BLET In The Media
President Hall exposes dangers of long trains in Washington Post interview
President Hall exposes dangers of long trains in Washington Post interview
Long trains have been a major safety issue for several years now, especially since the introduction of so-called Precision Scheduled Railroading by Class I railroads throughout the United States. The BLET has argued that these long trains put profits over safety — the safety train crews who operate the trains and the citizens of towns that these trains regularly traverse.
The BLET is actively fighting to help protect its members and the general public by advocating for common sense legislation at the state and national level that would limit train length. As part of our fight, BLET National President recently spoke to the Washington Post for an exposé about the dangers of long trains.
President Hall told The Post that long trains blocking paramedics and other first responders from getting to emergencies is a major problem for local communities, and it is putting lives in danger. “When you have first responders trying to get from one side of the track to another, in a small town like that, you’re putting the public safety at risk,” Hall said.
To read the Washington Post article, please visit: blet.link/3qhvNlH
KWY Newsradio, Philadelphia
Don Hill
SEPTA General Chairman
Newark Star-Ledger
Associated Press
Mark Wallace
BLET First Vice President
Rob Cunningham
BNSF (former AT&SF) General Chairman
Railroaders seek quality of life improvements
(Source: Associated Press, January 26, 2023)
The contract imposed on railroad workers last fall didn’t resolve their quality-of-life issues, but there are indications some Class I railroads are starting to address some of their concerns about demanding schedules that keep many of them on call 24-7 without paid sick time. One early sign of progress includes a Union Pacific pilot program in the Kansas City area that’s testing out a new schedule for engineers that lets them plan on having four days off in a row after working 11 days straight. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen’s First Vice President Mark Wallace is pressing UP to expand this new scheduling model, or something similar to it, across the railroad. “I’m trying to put pressure on UP to do this sooner rather than later,” Wallace said. And he said having more regular schedules would help railroads recruit the new workers they need to handle all the freight companies want them to deliver.
Full story: Associated Press