Rail Industry News
Opinion: Let’s find the courage to complete high-speed rail project
After the recent release of the California High-Speed Rail Project’s new business plan, an objective UC Berkeley poll revealed that 56% of the state’s voters support the completion of the project and 35% opposed, with the rest undecided. In the Bay Area, that jumps to 65% of the voters supporting the project, with only 20% opposed.
NS blames “crew restraints” for lengthy blocked crossings in Bessemer, Ala.
Frustration was running high in Bessemer where two trains had been stopped on the tracks near Highway 150 since Thursday afternoon. Norfolk Southern is responsible for them.
CSX rejects blame from Tampa Electric for low coal supplies
Tampa Electric has had to curtail operations at its Big Bend power station in Florida, and the utility blames the curtailment on “severe rail service shortages” and a reduction of coal deliveries.
New York state bill would mandate two-person train crews
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is encouraging its members to lobby in favor of the legislation.
Editorial: Railroads need to do better
The railroads’ performance is so inconsistent that some customers can count on them only to be late.
Dow transport stocks tumble as railroad downgrades act as a drag
Among the transports’ biggest losers, shares of Union Pacific Corp dropped 3.8%, CSX Corp. slid 2.9% and Norfolk Southern Corp. sank 2.9%.
AAR to STB: No quick fix to service problems
“The Class I railroads recognize that their recent service performance has not met many customers’ expectations,” the Association of American Railroads (AAR) wrote in a May 18 filing to the STB.
Analysis: Coal’s comeback perseveres through mid-2022
American coal prices in the aftermath of the coronavirus have reached unprecedented highs and world events are notching prices even higher.
AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending May 14, 2022
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 505,120 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
FRA releases 2021 fiscal year enforcement report
The Federal Railroad Administration today released its Annual Enforcement Report summarizing regulatory compliance inspections and audits that FRA or state inspectors participating in FRA’s rail safety program conducted during the past fiscal year (FY), as well as civil penalty enforcement actions arising from them.
Q&A: Buyouts and Railroad Retirement benefits
Railroad employees frequently ask the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) how accepting a buyout from a railroad employer affects their future eligibility for benefits under the Railroad Retirement and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Acts.
Court: Some rail rate talks allowed in price-fixing suits
The ruling from the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals this week will likely set up more arguments over evidence as Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern and CSX railroads defend themselves against dozens of lawsuits accusing them of conspiring to inflate their rates with coordinated fuel surcharges between 2003 and 2007.
Wyoming protest part of nationwide picket to promote awareness of BNSF policies
The rail industry is in crisis along with many other industries in America who not only had to find creative ways to keep afloat during COVID, but now as the economy has been recovering, the problems switch to living in the collateral damage of the sanctions and actions imposed in the midst of the pandemic.
U.S. rail traffic downturn at 12 weeks and counting
For the week ending May 14, 2022, Class I railroads moved 230,128 carloads (down 5.2% from the prior-year period) and 274,992 intermodal containers and trailers (down 5.5% from 2021).
Transport Canada updates rules for securing trains
Canadian Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra yesterday announced approval of amended regulations aimed at improving railway safety.
Carload considerations: Railcar velocity is an important to the shipper as the railroad
Car velocity is one element of a set of metrics that illustrates the operating performance of a Class I railroad and provide a systemwide snapshot of the overall state of the railroad.
Watson Bryant to lead New Orleans Public Belt Railroad
Watson Bryant will become the first African-American woman to lead a short line in the United States, NOPB officials said in a press release.
BNSF changes controversial attendance policy; Union members unimpressed
But even with the changes, labor officials remain unimpressed and said BNSF Railway’s new policies could lead to unsafe working conditions on the railroad.
Unions critical of BNSF’s new adjustments to attendance policy
Two unions are still critical of BNSF’s controversial attendance policy, saying recent adjustments aren’t enough to overcome its shortcomings.
FRA publishes quarterly on-time performance report card for Amtrak
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today published a report on performance metrics for Amtrak’s intercity passenger train operations, covering the first quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2022.
BLET News
Rail bosses tighten the screws on workers, representatives
As freight rail traffic levels rebound strongly from the economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, railroad management has unleashed an unprecedented barrage of measures to manipulate recalls from furloughs, make already draconian attendance policies even more punitive, and interfere with union representatives who fight to protect their members from this abuse.
August 4 update from Railroad Retirement Board’s Labor Member regarding China investments
By John Bragg, Labor Member of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board I want to reiterate that our trust fund is stable and NRRIT’s investments are producing the returns needed to ensure the stability of the fund well into the future.
United Rail Unions sue to block carriers from modifying Healthcare benefits without bargaining
On August 5, 2020, 12 rail unions whose members and their families are covered by the NRC/UTU Plan and the Railroad Employees National Health and Welfare Plan, filed suit against the nation’s Class I railroad carriers in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
Arbitrator approves replacing American crews with Mexican crews in Laredo
A three-year contract struggle against actions by Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCS) and its affiliate Texas Mexican Railway (Tex-Mex) to replace BLET-represented crews that shuttled trains between Laredo Yard and the U.S.–Mexico border concluded on August 4th, when a majority of a Special Board of Adjustment (SBA) ruled in the Carriers’ favor.
BLET reaches tentative agreement with Pacific Harbor Line
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) has reached a tentative agreement with Pacific Harbor Line (PHL). Ballots have been mailed to active members of the BLET employed by PHL who are eligible to vote in the ratification of this agreement.
Pierce elected Chairman of CRLO
BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce has been elected Chairman of the Cooperating Railway Labor Organizations (CRLO) following the retirement of long-serving Chairman Robert A. Scardelletti. His election became effective on August 1, 2020.
Coordinated Bargaining Coalition: National Negotiations Update, July 31, 2020
Bargaining teams from 10 unions that make up the Coordinated Bar-gaining Coalition (CBC) for this round of national freight rail negotiations participated in a Zoom conference with National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC) Chairman Brendan Branon and participating Carrier representatives on July 28, 2020.
BLET, SMART-TD and ARLA urge Supreme Court to protect FELA
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), along with the SMART Transportation Division (SMART-TD) and the Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys (ARLA), have filed a joint motion and brief urging the United States Supreme Court to prevent railroads from seeking property damages from their employees who are involved in railroad accidents.
Telephone service restored at BLET National Division
As a follow up, all BLET members and subordinate bodies are advised that the telephone and voice mail systems at the BLET National Division headquarters have been restored to normal. Thank you for your patience.
Temporary telephone outage at BLET National Division
All BLET members and subordinate bodies are advised that the telephone and voice mail systems at the BLET National Division are temporarily out of service due to an unexpected computer hardware malfunction. It is expected that full service will be restored near the close of business tomorrow, July 30, 2020.
