Rail Industry News
Teamsters: Biden-Harris victory is a win for workers in 2020 election
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, November 7, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Local election officials are continuing to do the very important work of counting every vote so that the intention of every American voter is heard in this election....
“Amtrak Joe:” Biden elected next President of the United States
(Source: Mass Transit Magazine, November 7, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have secured enough electoral votes to be named the next President and Vice President of the United States. During his career in the Senate, Biden became well-known for...
City of Salem tests drinking water after NS coal train derails into Roanoke River
(Source: Associated Press, November 2, 2020) SALEM, Va. — A city in southwestern Virginia is testing its drinking water from the Roanoke River after a coal train derailed into the waterway. Full story: Virginian-Pilot
STB: CN can’t unilaterally designate CP interchange at Clearing Yard
(Source: Progressive Railroading, November 3, 2020) CN's Wisconsin Central Ltd. cannot unilaterally designate the Belt Railway Co. of Chicago's (BRC) Clearing Yard as the location where it will receive traffic in interchange with Canadian Pacific's Soo Line Railroad...
CN, CP set grain movement records in October
(Source: Canadian Press, November 3, 2020) CALGARY — Canada's two largest railways transported a record monthly total of 6.3 million tons of Canadian grain in October. Montreal-based CN Rail ended the month moving 3.27 million tons while Canadian Pacific Railway...
Could autonomous trucks in dedicated lanes someday kill rail?
(Source: Freight Waves, November 3, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Although decades away, the deployment of autonomous trucks in truck-only lanes could potentially be the death knell for the freight railroads should the railroads do nothing to ensure their relevance, an...
Railroad Unemployment and Sickness Benefits will see slight decrease in new sequestration reduction rate
(Source: Railroad Retirement Board press release, September 30, 2020) CHICAGO — Under the Budget Control Act of 2011, and a subsequent sequestration order to implement mandated cuts, railroad unemployment and sickness insurance benefits are reduced by a set percentage...
Canada’s TSB adds “unplanned railway movements” to its safety watchlist
(Source: Progressive Railroading, November 2, 2020) The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) last week released its Watchlist 2020 list of eight key safety risks that require government or industry attention, including the risk of unplanned or uncontrolled...
Evacuation order lifted as crews continue working on KCS derailment cleanup in Mauriceville
(Source: 12 News Now, November 2, 2020) MAURICEVILLE, Texas — Crews are still working five days later to clean up after a train went off the tracks in Mauriceville early Thursday. Orange County Emergency Management said the evacuation area has been lifted, and...
Proposed oil railroad would chew up 10,000 acres of Uinta Basin habitat
(Source: Salt Lake Tribune, November 3, 2020) SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A proposed oil-hauling railroad would degrade up to 10,000 acres of wildlife habitat in northeastern Utah, potentially disrupting migration corridors and ruining wetlands, according to a new draft...
STB issues environmental document for proposed Utah rail line
(Source: Progressive Railroading, November 2, 2020) The Surface Transportation Board's (STB) Office of Environmental Analysis last week issued a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the proposed Uinta Basin Railway in Carbon, Duchesne, Uintah and Utah...
Construction of LA-Las Vegas high-speed rail line delayed as bond sale postponed
(Source: Bloomberg, October 31, 2020) LOS ANGELES — Fortress Investment Group is postponing its plan to build a train to Las Vegas from Southern California after failing to sell a record amount of unrated municipal debt to finance the speculative project, showing the...
Moody’s Investor Services views U.S. freight railroads as stable in 2021
(Source: Freight Waves, November 2, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Moody’s Investor Services has upgraded its outlook for the North American rail industry from negative to stable amid expectations that rail volumes will continue to grow in 2021. Full story: Freight...
NJ Transit train conductor died from COVID-19 due to lack of safety measures, his widow says in suit
(Source: www.nj.com, November 3, 2020) NEWARK, N.J. — The widow of a New Jersey Transit train conductor has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the transportation agency claiming her husband died of the coronavirus because his bosses failed to follow established...
