Rail Industry News
AAR reports rail traffic for December and the week ending December 20, 2023
Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 52 weeks of 2023 was 24,369,229 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 2.3 percent compared to last year.
RRB Q&A: Reporting events and activities that can affect payment of Railroad Retirement annuities
The RRB has prepared a thorough list of questions and answers regarding the events and activities that can affect payment of railroad retirement annuities. The Q&A also describes how these events and activities can affect annuities and explains how to prevent annuity overpayments under these circumstances.
East Palestine, safety among rail’s big issues in 2023
The February derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, brought an unanticipated and sometimes harsh spotlight on rail safety.
Railroad operations resume after 5-day closure in two Texas border towns
The federal government on Friday reopened two cross-border railroad crossings in Texas, five days after the shuttering of rail operations there disrupted trade and sparked outrage from U.S. and Mexican businesses.
AAR reports rail traffic for week ending December 23, 2023
Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 51 weeks of 2023 was 23,998,429 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 2.4 percent compared to last year.
Opinion: California is building its bullet train, so let’s make it work
But let’s get real: This project is going to be constructed one way or another, whether at reasonable speed or in pokey chug-chug fashion. It’s time we acknowledge that and focus on making it work the best for everyone. And sooner the better.
CPKC 2023 Holiday Train raises record $1.8 million for food charities
Completing its 25th year, the CPKC Holiday Train has raised more than $24.3 million and collected approximately 5.3 million pounds of food for community food banks in Canada and the United States since its inaugural journey in 1999, CPKC officials said in a press release.
High-speed rail gains momentum as Hyperloop falters
The closure of Hyperloop One signifies a shift in focus towards high-speed rail initiatives, reflecting a growing momentum in the advancement of public transportation infrastructure.
Ski commuter trains get another look as Colorado’s mountain roads are overwhelmed
Commuter rail is emerging as a travel alternative as mountain highways in Colorado and other Western states have become clogged with cars and semis, often shutting down for hours on end in winter weather and deeply impacting ski-town economies.
ProPublica: When railroad workers get hurt on the job, some supervisors go to extremes to keep it quiet
Railroad management culture blames workers when they get hurt and motivates supervisors to go to extreme, and sometimes dangerous, lengths to keep injuries off the books.
ProPublica: “It looks like the railroad is asking for you to say thank you”
After brakeman Chris Cole lost both his legs on the job, KCS railroad officials removed evidence before state regulators could see it, omitted key facts in reports and suspended him from a job he could never return to.
US to suspend rail operations at Eagle Pass and El Paso due to migrant surge
The migrant surge is being driven by misinformation orchestrated by transnational criminal organizations and cartels, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
One crew member hurt as UP train derails after grade crossing collision near Fort Worth
One crew member suffered what were reported to be minor injuries after a Union Pacific train derailed after hitting a truck hauling an oversized load at a grade crossing west of Fort Worth, Texas, on December 17.
BNSF tells regulators that UP aims to block interchange access to proposed Utah short line
BNSF Railway this week asked federal regulators to ensure that it can use its trackage rights over Union Pacific to interchange with a proposed new short line railway in Utah.
EPA begins formal review of vinyl chloride, toxic chemical that burned in East Palestine
The Biden administration has initiated a formal evaluation of risks posed by vinyl chloride, the cancer-causing chemical that burned in a towering plume of toxic black smoke following a fiery train derailment earlier this year in eastern Ohio.
NTSB retires “Most Wanted List” of transportation safety improvements
The end of 2023 will mark the end of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements, the focus of the agency’s safety advocacy efforts for nearly 35 years.
North American rail volume decline continues through week ending December 9
Through the first 49 weeks of 2023 (ending Dec. 9), total North American carload and intermodal traffic fell 2.8% from the same period last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Dec. 13.
BNSF hit with lawsuit for grizzly bears killed by trains
The lawsuit claims trains on BNSF rail lines have struck and killed at least 63 of the threatened bears in northwestern Montana and northern Idaho since 2008.
Teamsters kick off first round of Presidential Roundtables
The union is scheduling with all campaigns and will announce additional roundtables in the New Year.
FRA’s proposed rule on certifying rail car origins earns kudos from trade groups
A proposed rule to prevent freight rail cars produced by Chinese entities from being used in the U.S. freight rail network is earning praise from the heads of the Rail Security Alliance (RSA) and the Railway Supply Institute (RSI), who view such rail cars as a potential threat to national security.
BLET News
Teamsters Rail Conference thanks Rep. Titus
Front row, from left: Cole Scandaglia, Teamsters; Vince Verna, BLET; Rep. Dina Titus; Brendan Sullivan, BLET; and Alex Beckman, Rail Conference. Back row, from left: Mark Wallace, BLET; Eddie Hall, BLET, Jeff Joines, BMWED; and Roy Morrison, BMWED. ...
Cleveland: Division 607 members mark two years since the tragic passing of Brother Lou Shuster
From left: Laying a wreath in memory of Brother Shuster is Division 607 member Tim Shultz and Vice Local Chairman Kevin Russell. ____________________ March 7 marked two years since BLET Division 607 President Lou Shuster was killed in a rail yard accident while...
BLET Education & Training Dept.: Secretary-Treasurers complete hybrid LM-2 training
The BLET Education & Training Department hosted a hybrid training class for LM-2 filers last week, with Secretary-Treasurers participating both in person at the BLET National Division Training Center and virtually via Zoom. The workshop was geared toward...
Remote control: BLET meets with Rep. Kennedy regarding safety of remote control trains
New York Congressman Tim Kennedy (left) meets with Teamsters Rail Conference President and BLET First Vice President Mark Wallace ____________________ Teamsters Rail Conference President and BLET First Vice President Mark Wallace, along with Brendan Sullivan of the...
DOGE: Elon Musk’s latest proposal — if adopted — would derail Amtrak
Elon Musk hinted that bankrupting Amtrak could be a good thing even though bankruptcies have been detrimental to rail workers. ____________________ Last week, speaking to a Morgan Stanley investor conference, billionaire Trump advisor Elon Musk said privatizing Amtrak...
BLET, NJ Transit sign tentative agreement after five years of negotiations
Locomotive engineers represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), who keep NJ Transit’s trains running for the nation’s third largest commuter railroad, have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract. If the contract is ratified by...
BLET Education and Training Dept.: LC training class hotel room block cut-off is March 9; S-Ts can still register for the Zoom portion of this week’s class
The BLET Education & Training Department is hosting classes for Local Chairmen and Secretary-Treasurers in the coming weeks, providing an excellent opportunity for newly elected officers to get up to speed with their required duties. Veteran officers are also...
Rail security: Thieves continue to target freight trains
Thieves targeting freight trains have again made national headlines after more than $2 million worth of new Nike sneakers were stolen from trains in California and Arizona. A common method for these modern day train robberies involves cutting air hoses to force trains...
California: FRA to conduct compliance review of high-speed rail project
According to a recent survey, a majority of Californians support the state's high-speed rail project. Image: California High-Speed Rail Authority ____________________ DOT Secretary Sean Duffy recently ordered the Federal Railroad Administration to conduct a compliance...
BLET to file comments regarding zero-to-zero technology. BLET’s National Legislative Office seeks input from members.
The BLET will submit comments to the Federal Railroad Administration on CSX’s “zero-to-zero” technology that relies on computers to automatically start and stop freight trains. The railroad is seeking FRA approval for a Product Safety Plan (PSP) to begin using...
