Rail Industry News
States urge feds to require railroads to release more information about toxic freight in emergency situations
Attorneys General from Pennsylvania and 12 other states signed a letter last month to the U.S. Department of Transportation supporting a proposed federal rule to require railroads to make information about hazardous materials being hauled on their trains available electronically to emergency responders.
Biden announces $16.4 billion for Amtrak rail improvements along Northeast Corridor
President Joe Biden announced Monday the federal government will pump more than $16.4 billion into improving the Northeast Corridor, the nation’s busiest rail line.
BNSF’s Q3 2023 earnings decline nearly 15% amid volume drop
BNSF Railway’s profits, revenue, and volume all declined in the third quarter, parent company Berkshire Hathaway reported on Saturday. BNSF’s pre-tax earnings fell 14.6%, to $1.6 billion, as revenue declined 12.4%, to $5.6 billion.
STB sets schedule for review of CPKC, CSX acquisition and operation of Bigbee short line
Federal regulators have accepted the applications Canadian Pacific Kansas City and CSX Transportation have filed seeking permission to acquire and operate Genesee & Wyoming short line Meridian & Bigbee.
STB moves ahead with small shipper’s common carrier complaint against UP
The Surface Transportation Board has denied Union Pacific’s request to dismiss a common-carrier case filed by a small shipper in the Twin Cities.
House GOP punts vote on transportation funding amid Amtrak concerns
Among the spending reductions outlined in a summary of the bill include a drop in Amtrak funding of about $1.58 billion below the fiscal 2023 levels.
NTSB focuses on BNSF inspection practices after fatal Colorado derailment
Poor track conditions have contributed to multiple fatalities on BNSF tracks in recent years. The NTSB blamed track poor conditions after an Amtrak train derailed on a BNSF route in Montana in 2021, killing three and injuring 49 others.
AAR: Rail volumes up for second consecutive month in October 2023
Total year-over-year carload and intermodal volumes for U.S. railroads rose for the second consecutive month in October 2023.
Positive Train Control needs improvements to prevent more derailments, NTSB says
The automatic braking system railroads were required to install several years ago needs improvement to better prevent collisions, federal safety investigators said in a report Wednesday.
Head count for U.S. Class I rail operations shows mixed bag
The average number of T&E employees for the first three quarters of 2023 was 51,580, about 8.5% higher than an average of 47,542 employees for the first three quarters of 2020.
SEPTA, TWU Local 234 reach one-year tentative agreement
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and Transport Workers Union Local 234 late last week reached a tentative agreement on a one-year contract, averting a potential strike.
Union Pacific eliminates management jobs as part of plan to speed decision making
The railroad said Wednesday that it is eliminating less than 5% of its roughly 5,600 management jobs.
AGs want railroads to improve hazmat info for first responders
A coalition of 13 attorneys general is calling on federal regulators to adopt a federal rule that would require railroads to make available information on hazardous material loads to emergency responders.
Planned UP maintenance-of-way furloughs spark controversy
Tony Cardwell, president of the BMWED, claims that UP’s decision to postpone trackwork and furlough union members poses a safety risk.
House set to vote on spending bill with big Amtrak cuts, prohibition on California high-speed rail funding
Even if the bill passes the Republican-controlled House, it is unlikely to survive in its current form in the Democratically controlled Senate or be signed by President Joe Biden.
Soil remove from East Palestine derailment site is nearly done, but cleanup isn’t over
The removal of contaminated soil from the eastern Ohio site of February’s fiery Norfolk Southern derailment is expected to be completed sometime this weekend, although the larger cleanup effort isn’t over.
CPKC holds back fuel shipments to Mexico after new regulation
Rail company Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) has temporarily held back rail cars containing fuel and petrochemicals bound from Texas to Mexico following Mexico’s restrictions for oil imports in a move to fight smuggling, according to a note sent to clients and seen by Reuters.
CPKC and CSX urge STB to reject NS request for pause in review of Meridian & Bigbee transactions
Canadian Pacific Kansas City and CSX Transportation told the Surface Transportation Board today that there’s no reason to grant Norfolk Southern’s request for a delay in review of their proposals to create a new through route linking the Southeast and Mexico via Myrtlewood, Ala.
Analysis: NS stands behind its long-term growth strategy despite Wall Street concerns over poor quarter
When Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw outlined the railroad’s long-term growth strategy in December, he couldn’t have been more clear: Keeping train crews on the payroll during freight downturns would hurt the operating ratio over the short term.
NS investing in automated inspection systems
To help quickly spot safety defects on moving trains, Norfolk Southern said on October 26 it has installed the first of more than a dozen of a new generation of automated inspection portals.
BLET News
BLET Education & Training Department: More than 100 new Division officers complete training
The BLET Education & Training Department provided valuable training to over 100 new Division officers as it hosted five Zoom classes on January 14 and 15. The classes provided introductory training for new officers who were elected during the 2024 Triennial...
New Jersey Transit: Clock ticking towards March 22 deadline after BLET rejects recommendations of PEB 252
The BLET has rejected a non-binding decision announced last week by Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) No. 252, assigned to the long-running dispute between BLET and New Jersey Transit (NJT). Rejection of the PEB’s recommendation triggers a 60-day cooling off period,...
Autonomous trains: BLET sounds the alarm as railroads move to operate trains without train crews on board and the federal government OKs a pilot project
This month, the Federal Railroad Administration granted a series of waivers to permit the trial run of a “novel, self-propelled, zero-emission, battery-electric rail vehicle” where no workers would be onboard. FRA is allowing a tech company, Parallel Systems, to test...
Organizing Department: After seven organizing victories, BLET looks to continue momentum in 2025
The BLET successfully organized seven short line railroads over the past two years, with more organizing campaigns planned for 2025. The recent string of victories can be linked to a strategic decision made in early 2023 when BLET National Division’s leadership...
Craver reelected to fifth term as Chairman of Virginia State Legislative Board
Brother Tim Craver of BLET Division 532 (Richmond, Va.) was reelected to his fifth term as Chairman of the Virginia State Legislative Board at its quadrennial meeting in late 2024. The Virginia State Legislative Board represents 11 BLET Divisions and nearly 1,100...
Ohio: Governor signs BLET-backed “Stop, Look, and Listen” rail safety bill
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (seated) after signing the “Stop, Look, and Listen” bill, with Rep. Michele Grim and BLET Ohio SLB Chairman John Esterly. ____________________ In mid-January, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed an important rail safety bill into law — the...
Rep. Dina Titus, a voice for Rail Labor, to serve as Ranking Member of House Rail Subcommittee
Rep. Titus addressing BLET members at the 2022 National Convention. ____________________ Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-Nevada) will serve as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials in the 119th Congress. The subcommittee,...
Short line department: BLET hits the ground running at Utah Central
Less than a month after securing an organizing win at the Utah Central Railway, the BLET hit the ground running with its newest members. BLET National Vice President James Logan Jr., who now leads the BLET’s Short Line Department, traveled to Utah to help the nation’s...
Decision by PEB 252 sets the clock ticking for a strike date at NJ Transit
NEWARK, N.J., January 21 — A non-binding decision announced this week by Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) 252, assigned to the dispute between the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and New Jersey Transit (NJT), sets the clock ticking for...
BLET thanks FRA Administrator Bose as he steps down
Amit Bose was honored for his dedication to rail safety at a reception in Washington, D.C., on January 14. Bose is stepping down from his role as head of the Federal Railroad Administration, a position he has held since early 2022. Under his leadership, the FRA...
