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...
June 15, 2023 | Railroad Safety, Remote Control, UP
By Eddie Hall, BLET National President This commentary appeared in The Houston Chronicle, both in print and online, on April 26, 2023 Virtually every day, Union Pacific moves a train of up to 80 cars – many of them filled with ethanol, liquid petroleum, and a variety...
June 15, 2023 | News, Railroad Safety
A bipartisan group of political allies from Ohio’s State Senate and House of Representatives were the featured speakers at a special meeting for Cleveland-area BLET members at National Division headquarters on June 12. Sponsored by the BLET’s Ohio State Legislative...
June 13, 2023 | 2-man Crews, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Morning Journal, June 13, 2023) U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) took time out of his tour of RBS Manufacturing in East Palestine on Monday to discuss the current status of the Railway Safety Act of 2023 — the bipartisan bill introduced by Brown and his...
June 12, 2023 | East Palestine-NS, FRA, Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: Associated Press, June 10, 2023) The Federal Railroad Administration recently completed a review of Norfolk Southern’s safety culture in the wake of the February’s fiery derailment in Ohio, and officials plan to follow up with similar investigations of all...
