Rail Industry News
June 2025 RRB Q&A: Unemployment and sickness benefits for railroad employees
A new unemployment and sickness benefit year – the twelve-month period during which the RRB makes benefit payments for days of unemployment and sickness to eligible railroad employees – generally begins each July 1 and ends on June 30 of the next year.
CPKC system cutover triggers service woes in some former KCS locations
Localized congestion, delays, and shipper frustrations follow tech switchover in Louisiana, east Texas, and Mississippi
Smuggling arrest raises questions about Mexican crews moving trains into Texas
Some U.S. workers see Mexican crews bringing trains into South Texas as a threat to American jobs and border security.
Parallel Systems begins testing autonomous cars on G&W short line
The pilot program to evaluate Parallel’s self-propelled container car was launched this week on the Heart of Georgia Railroad
Heartland Flyer service in jeopardy after Texas fails to provide funding
State support for Fort Worth-Oklahoma City not included in $338 billion budget bill
Arbitrator in CPKC, TCRC contract dispute awards 3% raises
Retroactive from Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2027, the new contracts include annual wage increases of 3%.
NJ Transit, BLET reach deal to end 3-day strike
The BLET represents 450 New Jersey Transit engineers who drive the agency’s commuter trains.
BNSF reports Q1 2025 results
Net income rose 6.2%, to $1.2 billion.
CPKC says FRA is open to automated and streamlined track and train inspections
Without a waiver from the FRA, railroads cannot simultaneously scale back the required frequency of visual inspections of track and trains where automated systems are deployed.
CPKC reports Q1 2025 results
Revenues were $3.8 billion in Q1 2025, up from $3.5 billion in Q1 2024.
Norfolk Southern reports Q1 2025 results
NS reported Q1 2025 income of $1.1 billion, an increase from $933 million reported in Q1 2025.
Union Pacific reports Q1 2025 results
Union Pacific reported 2025 first quarter net income of $1.6 billion, which compares to 2024 first quarter net income of $1.6 billion.
CSX announces Q1 2025 results
CSX Corp. announced first quarter 2025 operating income of $1.04 billion compared to $1.34 billion in the prior year period.
First phase of NJ entrance to new Gateway project rail tunnel should be done by fall
The new two-track tunnel between North Jersey and Manhattan is meant to provide more reliable service along the Northeast Corridor for NJ Transit and Amtrak riders entering and leaving Manhattan’s Penn Station.
DOT cuts planning grant for Texas high-speed rail between Dallas and Houston
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said if the private sector wants the rail line, it should cover planning costs.
SEPTA prepares for major service cuts
Facing $213 million deficit, agency releases budget calling for 45% reduction in service, 21.5% fare increase
TCRC statement on arbitration decision at CN
The new three-year contract closely resembles the status quo and includes annual 3% wage increases. The company failed to secure any concessions related to scheduling, rest, or fatigue protections.
April 2025 Q&A: Railroad Retirement Survivor Benefits
The following questions and answers describe railroad retirement survivor benefit eligibility requirements and provide benefit-related information.
Amtrak considering staff cuts, other cost-saving moves
Company says it is being ‘proactive’ in addressing outside pressures
Amtrak sidelines Horizon car fleet, leading to widespread cancellations
Corrosion issues lead to cars’ removal; Cascades, Borealis, Hiawatha operations hardest hit
BLET News
Texas: Registration now open for upcoming rail hazmat/chemical emergency response training programs
Class participants will engage in a simulated hazmat response wearing full safety gear. ____________________ The Rail Workers Hazardous Materials Training Program is hosting four in-person rail worker training sessions in late 2025 and early 2026 in Houston during...
OSHA blasts Union Pacific as “serial violator” in Texas whistleblower case
The Union Pacific Railroad remained in the headlines this week over its wrongful termination of a BLET member. As reported in our August 29 Weekly Recap, a BLET member received more than $184,000 in back pay after the BLET’s UP-Southern Region GCA got him his job...
Rail safety: BLET fights for worker safety as “regulatory sprint” reaches September 2 deadline
BLET representatives at meetings with the Federal Railroad Administration in Nashville, Tenn., during the week of September 1, 2025. ____________________ The BLET rose to the challenge created by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)’s “regulatory sprint,”...
In case you missed it: History of BLET Zoom presentation now available online
Last month, the Teamsters Human Rights and Diversity Commission, in conjunction with the Teamsters History Project, hosted a Zoom presentation highlighting the history of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET). For those of you who may have missed...
Union Pacific: BLET reaches tentative agreement with UP
The BLET has reached a tentative on-property agreement with the Union Pacific Railroad covering rates of pay, work rules, and health & welfare benefits for over 6,000 BLET members employed at UP. Highlights of the tentative five-year contract include: General wage...
Texas: Remote control derailment at UP’s Davidson Yard in Fort Worth renews questions about trains operated without locomotive engineers at the controls
The scene from Davidson Yard following the derailment of a remote control train on August 31. It resulted in a hazmat release and shelter-in-place order for nearby residents. Image: WFAA-TV ____________________ Another derailment involving a remote control train...
Surface Transportation Board: Robert Primus fired
Surface Transportation Board member Robert E. Primus said on his LinkedIn profile that he received an email from the White House terminating his position on August 28. The move comes a few months before the STB is expected to receive the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern...
Pennsylvania: SEPTA halts planned Regional Rail service cuts following court order
A September 4 court order from a Philadelphia judge has stopped SEPTA from implementing a planned 20 percent cut to Regional Rail service but is allowing the agency to go ahead with a 21.5 percent fare hike. This is the latest development in the ongoing financial...
New York: Replacement ballots in LIRR strike authorization vote available as of September 8; Ballots due September 15
BLET members working for Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) should have received a mailing from the National Division regarding the union’s strike authorization vote at the commuter railroad. Members who are eligible and have not received a strike authorization packet by...
BLET engineer at the throttle as Amtrak’s “Mardi Gras” service returns to the Gulf Coast after a 20-year absence
It was a bit of a homecoming for BLET locomotive engineer Ted Graham when he pulled back the throttle to officially relaunch Amtrak’s “Mardi Gras” service along the Gulf Coast on August 19. Graham, a member of BLET Division 18, previously worked as an assistant...
