October 7, 2024 | Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Trains.com, October 2, 2024) A New Jersey state senate committee has approved a bill that would require two-person crews for freight trains and set a maximum length of 8,500 feet for “dangerous hazardous trains.” Full story: Trains.com
September 27, 2024 | Legislation, News, Top News
BLET Georgia State Legislative Board Chairman Dwayne Massengale (second from left) at the desk of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp during the signing ceremony. ____________________ A new law in the State of Georgia, backed by the BLET, increases the punishment for assault...
September 20, 2024 | Legislation, News, Top News
Cory Martin, Chairman of the BLET Illinois State Legislative Board ____________________ Last month, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a BLET-backed privacy bill into law that protects the identities of train crew members following grade crossing incidents...
August 13, 2024 | DOT, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Progressive Railroading, August 9, 2024) U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) on Aug. 1 introduced the Rail Bridge Safety and Transparency Act (S. 4954), which aims to increase the safety of rail bridges in the nation. Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) has...
August 9, 2024 | Legislation, News, Paid Sick Leave, PSR, Railroad Safety, Regional Meetings, Top News
The BLET National Division has prepared a video featuring highlights from several speakers at the union’s Eastern Regional Meeting last week in Washington D.C. The 8-minute video features the meeting’s opening ceremony and includes messages from U.S. Senator Bernie...
August 6, 2024 | Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source; MyChesCo.com, August 3, 2024) U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) on Thursday introduced The Rail Bridge Safety and Transparency Act, aimed at enhancing the safety of rail bridges across the nation. The bill addresses the limited oversight from the Federal Railroad...
July 25, 2024 | Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Roll Call, July 25, 2024) Election-year politics combined with a tight legislative schedule are complicating the effort to pass rail safety legislation stemming from last year’s East Palestine, Ohio, derailment, as the bill’s main GOP supporter, Ohio Sen. JD...
July 24, 2024 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety, Teamsters
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, July 23, 2024) The Teamsters are proud to endorse the bipartisan Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2024 (H.R.8996) led by Representatives Troy Nehls (R-TX) and Seth Moulton (D-MA). This legislation...
July 24, 2024 | 2-man Crews, C3RS, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety, Train Length
(Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 23, 2024) New bipartisan legislation to improve railroad safety following the East Palestine derailment was announced Tuesday as a House subcommittee held a three-hour hearing on what steps were needed to prevent a repeat...
July 24, 2024 | East Palestine-NS, FRA, Headlines, Legislation, NTSB, Railroad Safety
(Source: Associated Press, July 23, 2024) Major freight railroads are rushing railcar inspections, reinforcing known safety concerns raised by unions for years, but at a House hearing Tuesday they’ll present new evidence from federal inspectors that railcar checks are...
