Rail Industry News
Nine lost their lives in Graniteville derailment 15 years ago
(Source: Aiken Standard, January 6, 2020) AIKEN, S.C. — The nine lives lost is the first thing Aiken County Sheriff Michael Hunt thinks of when he remembers the deadly train derailment in Graniteville, which happened in the early morning 15 years ago today. At 2:39...
Railroads are slashing workers, cheered on by Wall Street to stay profitable
(Source: Washington Post, January 4, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Over 20,000 rail workers have lost their jobs in the past year, the biggest layoffs in rail since the Great Recession and a nearly 10 percent decline in rail employment, according to Labor Department data...
Amtrak ridership down in Missouri
(Source: News Tribune, December 27, 2019) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — For the first five months of the 2020 state fiscal year (July to November) there were 70,903 Amtrak passengers statewide versus 76,929 in the same time last year (a 7.8 percent decrease), according to...
50 years after Southern Belle last rolled, backers hope for new Baton Rouge-New Orleans passenger train
(Source: The Advocate, December 27, 2019) BATON ROUGE, La. — It’s been more than 50 years since the last train brought passengers into and out of Baton Rouge. A long-envisioned passenger rail line that would provide a new link to New Orleans is still in the early...
Mobile to decide key issue on Amtrak future on Gulf Coast
(Source: Associated Press, December 29, 2019) MOBILE, Ala. — City leaders are preparing to decide a key issue in restoring passenger train service along the northern Gulf Coast, where Amtrak hasn't operated regularly since Hurricane Katrina. Full story: San Francisco...
NJ Governor said commuters would see NJ Transit improve in 2019. Did it?
(Source: www.nj.com, December 28, 2019) NEWARK, N.J. — This was the year commuters were supposed to see their NJ Transit train and bus ride get better. Gov. Phil Murphy said so, as early as December 2018. Full story: www.nj.com
Why are railroads still important in the current era?
(Source: Freight Waves, December 28, 2019) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Railroads are the most efficient transportation mode for moving goods on the earth’s surface. Railroads are of particular importance for the movement of commodities that heavy and moved in bulk over long...
U.S. DOT dusts off national freight strategic plan
(Source: Freight Waves, December 27, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — A long overdue assessment of the ability of multimodal transportation networks within the United States to handle future freight demand has been opened once again for public comment. Full story: Freight...
NS workers get sick after train passes through “mist”
(Source: 13 News Now, December 29, 2019) SUFFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk Southern workers told firefighters they got sick after the train passed through what was described as a mist near the Saratoga Street rail crossing in Suffolk, Va. Full story: www.13newsnow.com
Illinois Supreme Court: Federal law doesn’t block railroad from suing employees it blames for causing train accident
(Source: Cook County Record, December 23, 2019) CHICAGO — A railroad company can sue employees who it blames for causing railroad accidents, even after those employees first sue the railroad for injuries they suffered in the accident the railroad says they caused, the...
STB: U.S. Class Is employed fewer people in November
(Source: Progressive Railroading, December 27, 2019) As of mid-November, Class Is employed 133,225 people, down 1 percent from mid-October's level and down 10.58 percent from November 2018's count, according to Surface Transportation Board (STB) data. All six...
A peek behind the scenes of the Amtrak Auto Train
(Source: Washington Post, December 26, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Somewhere north of Orlando, Florida, and south of Georgia, Sylvia Longmire rotates her right forearm to reveal 15 rows of three-letter abbreviations inked onto her skin. I'd first glimpsed the tattoo...
Harpers Ferry tourists deal with no foot access across Potomac River
(Source: Herald-Mail, December 23, 2019) HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. — Tourists and outdoor enthusiasts continued Monday to deal with the inconvenience of not being able to cross the Potomac River on a footbridge connected to a railroad bridge after a train derailment over...
Sen. Tester calls for quickly restoring ticket agents at Havre, Shelby Amtrak stations
(Source: Havre Daily News, December 26, 2019) HAVRE, Mont. — U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., is doubling down on his efforts to restore ticket agents in some Amtrak stations including in Havre and Shelby. Full story: Havre Daily News
Disabled veteran says Amtrak employee questioned his disability, claiming discrimination
(Source: Spectrum Local News, December 23, 2019) HIGH POINT, N.C. — A disabled veteran is speaking out, saying he and his service dog were denied entry on an Amtrak train over the weekend. He said the conductor did not believe that he had a legitimate disability. Full...
CN derailment near Alberta-B.C. border under investigation
(Source: Edmonton Journal, December 26, 2019) EDMONTON, Alberta — CN Rail is looking to determine the cause of a Thursday derailment near the Alberta-British Columbia border. Full story: Edmonton Journal
ConocoPhillips owned oil on CP train that derailed in Sask., leaked 1.5 million liters
(Source: CBC News, December 23, 2019) CALGARY — ConocoPhillips has confirmed it owned crude oil on a train that derailed and leaked about 1.5 million liters of oil in rural Saskatchewan two weeks ago. Full story: www.cbc.ca
ND still waiting for a federal decision on oil by rail dispute with Washington state
(Source: Prairie Public News, December 24, 2019) BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota is awaiting a decision from federal regulators on Washington state’s new law that essentially bans accepting Bakken crude by rail. North Dakota wants the federal Pipeline and Hazardous...
Plans to beef up Amtrak Cascades service in 2020 beset by multiple uncertainties
(Source: Radio station KUOW, December 23, 2019) SEATTLE, Wash. — A holiday wish of many Pacific Northwest rail fans is more roundtrips on the Amtrak Cascades schedule with greater speed and reliability. But in order to beef up train service between Seattle and...
New York governor wants to fast-track high-speed rail
(Source: Gannett New York, December 25, 2019) ALBANY, N.Y. — On Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo pledged to revisit the decades-long dream of better connecting New York’s cities through a high-speed rail system, which is commonplace in Europe and other parts of the world....
BLET News
Labor Day 2005
Labor day is the one day each year that we honor our nation’s workers. It is a day for all Americans to unite in celebration of the workers that have made this country great.
President Hahs statement on Hurricane Katrina
Facing the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States, it is time for all BLET members to come to the aid of their Brothers and Sisters who have been impacted by this tragedy.
Disaster Relief Fund ready to assist Teamsters affected by Katrina
The Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund is accepting applications for assistance from members in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
Teamsters Disaster Relief fund offering assistance in Wyoming
The Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund recently received a disaster alert notice for the state of Wyoming, due to a tornado on August 12.
BLET members reject Division size initiative
BLET members have rejected an initiative that would have created larger local divisions within the Brotherhood.
What really happened at Via Rail
In an attempt to rebut the latest UTU spin-doctoring, here is what really happened concerning the operating crafts at Via Rail.
Would anyone be proud of the UTU?
Bribes and kickbacks? High-priced management spin doctors on the payroll? Engineer only operations on freight trains? Yep. Eugene V. Debs would certainly be proud of an organization like the UTU.
Clarifying UTU smoke and mirrors
When sorting through the UTU’s latest smoke and mirrors attempt to obscure the truth (“How to smoke out a pair of skunks,” August 5), BLET and UTU members need to keep one fact in mind: No amount of spin doctoring will obscure the truth.
BLET remote control hazard study available
Due to overwhelming interest, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Traimen’s remote control hazard study has been made available on the BLET website.
Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund offering assistance in Alabama
The Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund recently received a Disaster Alert Notice for the state of Alabama following the impact of Hurricane Dennis.
