Rail Industry News
BNSF to seek concession to operate in Mexico
BNSF Railway, in a Thursday regulatory filing related to the proposed Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger, said it may seek trackage rights on Kansas City Southern to reach the Mexican border at Laredo, Texas.
Omicron forces Amtrak service cuts
Amtrak has been impacted by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which has sickened, albeit not killed, millions of people, even the fully vaccinated, creating staff shortages.
Virginia finalizes agreement with NS to expand passenger rail
The commonwealth of Virginia has finalized a definitive agreement with Norfolk Southern Corp. to expand passenger-rail service to the New River Valley for the first time since 1979, Virginia officials announced last week.
New railcar design aims to reduce industry’s emissions
Moving freight by rail is the most environmentally friendly mode of ground transport, with the average U.S. railroad moving one ton of freight 470 miles per gallon of fuel. A new type of railcar aims to further improve the industry’s footprint.
AAR reports rail traffic for week ending January 8, 2022
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 440,761 carloads and intermodal units, down 16 percent compared with the same week last year.
BNSF and NS may seek trackage rights over KCS as part of CPKC merger
BNSF and NS may both seek trackage rights over KCS routes in order to preserve competition as part of the proposed CP-KCS merger.
CP responds to CN’s plan to ask the STB to force sale of KCS Springfield Line
Canadian Pacific today issued the following statement in response to CN’s Notice of Intent to file a Responsive Application asking the STB force a divestiture of KCS’s lines east of Kansas City as part of the STB regulatory review of CP’s proposed combination with Kansas City Southern…
LA train tracks blanketed in empty boxes as thieves target cargo containers
A section of the Union Pacific train tracks in downtown Los Angeles has been littered with thousands of shredded boxes, packages stolen from cargo containers that stop in the area to unload.
Railroad employee with safety concern has retaliation judgment reinstated
A railroad inspector who was fired shortly after reporting that wearing a seat belt while driving a “hy-rail vehicle” could be dangerous had a valid retaliation claim, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled.
Oklahoma can’t put time limits on trains blocking streets, federal appeals court rules
Oklahoma’s 10-minute limit on trains blocking city streets violates the federal government’s authority to regulate rail carriers and tracks, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
CN to report Q4 and full year 2021 results on January 25
CN will issue its fourth-quarter and full-year 2021 financial and operating results after the market close on January 25, 2022.
Brightline to start testing crews for Central Florida run
A launch of passenger train travel along Florida’s central coast and on to Orlando becomes one step closer to reality next week when Brightline, the high-speed railroad, starts crew training along its expansion route to Cocoa.
RRB Q&A: Annuitants may need to increase tax withholding at age 62
(Source: Railroad Retirement Board press release, December 21, 2021) CHICAGO — Certain portions of a railroad retirement annuity are treated differently for Federal income tax purposes. The following questions and answers explain these differences and address the...
Get the latest labor news from the Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters updates the news section of its website each day with the latest regarding the Teamsters, domestic and global labor and trade issues, state and living wage battles, social justice, the War on Workers, and many other important...
Rail Labor unions applaud Senate confirmation of FRA Administrator Amit Bose
We welcome Mr. Bose’s stewardship of the FRA at this pivotal moment in the history of the domestic rail industry and rail labor.
Double-digit losses for U.S. carloads and intermodal for week ending January 8, 2022
U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Jan. 8, 2022, came in at 440,761 carloads and intermodal units, dropping 16% from the same week last year, based on 210,020 carloads—down 10.6% from 2021—and intermodal volume of 230,741 containers and trailers—down 20.4%, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Jan. 12.
CN to request STB condition any approval of CP-KCS merger on divestiture of KCS Springfield Line to CN
CN’s responsive application will ask the STB to condition any approval of a CP-KCS merger on the divestiture of KCS lines from Kansas City, Missouri to Springfield and East St. Louis, Illinois (the “Springfield Line”) to CN, pursuant to the STB’s statutory authority to order “the divestiture of parallel tracks” as a merger condition.
MRL employees to stay in Helena, BNSF says
After announcing plans to take over Montana Rail Link, BNSF Railway Co. officials said they will keep the MRL employees now working in Helena and at their current locations throughout the state.
“Insult to injury:” Record rail demurrage adds to shipper costs
Railroads set a new record in 2021 — but not a favorable one from a shipper’s perspective.
New NS president admits problems, promises solutions
Alan Shaw, the new President of Norfolk Southern, introduced himself to the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers with a statement he clearly would have preferred to avoid.
BLET News
BLET reaches tentative agreement with TASI for Caltrain engineers
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) has reached a tentative contract agreement with Transit America Services, Inc. (TASI). Ballots were mailed on August 20 to active members of the BLET employed by TASI who are eligible to vote in the ratification of this agreement.
BLET kicks off Washington D.C. regional meeting
More than 300 members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and their families convened here this morning for opening ceremonies of the BLET’s Washington D.C. regional meeting. They heard presentations from 10 different speakers, including Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall.
Ballots mailed in tentative BLET, Grand Trunk Western agreement
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) has reached a tentative contract agreement with the Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW). Ballots were mailed on August 6 to active members of the BLET employed by the GTW who are eligible to vote in the ratification of this agreement.
BLET members ratify Cedar River contract
By a unanimous vote, members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with the Cedar River Railroad, a Canadian National subsidiary, on July 30, 2018.
Members of Congress shocked at lax safety in Tex-Mex job giveaway
In a follow-up to previous reporting, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is continuing its fight to preserve members’ jobs and to protect public safety at the Texas Mexican Railway (Tex Mex) border crossing in Laredo, Texas.
BLET members lobby Congress over safety, Tex Mex jobs issue
BLET Legislative Representatives visited 150 Congressional offices in Washington, D.C. on July 13 as part of a major railroad safety lobbying effort and to make members of Congress aware of the union’s struggle to preserve the jobs of BLET members who work for the Texas Mexican Railway (Tex Mex). On July 9, Tex Mex unilaterally replaced U.S. citizen crewmembers with Mexican train crews — who work under relaxed federal safety standards — between Laredo Yard and the International Bridge, more than 9 miles away.
National Division launches 2018 convention website
The BLET National Division has launched a new website — https://bletconvention.org — to provide key information to delegates, vendors and guests attending the union’s Fourth National Convention, which will be held October 1-4, 2018.
On the Right Track: 2018 Triennial Election manual now online
The 2018 edition of “On the Right Track,” the Local Division nomination and election procedure manual, is now available for download from the BLET website and for those Officers who have access, the document is also accessible in Document Library in UnionTrack.
Open Enrollment for the BLET Short Term Disability On-The-Job (Part B) Coverage
Open Enrollment for the BLET’s Short Term Disability On-The-Job (Part B) insurance has started and will end on July 31, 2018. Those who enroll will have their coverage take effect on August 1, 2018.
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen asks President Trump to intervene in Laredo
As part of its continuing fight to save American jobs on the Texas border, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) has asked President Donald J. Trump to help the union in its struggle to preserve the jobs of BLET members who work for the Texas Mexican Railway (Tex Mex). On July 9, Tex Mex unilaterally replaced U.S. citizen crewmembers with Mexican train crews between Laredo Yard and the International Bridge, more than 9 miles away.
