Daily Headlines
Members of American Train Dispatcher Association protest at opening of CPKC stadium
The American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) staged a protest outside the match at the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Stadium. ATDA shared its frustrations with CPKC sharing they are refusing to provide paid sick leave for employees.
STB to UP: Employment data must be public; Ancora responds to Oberman’s criticism
The Surface Transportation Board denied Union Pacific Railroad’s request to keep certain required, temporary employment-data reporting confidential.
Berkshire boosts pay of Warren Buffett successor to $20 million
Berkshire Hathaway said Warren Buffett raised the pay of his designated successor Greg Abel to $20 million last year, as the conglomerate posted a record operating profit.
A year after CPKC merger, Chicago-area mayors see more frequent and longer trains
One year into a hotly contested railroad merger, suburban leaders report lengthy and more frequent freight trains, and they’re preparing for a future deluge.
Ancora’s safety white paper can’t withstand a simple fact check: Analysis
Ancora is stuck on the misinformation highway with a safety white paper that makes several claims that can’t hold up to scrutiny.
Judge allows East Palestine residents lawsuit against Norfolk Southern to proceed
A class action suit accusing Norfolk Southern of negligence over the train derailment that released toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, last year can go forward, a federal judge determined Wednesday.
AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending March 9, 2024
Total carloads for the week ending March 9 were 214,585 carloads, down 3.7 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 258,077 containers and trailers, up 13.5 percent compared to 2023.
Union Pacific CEO defends safety practices without mentioning key critic
Jim Vena’s opening remarks Wednesday at the J.P. Morgan 2024 Industrials Conference could easily be seen as a rebuttal to one man: Amit Bose, the chairman of the Federal Railroad Administration.
Buttigieg scolds railroads for not doing more to improve safety since East Palestine
In a new letter to the freight railroads’ main trade group, Buttigieg said too often regulators encounter resistance when trying to get the industry to do more to improve safety.
BNSF eliminates management jobs amid uncertain freight outlook
BNSF Railway eliminated several hundred management positions at its headquarters and across the system last week as part of a belt-tightening move.
Are railroad layoffs compromising safety and service?
Recent layoffs by Class 1 railroads Union Pacific (UP) and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) have not only raised alarms that safety may be compromised but shippers are complaining service has been poor. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently weighed in.
Va. governor vetoes bill requiring two crew members on trains
Virginia’s legislative effort to require two crew members on all trains died after the governor vetoed the legislation on Friday.
Bill to end cuts to railroad unemployment insurance advances in Senate
The Senate Budget Committee has unanimously voted to advance a bill that would permanently exempt railroad workers’ unemployment and sickness insurance benefits from sequestration cuts, and end current cuts.
More BNSF employees laid off in Lincoln in second round of furloughs
More BNSF workers in Lincoln may have lost their jobs after another round of furloughs were announced. At least 10 conductors were set to be furloughed from their positions in Lincoln on Wednesday.
Vent and burn of tank cars in East Palestine was not justified, NTSB testifies
The decision to blow open five tank cars and burn the toxic chemical inside them after a freight train derailed in Eastern Ohio last year wasn’t justified, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board told Congress Wednesday.
NTSB needs more funding for rail and air safety probes, chair says
The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board will tell the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday the agency needs more funding and warn cuts could put probes into aviation and rail accidents at risk.
NS alone should pay for cleanup of East Palestine derailment, judge says
Norfolk Southern alone will be responsible for paying for the cleanup after last year’s fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio, a federal judge ruled. The decision issued March 6 threw out the railroad’s claim that the companies that made chemicals that spilled and owned tank cars that ruptured should share the cost of the cleanup.
NTSB investigating collision, derailment involving three NS trains in Pa.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board continued work Sunday to determine why three freight trains collided and derailed near Steel City, Pa., on March 2.
Latest freight railroad layoffs and Wall Street pressure renew concerns about safety and service
The latest rail layoffs this week, combined with an investment fund’s ongoing campaign for control of Norfolk Southern, are renewing concerns among unions and regulators about the effects all the cuts might have on safety and service.
Mass furloughs reported at BNSF operations in 4 states
The furloughs were announced Tuesday, with 362 workers reportedly losing their jobs, according to the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) with the AFL-CIO.
BLET News
Keep up the pressure: Tell your Senator to reinstate full railroad unemployment and sickness benefits
BLET members have sent more than 2,500 messages in support of the bipartisan REEF Act (S. 1274) to members of the United States Senate since the bill was passed by the Senate Budget Committee on March 6. The Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness Act, or the REEF Act,...
Save the Date: 2024 BLET regional meetings
The BLET National Division is pleased to announce the dates and locations of this year’s regional meetings. The Western Regional Meeting will be held in Kansas City, Mo., from June 3-7 at the Marriott Kansas City Downtown (200 West 12th St., Kansas City, MO, 65105)....
Amtrak: East Coast service boost is welcome news, but BLET says other route improvements are necessary
In a report published by Reuters on March 4, Amtrak said it will boost passenger services on the East Coast as it aims to double ridership nationwide by 2040. BLET General Chairman Patrick W. Darcy Jr. welcomed the news but said improvements to the rest of Amtrak’s...
BLET Auxiliary raffle raises money for scholarships, other programs
The National BLET Auxiliary is offering a chance to win a Blackstone Portable Pizza Oven. Raffle tickets cost $5.00 each and the proceeds go to help support the annual BLET Auxiliary scholarship fund, the Care and Assistance Program, and many other programs that...
Celebrating Women’s History Month: Mary Elizabeth Walton’s inventions reduced air and noise pollution in early railroads
Mary Elizabeth Walton was a 19th century American inventor who was awarded with two patents that benefited the early railroad industry in the United States. In 1881, she created a method for reducing the environmental hazards of the smoke emitted from locomotives and...
New England: BLET members ratify new contract with Berkshire & Eastern
On March 7, BLET members ratified a new contract with the Berkshire & Eastern Railroad (B&E). The agreement governs rates of pay, benefits and work rules for 32 members. It was ratified by a vote of 26 in favor, one against. Some of the contractual...
NJ Transit: BLET locomotive engineers make their case for fair treatment at public hearing on fare hikes
BLET members at a recent NJ Transit public hearing, from left: Mike Liffner, Division 53; Steve McCusker, Division 373; Pete McGinnis, Division 373 Vice Local Chairman; and Don Melhorn, Division 272 Secretary-Treasurer. __________ NJ Transit held the first of 10...
Act now! Tell your Senator to reinstate full railroad unemployment and sickness benefits
A BLET-backed bill currently making its way through the United States Senate would restore full unemployment and sickness benefits to all railroad workers. For more than 10 years now, individual railroad workers have unfairly had these benefits reduced by about $200...
Education & Training: Hybrid class hosted LM-2 filers in the classroom and via Zoom
The BLET Education & Training Department continues to leverage the technological advances incorporated into the National Division Training Center by expanding avenues to provide critical information to BLET officers. The Department hosted a hybrid training class...
STB’s Robert Primus: Deja vu, all over again
As yet another hedge fund seeks a hostile takeover of a Class I railroad, Surface Transportation Board Member Robert Primus condemned the “scorched-earth” cuts associated with Precision Scheduled Railroading in a guest column published by Progressive Railroading. He...