CSX worker injured in Kentucky rail yard accident
(Source: Television station WSAZ, November 2, 2020) GREENUP COUNTY, Ky. — A CSX railyard worker was seriously injured Monday in a worksite accident, CSX said in a statement. CSX says the worker was taken to the hospital, where he is being treated for his injuries....
Looking back at BNSF derailment in Scottsbluff 20 years ago
(Source: Star Herald, October 31, 2020) SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. — Nov. 4, 2000, 10:28 p.m., a connecting pin sheared on a Burlington Northern-Santa Fe train, causing a coupler to fall to the tracks, resulting in a derailment in northwest Scottsbluff near the Avenue I...
U.S. DOT revamps loan program for short line railroads
(Source: Freight Waves, November 2, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is expanding a loan program aimed at providing long-term, low-cost loans to short line and regional railroads. Full story: Freight Waves
Editorial: Rail transport of liquefied natural gas needs another look
(Source: Editorial in the Daily Herald, October 8, 2020) CHICAGO — The Daily Herald and leaders of several of our suburbs were among those arguing years ago that crude oil shipments by train should be restricted to newer, stronger tank cars that are more likely to...
Mauriceville schools remain closed as cleanup from KCS wreck continues
(Source: 12 News Now, November 1, 2020) MAURICEVILLE, Texas — Students won't be able to go back to Mauriceville Elementary and Mauriceville Middle School on Monday as crews continue to clean up after a train derailed on Thursday morning. Full story: Beaumont...
NS train derails, spills coal into Roanoke River in Va.
(Source: Roanoke Times, October 31, 2020) ROANOKE, Va. — Rail cars on a Norfolk Southern train carrying coal derailed into the Roanoke River upstream of Salem's main water intake late Friday, Roanoke County officials said. There were no reported injuries to the train...
BLET News
Rigsby reelected Chairman of Georgia State Legislative Board
James Rigsby was reelected Chairman of the Georgia State Legislative Board at quadrennial meetings in Atlanta from February 7-9, 2011.
President Obama nominates Walt Barrows to RRB Labor Member post
Walter A. Barrows, the candidate unanimously endorsed by the BLET and the Teamsters Rail Conference Policy Committee, has been nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as the Labor Member of the Railroad Retirement Board.
Pierce urges BLET members: Join me in Columbus for huge labor rally
BLET National President Dennis Pierce is making a personal plea for BLET members to join him at a huge pro-labor rally tomorrow (March 1) in Columbus, Ohio, to protest the ongoing attacks against public sector unions and middle class Americans.
BLET members join the fight in Wisconsin and Ohio
BLET members have been on the front lines of the battle to protect the rights of union workers in Wisconsin and Ohio.
BLET Education & Training Dept. to conduct General Chairman workshop
The BLET Education & Training Department, in conjunction with the BLET Arbitration Department, is offering a General Chairman’s workshop in St. Louis, Mo., the week of April 17, 2011.
BLET, MBCR reach tentative agreement
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen has reached a tentative agreement with the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad (MBCR) that would provide members with general wage increases worth 13.7 percent over the four-year contract.
BLET members flood Hill to save Amtrak
More than 20 members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen inundated Capitol Hill on February 17, visiting nearly 100 offices to help save Amtrak’s funding and to lobby on behalf of the interests of their fellow BLET members.
Atlanta ST Workshop is full; Space remains in Vancouver
The BLET’s Education and Training Department reports that space remains in the upcoming Secretary-Treasurer Compliance Workshops in Vancouver, Wash. However, the class scheduled for Atlanta, Ga., is full.
BLET national bargaining update: February 2011
A message from BLET National President Dennis Pierce regarding the current round of national contract negotiations.
Wisconsin Teamsters take to the streets
Our Teamster brothers and sisters behind the cheese curtain have been in the thick of things.
