Rail Industry News
Iowa landowners sue BNSF over damage from 2018 derailment
Landowners at the site of a 2018 derailment near Doon, Iowa, are suing BNSF Railway, seeking damages for cleanup costs and reduced property values from oil spilled in the incident.
CPKC offering Panama Canal alternative via Lazaro Cardenas into the U.S.
In the face of continued problems with traffic volumes at the Panama Canal, shippers and carriers will likely seek alternatives which is where CPKC believes it can step in.
Contract worker killed in accident at Housatonic RR in Massachusetts
A contract worker hit by a piece of track equipment on the Housatonic Railroad has died. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.
UP derailment ignites grassfires in Eastland County, Texas
First responders say the situation is “stable” after a train incident in Eastland County in which eight to 10 cars derailed and grassfires ignited Saturday afternoon.
Rail shippers urge Biden to renominate STB’s Oberman and Fuchs
The Rail Customer Coalition (RCC) sent a letter to President Joe Biden this week asking him to renominate STB Chairman Marty Oberman and STB member Patrick Fuchs.
Rail congestion continues as Canadian West Coast port workers vote yes to ratify a tentative deal
It will take at least two months for the railroads to clear out the pileup of containers as a result of the 14 days of striking by dock workers.
NS fails to notify local PA fire crews of maintenance work that sparks fires; Fire crews ordered off of railroad property
In some cases, fire units that responded were ordered off the railroad’s property.
Opinion: What I learned from putting out the fires of the East Palestine train derailment
Six months ago, a 151-car Norfolk Southern train with 11 cars of hazardous cargo derailed in my hometown of East Palestine, Ohio. The resulting fire turned night into day and burned for 48 hours.
Q&A: RRB financial reports
As required by law, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) submits annual financial reports to Congress on the financial condition of the railroad retirement and railroad unemployment insurance systems. These reports must include recommendations for any financing changes that may be advisable to ensure the solvency of the systems. In June, the RRB submitted its financial reports on the railroad retirement and railroad unemployment insurance systems.
AFL-CIO: CEO compensation hits second highest level
Average total compensation for CEOs of S&P 500 index companies dipped in 2022 to $16.7 million from a record $18.3 million in 2021 according to the AFL-CIO’s Executive Paywatch website.
NS claims CSX violations of Pan Am Railways agreements hurt competition and service in New England
Norfolk Southern, in a lawsuit filed this week in Delaware, accuses CSX Transportation of hampering its access to New England by repeatedly violating the operating agreements related to CSX’s 2022 acquisition of regional Pan Am Railways.
AAR reports rail traffic for July and the week ending July 29, 2023
U.S. railroads originated 875,660 carloads in July 2023, down 0.6 percent, or 5,599 carloads, from July 2022. For the week ending July 29, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 483,481 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.6 percent compared with the same week last year.
BNSF sues federal regulator over coal shipment mandate
Western U.S. Class I railway BNSF is suing the Surface Transportation Board for compelling BNSF via a mandate to ship more coal from Navajo Transitional Energy Co.’s (NTEC’s) mine in Montana.
CP sued by bondholders over missed deadline tied to KCS merger
Canadian Pacific Kansas City, formed in April when Canadian Pacific Railway merged with Kansas City Southern, has been sued by bondholders for failing to repay more than $1 billion after missing a deadline tied to the merger.
MBTA reaches deal with largest union
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has reached a new labor agreement with its largest union, affecting more than 6,000 workers including bus and train operators.
Opinion: Six months after NS derailment, where is the help for East Palestine?
One night, as my 7-year-old son climbed into bed, he turned to me and asked, “Mommy, am I going to die?” Then, he began to sob.
Six months after East Palestine derailment, rail unions renew calls for safety reforms
There have been more than 60 high-profile derailments since East Palestine, including multiple in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Montana. Through it all, freight rail companies have maintained their fundamental disregard for public safety. Safety is just a buzzword to the railroads.
Congress deadlocked on new rules for safety six months after East Palestine
Congress responded to the fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio earlier this year with bipartisan alarm, holding a flurry of hearings about the potential for railroad crashes to trigger even larger disasters. Yet six months after life was upended in East Palestine, little has changed.
After East Palestine train derailment, are railroads any safer?
Union officials and railroad workers remain skeptical about the direction the industry is heading and whether their concerns will be heard.
All eyes on Vena as he takes helm at Union Pacific
Freight rail stakeholders will be watching closely as Union Pacific’s incoming CEO Jim Vena takes over the company, especially given how labor and operational dynamics have changed over the last three years since the industry veteran was last at UP as chief operating officer and later strategic adviser.
BLET News
Railroad safety: BLET participates in FRA’s Rail Share meeting
FRA Administrator Amit Bose (center) with BLET members, officers, and staff at the FRA's Rail Share meeting. ____________________ Representatives from the BLET’s National Legislative Office, along with a large contingent of BLET State Legislative Board Chairmen,...
Health & Welfare: GA-46000 lifetime maximum adjusted for 2025
The lifetime maximum benefit for the Railroad Employees National Early Retirement Major Medical Benefit Plan (also known as ERMA or GA-46000) will increase from $195,100 to $202,900 on January 1, 2025. At the end of 2001, Labor and Management agreed on various...
BLET Education & Training Department: Secretary-Treasurer refresher courses available via Zoom in December
The BLET National Division Education & Training Department is pleased to announce an End-of-Year Secretary-Treasurer refresher training class. The class will provide a valuable opportunity to review end-of-year reporting and compliance due dates. In addition, we...
Ballots mailed for vote on tentative contract with Indiana Southern Railroad
Ballots for the five-year tentative contract with Indiana Southern Railroad are due back to the National Division by December 5. Photo: courtesy of Grady McKinley ____________________ The BLET has reached a tentative contract with the Indiana Southern Railroad (ISRR)....
Ballots mailed in tentative agreement with Huron and Eastern Railway
TThe ballots for the five-year tentative contract with the Huron and Eastern Railway are due back to the National Division by December 5. Photo: courtesy of Thomas Kurecka ____________________ he BLET has reached a tentative contract with the Huron and Eastern Railway...
BLET family needs your generosity as BNSF locomotive engineer recovers from brain surgery
Thanksgiving is a time for appreciation and gratitude, and there were many expressions of profound thanks as two BLET members were reunited yesterday for the first time since one Brother helped save the other’s life. On October 27, the quick-thinking and decisive...
President Biden orders second PEB in BLET-New Jersey Transit contract dispute
On Thursday, November 21, President Biden appointed a second Presidential Emergency Board — PEB No. 252 — to investigate the ongoing years-long collective bargaining dispute between the BLET and New Jersey Transit (NJT). The report of PEB 251, appointed in July, was...
BLET Short Line Department: Florida, Gulf & Atlantic members ratify first union contract
Railroad workers at the Florida, Gulf & Atlantic Railway (FG&A), who joined the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen to gain collective bargaining rights, have ratified their first-ever contract. This marks a significant milestone for train and...
Take action and tell the House to act on Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2024 before Congress adjourns
The BLET is urgently working to secure passage of the House Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2024 (H.R. 8996) before Congress adjourns. In a Take Action alert issued today, BLET members and their families are asked to use the Take Action tool on the BLET National...
2025 is right around the corner; Order your Time Book today
The BLET National Division is now taking requests from members who wish to receive a new Time Book for 2025. These books will only be distributed to members upon request. To receive a Time Book, members must first log in to the Members’ Area of the BLET National...
