Rail Industry News
CN reports Q1 2021 financial results
(Source: Canadian National press release, April 26, 2021) MONTREAL — CN today announced solid results in the first quarter of 2021, including an in-dustry-leading increase in traffic volume of five per cent year-over-year. The Company updated its 2021 financial...
Analyst survey says shippers prefer CP over CN as merger partner for KCS
(Source: Canadian Press, April 23, 2021) CALGARY — Railroad shippers have a much more negative view of a bid by Canadian National Railway Co. to take over the Kansas City Southern railroad than a competing offer by Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd., according to a "snap...
Amtrak Hiawatha service resuming its pre-pandemic schedule in May
(Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 23, 2021) MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — It's all-aboard again as Amtrak this week announced it is restoring all Hiawatha round-trips between Milwaukee and Chicago starting May 23. It's a sign that things are coming back to normal. For...
At 50, Amtrak could get the transformational makeover it needs
(Source: Seattle Times, April 23, 2021) SEATTLE — How popular is Amtrak? It depends on who you ask. Before the pandemic, the pas-senger railroad was turning in record ridership and revenue, along with setting records for growth on the Northeast Corridor and lines with...
Amit Bose Federal Railroad Administrator nominee
(Source: Railway Age, April 23, 2021) NEW YORK — As largely expected, President Joe Biden will nominate current Deputy Federal Railroad Administrator Amit Bose as FRA Administrator, the White House announced April 23. Full story: Railway Age
Century-old rivalry between CP and CN is not getting any gentler
(Source: Peterborough Examiner, April 24, 2021) MONTREAL — With both CP and CN bidding for Kansas City Southern, the century old rivalry isn’t getting any gentler. This week’s $33.7 billion (U.S.) competing bid by CN for KCS laid bare their long-running enmity. That...
STB gives CP early win as KCS review continues
(Source: Reuters, April 24, 2021) NEW YORK — Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd on Saturday welcomed the U.S. Surface Transpor-tation Board’s (STB) decision to uphold a 2001 waiver it granted to Kansas City Southern being applicable to the merger of the two companies. Full...
House Transportation Committee chair skeptical of rail merger offers
(Source: Freight Waves, April 23, 2021) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee panned competing efforts by two Canadian railways to acquire Kansas City Southern, saying the offers threaten to usher in a new round of...
STB OKs KCS waiver for CPKC
(Source: Railway Age, April 24, 2021) NEW YORK — The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has confirmed that it will review the proposed merger of Canadian Pacific (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) under the waiver pro-vision it granted KCS in 2001; Robert Primus, one...
CP, CN, KCS merger dance takes new turns
(Source: Railway Age, April 24, 2021) NEW YORK — As soon as the STB issued its decision granting Kansas City Southern a waiver from prevailing merger rules established about 20 years ago, KCS—following the terms of its existing merger agreement with Canadian...
KCS will begin merger talks with CN
(Source: Kansas City Business Journal, May 26, 2021) KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern’s board said Saturday that it will begin talks with Canadian National Railway Co. after finding that its offer for the company may lead to a better deal than that proposed by...
Soo Line was founded to serve Twin Cities’ millers and ag interests
(Source: Freight Waves, April 22, 2021) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Soo Line Railroad (SOO) is the primary U.S. subsidiary rail-road of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), controlled by CP through its Soo Line Corpora-tion. Early in its history the MStP&SSM became known...
New York Penn Station reconstruction project advances
(Source: Railway Age, April 22, 2021) NEW YORK — The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Amtrak and New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) have announced two alternatives to transform their separate concourses into one “open, light-filled” space in the...
Opinion: Chess game for railroad real estate
(Source: Railway Age opinion column by Jim Blaze, April 23, 2021) NEW YORK — A bidding war has broken out for the Kansas City Southern, but it’s actually more like a chess game. Here are some observations about what it all could mean, especially in terms of railroad...
UP warns about potential impacts of KCS merger
(Source: Freight Waves, April 22, 2021) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Any merger involving Kansas City Southern and either Canadian Pacific or CN should be scrutinized by regulators to ensure that the combined railroad doesn’t cause downstream impacts to the value of competing...
Lance Fritz says UP will be an “active participant” in CP or CN merger with KCS
(Source: Railway Age, April 22, 2021) NEW YORK — On Union Pacific’s April 22 1Q2021 earnings call, chief executive Lance Fritz was peppered with questions about the potential implications of Canadian Pacific or CN acquiring Kansas City Southern. Following is a...
CN confident of getting regulatory nod for KCS bid
(Source: Reuters, April 22, 2021) NEW YORK — Canadian National Railway Co said on Thursday it had informed Kansas City Southern’s board about its confidence in winning regulatory approvals for its $33.7 billion offer for the U.S. railroad. Full story: Reuters
War of words heats up in battle between CP and CN for KCS
(Source: Canadian Press, April 22, 2021) MONTREAL — The head of Canadian Pacific referred to its rival’s bid for Kansas City Southern as “fantasyland” as a war of words between Canada’s two largest railroads continue to head up. Full story: Estevan Mercury
AAR reports rail traffic for week ending April 17, 2021
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, April 21, 2021) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 17, 2021. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 533,217...
CP to STB: “Promptly confirm” our transaction
(Source: Railway Age, April 21, 2021) NEW YORK — Canadian Pacific (CP) outlined why its combination with Kansas City Southern (KSC) is the only one “involving KCS that is in the public interest,” in an April 21 letter filed with the Surface Transportation Board (STB)....
BLET News
Teamsters offer disaster relief assistance in Michigan
The Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund is accepting applications for assistance from members who live in Michigan after severe storms and flooding caused major damage to homes and property from August 11-13, 2014.
Your vote counts
By Dennis R. Pierce, BLET National President For those of you who were in attendance at the BLET’s Third National Convention earlier this month, you know that we talked a lot about this fall’s mid-term elections. Whether it was from our guest speakers like Teamster General Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall, or from a video message like the one from Senator Elizabeth Warren, the common thread that all of our speakers shared was the importance of this year’s election, both at the Federal level and at the State level.
President Pierce welcomes Aird, Kronyak to BLET National Division staff
BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce today announced the hiring of Brothers Paul T. Aird and Matthew C. Kronyak to full time Special Representative positions with the BLET National Division. Their hiring becomes effective November 1, 2014.
Mark your calendars for 2015 BLET regional meetings
The BLET National Division is pleased to announce the dates and locations of the four regional meetings for 2015.
BLET to host Secretary-Treasurer Class in December 2014
The BLET’s Education and Training Department is hosting an expanded Secretary-Treasurer Training Class at its new Training Center in Cleveland from December 15-18, 2014.
New Jersey economic group backs two-person train crews
A leading economic group in the state of New Jersey, comprised of labor and business leaders, is supporting national legislation that would mandate two-person train crews throughout the United States.
Memorial service to be held for son of Alabama SLBC M.D. Frank
David “Ryan” Frank, the son of BLET Alabama State Legislative Board Chairman M.D. Frank, passed away on October 4, 2014. Ryan Frank was 31 years old.
Brian J. Farkas elected chairman of Indiana State Legislative Board
Brian J. Farkas was elected by acclamation to serve as Chairman of the Indiana State Legislative Board at its quadrennial meeting in Indianapolis, October 8-9, 2014.
Railroad unemployment and sickness benefits will slightly decrease under adjusted sequestration rate
Beginning October 1, 2014, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) will reduce railroad unemployment and sickness insurance benefits by 7.3 percent, up from the current 7.2 percent reduction, due to federal budget cuts first implemented in March 2013.
Division 523 collecting donations for member who needs kidney transplant
The members of BLET Division 523 are soliciting donations for retired member Jerry D. Cloke, who is in need of a kidney transplant.
