July 7, 2023 | East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: Press release from the office of Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), July 6, 2023) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), and John Fetterman (D-PA) backed a new proposed rule from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety...
July 6, 2023 | FRA, Headlines, NS, Railroad Safety
(Source: Trains Magazine, July 6, 2023) The Federal Railroad Administration is demanding immediate changes to Norfolk Southern’s conductor trainee program, citing “grave deficiencies” that have been marked by incidents resulting in “amputations and other serious...
July 5, 2023 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Lawsuit, Railroad Safety
(Source: Railway Age, July 5, 2023) The Association of American Railroads filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on June 30 seeking to block the state’s two-person train crew mandate, which AAR contends doesn’t permit exceptions and is...
July 3, 2023 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety, Train Length
(Source: Associated Press, June 27, 2023) Spurred on by train derailments, some states with busy criss-crossing freight railroads are pursuing their own safety remedies rather than wait for federal action amid industry opposition and questions about whether they even...
June 22, 2023 | Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Wisconsin Examiner opinion column by Sarah Zarling, June 20, 2023) At a time when the nation’s attention to rail disasters has soared due to continued high-profile derailments, and with the likelihood that many more thousands of rail cars with hazardous...
June 22, 2023 | DOT, FRA, Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: U.S. Department of Transportation press release, June 21, 2023) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, USDOT has taken steps to improve rail safety and called on Congress to pass the Railway Safety Act — working to...
June 22, 2023 | Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety, Unions
(Source: Freight Waves, June 21, 2023) The unions representing locomotive mechanics and railroad electricians want the Senate to take action to help move the rail safety bill toward a vote. IAM and IBEW estimate that they represent nearly 1.4 million members across...
June 21, 2023 | East Palestine-NS, Headlines, NTSB, Railroad Safety
(Source: Associated Press, June 21, 2023) The Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration proposed a new rule Wednesday that would require all railroads to immediately send the details of everything aboard their trains to every emergency responder within...
June 16, 2023 | News, Railroad Safety
The BLET is working hard to secure passage of an important rail safety bill in the state of New Jersey. On June 15, New Jersey State Legislative Board Chairman Ray Vigil testified before the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee in support of Bill A5605, the...
June 16, 2023 | East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Freight Waves, June 15, 2023) Blocked crossings and prevention of future derailments are among the key issues as three lobbying groups representing state and local governments push Senate leaders to bring the Railway Safety Act of 2023 to the Senate floor for...
