Rail Industry News
KCS to announce third quarter 2020 earnings on October 16
(Source: Kansas City Southern press release, September 18, 2020) KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern (KCS) will release its third quarter 2020 financial results on Friday, October 16, 2020, before the opening of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. KCS will...
Mexican rail blockade costing millions
(Source: Freight Waves, September 20, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Mexican farmers protesting water rights have blocked railway tracks across the country since Aug. 26, costing Mexico’s economy millions in delayed freight, according to trade officials. The dispute...
Plan to send LNG trains through Philly to S. Jersey port sparks outrage from residents, environmentalists
(Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, September 20, 2020) PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Environmentalists have stepped up alarms about a major fuel export terminal in South Jersey that they say will accelerate Pennsylvania fracking, worsen climate change, and attract 100-car trains...
Railroads near full implementation of PTC
(Source: Washington Post, September 19, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. railroads are on track to meet a December deadline to implement an automatic braking system that could prevent catastrophic collisions and derailments, the Federal Railroad Administration said. Full...
After 50 years, BNSF suspends property reimbursements to Wisconsin residents
(Source: CBS 3 Duluth, September 17, 2020) SUPERIOR, Wisc. — If you drive through the Allouez neighborhood in Superior, you may notice the homes, garages and cars are tinted a pink color. That tint comes from taconite dust drifting over from the BNSF facility, right...
Politicians, rail experts back passenger rail for southern Montana
(Source: NBC Montana, September 17, 2020) MISSOULA, Mont. — Politicians and rail experts are backing the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority spearheaded by Missoula Commissioner Dave Strohmaier. Full story: NBC Montana
Houston residents pursue wrongful death lawsuit against Union Pacific where cancer cluster identified
(Source: Houston Chronicle, September 17, 2020) HOUSTON — Regina Martin-Morgan, 51, has spent the last decade taking care of her family. First, it was her mother: colon cancer diagnosed in 2011. Then, her father: prostate cancer. Her brother: Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Full...
NS monitors Hurricane Sally remnants
(Source: Norfolk Southern service alert, September 17, 2020) NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern is actively monitoring the remnants of Hurricane Sally as the storm moves across the southern portion of our network. NS’ operations in its Mobile, Alabama, yard have resumed....
Amtrak OIG report: Amtrak has improved, but more needs to be done to cut service disruptions
(Source: Railway Track & Structures, September 17, 2020) NEW YORK — Amtrak has built a more disciplined process to plan and coordinate major track outages, but more steps could be taken to reduce service disruptions and maximize the amount of time it has access to...
AAR reports rail traffic for week ending September 12, 2020
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, September 15, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 12, 2020. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was...
Fargo man accused of trying to derail train near Casselton faces life in prison
(Source: Inforum, September 17, 2020) FARGO, N.D. — A Fargo man could face life in prison if convicted of trying to derail a train near Casselton, N.D., in May, a federal prosecutor said. Full story: www.inforum.com
Repairs underway near Hope, B.C., after 60-car CP derailment
(Source: Canadian Press, September 17, 2020) VANCOUVER, B.C. — CN Rail says work is now underway to recover the 60 freight cars from a CP train that derailed off a bridge Monday about 100 kilometers east of Vancouver. Full story: www.cbc.ca
Federal grants awarded to improve freight rail and multimodal traffic flows
(Source: Freight Waves, September 16, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Expanding local freight rail networks and facilitating multimodal access were among the goals of several projects that have been awarded competitive federal grants from the U.S. Department of...
UP failed to accommodate hearing-impaired conductor
(Source: Business Insurance, September 16, 2020) CHICAGO — A railroad failed to reasonably accommodate a hearing-impaired conductor who was terminated, a federal appeals court said Monday, in overturning a lower court ruling and reinstating his disability...
AAR: North American rail freight down 10.5% through 37 weeks compared to 2019
(Source: Railway Age, September 16, 2020) NEW YORK — The Association of American Railroads now has 37 mostly painful weeks of traffic data. The decline, driven by a sputtering global economy suffering from the impacts of COVID-19, the worst health crisis since the...
Q&A: Acting for impaired Railroad Retirement beneficiaries
(Source: Railroad Retirement Board press release, July 31, 2020) CHICAGO — According to Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) policy, every annuitant has the right to manage his or her own benefits. However, when physical or mental impairments make a railroad retirement...
In Austria, a hydrogen train is set to travel on challenging alpine routes
(Source: CNBC, September 14, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rail passengers in Austria are set to take part in a trial of a hydrogen fuel cell train, as the rollout of technology that could change the way public transport systems operate continues at a steady pace. Full...
CP, Maersk ink deal to develop Vancouver transload and distribution facility
(Source: Freight Waves, September 15, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Canadian Pacific and Maersk have agreed to build a “world-class” transload and distribution facility at CP’s intermodal facility in Vancouver, British Columbia, that will be ready to serve customers in...
New NJ Transit bridge eliminates one more headache for commuters, Murphy says
(Source: www.nj.com, September 15, 2020) NEWARK, N.J. — As two NJ Transit North Jersey Coast Line trains lumbered across the 112-year-old Raritan Bay bridge Tuesday morning, Gov. Phil Murphy got an up-close look at why the bridge is being replaced. Full story:...
Financially struggling Metra launches marketing blitz to coax riders back onto trains
(Source: Streetsblog Chicago, September 15, 2020) CHICAGO — The pandemic is obviously a challenging time for public transportation systems, and Metra has probably had the worst luck of any Chicagoland transit agency. Since its normal clientele is heavily made up of...
BLET News
National Labor College offers radiological training in July
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has shipped large amounts and a variety of radioactive material by rail for years. The number of rail shipments is expected to increase in coming years. With the increase in rail shipments comes the increased risk for rail incidents involving radioactive material.
BLET Job Bank: Transportation Research Board
The Transportation Research Board of The National Academies (www.trb.org) is recruiting for the following position: Senior Program Officer-Technical Activities Division.
Sorrow announces retirement
BLET National President Paul T. Sorrow submitted a letter to National Secretary-Treasurer William C. Walpert today, advising that he is resigning the Presidency effective July 1, 2010, in order to retire.
In the line of duty: Gregory G. Kastner
Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen are in mourning following the tragic death of veteran New Jersey Transit hostler Gregory G. Kastner.
Oregon State Legislative Board reelects Chairman Palmer
Oregon State Legislative Board Chairman Scott Palmer was reelected by acclamation to a third term of office at the Board’s Triennial meeting at the Benson Hotel in Portland on May 17-19, 2010.
Pittsburgh welcomes BLET for 2010 EUMA
All BLET members and their families are welcome to Pittsburgh, Pa., for the Eastern Union Meeting Association’s 72nd annual convention, August 8-12, 2010.
Bill Sauer, BLET SENSE safety coordinator at CSX, dies unexpectedly
William “Bill” C. Sauer II, a member of BLET Division 121, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, May 18, 2010.
BLET National Division Convention set for October
More than 500 delegates will convene in Reno, Nevada, for the BLET’s Second Quadrennial National Convention from October 4-7, 2010.
FRA proposes permanent restriction on personal electronic devices
In a Proposed Rule published in today’s Federal Register, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is seeking to codify Emergency Order No. 26 (EO 26), the cell phone ban, into a federal regulation.
Ohio State Legislative Board concludes 14th Quadrennial Convention
Twenty-four Division Delegates from Ohio were joined by officers of the BLET National Division, State politicians and many other special guests at the Ohio State Legislative Board’s 14th Quadrennial Convention in Columbus, Ohio, from May 6-7, 2010.
