Rail Industry News
What a well-funded passenger rail system could look like in the Midwest under “Amtrak Joe”
(Source: Minnpost.com, November 13, 2020) MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — There’s little doubt that one of President-elect Biden’s favorite federal programs is Amtrak, America’s 50-year-old, subpar rail system. Full story: www.minnpost.com
President-elect Joe Biden expected to be a friend to Amtrak
(Source: Business Insider, November 15, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — President-elect Joe Biden is no stranger to America's rail system. Having used Amtrak to commute between Washington, DC and his home in Delaware for decades during his time as a US senator, the frequent...
Part 2: The ICC and the railroads
(Source: Freight Waves, November 14, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Interstate Commerce Act was passed in 1887 in response to rising public concern with the growing power and wealth of corporations, particularly railroads, during the late 19th century. At that time,...
Part 1: The rise and fall of the Interstate Commerce Commission
(Source: Freight Waves, November 13, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was the first independent regulatory agency in the United States, and was created in 1887 when Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act. During its tenure the...
Bridge repairs continue at site of NS train crash in Roanoke County
(Source: Roanoke Times, November 12, 2020) ROANOKE, Va. — Minor flooding has temporarily slowed repair of a rail crossing over the Roanoke River in Glenvar where a coal train derailed and a bridge dropped two weeks ago. Full story: Roanoke Times
Blueprint released for passenger, freight rail growth in Southern California
(Source: Railway Age, November 12, 2020) NEW YORK — California’s North County Transit District (NCTD) has announced the release of the San Diego Pathing Study, outlining how to phase expansion of passenger and freight rail services along the 351-mile Los Angeles – San...
Progress Rail and PHL sign agreement for battery locomotive
(Source: Pacific Harbor Line press release, November 13, 2020) LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company, has reached an agreement with Pacific Harbor Line (PHL) to supply its new EMD® Joule battery electric locomotive for a demonstration project...
APTA: Commuter-rail industry poised to meet PTC deadline
(Source: Progressive Railroading, November 13, 2020) Based on third-quarter reports, the commuter-rail industry is on track to complete full implementation of positive train control (PTC) by the federal government's Dec. 31 deadline, the American Public Transportation...
NJ Transit has seven weeks to meet PTC deadline
(Source: NorthJersey.com, November 12, 2020) BERGEN COUNTY, N.J. — NJ Transit has seven weeks to the day to fully install its positive train control system, or else face a shut down and $27,000-a-day fines in 2021. Full story: www.northjersey.com
Class I railroads expect to meet year-end deadline, then pursue post-PTC implementation advances
(Source: Progressive Railroading, November 12, 2020) Of the 41 freight and commuter railroads that are federally required to implement positive train control (PTC), all but two are on pace to meet the end-of-2020 deadline. Full story: Progressive Railroading
AAR reports rail traffic for week ending November 7, 2020
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, November 11, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 7, 2020. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 522,028...
MRL to honor veterans, essential workers with special locomotives
(Source: Billings Gazette, November 11, 2020) BILLINGS, Mont. — In honor of veterans across Montana, Montana Rail Link recently unveiled a special locomotive thanking veterans for their service. In the coming weeks, MRL will unveil a second locomotive thanking all...
Daily passenger rail service ends in Spokane; can it come back?
(Source: The Spokesman-Review, November 9, 2020) SPOKANE, Wash. — Amtrak’s Empire Builder had been picking up and dropping off passengers every day in Spokane since 1997. That changed on Oct. 19, when the train that plies a 2,200-mile route from Chicago to Seattle and...
FreightCar America seeks to justify production move to Mexico
(Source: Freight Waves, November 11, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The COVID-19 pandemic, high number of railcars in storage and low rail volumes hastened FreightCar America’s decision to move all of its railcar production to Mexico. Full story: Freight Waves
Opinion: A breakthrough on the Hudson Tunnel with Biden
(Source: Opinion column at www.nj.com by Tom Moran, November 10, 2020) NEWARK, N.J. — The biggest mistake of Gov. Chris Christie’s years in office was not Bridgegate, it was his 2010 decision to cancel plans for a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River. Full story:...
President-Elect Biden adds 27 union leaders to transition team
(Source: UcommBlog, November 11, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — With Joe Biden becoming the President-elect on Saturday, the process of transitioning from Trump to Biden has begun. Even without the help of Trump or the General Services Administration (GSA), Biden is moving...
Intermodal gains offset carload declines, again
(Source: Railway Age, November 11, 2020) NEW YORK — For the week ending Nov. 7, 2020, a significant gain in intermodal once again surpassed a decline in carloads as the pandemic continued. U.S. rail traffic—522,028 carloads and intermodal units — rose 1.3% compared...
Editorial: Amtrak’s future still runs through Baltimore
(Source: Editorial in the Baltimore Sun, November 10, 2020) BALTIMORE, Md. — The contrast could scarcely be sharper. In Baltimore last month, plans for a renovated Pennsylvania Station — a vital anchor in a potential $600 million redevelopment featuring...
Transport Canada revises speed restrictions for trains carrying dangerous goods
(Source: Freight Waves, November 10, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Last Friday, Canadian Minister of Transport Marc Garneau issued a new ministerial order that modifies existing speed restrictions related to the transport of dangerous goods via rail. The new order,...
KCS updates capital allocation policy
(Source: Progressive Railroading, November 10, 2020) Kansas City Southern announced today that its board approved updates to its capital allocation policy. Full story: Progressive Railroading
BLET News
Bruno tells House “Hands off safety regulations”
BLET National Vice President and Interim Director of Regulatory Affairs Stephen Bruno testified yesterday before the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials at a hearing titled, “Railroad and Hazardous Materials Transportation Programs: Reforms and Improvements to Reduce Regulatory Burdens.”
Memorial fund established for fallen workers in Kelso tragedy
A memorial fund has been established for the three men killed in the tragic BNSF Railway accident in Kelso, Wash., on March 23.
04-04-11: Save the date and get involved
On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated while in Memphis supporting the collective bargaining rights of striking sanitation workers. This April 4, the battles across the states may be different, but the war on workers’ rights remains the same as it did 43 years ago.
Urgent: House vote on NMB elections slated for March 31
Anti-worker legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives are trying to make it much more difficult for railroad and airline employees to form unions.
In the Line of Duty: Thomas J. Kenny
Brother Thomas J. Kenny of BLET Division 238 (Tacoma, Wash.) was one of three people killed when an off duty crew transport vehicle was struck by a BNSF freight train near Longview, Wash., on March 23. A fourth crew member is in critical condition.
Rail shipments of damaged hazmat containers more than doubles since 2007
The number of damaged or leaking hazardous materials containers shipped by rail has more than doubled over the past four years, and Rail Labor is demanding to know why.
FRA final rule on cell phones goes into effect March 28
BLET members are advised that the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) new rule regarding restrictions on railroad operating employees’ use of cellular telephones and other electronic devices will become effective on March 28, 2011.
BLET, UTU call for enhancement of locomotive safety standards
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the United Transportation Union (UTU) called on the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to improve locomotive cab security and to establish safety regulations governing the operation of remote control locomotives in joint comments filed on March 14.
BLET members ratify MBCR contract
Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad (MBCR). Votes were tabulated on March 17, and the new four-year contract provides members with general wage increases worth 13.7 percent over the life of the agreement.
National President Pierce testifies at hearing on RSIA
BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce testified this morning before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials hearing on “Federal Regulatory Overreach in the Railroad Industry: Implementing the Rail Safety Improvement Act.”
