Rail Industry News
Amtrak names former air cargo executive as new CEO
(Source: Associated Press, March 2, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amtrak named a former air cargo executive as its new president and chief operating officer Monday. William Flynn will take over in mid-April. He will replace Richard Anderson, who has served as CEO since...
Suits in 2015 CSX, Union Tank Car derailment coming to a close
(Source: The Daily Times, February 29, 2020) MARYVILLE, Tenn. — A 2018 federal lawsuit filed on behalf of 394 residents suing over a train derailment incident in July 2015 in Maryville is coming to a close. The case targeted the owner and operator of the train, CSX...
CSX leasing Parkersburg-Marietta line
(Source: Marietta Times, February 29, 2020) PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — An Ohio company is preparing to take over the CSX Transportation rail line between Parkersburg and Marietta. Local CSX Transportation employees were notified this week of a planned transaction with...
5 lingering questions following Saskatchewan’s 2 recent oil train derailments
(Source: CBC News, March 1, 2020) SASKATOON, Sask. — It's been nearly three months since the first of two CP oil trains derailed and spilled more than one million liters of diluted bitumen near the hamlet of Guernsey, Sask. Full story: www.cbc.ca
CN starts calling back employees laid off during rail blockade
(Source: Reuters, February 28, 2020) MONTREAL — Canadian National Railway Co has started calling back many of the 450 workers it laid off earlier this month in eastern Canada, when blockades crippled operations on strategic rail lines, according to a company email...
First Nations group, Canadian officials reach unspecified deal on pipeline
(Source: Freight Waves, March 1, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — After three days of negotiations, the hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en and Canadian government officials have reached a tentative agreement on how to proceed with Coastal GasLink’s project to construct a...
Wyoming House passes bill mandating freight train crew sizes
(Source: Associated Press, February 27, 2020) CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming House of Representatives advanced legislation to the Senate that would mandate crews of two persons or more on all class-one freight trains in the state. Full story: Daily Interlake
Railroaders link up with the North Platte community
(Source: North Platte Telegraph, March 2, 2020) NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Union Pacific laid out the frame of North Platte, but its people have long pitched in on the finishing work. Whether they grew up here or came from elsewhere, the U.P. employees you’ll find in...
After more than 70 years, North Platte and Bailey Yard remain synonymous
(Source: North Platte Telegraph, March 2, 2020) NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — A North Platte without Bailey Yard would seem almost incomprehensible. Bailey’s 2,850-acre area and daily volume of 14,000 railcars remain exponentially larger than the other seven remaining major...
Surface Transportation Board issues final rule on demurrage
(Source: Freight Waves, February 28, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is adopting a final rule that will clarify how it will regulate demurrage, which is the fee that the freight railroads assess when railcars are detained beyond a...
FRA: Eight railroads at risk of missing PTC deadline
(Source: Progressive Railroading, February 28, 2020) The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) yesterday released a fourth-quarter 2019 status report on railroads' progress in implementing positive train control (PTC) systems as required by Congress. Full story:...
Mergers and acquisitions still likely for Class I railroads within next 10 years
(Source: Freight Waves, March 1, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Mergers and acquisitions could happen among the Class I railroads within the next decade if regulatory and economic factors drive railroads to see mergers as a path to greater efficiency and expanded...
NS provides update on Hoosac Tunnel service disruption
(Source: Norfolk Southern service alert, February 27, 2020) NORFOLK, Va. — Following is an update on the Hoosac Tunnel service disruption on Norfolk Southern’s partner line, Pan Am Southern, which affects all trains operating between Mechanicville, New York, and Ayer,...
As MBTA issues continue, advocates push for transportation funding bill
(Source: NBC Boston, February 25, 2020) BOSTON — From the latest troubles on the MBTA to the constant traffic on the roads, transportation advocates are pushing for more investments, even if some of the money may have to come out of their pockets. They gathered at the...
Northwestern Ontario oil train derailment came days after Canadian government raised speed limit for trains hauling dangers goods
(Source: CBC News, February 26, 2020) OTTAWA — The train that derailed and spilled crude oil in northwestern Ontario last week was travelling at a speed that would have been prohibited just two days earlier. The CN Rail train was heading east at 70 kilometers per hour...
FRA warns NJ Transit could miss PTC deadline
(Source: www.nj.com, February 27, 2020) NEWARK, N.J. — Federal officials warned eight railroads, including NJ Transit, that they’re in danger of not having a mandated safety system tested and running by Dec. 31, deadline, which could bring commuter rail service to a...
A timeline of rail disruptions by anti-pipeline protesters across Canada
(Source: Canadian Press, February 27, 2020) OTTAWA — RCMP began enforcing an injunction earlier this month that prevents interference with construction of a $6.6-billion natural gas pipeline in northern British Columbia. Click the link below for a timeline of the...
Transport minister warns Canadian rail recovery will take weeks
(Source: Trains Magazine, February 27, 2020) Transport Minister Marc Garneau says Canada’s freight rail system faces “many, many weeks” of delays as a result of protests by and in support of indigenous groups across the country. As of this morning, just one of the...
AAR reports rail traffic for week ending February 22
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, February 22, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 22, 2020. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was...
FRA publishes railroads’ Q4 2019 Positive Train Control implementation status updates; Says PTC operating on 96.3% of route miles
(Source: Federal Railroad Administration press release, February 27, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today released a quarterly status update on railroads’ self-reported progress, as of December...
BLET News
Important notice to all Amtrak BLET Members
Amtrak will hold its annual benefits open enrollment between October 23 and November 10, 2006, according to BLET General Chairman Mark Kenny.
Nevada AFL-CIO passes Safe Rails Secure America resolution
The Nevada AFL-CIO passed a Safe Rails, Secure America resolution at its convention on August 25.
Online election reporting now available to STs
As BLET Divisions nationwide prepare for their Triennial Election of officers, the BLET National Division has made online reporting of nomination results available to Division Secretary-Treasurers.
BLET members urged to register to vote
November’s elections are too important for the working men and women of this nation and it is imperative that all members register to vote and vote in November, according BLET Vice President and National Legislative Representative John Tolman.
BLET, UTU meet jointly with NCCC
The national negotiating teams from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the United Transportation Union met jointly on September 6 in Kansas City with the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC), which represents most of the major railroads and many smaller ones.
Events to honor fallen Brother G.Y. Bailey
Two events will be held next week to honor the memory of fallen BLET member G.Y. Bailey, who was killed when his Union Pacific freight train collided with another train in dark territory near Houston on September 14, 2005.
BLET meets with Congressman Oberstar
Several BLET legislative officials met with Congressman James Oberstar, Ranking Democrat on the House Transportation Committee, on August 24 in Minneapolis, Minn.
BLET Job Bank: Metra
Metra is looking to hire certified locomotive engineers to operate its fleet of locomotives in the Chicago area and the six county region of northeastern Illinois.
“The Nation’s Railroads — They use us, then Abuse Us”
Rail Labor is standing strong and united in the face of railroad greed and rail employer abuses. The carriers use us, then abuse us. We will not tolerate it; we will fight it.
Labor Day 2006
While the holiday is intended to be a tribute to the contributions of workers, we unfortunately find that these contributions are now less valued than they have been at any time since the exploitive days before the dawn of the labor movement.
