March 16, 2024 | East Palestine-NS, Headlines
(Source: The Hill, March 14, 2024) 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. Full story: The...
March 16, 2024 | AAR Freight Trends, Headlines
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, March 13, 2024) The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 9, 2024. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 472,662 carloads and intermodal...
March 16, 2024 | FRA, Headlines, PSR, UP
(Source: Freight Waves, March 13, 2024) 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. Full story: Freight...
March 14, 2024 | DOT, East Palestine-NS, FRA, Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: Associated Press, March 12, 2024) Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has reiterated his concerns about railroad safety and scolded the industry for not doing more to improve since last year’s fiery Ohio derailment. In a new letter to the freight...
March 14, 2024 | BNSF, Headlines, PSR
(Source: Trains.com, March 11, 2024) BNSF Railway eliminated several hundred management positions at its headquarters and across the system last week as part of a belt-tightening move. The railroad did not disclose how many jobs were affected, but people familiar with...
March 14, 2024 | BNSF, FRA, Furloughs, Headlines, PSR, UP
(Source: Progressive Farmer, March 11, 2024) 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...
March 14, 2024 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation
(Source: Virginia Mercury, March 12, 2024) Virginia’s legislative effort to require two crew members on all trains died after the governor vetoed the legislation on Friday, March 8. Following multiple train derailments in recent years, considerations of a similar...
March 8, 2024 | Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Retirement
(Source: Trains.com, March 6, 2024) 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. Industry and labor...
March 8, 2024 | BNSF, Furloughs, Headlines, PSR
(Source: Television station KOLN, March 6, 2024) 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. Full story:...
March 8, 2024 | East Palestine-NS, Headlines, NTSB
(Source: Associated Press, March 6, 2024) 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...
