Rail Industry News
CSX reports Q4 2023 profit decline despite volume growth
The railroad’s operating income declined 10%, to $1.3 billion, as revenue declined 1%, to $3.6 billion.
CN posts Q4 2023 financial, operating results
The Class I posted Q4 revenue of C$4.5 billion, down 2%; net income of C$2.1 billion, up 50%; and C$3.29 diluted earnings per share (EPS), up 57%, compared with Q4 2022 results.
President Biden announces nearly $5 billion for major transportation projects nationwide
Funding announced today will support 37 projects across the country, including $28 million for the Elko Nevada Rail Corridor Enhancement project in Nevada. The project will make improvements on the Union Pacific Railroad at the Elko Yard. Track improvements, infrastructure upgrades, and enhanced signal infrastructure will reduce an average of 2.5 hours of delay per freight train using the corridor.
AAR: North American rail volume down through first three weeks for 2024
Through the first three weeks of 2024 (ending Jan. 20), total North American carload and intermodal traffic dipped 5.6% from the same point last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported.
Amtrak Virginia reports ridership record for 2023
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) announced that more than 1.32 million passengers traveled on its state-supported Amtrak Virginia rail service in 2023, up 29.8% year over year.
BNSF announces 2024 capital investment plan
The largest component of this year’s capital plan, $2.88 billion, is devoted to maintaining BNSF’s core network and related assets.
A strange 21st-Century revival: The train robbery
Edward A. Hall, National President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, has 28 years of seniority as a locomotive engineer for Union Pacific, first in El Paso, Texas, but mostly out of Tucson, Ariz. He described what it was like to be inside a train during a heist.
Railroad safety bill introduced in the wake of multiple derailments in Colorado
A new train safety bill in the Colorado legislature, if passed, would require railroads to be equipped with more safety features, limit the length and weight of trains carrying hazardous materials and will also limit the time that trains can block major intersections while passing.
Podcast: Remembering East Palestine’s train derailment and rail safety updates
President of the Transportation Trades Department, Greg Regan, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about the first anniversary of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and what political leaders are doing to create change in the industry.
DOT approves $2.5 billion in private activity bonds allocation for Brightline West project
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today announced the approval of $2.5 billion in private activity bonds authority allocated for the Brightline West High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail project connecting Las Vegas, Nevada, and Southern California. The 218-mile, high-speed rail line will primarily run along the I-15 median with trains capable of reaching 186 mph or more, cutting the trip to two hours – half the time to travel by car.
House T&I Committee reviews freight rail hazards
The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials met on January 18 to discuss the oversight of railroad grade crossing elimination and safety issues.
STB seeks answers for delay on Gulf Coast settlement
The Surface Transportation Board has called for Amtrak, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and the Port of Mobile, Ala., to provide “detailed information regarding the status of the implementation of the settlement agreement” agreed to in November 2022 to allow Amtrak service to begin between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala. — and scheduled a February hearing to address the matter.
California high-speed rail sparks billions in economic benefit
New data released by the California High-Speed Rail Authority shows investments in this first-in-the-nation project are continuing to provide billions in economic benefit to the state.
The sad but important story of Lincoln’s funeral train procession
He was transported by train over a route that mimicked an important trip during the president’s life — his inaugural journey.
Rail CEOs believe conditions are better headed into next round of labor negotiations
A lot has happened, since Class I railroads averted a strike in 2022. CEOs and other officials at the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers Winter Meeting were happy to point to progress in labor relations.
North American rail volume down through Week 2 of 2024
Through the first two weeks of 2024 (ending Jan. 13), total North American carload and intermodal traffic was down 1.5% from the same point last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Jan. 17.
FRA seeks public comment on proposed autonomous railcar test program
The Federal Railroad Administration is seeking public comments on Genesee & Wyoming short lines’ request to test Parallel Systems autonomous, self-propelled battery-electric freight cars.
Podcast: STB’s Oberman takes railroads to task on service
Appropriate staffing levels will be critical for the railroad industry to make further progress at improving service levels, especially as volumes appear poised for growth this year.
How the CP-KCS merger has shaken up the industry
Last year’s merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern, the two smallest Class I systems, has turned out to be the little spark that has ignited a lot of railroad competition.
Tense moments, but no disaster, after train stalls on CPKC’s Rutledge Hill in Iowa
After a few tense minutes, the BNSF train cleared the diamond and the CPKC crew was able to bring Kansas City-St. Paul train 251 to a stop just 20 feet from the diamond.
BLET News
NJ Transit: Members can request replacement ballots beginning April 1
BLET members are currently voting on the union’s tentative agreement with New Jersey Transit. Ballots were mailed earlier this month and are due by Tuesday, April 15. Members who are eligible and have not received a ratification packet can request one beginning...
Wisconsin: BLET and Teamsters rally to support Judge Susan Crawford
From left: BLET Division 174 member Eric Stroik with a fellow Wisconsin Teamster at the rally in Oshkosh. ___________________ The race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court is one of the most important in the country, and the BLET and Teamsters are pulling out all the...
Ohio: Punk rock band releases protest song “Precision Scheduled Disasters”
In late-March Dayton, Ohio-based progressive punk band called Abertooth Lincoln released a protest song about the East Palestine disaster. The “blistering punk anthem” calls out Norfolk Southern, corporate greed, and Precision Scheduled Railroading — the industry’s...
Mark Kenny remembered as a great man and Brother who had a remarkable career as BLET General Chairman at Amtrak
Members of Mark Kenny's family in front of Amtrak locomotive #174, which was named in honor of the late BLET General Chairman at a dedication ceremony on March 14. ____________________ BLET National Secretary-Treasurer David Estes paid homage to late BLET General...
A Lifetime of Railroading: BNSF Locomotive Engineer has 67 years of service (so far)
K.C. Hill became locomotive engineer in 1966 and, aside from normal rest days, has laid off only 10 days in his 67-year career. ____________________ BLET member K.C. Hill, a member of Division 391 in Ft. Madison, Iowa, was recently profiled by the BNSF Railway for his...
Labor: Trump administration sued for ending union bargaining for TSA officers
Sara Nelson, President of the AFA, seen here at a 2024 BLET Regional Meeting. She had some harsh words about the attempt to eliminate collective bargaining rights for TSA workers. ____________________ The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) filed a...
BLET Education & Training Dept.: Registration open for Legislative Representative class, May 13-15
The BLET Education and Training Department, in conjunction with the National Legislative Office, will conduct a class for BLET Division Legislative Representatives in Washington, D.C., during the week of May 12, 2025. In addition to the in-person training, this class...
Registration now open for BLET’s Eastern Regional Meeting in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Registration is now open for the BLET’s Eastern Regional Meeting in Daytona Beach, Fla., the week of June 16, 2025. Guests will stay at the Hilton Daytona Beach Resort, 100 North Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach, FL, 32118, telephone (386) 254-8200. Registration and hotel...
BLET reaches tentative quality-of-life agreement for Tex-Mex members
The BLET has reached a tentative agreement that provides voluntary off days for locomotive engineers and trainmen who work at CPKC’s former Texas Mexican Railway (Tex-Mex). If ratified, the agreement would govern nearly 250 members of Division 244 in Laredo, Texas....
Railroad safety: FRA ends the C3RS working group
Safety in the railroad industry took a step backwards recently. On March 13, the FRA deactivated the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) Working Group which was charged with exploring industry-wide implementation of the safety program known as Confidential Close...
