May 4, 2023 | Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Freight Waves opinion column by Loren A. Smith Jr., May 4, 2023) As the Senate Committee on Commerce takes the next steps on rail safety legislation, there is reason for optimism. Railroads move an astounding amount of freight in the United States, roughly...
May 4, 2023 | Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: Boston 25 News, May 3, 2023) Each day, freight trains carry toxic and flammable material travel throughout Massachusetts – but local officials and emergency personnel don’t know what’s going through their community at any moment. Full story: Yahoo...
May 3, 2023 | News, Railroad Safety, SLB Elections
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, May 3 — Minnesota Governor Tim Walz focused on rail safety as the guest of honor at the BLET Minnesota State Legislative Board’s quadrennial meeting in Bloomington, Minn., April 23-26, 2023. Among other items, Governor Walz discussed with BLET...
May 2, 2023 | Derailment, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, PSR, Railroad Safety
(Source: The Hill opinion column by Tara D. Sonenshine, May 2, 2023) For the sake of commerce, tourism and safe travel, America must get its railroads performing at a high level of quality and safety. We made a huge investment in this industry long ago. Let’s protect...
April 28, 2023 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety, Train Length
(Source: UpNorthLive, April 27, 2023) Michigan State Senator Erika Geiss, D-Taylor, has sponsored two bills that would require shorter train lengths and mandate a minimum two-person crew on trains in an effort to improve rail safety and avert potential disasters like...
April 28, 2023 | DOT, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: Reuters, April 26, 2023) The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on Wednesday said a Republican budget cut proposal would result in nearly 7,500 fewer rail safety inspection days and over 30,000 fewer miles of track inspected annually, at a time when...
April 27, 2023 | East Palestine-NS, Headlines, PSR, Railroad Safety
(Source: ProPublica, April 26, 2023) The blocked crossing problem is perennial, especially in cities that are near large train yards. But in the era of precision scheduled railroading, a management philosophy that leans heavily on running longer trains, residents,...
April 27, 2023 | DOT, Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: Trains Magazine, April 27, 2023) The U.S. Department of Transportation has turned down a request for a permit to transport liquefied natural gas by rail from Pennsylvania to a terminal on the Delaware River, NJ.com reports. Full story: Trains...
April 27, 2023 | CP-KCS Merger, CPKC, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: Reckon Media, April 26, 2023) What is known is that the CPKC merger will drastically increase rail traffic in dozens of U.S. neighborhoods from Chicago to Texas’s border with Mexico. Traffic is expected to at least quadruple as the trains haul anything from...
April 25, 2023 | FRA, Headlines, PSR, Railroad Safety
(Source: Railway Age column by Grady C. Cothen Jr., April 23, 2023) The June 2022 White Paper supplemented here was devoted to “management of in-train forces.” This is an issue for trains of virtually all lengths and tonnages, but longer trains present special...
