Rail Industry News
Trump nominates rail consultant Kloster to STB, re-nominates Schults
The nominations now go to the Senate for confirmation, although a timeline for confirmation is unknown.
Trump fires STB Board member Robert Primus
Primus, a Democrat, was appointed by Trump in 2020.
Citing lives at risk, BLET urges UP to allow trail to stunning waterfall in Northern California
(Source: Los Angeles Times, August 5, 2025) About 10 times each day, giant freight trains pass along a narrow section of track along the Sacramento River in far Northern California where engineers on the locomotives regularly tense up with stress. “Every single time,...
BNSF reports Q2 2025 results
(Source: Progressive Railroading, August 5, 2025) BNSF Railway Co. recently reported second-quarter revenue of $5.7 billion, which was flat compared with second-quarter 2024’s mark. The Class I’s operating income and net income in the quarter climbed 19%...
OSHA orders UP to reinstate engineer, provide $300K in back pay
(Source: U.S. Department of Labor press release, August 6, 2025) DALLAS – A federal whistleblower investigation found that Union Pacific Railroad Co. violated the Federal Railroad Safety Act by terminating a railroad engineer after the employee reported and sought...
Wheeling & Lake Erie sold for $1.05 billion
(Railfan & Railroad Magazine, August 7, 2025) The Wheeling & Lake Erie, the over 800-mile regional railroad that runs through Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, is being sold to FTAI Infrastructure, Inc., for $1.05 billion. Once approved by...
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern announce plans to create America’s first transcontinental railroad
(Source: Union Pacific press release, July 29, 2025) Union Pacific Corporation and Norfolk Southern Corporation today announced an agreement to create America’s first transcontinental railroad. These legendary companies will seamlessly connect over 50,000 route miles...
CPKC reports Q2 2025 results
(Source: Canadian Pacific Kansas City press release, July 30, 2025) Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) today announced its second-quarter results, including revenues of $3.7 billion, diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.33 and core adjusted diluted EPS1 of $1.12....
CSX reports Q2 2025 results
(Source: CSX press release, July 23, 2025) CSX Corp. announced second quarter 2025 operating income of $1.28 billion compared to $1.45 billion in the prior year period. Net income was $829 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, compared to $963 million, or $0.49 per...
Norfolk Southern reports Q2 2025 results
(Source: Norfolk Southern press release, July 29, 2025) Norfolk Southern Corporation announced its second quarter 2025 financial results. For the quarter, revenue was $3.1 billion, income from railway operations was $1.2 billion, operating ratio was 62.2%, and diluted...
Union Pacific reports Q2 2025 results
(Source: Union Pacific press release, July 24, 2025) Union Pacific Corporation reported 2025 second quarter net income of $1.9 billion, or $3.15 per diluted share. Results compare to 2024 second quarter net income of $1.7 billion, or $2.74 per diluted share. Second...
Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern discuss merger to create transcontinental railroad, AP source says
To be approved, any major rail merger must show it will enhance competition and serve the public interest.
Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency issues warning about end-of-train device vulnerability
The federal government cybersecurity agency has issued a warning that the EOT could be vulnerable to computer hackers, especially those seeking to take control of the train’s air brake system.
Trump administration pulls $4 billion in federal funding for California’s bullet train project
Overall, a little less than a quarter of the project’s funding has come from the federal government. The rest has come from the state.
SEPTA board approves budget with 45% service cuts
“This budget will effectively dismantle SEPTA — leaving the City and region without the frequent, reliable transit service that has been an engine of economic growth, mobility, and opportunity,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer.
BLET Auxiliary: Now available: “Taking Charge,” a survival guide for railroad families
Members of the BLET Auxiliary were busy selling raffle tickets at the Daytona Beach Regional. From left: Jodi Wallace, Chris Baldwin, Kat Bisbikis, Rachel Pharris, and Natalie Miller. ____________________ Kat Bisbikis, National President of the BLET Auxiliary,...
General President Sean O’Brien highlights list of Teamster speakers during Eastern Regional Meeting
IBT General President Sean O'Brien: “Our members are changing the game. Setting the standard. Improving the lives of their fellow Teamsters all across the country.” ____________________ Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien addressed BLET members during a rousing...
Rail unions warn DOT rollbacks could jeopardize train safety
Labor concerned about potential new power to fire FRA inspectors
June 2025 RRB Q&A: Unemployment and sickness benefits for railroad employees
A new unemployment and sickness benefit year – the twelve-month period during which the RRB makes benefit payments for days of unemployment and sickness to eligible railroad employees – generally begins each July 1 and ends on June 30 of the next year.
CPKC system cutover triggers service woes in some former KCS locations
Localized congestion, delays, and shipper frustrations follow tech switchover in Louisiana, east Texas, and Mississippi
BLET News
Surface Transportation Board: Robert Primus fired
Surface Transportation Board member Robert E. Primus said on his LinkedIn profile that he received an email from the White House terminating his position on August 28. The move comes a few months before the STB is expected to receive the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern...
Pennsylvania: SEPTA halts planned Regional Rail service cuts following court order
A September 4 court order from a Philadelphia judge has stopped SEPTA from implementing a planned 20 percent cut to Regional Rail service but is allowing the agency to go ahead with a 21.5 percent fare hike. This is the latest development in the ongoing financial...
New York: Replacement ballots in LIRR strike authorization vote available as of September 8; Ballots due September 15
BLET members working for Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) should have received a mailing from the National Division regarding the union’s strike authorization vote at the commuter railroad. Members who are eligible and have not received a strike authorization packet by...
BLET engineer at the throttle as Amtrak’s “Mardi Gras” service returns to the Gulf Coast after a 20-year absence
It was a bit of a homecoming for BLET locomotive engineer Ted Graham when he pulled back the throttle to officially relaunch Amtrak’s “Mardi Gras” service along the Gulf Coast on August 19. Graham, a member of BLET Division 18, previously worked as an assistant...
Advocacy by BLET members and others appears to have stopped a gutting of the RRB’s programs — for now
Projected Congressional funding for the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is significantly higher than anticipated, thanks in part to the hard work and tenacity of the BLET and its members. Earlier this week, the House’s Appropriations Labor, Health, and Human Services...
Texas: OSHA reaffirms reinstatement of BLET locomotive engineer with full back pay, orders UP to pay significant punitive damages after injuries in an Uber ride-share called by the company
A wrongfully-terminated BLET member received more than $184,000 in back pay after the BLET got him his job back, and he was awarded an additional $150,000 in punitive damages after a federal whistleblower investigation found that the Union Pacific Railroad violated...
C3RS: Big railroads would rather retaliate than safely operate
An investigation released last week on railroad safety from the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland — later broadcast on NPR, published in newspapers such as The Washington Post, and distributed by the Associated Press — quotes two...
Amtrak: Next generation Acela debuts on the Northeast Corridor
Representing BLET at the inaugural run, from left: Vince Verna, VP & NLR; Mark Wallace, National President; and Gary Best, First Vice President. ____________________ BLET locomotive engineer Earl Braxton, a member of BLET Division 482, was at the throttle as...
New York: BLET conducting strike authorization vote at Long Island Rail Road
Nearly six hundred locomotive engineers employed by the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) received ballots in the mail last week from the national union seeking authorization to call a strike at the nation’s busiest commuter railroad. LIRR’s locomotive engineers, members...
The power of unions: New study says unions uplift not just wages, but communities as well
A new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) details the benefits of unions to workers, communities, and democracy. The report finds a number of benefits in the 17 states with the highest union density, including higher incomes, greater access to health...
