Rail Industry News
Canadian government sets rules for locomotive video, voice recorders
(Source: CBC News, September 2, 2020) OTTAWA — Rail operators in Canada have two years to install black boxes on their trains after the federal government published regulations in the Canada Gazette on Wednesday setting out the new safety requirements. Full story:...
STB adopts rule to improve data collected from freight railroads
(Source: Freight Waves, September 4, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has adopted a final rule that modifies what data the board collects from the waybill samples of the U.S. freight railroads. Full story: Freight Waves
TWU critical of Amtrak job cuts
(Source: Albany Times Union, September 5, 2020) RENSSELAER, N.Y. — The union representing Amtrak's onboard employees is criticizing plans by the passenger railroad to furlough 700 of them, saying they're trained first responders who handle medical emergencies and...
Class I railroads, shippers weigh in on federal agencies’ feedback request
(Source: Freight Waves, September 7, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — An August request from the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and the Federal Railroad Administration(FRA) asking the Class I railroads to report how they’re addressing service issues amid rising rail...
Union Pacific to lay off employees; company ties cuts to efficiency efforts
(Source: Omaha World-Herald, September 4, 2020) OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific will lay off an unspecified number of employees across the railroad’s system as the company continues its push for operational efficiency. The company did not publicly detail the number of...
Shared Saskatoon railway corridor not gaining traction with CN, CP
(Source: CBC News, September 4, 2020) SASKATOON, Sask. — Efforts to remove railway choke points in Saskatoon appear to be at a logjam. Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) — two companies whose rail lines go through Saskatoon and its...
Stakeholders mixed on new rail inspection technology rule
(Source: Freight Waves, September 3, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A new rule on rail inspection technology from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is garnering mixed reactions from rail industry stakeholders. A lead trade association for freight rail praised the...
Nearly 1,100 workers dispatched daily to California high-speed rail project construction sites
(Source: Global Railway Review, September 4, 2020) LOS ANGELES — The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) is now averaging a daily record of nearly 1,100 workers dispatched to construction sites throughout the Central Valley. This milestone, announced by...
NJ Transit projects early 2021 for full locomotive engineer roster, celebrates 17 graduates
(Source: NorthJersey.com, September 3, 2020) BERGEN COUNTY, N.J. — The roster of NJ Transit locomotive engineers inched closer to being full as another class of graduates was announced Thursday. Full story: www.northjersey.com
Teamsters lead the charge on Hurricane Laura disaster relief
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, September 3, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Teamsters Disaster Relief Program arrived in Louisiana and Southeast Texas coast on August 24, a few days before the Category 4 storm Hurricane Laura made landfall...
August intermodal loadings best in U.S. since late 2018
(Source: Freight Waves, September 3, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — August was the best month for intermodal loadings for U.S. freight railroads since October 2018, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) said Wednesday. August also marked the fifth-best intermodal...
AAR reports rail traffic for August and the week ending August 29, 2020
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, September 2, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 29, 2020, as well as volumes for August 2020. U.S. railroads...
Hampton Roads coal exports reach five-month high in July
(Source: S&P Global Platts, September 2, 2020) HOUSTON — Coal exports out of the Hampton Roads terminals in Virginia reached a five-month high 2.3 million st in July, up 47.7% from June, Virginia Maritime Association data showed Sept. 2. Full story: S&P Global...
Proposal puts BNSF in charge of asbestos infested railroad
(Source: Associated Press, September 2, 2020) HELENA, Mont. — Federal and state officials announced that they have proposed an agreement in which the BNSF Railway Company would be responsible for operating and maintaining a track the company is accused of...
Opinion: Has intermodal Western railroading missed out on demonstrating customer service reliability?
(Source: Opinion column by Jim Blaze published at FreightWaves.com, September 2, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — It was an oncoming surge of maritime boxes that has clearly caught the two big Western state railroads BNSF and Union Pacific a bit off guard. How did the...
Five railroads respond to joint STB-FRA letter
(Source: Trains Magazine, September 2, 2020) Five Class I railroads have now responded to last month’s joint letter from the Surface Transportation Board and Federal Railroad Administration, mostly in general terms assuring the two agencies that they are prepared for...
UP hopes to complete North Platte consolidation by Sept. 21
(Source: North Platte Telegraph, September 2, 2020) NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Railroad buffs have about 2½ weeks left to see both “hump yards” in operation at North Platte’s Bailey Yard, at least for a while. Full story: North Platte Telegraph
Blackstone and GIP make offer for Kansas City Southern
(Source: Bloomberg, September 2, 2020) NEW YORK — Blackstone Group Inc. and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) have made an offer to buy North American railroad operator Kansas City Southern, according to a person familiar with the matter. It’s unclear whether...
Amtrak furloughing 2,000 workers amid drop in travel
(Source: The Hill, September 2, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amtrak is set to cut just over 2,000 employees amid the decline in travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. Amtrak received more than $1 billion in aid from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security...
House T&I Committee Chairs DeFazio and Lipinski statements on Amtrak furloughs
(Source: U.S. House of Representatives Transportation & Infrastructure Committee press release, September 2, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads,...
BLET News
Terry Todd reelected Arkansas State Legislative Board Chairman
Terry L Todd was reelected Chairman of the BLET’s Arkansas State Legislative Board at meetings in North Little Rock, Ark., on March 17-18, 2010.
Runion reelected Wyoming State Legislative Board Chairman
Cory L. Runion was reelected by acclamation to serve as Chairman of the Wyoming State Legislative Board at triennial meetings in Cheyenne, Wyo., on February 9.
BLET to conduct training for Legislative Representatives
The BLET Education & Training Department, in conjunction with the National Legislative Office and the National Association of State Legislative Board Chairmen (NASLBC), will conduct a workshop for BLET Division Legislative Representatives in Washington, D.C., from May 23-27, 2010.
Funeral tomorrow for BLET Member Andy Monheim
BLET member Andrew Monheim was killed in the line of duty on March 16 following the collision of two Union Railroad freight trains near Pittsburgh, Pa.
Randy Meek re-elected Nebraska State Legislative Board Chairman
Randy Meek of BLET Division 98 (Lincoln, Neb.) was re-elected Chairman of the Nebraska State Legislative Board at their Triennial Meeting on March 1-4, 2010, in Lincoln.
BLET Engineer killed as Union Railroad trains collide near Pittsburgh
BLET member Andrew Monheim was killed in the line of duty yesterday following the collision of two Union Railroad freight trains near Pittsburgh, Pa.
Railroad Retirement Board 2010 informational conferences
The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board will hold free informational conferences throughout 2010 for elected officers of all railroad labor unions.
NASLBC announces 2010 annual meeting
The BLET’s National Association of State Legislative Board Chairmen (NASLBC) will conduct their annual meeting in Mobile, Ala., from April 14-17, 2010.
Funeral arrangements for Wesley Hahs
A memorial service will take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 6 at the Brookside Funeral Home, 13401 Eastex Freeway, Houston, TX 77039 (281-449-6511).
Son of BLET member and grandson of former National President Hahs dies in motorcycle accident
Wesley Paul Hahs, the son of Von Hahs, an Engineer and BLET member (Division 194) and grandson of former BLET National President Don Hahs, was killed in a motorcycle accident on February 28.
