March 7, 2023 | DOT, FRA, Headlines, Railroad Safety, Railroad Security
(Source: Freight Waves, March 4, 2023) Just as the industry consists of not just the railroads but numerous stakeholders such as the equipment manufacturers, shippers and unions, there are also several federal-level agencies involved in ensuring freight rail safety....
March 6, 2023 | 2-man Crews, AAR Freight Trends, Derailment, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, NS, Railroad Safety
(Source: CNN, March 4, 2023) The nation’s major freight railroads have long desired to have only one crew member, a lone engineer, in the cab of their locomotives. And that desire hasn’t changed despite the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train on February 3 that...
March 6, 2023 | AAR Freight Trends, Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: Common Dreams, March 3, 2023) A new analysis by the campaign finance watchdog OpenSecrets found that the rail industry has spent $653.5 million on federal lobbying over the past two decades as it has worked—often successfully—to fight off stricter safety...
March 3, 2023 | Headlines, PSR, Railroad Safety, UP
(Source: The Guardian, March 3, 2023) In leaked audio heard by the Guardian, a manager for one of the US’s largest rail companies can be heard explaining to a former carman that they should stop tagging railcars for broken bearings. The manager says doing so delays...
March 3, 2023 | DOT, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: Reuters, March 2, 2023) Seven major North American freight rail companies on Thursday agreed to join a voluntary employee safety reporting program after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had urged the action following a Feb. 3 derailment in East...
March 3, 2023 | 2-man Crews, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Politico, March 2, 2023) President Joe Biden on Thursday praised bipartisan legislation that would strengthen safety rules governing railroads, following the fiery Ohio train derailment that left residents concerned about the air and water quality in the town...
March 2, 2023 | 2-man Crews, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Associated Press, March 1, 2023) Railroads like the one involved in last month’s fiery crash and toxic chemical release in Ohio would be subject to a series of new federal safety regulations and financial consequences under legislation being introduced...
January 27, 2023 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, PSR, Railroad Safety, Remote Control, SMART-TD
(Source: SMART Transportation Division press release, January 26, 2023) In a letter dated Jan. 25, the general chairperson of SMART Transportation Division’s GO 577 informed Union Pacific’s senior vice president of operations that the union was withdrawing from any...
January 5, 2023 | Headlines, PSR, Railroad Safety
(Source: Trains Magazine, January 3, 2023) A Government Accountability Office report on Precision Scheduled Railroading says the impact of the low-cost operating model on safety and service is unclear. Rail worker complaints to the FRA regarding safety issues have...
December 28, 2022 | Headlines, Legislation, PSR, Railroad Safety
(Source: Radio Iowa, December 26, 2022) Unions that represent rail workers are lobbying for a state law that would limit the length of trains. A federal report found the length of trains increased 25 percent between 2008 and 2017. There is currently no limit in state...
