemption working as trains passed through the crossing. The participants all commented favorably on the course, noting that it is excellent for new signal maintainers as well as a refresher for experienced technicians.
For more information on the Signals Training Consortium, contact Project Manager Mark Dysart.
Further Resources
For Previews of these Courses, visit Transit Training Network.
For more pictures, visit and "like" the Center's facebook page.
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The New Republic - May 29, 2014
Google on Tuesday trumpeted the development of a fully self-driving car-no human intervention necessary. "They won't have a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, or brake pedal... because they don't need them," project director Chris Urmson wrote on Google's blog, calling the car "an important step toward improving road safety and transforming mobility for millions of people."
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The Rail Engineer - May 30, 2014
Regulating trains so that they run in the right order and do not delay other services has been a challenge ever since railways started in business. In early times, the decision-making was left to local signalman who, by their intricate knowledge and years of experience, got it right most of the time.
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Total Rail - June 2, 2014
The Chinese high-speed rail network is one of the most heavily used transport systems in the world. Having been introduced in April 2007, its daily usage grew from 237,000 to 1.33 million in 2012. The China Railway Corporation is in charge of nearly all the high-speed rail lines and rolling stock. The network is currently looking at plans to expand their high-speed rail network, with hopes of even being able to connect with America.
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Mountain Express - June 1, 2014
Tammy is a single mother of a 19 month-old little girl. She is a "non-elective" bus rider, in that she rides the bus out of necessity rather than choice. "I always use public transportation," Tammy says. One of her greatest challenges in riding the bus is with her 19 month-old daughter.
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The Transit Wire - May 30, 2014
On Wednesday night I had the opportunity to attend a meeting with Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officials about current and proposed improvements to the Green Line light rail system. First, a quick Green Line overview. The MBTA's oldest line, four branches operate on surface alignments and converge in a tunnel under downtown Boston. And, full disclosure, I'm a former Green Line commuter and still-frequent rider.
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Railway Track and Signal - May 28, 2014
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will conduct a track renewal project on a portion of its Route 11 trolley line from June 1-August 30, 2014. Track renewal will take place in Darby Borough on Main Street from Island Avenue to 9th Street.
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Philadelphia Magazine - May 30, 2014
Sources at SEPTA inform us that the transit agency will launch its previously announced pilot program to operate the Broad Street and Market-Frankford lines all night on Friday and Saturday nights in the overnight hours of Sunday, June 15th.
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New York Times - May 29, 2014
The fate of the newest addition to the New York City subway system could be traced last summer to the foothills of Appiano Gentile, at a work site beneath the northern Italian sun. After six years of construction, the No. 7 train extension to the Far West Side of Manhattan was to open before the end of 2013, in time for the departing mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg, whose administration paid for the project, to take a ceremonial ride.
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Railway Track and Signal - June 3, 2014
Responding to rider complaints over safety and to future service expectations, Sacramento Regional Transit District (RTD) is adjusting its security measures on board light rail transit operations. RTD said it will place a security guard on every LRT train operating after 6:30 p.m.; another two security guards will travel along each LRT line on the system as an additional measure during that time.
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Transportation Research Board - June 2, 2014
TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 769: A Guide for Public Transportation Pandemic Planning and Response is designed to assist transportation organizations as they prepare for pandemics and other infectious diseases such as seasonal flu.
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News Day - May 28, 2014
The LIRR unions' chief negotiator says he wants to make a deal with the MTA that would delay a possible July strike until after Labor Day -- sparing Long Island's summer tourism business and buying more time to negotiate a contract settlement.
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Railway Age - June 3, 2014
The Obama Administration on Monday, June 2, 2014, announced a proposed Environmental Protection Agency regulation, dubbed "Clean Power Plan," to cut carbon pollution from U.S. power plants 30% from 2005 levels by 2030. The regulation, according to a report in The New York Times, "takes aim at the largest source of carbon pollution in the U.S., the nation's more than 600 coal-fired power plants."
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Building Transportation Infrastructure
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Progressive Railroading - May 28, 2014
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) took control of the first phase of the Silver Line yesterday. The milestone, known as the "Operational Readiness Date," marked the point where care and control of the line was formally transferred from the Washington Airports Authority to WMATA.
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