Rail Industry News
Ken Hall retires as General Secretary-Treasurer of the Teamsters
After a decade in office, Ken Hall, General Secretary-Treasurer of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, is retiring upon the completion of his term next Tuesday, March 22, 2022.
PATH’s $1 billion improvement plan set to deliver longer trains, new cars
Before the pandemic turned commuting upside down, PATH embarked on a $1 billion improvement program in June 2019.
BNSF can’t use federal rail law to end truckers’ biometrics class action over fingerprint scans to enter rail yards
A federal judge once again put the brakes on BNSF’s efforts to derail a biometrics class action by invoking the Railroad Safety Act and other federal laws.
CN adapting to huge demand shifts in north/south rail movement
Drought, offshore import shortages, and labor disruptions are among several factors CN Rail is juggling as the railway continues to work in overdrive to ensure products and commodities get to where they need to be.
AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending March 12, 2022
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 496,134 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.7 percent compared with the same week last year.
U.S. railroads report traffic decrease in latest week
U.S. railroads logged a 4.7% decrease in volumes for the week ending March 12 compared with the same period in 2021, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.
CP set to shut down if labor talks fail
CP has issued a 72-hour notice to the TCRC of plans to lock out employees early March 20 if the union’s leadership and the company fail to negotiate a settlement or agree to binding arbitration.
Railroads take pivotal California labor law case to Ninth Circuit
A consortium of railroad operators sued the state of California claiming its 2014 law requiring employers to offer sick leave to workers should not apply to railroads for a variety of reasons.
STB to CP-KCS: Clarify data from proposed merger filings
The STB on March 16 asked merger partners CP and KCS to address an apparent “inconsistency in the calculation of traffic density numbers” that were submitted to the STB and to the STB’s Office of Environmental Analysis regarding their proposed combination.
Metra opposes CP-KCS merger in regulatory filing
Chicago-area commuter rail operator Metra has come out against the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger.
Study on creating passenger train system across Tennessee gains Senate support
The study, to be completed by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR), would be due to the Legislature’s transportation committees by July 1, 2023.
CP will lock out 3,000 engineers and conductors if they don’t have a deal with TCRC by Sunday
Calgary-based CP Rail said in a release Wednesday that it has issued 72-hour notice to the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference of its plan to lock out employees at 00:01 eastern time on March 20 if the union and the company are unable to come to a negotiated settlement or agree to binding arbitration.
Railroads and shippers argue over reciprocal switching proposal
Railroads warn of dire operational consequences and sole-served shippers say they need relief from high rates and poor service.
BNSF, J.B. Hunt agree to expand shipping capacity
Partners J.B. Hunt and BNSF Railway Co. on Wednesday said they plan to add thousands of shipping containers and improve rail equipment at key facilities to address capacity issues in the intermodal marketplace.
Buttigieg discusses Texas high-speed rail project
As more people flock to Texas and its metro areas swell, the state could benefit from robust passenger rail, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday.
Keeping vehicles and people off Brightline tracks
The recent spate of accidents involving humans and vehicles on Brightline’s tracks between West Palm Beach and Miami between November 2021 and February 2022 highlights two of the biggest obstacles facing Brightline’s success as a scheduled, reliable passenger railroad.
TCRC has yet to issue strike notice against CP in Canada
While Canadian Pacific workers in Canada have authorized a strike that could have begun as soon as tonight, their union has yet to provide the 72-hour notice necessary before walking out.
Canada, U.S. shippers brace for possible TCRC strike at CP
Thousands of workers at Canada’s second-biggest railway, Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd., have threatened to strike this week, potentially disrupting the movement of grain, potash and coal at a time of soaring commodity prices.
BNSF and NS declare impasse over crew size
SMART-TD and the involved General Committees intend to continue to demonstrate the significant problems with the carriers’ plans and the current technology that carriers believe allows for a redeployment of conductors to ground-based positions.
STB wants parties to address Amtrak Gulf Coast matters prior to April hearing
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has directed Amtrak, CSX, Norfolk Southern Railway and related parties to be prepared to address several issues at the April 4 evidentiary hearing on Amtrak’s proposal to introduce Gulf Coast intercity passenger-rail service.
BLET News
At U.S. House hearing, BLET President Pierce testifies for two-person crews, asks Congress to block Mexican crews from operating in U.S.
Dennis Pierce, National President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and President of the Teamsters Rail Conference, urged members of Congress to support a national two-person crew law and asked them to block Mexican train crews from operating in the United States during a hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives today.
Former BLE First Vice President Jim McCoy, 1937-2019
Former BLE First Vice President and Alternate International President James L. McCoy passed away at the age on 81 at his home in Franklin, Tennessee, on June 17, 2019. He served the Brotherhood for many years as General Chairman of the Illinois Central General Committee of Adjustment (GCA), and was an International Vice President of the BLE from 1996 to 1999, serving as First Vice President — the union’s second highest office — from 1999 until his retirement in 2001.
President Pierce to testify before Congress on “State of the Rail Workforce”
BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce will testify before the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials at a hearing titled “The State of the Rail Workforce” at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 20.
Registration continues for BLET’s Clearwater regional meeting, July 22-26, 2019
Registration is continuing for the BLET regional meeting at the Hilton Clearwater Beach hotel in Clearwater, Fla., July 22-26, 2019. The deadline to make hotel reservations and register for the regional meeting is June 23.
When Doing More with Less Poses a Threat
By Dennis R. Pierce, BLET National President In my most recent President’s Message I wrote about the Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) phenomenon in the railroad industry, and how PSR focuses on “asset maximization” in an effort to sharply drive down operating ratio, which is the percentage of railroad revenue spent on operating costs.
Driscoll reelected Conrail SSA/CSXT-ND General Chairman
Brother Patrick T. Driscoll was reelected by acclamation to his second term as General Chairman of the Conrail SSA/CSXT-Northern District General Committee of Adjustment at the GCA’s quadrennial meeting in Buffalo, N.Y., May 20-21-2019.
BLET member killed in off-duty car collision
BLET Member David V. Sayson of Division 565 (Youngstown, Ohio) was killed in a off-duty automobile collision in Springfield Township, Ohio, on May 30, 2019. He was 48 years old.
John Edgar Thomson Foundation provides financial assistance to daughters of deceased railroaders
The John Edgar Thomson Foundation, a nationally recognized non-profit organization, provides limited financial assistance to daughters of deceased railroad employees.
Scott Palmer reelected Oregon State Legislative Board Chairman
Scott Palmer was reelected by acclamation to his sixth term as Chairman of the Oregon State Legislative Board at its May 22 triennial meeting in Portland, Oregon.
Final days to enroll in the BLET Short Term Disability Enhanced-Plan
Open Enrollment for the BLET’s Short Term Disability Enhanced-Plan (underwritten by Sun Life Financial) ends Friday, May 31, 2019. Those who meet the deadline will have their coverage take effect on June 1, 2019.
