Renovations to the 125-year-old Howard Tunnel in Baltimore led to train rerouting. CSX used managers as pilots initially until the BLET put a stop to it.
Photo: Associated Press
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A historic tunnel constructed in the late 1800s has led to a 2025 contract dispute between BLET and CSX Transportation.
Baltimore’s 125-year-old Howard Street Tunnel is undergoing extensive renovation to allow double-stacked trains adequate vertical clearance. This has forced CSX trains to be rerouted over nearby Norfolk Southern tracks. Rather than using qualified locomotive engineers, CSX chose to use managers as pilots — a direct violation of BLET’s Single System Agreement with the carrier.
The contract clearly states: “Only qualified FRA certified engineers whose names appear on an active roster will be used as pilots for other engineers and will be paid the same rate of pay as the engineer handling the assignment.”
The legal team at the BLET National Division filed a lawsuit to halt CSX’s actions in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on February 14. The carrier immediately backed off. Today, CSX is no longer using managers as pilot engineers.
“Credit for this victory goes to the front line BLET members who immediately alerted CSXT-Northern Lines General Chairman Brian Farkas to this violation of our collective bargaining agreement,” said BLET National President Eddie Hall. “Fast action by BLET members stopped CSX from pulling a fast one.”