Rail Industry News
Onboard workers at Brightline vote to join TWU
The TWU victory comes after an aggressive anti-union campaign by the privately-owned company.
New NJ Transit head tells union he’s ready to bargain as strike deadline looms
Kris Kolluri, the new head of NJ Transit, is imploring the union that represents locomotive engineers to come to the table before a possible strike in March.
Shift to remote-controlled dams, trains raises unions’ concerns
But the lack of clarity surrounding training, or how the equipment would provide “equivalent levels of safety for workers who perform duties around or adjacent ” to the train cars, or the surrounding community and pedestrians, has drawn opposition from unions.
A 60-day pre-strike period kicks in as engineers, NJ Transit negotiate pay hikes
And a 60-day countdown has begun before a possible strike could start.
Appeals court blocks rule allowing movement of LNG by rail
Environmental groups asserted that “the amount of energy contained in 22 tank cars of LNG would be equal to that of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II.”
January 19 ceremony to honor UP workers who died in Pecos derailment
The ceremony will take place at the West of the Pecos Museum at 4 p.m.
DOT announces over $1.1 billion in new grants to reduce train-vehicle collisions and blocked rail crossings
The grants for communities in 41 states will fund construction of railroad overpasses and underpasses, helping to reduce the risk of collisions between trains and roadway users and prevent blocked crossings.
Border agency seeks to close security gaps on rail exports to Canada, Mexico
Proposed rule includes penalties of up to $100,000 for each violation.
2 killed, 3 injured when UP train derails in Pecos, TX, after collision
BLET President Eddie Hall said the derailment “should serve as a wake-up call to legislators to improve rail safety.”
January 6, 2025, marks 20th anniversary of Graniteville tragedy
BLET locomotive engineer Chris Seeling was killed in the crash on January 6, 2005. He was 47 years old.
A NJ Transit rail strike could be coming soon
A second Presidential Emergency Board, #252, is evaluating both sides of the argument.
NS line to Asheville, N.C., to be closed until March 2025
Reopening will include 12 miles east of Asheville, N.C; Old Fort Loops segment still being inspected
Analysis: Railroads head into 2025 with headcount momentum to support growth
CSXT, BNSF Railway, and Union Pacific have larger T&E rosters than they did a year ago. Norfolk Southern’s year-over-year T&E roster is down 6%.
Wyoming and Montana seek to reverse decision that would end Powder River Basin coal leases
The move came after a federal court ordered the agency to re-evaluate its environmental review criteria to include both limited leasing and no coal leasing options.
Railroads ramp up the use of artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is weaving itself into the daily operations of big U.S. railroads, helping managers make data-backed decisions about operating plans and identify trends among virtually any t process.
Supreme Court to hear argument on new U.S. rail line
The 88-mile Uinta Basin Railway would connect Utah oil fields to the national rail network, enabling up to 350,000 barrels of crude oil per day to travel on trains as long as two miles.
The decline of North America’s hump yards
Only 36 left, hump yards remain enormously important to the carload network
CSX’s appeal to Supreme Court tests reach of antitrust law
Freight rail giant CSX has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive its lawsuit accusing rival Norfolk Southern of denying access to a key East Coast terminal, costing CSX hundreds of millions of dollars in lost profits.
More people are riding Amtrak than ever before, and improvements are on the way
Amtrak said its goal is to double its ridership to 66 million passengers a year by 2040.
Amtrak notches ridership and revenue record for FY 2024
A 24% gain in ticket revenue from long-distance trains compared to 2019, in spite of constricted coach and sleeping car capacity, generated a 6% rise in total revenue.
BLET News
Organizing Department: After seven organizing victories, BLET looks to continue momentum in 2025
The BLET successfully organized seven short line railroads over the past two years, with more organizing campaigns planned for 2025. The recent string of victories can be linked to a strategic decision made in early 2023 when BLET National Division’s leadership...
Craver reelected to fifth term as Chairman of Virginia State Legislative Board
Brother Tim Craver of BLET Division 532 (Richmond, Va.) was reelected to his fifth term as Chairman of the Virginia State Legislative Board at its quadrennial meeting in late 2024. The Virginia State Legislative Board represents 11 BLET Divisions and nearly 1,100...
Ohio: Governor signs BLET-backed “Stop, Look, and Listen” rail safety bill
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (seated) after signing the “Stop, Look, and Listen” bill, with Rep. Michele Grim and BLET Ohio SLB Chairman John Esterly. ____________________ In mid-January, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed an important rail safety bill into law — the...
Rep. Dina Titus, a voice for Rail Labor, to serve as Ranking Member of House Rail Subcommittee
Rep. Titus addressing BLET members at the 2022 National Convention. ____________________ Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-Nevada) will serve as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials in the 119th Congress. The subcommittee,...
Short line department: BLET hits the ground running at Utah Central
Less than a month after securing an organizing win at the Utah Central Railway, the BLET hit the ground running with its newest members. BLET National Vice President James Logan Jr., who now leads the BLET’s Short Line Department, traveled to Utah to help the nation’s...
Decision by PEB 252 sets the clock ticking for a strike date at NJ Transit
NEWARK, N.J., January 21 — A non-binding decision announced this week by Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) 252, assigned to the dispute between the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and New Jersey Transit (NJT), sets the clock ticking for...
BLET thanks FRA Administrator Bose as he steps down
Amit Bose was honored for his dedication to rail safety at a reception in Washington, D.C., on January 14. Bose is stepping down from his role as head of the Federal Railroad Administration, a position he has held since early 2022. Under his leadership, the FRA...
An “outpouring of love” for SEPTA’s first female locomotive engineer who retires after 40 years
On January 10, BLET Division 71 member Jacqueline Y. Pettyjohn operated her last SEPTA train from Philadelphia International Airport to Suburban Station, in center city Philadelphia. Pettyjohn not only completed the run, she also capped her 40-year career, where she...
BLET reaches tentative agreement with Keolis Commuter Services for MBTA locomotive engineers
The BLET has reached a tentative contract with Keolis Commuter Services for locomotive engineers working at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in Boston. The tentative agreement governs rates of pay, benefits and work rules for 194 members. Ballots...
FRA and OSHA criticize Class I railroads discipline policies that intimidate workers and discourage them from reporting injuries
Class I railroads are failing workers and making railroads less safe due to overly harsh employee discipline policies. That’s according to the December 20 letters from the heads of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Occupational Safety and Health...
