Rail Industry News
Norfolk Southern reports Q3 2024 results
For the quarter, income from railway operations was $1.6 billion and the operating ratio was 47.7%.
CPKC, CSX receive STB approval to create Mexico-U.S. rail link
The two railroads received approval from the Surface Transportation Board for their acquisition of rail lines operated by Genesee & Wyoming’s Meridian & Bigbee Railroad, also known as MNBR, resulting in the new direct interchange connection in Alabama.
CSX reports Q3 2024 results
Net earnings were $894 million compared to $828 million in the same period last year.
NJ Train regulation bill advances in state senate
A New Jersey state senate committee has approved a bill that would require two-person crews for freight trains and set a maximum length of 8,500 feet for “dangerous hazardous trains.”
NTSB: Improper coupling, excessive in-train forces caused March 2023 NS derailment
Contributing to the accident was the misidentification of couplers without alignment control during the NS’ inspection process, according to an NTSB report issued Sept. 22.
CSX’s former Clinchfield largely unrecognizable after historic flood
With roadways out of service and railroad washouts prohibiting inspections and repair, CSX’s Blue Ridge Subdivision and much of its Clinchfield are likely to remain out of the service for the foreseeable future.
Q&A: RRB financial reports
As of September 30, 2023, total railroad retirement system assets, comprising assets managed by the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust (NRRIT) and the railroad retirement system accounts at the Treasury, equaled $26.5 billion.
UP explains absence from early contract agreements with organized labor
UP has sought to renegotiate the scheduling deal it reached last year with the BLET, under which engineers work 11 days and then have four days off. That prompted the union to sue the railroad this summer because it had yet to implement the scheduling agreement systemwide.
NTSB identifies probable cause of close-clearance death of CSX conductor trainee
“In this accident, a conductor trainee was fatally injured when he rode a shoving movement through a close clearance — a 7-inch gap — between his train and a series of parked locomotives. The conductor, riding a different ladder on the same railcar through the same gap, was not injured,” the NTSB said.
STB urges BNSF and UP to be prepared for West Coast container surge
Specifically, Primus asked the railroads for their plans to provide reliable service, how they will allocate resources to West Coast ports, and how the railroads are sharing information with port officials.
Biden-Harris administration calls on Class I freight railroads to guarantee paid sick leave and get to 100% worker coverage
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Department of Labor Acting Secretary Julie Su today sent letters to the CEOs of three Class I freight railroads – CPKC, CN, and CSX – calling on them to guarantee paid sick leave to all of their employees.
Regulators scrutinize trends on second day of rail growth hearings
At the opening of today’s Surface Transportation Board hearing on the lack of rail freight volume growth, Vice Chair Karen Hedlund said she was still struck by what she heard the day before from analysts and shippers and Class I railroad executives.
Railroads and regulators must address the dangers of long trains, report says
The report said there is a clear correlation between the number of derailments related to in-train forces and the long trains that routinely measure more than a mile or two long.
Norfolk Southern CEO fired for “consensual relationship” with railroad’s chief legal officer
A statement from the company on Wednesday said that Shaw had been dismissed “for cause,” which could prevent him from collecting the kind of exit package that CEOs often receive when shown the door.
Safety concerns are at the heart of the TCRC-CN/CPKC dispute as arbitration decision draws near
A major issue in the ongoing negotiations is fatigue safety. According to the union, the railway companies are seeking to weaken protections around rest periods, shift length and scheduling.
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw to step down amid misconduct probe, sources say
The Wall Street Journal reported that the railroad’s board opened a probe into him late Sunday over an alleged affair with an employee.
Amtrak and partners break ground on new Connecticut River Bridge
The new bridge will support a maximum train operating speed of 70 mph, a 55% increase from today’s maximum speed of 45 mph.
TCRC formally appeals binding arbitration order
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (Teamsters) filed appeals challenging the decisions that led to binding arbitration being imposed on workers at CN and CPKC, effectively stripping them of their right to collectively bargain.
ATDA organizes train dispatchers at Genesee & Wyoming
On September 4, 2024, the NMB announced that Train Dispatchers from the Genesee & Wyoming Railroad have voted to unionize with the ATDA.
Rail worker’s death in Ohio railyard highlights union questions about remote control trains
BLET Vice President Randy Fannon, who heads the union’s Safety Task Force, said he thinks, “This tragic incident in Ohio involving a remotely operated train, blindly controlled from behind, would not have happened if there had been a locomotive engineer in the cab.”
BLET News
President Biden orders second PEB in BLET-New Jersey Transit contract dispute
On Thursday, November 21, President Biden appointed a second Presidential Emergency Board — PEB No. 252 — to investigate the ongoing years-long collective bargaining dispute between the BLET and New Jersey Transit (NJT). The report of PEB 251, appointed in July, was...
BLET Short Line Department: Florida, Gulf & Atlantic members ratify first union contract
Railroad workers at the Florida, Gulf & Atlantic Railway (FG&A), who joined the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen to gain collective bargaining rights, have ratified their first-ever contract. This marks a significant milestone for train and...
Take action and tell the House to act on Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2024 before Congress adjourns
The BLET is urgently working to secure passage of the House Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2024 (H.R. 8996) before Congress adjourns. In a Take Action alert issued today, BLET members and their families are asked to use the Take Action tool on the BLET National...
2025 is right around the corner; Order your Time Book today
The BLET National Division is now taking requests from members who wish to receive a new Time Book for 2025. These books will only be distributed to members upon request. To receive a Time Book, members must first log in to the Members’ Area of the BLET National...
FIRST IN A SERIES: Understanding collective bargaining under the Railway Labor Act. Part 1 — “Section 6 Notices”
To better understand how rail labor and management reach agreements on rates of pay and work rules, the BLET has produced a series of briefs, Understanding collective bargaining under the Railway Labor Act, explaining how the Railway Labor Act of 1926 works. This...
ATTENTION FLORIDA, GULF & ATLANTIC MEMBERS: If you haven’t received your ballot you can still request a replacement
Ballots have been mailed to Florida, Gulf & Atlantic Railway members who are voting on a tentative contract with the short line railroad. If ratified, this will be the first union contract for operating employees at the formerly non-union company. Ballots are due...
Save the date for 2025 BLET regional meetings in Daytona Beach and Bellevue/Seattle
PLANNING YOUR CALENDAR AND DAYS OFF FOR NEXT YEAR? The BLET’s 2025 Eastern Regional Meeting will be held in Daytona Beach, Florida, the week of June 16. The 2025 Western Regional Meeting will take place in Bellevue/Seattle Eastside, Wash., the week of August 18....
Florida: National Mediation Board formally recognizes Brightline as a rail carrier
The National Mediation Board rejected Brightline's anti-union stance and directed a representation election to take place in the coming months. ____________________ The Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) secured a victory for Rail Labor on November 12 when the...
In Memorium: Former Amtrak General Chairman Mark B. Kenny, 1951-2024
Recently retired BLET General Chairman Mark B. Kenny, who served the Amtrak/KCS/VRE/Caltrain General Committee of Adjustment for over 26 years, passed away on November 12. He was 73 years old. Brother Kenny was elected to seven consecutive terms as General Chairman...
New Mexico: State Legislative Board members lobby for rail safety legislation, conclude quadrennial meeting
Left to right: Steve Seale, Gil Tafoya, Gilbert Montiel, Christy Smith, Ryan Snow, Clem Harris, Charlie Jeffcoat, Vince Verna, Mike Willis. ____________________ Members of the BLET New Mexico State Legislative Board are fighting for passage of legislation that would...
