Rail Industry News
Analysis: CEO’s dismissal the beginning of the end for Amtrak?
No names have yet been floated about a potential replacement for Gardner.
Amtrak CEO abruptly resigns
Gardner’s departure also arrives just weeks after billionaire Elon Musk floated the idea of privatizing Amtrak, as well as the U.S. Postal Service, at a Morgan Stanley tech conference earlier this month.
STB issues draft environmental statement on proposed Texas border crossing railroad
Green Eagle Railroad’s 1.3-mile line would be part of a 19-mile secure corridor linking Eagle Pass, Texas, and Piedras Negras, Mexico.
Senate confirms Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the daughter of a Teamster, as Secretary of Labor
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien recommended her for the job.
Trump taps former Pa. GOP chair to serve on Amtrak board of directors
Rob Gleason, a longtime resident of western Pennsylvania, has been an advocate for expanding rail service.
NS says route through Asheville, N.C., will reopen by March 31
Still to be addressed is the badly damaged section of track east of Swannanoa to Old Forts, the rugged Old Fort Loops segment of the line to Salisbury, N.C.
FRA personnel cuts could further delay languishing rail initiatives: Analysis
Concerned about such a prospect, the Rail Passengers Association and 22 other public transportation advocacy organizations on Friday, Feb. 28, sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, urging him to “preserve mission-critical personnel to avoid further delays in the administration of these passenger and freight projects.”
Thieves targeting freight trains in California and Arizona deserts make off with $2 million worth of Nikes
It is said the trains are so long that train crews rarely encounter the thieves.
BNSF reports Q4, full year 2024 results
For the year, BNSF’s pre-tax earnings increased 0.5%, to $6.64 billion, while revenue declined 0.5%, to $23.35 billion.
CPKC dedicates new rail bridge between U.S., Mexico
The bridge is 1,170 feet long and cost $100 million.
Washington state calls for more, faster Amtrak Cascades service
Proposed bills would establish goals for cutting travel time, increasing daily roundtrips, and boosting on-time performance from Seattle to Portland and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Two years after East Palestine derailment, rail leaders still urge safety reforms
Rail leaders highlighted the worsening safety trends across the industry and the harmful impacts of the precision scheduled railroading (PSR) business model that prioritizes profits over safety.
Two bills addressing hazmat rail movements reintroduced in U.S. House
Previous versions of these bills did not advance out of House committees in 2023.
Trump administration shakes up funding formulas for rail projects
The order also contains provisions that would seem to threaten FRA funding for Amtrak, CRISI grants, and grade-crossing elimination projects.
Two years after derailment, toxic chemicals still roll through East Palestine
Despite an initial outcry, changes at the federal level have been bogged down.
Norfolk Southern reports Q4, full-year 2024 results
For full-year 2024, revenue was $12.1 billion and income from railway operations was $4.1 billion.
CN reports Q4, full-year 2024 results
Operating income for the full year was down 5% compared to 2023.
CPKC reports Q4, full-year 2024 results
For the full year 2024, the railroad reported that its operating ratio decreased by 60 basis points to 64.4 percent from 65.0 percent in 2023.
Union Pacific reports Q4, full-year 2024 results
The company repurchased 6.3 million shares of stock in 2024 at an aggregate cost of $1.5 billion.
CSX reports Q4, full-year 2024 results
Revenue for the full year totaled $14.54 billion in 2024.
BLET News
Local Chairmen from BNSF/MRL GCA complete two-year training workshop
The BNSF/MRL General Committee of Adjustment held a training session September 22-24 in Las Vegas for 45 Local Chairmen and Vice Chairmen. General Chairman Kent Psota said that the GCA’s bylaws mandate Local Chairman receive training once every two years. A wide range...
Attention all members at Metra: Replacement ballots now available
BLET members who work for Metra-UP Line should have received a mailing from the National Division with voting instructions on a tentative agreement with the commuter agency. Members who are eligible and have not received a ballot by today, October 1, should visit the...
Open enrollment now underway for Health FSA
From October 1 until midnight on October 31, 2025, you can enroll or change your Medical or Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) benefit selections for the 2026 benefit year. Members must enroll in the Health FSA every year — FSA enrollment is not automatic each...
BLET continues work to advance “no tax on overtime for all” legislation
The BLET, in conjunction with the Teamsters Rail Conference, is working the halls of Congress to garner additional bipartisan support for H.R. 5475, the “No Tax on Overtime for All Workers Act,” which would provide rail workers with tax exemptions on their overtime...
Potential government shutdown would affect FRA, NMB, STB, RRB
A government shutdown looms and Congress must enact a continuing appropriations act, or Continuing Resolution (CR), by September 30 to prevent a government shutdown that would begin on October 1. At this point, it is unclear if Congress will reach an agreement to...
Arizona Eastern members enjoy improved pay, benefits, and morale thanks to first BLET contract
BLET members working for AZER have reaped the benefits of a union job since voting to join the Brotherhood in 2024. Photo by Cory Rusch, BLET Division 659 ___________________ BLET members at the Arizona Eastern Railway (AZER) are enjoying the benefits of belonging to...
Hybrid training expands opportunities for Division Secretary-Treasurers
In-person and virtual participants in this week's class for Division Secretary-Treasurers, hosted at BLET National Division headquarters. ____________________ The BLET Education & Training Department recently completed another successful hybrid training class for...
BLET’s LIRR members vote to authorize a strike at the right time and if needed; BLET-led coalition of rail unions, in an unusual move, call on the White House to establish a PEB
BLET National Vice President Jim Louis addresses the news conference regarding the ongoing LIRR contract dispute. ____________________ On Monday, September 15, after three years without a raise during a period of high inflation, Long Island Rail Road engineers...
Attention all Union Pacific locomotive engineers: Replacement ballots now available
BLET members who work for the Union Pacific Railroad should have received a mailing from the National Division containing a contract synopsis and a ballot for voting on the tentative agreement. Members who are eligible and have not received a ballot by today,...
Chicago: BLET announces tentative agreement for Metra-UP Line locomotive engineers
The BLET has reached a tentative agreement with Metra that would provide 93 BLET members with 3.5 percent general wage increases. The agreement covers BLET members employed by Metra who operate on the Metra-UP Lines and are represented by the Union Pacific Northern...
