Rail Industry News
Washington state senators approve high-speed rail funding
Washington state senators took a step toward establishing a high-speed train system linking Oregon to Canada. A proposal to put $150 million toward creating a system passed off the Senate floor Tuesday night.
First day of Gulf Coast hearing brings significant new information
Active cross-examination by Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin Oberman and other board members marked almost eight hours of testimony Tuesday on the first of two days of public comment on the ramifications of two proposed daily Amtrak round trips between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala.
Amtrak uses social media to help make its case for Gulf Coast service
Hours before the Surface Transportation Board (STB) began the first day of a two-day public hearing on the matter, Amtrak yesterday laid out on social media its case for why it should be allowed to restore passenger-rail service along the Gulf Coast.
Chair DeFazio statement at STB hearing on restoring Gulf Coast intercity passenger rail service
Rep. DeFazio said: “You mean to tell me that CSX can’t handle two more trains a day on this route in either direction unless the American public invests $400 million? That is ridiculous.”
FRA issues Amtrak on time performance report card
The Cardinal, Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle were delayed most.
STB to hold March 15-16 hearing on reciprocal switching
It’s a subject upon which freight railroads and many of their major customers have been deeply divided for a very long time.
STB hearing on Amtrak Gulf Coast service begins today
To be held virtually, the hearing will begin on Feb. 15 and continue Feb. 16
Analysis: What the STB should ask to help sort out Amtrak Gulf Coast fiasco
CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern, and Amtrak all should be in the hot seat at Surface Transportation Board hearings this week and next month regarding proposed Gulf Coast passenger service
FRA publishes quarterly report on performance, quality of intercity passenger rail
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today published a report and supporting data files that measure the performance and service quality of Amtrak intercity passenger train operations during the fourth quarter of FY 2021.
Teamsters celebrate Black History Month with voting rights push
To ensure that voting is protected nationwide, federal legislation is a necessity. The For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act would protect the rights of voters and would also grant the federal government oversight of any legislative changes enacted at the state level.
Port of Savannah: 18 months of record volume
The Port of Savannah, Ga., handled 479,700 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in January—a 4% gain over the same month last year, when cargo volumes grew 22%, Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) reported.
NYC subway ridership tops 3 million for first time in months
MTA New York City Transit’s (NYCT) subway ridership recently topped 3 million for three consecutive days, the first time the transit system surpassed that ridership mark since Dec. 17, 2021, when the omicron variant of the COVID-19 pandemic was reported in the city.
Delays along Metra’s UP Northwest line after near miss with pedestrian
A person earlier believed to have been hit by an inbound Metra train in Park Ridge actually suffered a “near miss,” a Metra spokeswoman said late Monday morning.
BNSF train derails in Denver, sends 3 empty carts into South Platte River
Several freight train cars derailed in Denver Saturday morning. Burlington Northern Santa Fe confirmed the crash happened at around 6 a.m. Officials add three of seven cars fell into the South Platte River. There are no reported injuries and the cause is under
Environmental groups sue STB over approval of Utah oil train line
Conservation groups on Friday accused the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) of improperly approving a roughly $1.5 billion rail line in Utah’s Uinta Basin because the resulting boost in the area’s oil output would aggravate climate change.
UP reimbursing Tempe for 2020 derailment
Union Pacific Railroad will be reimbursing Tempe nearly $482,000 for expenses related to the July 2020 train derailment, according to city officials.
NJ Transit settles with crew member over 2016 Hoboken crash
The NJ Transit board unanimously approved a settlement a conductor who was working on a train that crashed into Hoboken Terminal on Sept. 29, 2016.
Philadelphia and CSX collide over railroad’s request to demolish an aging bridge
As if urban life in hardscrabble Southwest Philadelphia were not tough enough, along comes one of the nation’s richest railroad companies, proposing to demolish a decaying bridge, and turn the busy street in front of your business into a permanent cul-de-sac.
A year later, questions linger about UP derailment in Normal, Ill.
Questions remain a year after 17 Union Pacific Railroad Co. freight cars jumped the rails near uptown Normal, crumpling steel and spilling debris.
Teamsters Canada Rail Conference conducting strike vote at CP
The TCRC has served a Notice of Dispute to the Minister of Labor under the Canada Labor Code in accordance with the Canada Labor Code regarding its dispute with CP Rail. The main issues at hand include wages, benefits and pensions.
BLET News
Rail hazmat training for Arizona, Western New Mexico and SE California workers
The Rail Workers Hazardous Materials Training Program is hosting Rail Hazmat Chemical/Emergency Response and OSHA Awareness Training Programs from April 10-14, 2019, in Winslow, Ariz. Attendance is only open to railroad employees in Arizona, Western New Mexico, Southeastern California, and the Navajo Nation.
Relief fund to assist families of fallen CP Rail Brothers
A relief fund has been established to assist the families of three members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) who died as a result of a major Canadian Pacific Railway (CP Rail) derailment on February 4, 2019.
Ballots mailed in tentative BLET, Alabama State Docks agreement
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) has reached a tentative agreement with the Terminal Railway – Alabama State Docks (TRASD). Ballots were mailed today to active members of the BLET employed by TRASD who are eligible to vote in the ratification of this agreement.
BLET Initiates Online Division Secretary-Treasurer & Local Chairman Training in February 2019
The BLET’s Education and Training Department is proud to announce the availability of online video courses to provide convenient, repeatable, and cost-effective training for Division Secretary-Treasurers and Local Chairmen.
BLET Education & Training Department to conduct General Chairman class
The BLET Education & Training Department, in conjunction with the BLET Arbitration Department, is offering a General Chairman’s Class from
April 30-May 2 at the BLET National Division headquarters in Independence, Ohio.
BLET to conduct Legislative Representatives class in June
The BLET Education & Training Department, in conjunction with the National Legislative Office, will conduct a class for BLET Division Legislative Representatives in Washington, D.C., from June 3-6, 2019.
BLET members ratify new contracts with W&LE
Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) overwhelmingly ratified two new collective bargaining agreements with the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway (W&LE) — one for the craft of locomotive engineer and one for the craft of trainman. Each seven-year agreement governs work rules, rates of pay, and health & welfare issues for approximately 75 locomotive engineers and over 130 trainmen. Ballots were counted on January 18.
2019 BLET Scholarship Directory
Each year, the BLET National Division compiles a list of scholarship opportunities available to the children of BLET members. Numerous financial aid opportunities are published here in the 2019 BLET Scholarship Directory.
BLET to host Local Chairman class in March 2019
The BLET Education and Training Department will host a Local Chairman training class from March 31 through April 5, 2019, at the BLET National Division headquarters and Training Center in Independence, Ohio. The class is designed to help Local Chairmen develop and hone the skills necessary to provide the best representation possible to our members.
BLET to host Secretary-Treasurer class in March 2019
The BLET Education and Training Department will conduct a training class for Secretary-Treasurers from March 10-14, 2019, at the BLET National Division headquarters in Independence, Ohio.
