April 2, 2024 | 2-man Crews, FRA, Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: Washington Post, April 2, 2024) The Biden administration on Tuesday required the largest freight railroads to operate their trains with at least two people on board, seeking to improve rail safety with a new mandate that immediately drew stiff industry...
April 2, 2024 | 2-man Crews, FRA, News, Railroad Safety, Train Length
Statement by Eddie Hall BLET National President April 2, 2024 For the past 13 years our union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, has advocated for a federal rule requiring that trains be staffed by a minimum of one certified engineer and a...
April 2, 2024 | 2-man Crews, FRA, Headlines, News, Railroad Safety
(Source: Associated Press, April 2, 2024) Major freight railroads will have to maintain two-person crews on most routes under a new federal rule that was finalized Tuesday. The Federal Railroad Administration released the details of the rule Tuesday morning,...
April 1, 2024 | BNSF, CPKC, Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: Trains.com, March 30, 2024) BNSF Railway and CPKC, the two largest railroads in Minnesota, do not plan to make payments of approximately $1 million to the state required by a law passed last year, saying the state legislation is “pre-empted by federal law.”...
March 27, 2024 | 2-man Crews, C3RS, Legislation, News, PSR, Railroad Safety
On March 13, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Rail Subcommittee hosted a roundtable discussion to examine safety issues in the railroad industry. BLET Vice President & National Legislative Representative Vince Verna represented BLET. During his...
March 20, 2024 | 2-man Crews, Legislation, News, Railroad Safety
A fellow Rail Conference member from the BMWED (wearing red) joined BLET members (from left to right) Ulises Flotte, Div. 20, Ryan Snow, BLET California State Legislative Board Chairman, Jerry Padilla, Div. 660, and Jacob Klatt, BLET Div. 126, at the rally in Los...
March 19, 2024 | 2-man Crews, Legislation, News, Railroad Safety
Virginia Governor Glenn Younkin vetoed a two-person crew bill on March 8, but the fight isn’t over yet. BLET Virginia State Legislative Board Chairman Tim Craver said supporters of the measure are seeking to enlist enough members of both chambers to overturn the veto....
March 18, 2024 | BNSF, Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: Reuters, March 15, 2024) 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. The company also urged the rejection of six shareholder...
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 4, 2024 | BNSF, Furloughs, Headlines, NS, PSR, Railroad Safety, STB
(Source: Associated Press, March 1, 2024) 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...
