Daily Headlines
Beset by congestion, BNSF to limit carload traffic bound for California
BNSF’s recrew rate was much higher along the Southern Transcon, which across New Mexico, Arizona, and into Southern California carries more than 80 trains per day and is the busiest freight railroad in North America. BNSF recrewed 19.9% of its trains on the California Division and 22.5% on the neighboring Southwest Division.
AAR: Rail traffic declines for 17th straight week as of June 18, 2022
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 501,207 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.5 percent compared with the same week last year. This is the 17th consecutive week that total traffic has declined.
Rail carloads rise a little, but intermodal falls a lot
Year-to-date, carloads improved an almost negligible 0.02%, but intermodal dropped 6.3%, compared to the prior-year period.
Federal Maritime Commission members urge STB to reject CP-KCS merger
Three of the Federal Maritime Commission’s five members have urged the Surface Transportation Board to reject the proposed Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger, saying the deal would hurt U.S. ports.
UP to announce Q2 2022 earnings on July 21
Union Pacific Corporation will release second quarter 2022 financial and operating results on Thursday, July 21, 2022, at 7:45 a.m. ET.
CSX kicks off Chicago intermodal yard expansion project
CSX and Chicago officials earlier this week held a groundbreaking ceremony for an expansion of the 63rd Street intermodal container storage yard.
RRB Q&A: Medicare for railroad families
The following questions and answers provide railroad workers with basic information on Medicare eligibility and coverage, as well as other information on the Medicare program.
Gunman at large after shooting 2 people, 1 fatally, on San Francisco light rail train
The search continued Thursday for a gunman who shot two people, one fatally, on a packed Muni commuter train in San Francisco on Wednesday, police said.
Illinois grain shipper opposes CN request to force CP and KCS to divest Springfield Line as part of merger
Bartlett Grain Co., which opened a grain loading facility on KCS in Jacksonville, Ill., in 2013, says a divestiture to CN would end the single-line service it currently enjoys for grain shipments to Mexico.
Primus to be renominated to STB
Robert E. Primus will be renominated to continue serving as a Member of the Surface Transportation Board. Primus is a Member of the Surface Transportation Board.
Amtrak orders 50 more national network locomotives
Another 50 locomotives have been ordered by Amtrak from Siemens Mobility, which worked with Amtrak to design this locomotive series for another major investment in our long distance services, the backbone of our National Network.
Exxon joins oil majors in Qatar’s mega-LNG expansion project
In all, the North Field Expansion plan includes six LNG trains that will ramp up Qatar’s liquefaction capacity from 77 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to 126 mtpa by 2027.
City of Beaumont, Rep. Ruiz pressure UP over blocked crossings
The Pass Area’s congressional representative is requesting an immediate response from the CEO of Union Pacific Railroad about the June 15 train incident in Beaumont that turned the city into a giant parking lot.
Family of Metra passenger killed in May accident files suit
The family of a Metra passenger killed in a May 11 grade-crossing accident has filed suit against the commuter agency and BNSF Railway, as well as the moving company whose truck was involved in the accident and the driver of the truck.
Analysis: How Wall Street holds railroads hostage
The U.S. Class I railroads’ recurring crew shortages, related bouts of service problems, and a lack of meaningful volume growth are intertwined. You can lay the blame for all three problems at just one place: Wall Street.
U.S. Supreme Court decision blocks Oklahoma cities from ticketing traffic-blocking trains
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Oklahoma’s effort to revive a state law setting strict time limits on trains blocking city streets.
BNSF addresses rail car backlog
For most of 2022 a freight rail backlog has left farmers and ranchers holding the bag, unable to bring their products to markets.
Texans ask for protection against Union Pacific’s cancer-causing chemicals
Houstonians boarded a bus to Austin early Wednesday morning to attend a hearing where the Fifth Ward cancer cluster will be addressed.
TTD, UP disagree over safety technology deployment
The debate about how to manage visual inspections in the face of advances in safety technology continues. This time it’s railroad carmen defending the importance of visual inspections for brake testing and maintenance.
Years of contract negotiations between railroads and unions stall
The contract talks involve approximately 140,000 railroad workers who are members of 13 rail unions. Workers are frustrated they have not received raises since 2019, and they want their pay to increase enough to offset inflation, according to union members.
BLET News
Ballots for strike authorization being mailed June 24 to BLET members at Class I railroads
This week, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is mailing ballots to more than 23,000 members seeking authorization for the Union’s leadership to call a strike should one become necessary to settle the current national contract dispute with the nation’s largest rail carriers. This is a mandatory step required by the Brotherhood’s internal law as the Union approaches the point where self-help becomes a legal option to both labor and management.
BLET to hold strike authorization vote
In a conference call held with all BLET General Chairmen today, National President Dennis R. Pierce announced that preparations are underway to poll members to authorize a strike in the event one becomes necessary to attain the Organization’s national bargaining goals.
BLET members ratify new contract with DM&E; Wages to increase 27%
By a nearly 5-to-1 ratio, members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) ratified a new on-property agreement with the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (DM&E) on June 13, 2022.
Deadline approaches for BLET’s Baltimore regional meeting
Those planning to attend the BLET’s upcoming regional meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, are reminded that the deadline to make hotel reservations is June 28, 2022. The meeting will be held August 1-5, 2022.
FRA publishes rule on fatigue management
On June 13, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published its long awaited rule on rail worker fatigue management. The fatigue final rule was mandated by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008.
United Rail Unions statement on proffer of arbitration, June 15, 2022
The United Rail Unions issued the following statement on June 15, 2022: Following the conclusion of our third week of compulsory mediation conducted by the National Mediation Board (NMB), the Rail Unions who are bargaining as part of the Coordinated Bargaining...
BLET opens Denver regional meeting
More than 370 members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and their families convened in Denver, Colorado, on the morning of June 14 for opening ceremonies of the BLET’s first regional meeting of 2022.
United Rail Unions statement on national bargaining, June 9, 2022
The Rail Unions remain united in their effort to negotiate a fair agreement and stand together in rejecting all proposals that the rail carriers have advanced in our mediation sessions. Our members are the backbone of the rail network and they have earned a contract that recognizes their contributions. None of the Carrier proposals to date come close to that.
Arrangements announced for former BLET VP Paul Wingo
The family will receive friends at the Maple Grove Baptist Church (9525 Birchwood Pike, Harrison, TN 37341) on Thursday, June 9, from 4:00-6:00 p.m., and a service will follow at 6:00 p.m. Brother Wingo will be laid to rest with military honors on Monday, June 13 (10:30 a.m.), at the Chattanooga National Cemetery (1200 Bailey Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37404).
Groose reelected Missouri State Legislative Board Chairman
Calvin L. Groose was reelected by acclamation to his second term as Chairman of the Missouri State Legislative Board at its quadrennial meeting in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, May 15-17, 2022.
