July 31, 2024 | Amtrak, Headlines, Lawsuit, NS, PSR, Train Length
(Source: Associated Press, July 30, 2024) Norfolk Southern railroad has been causing chronic delays for Amtrak between New York and New Orleans by forcing the passenger trains to wait while its massive freight trains pass, the federal government said in a lawsuit...
July 26, 2024 | Headlines, Quarterly Income, Train Length, UP
(Source: Trains.com, July 25, 2024) Union Pacific’s profits rose in the second quarter despite a sharp drop in coal traffic. Quarterly operating income increased 9%, to $2.4 billion, as revenue grew 1%, to $6 billion. Earnings per share rose 7%, to $2.74. UP’s...
July 24, 2024 | 2-man Crews, C3RS, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety, Train Length
(Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 23, 2024) New bipartisan legislation to improve railroad safety following the East Palestine derailment was announced Tuesday as a House subcommittee held a three-hour hearing on what steps were needed to prevent a repeat...
July 16, 2024 | East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety, Train Length
(Source: Progressive Railroading, July 15, 2024) U.S. Reps. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) on July 11 introduced a bill calling for enhanced safety requirements for trains transporting hazardous materials. H.R. 8996 would incorporate aspects of...
July 10, 2024 | FRA, News, Top News, Train Length
A recent article published at Jacobin.com examines how the railroad industry has continued to aggressively lobby against federal safety regulations since the 2023 East Palestine disaster, even as new data suggests that increases in train length have made derailments...
June 29, 2024 | East Palestine-NS, News, NS, NTSB, Train Length
These Brothers represented BLET at the NTSB board meeting in East Palestine on June 25 (from left): Director of Political Affairs Brendan Sullivan; National VP & NLR Vince Verna; National VP and STF Chairman Randy Fannon, STF National Coordinator Brian Fransen,...
May 30, 2024 | FRA, Headlines, Railroad Safety, Train Length
(Source: Trains.com, May 29, 2024) The risk of derailment increases with freight train length, according to an academic study published today, which found that a 200-car train is 24% more likely to derail than a 50-car train. The study — by researchers from Brigham...
May 17, 2024 | Derailment, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Railroad Safety, Train Length
(Source: Claims Journal, May 16, 2024) The longer the freight train, the greater the risk of derailment, new research from the Society for Risk Analysis shows. The study, published in the journal Risk Analysis, was led by Peter Madsen of Brigham Young University’s...
April 22, 2024 | Legislation, News, Railroad Safety, Train Length
Colorado State Legislative Board Chairman Paul Pearson ___________________ Colorado BLET members are working hard to secure passage of a major rail safety bill in the state’s legislature. BLET Vice President & National Legislative Representative Vince Verna, BLET...
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...
