Rail Industry News
Why Microsoft is getting behind a revolutionary plan for high-speed rail in the Pacific Northwest
(Source: Fast Company, December 19, 2019) SEATTLE — Imagine it’s derby day between the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers, with the treasured Cascadia Cup on the line between these two MLS franchises and their passionate fanbases. In years past, the Timbers Army...
Norfolk Southern to announce Q3 2019 results on January 29
(Source: Norfolk Southern press release, January 3, 2020) NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern Corporation will announce its fourth-quarter financial results during a conference call and live internet webcast at 8:45 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. Quarterly earnings...
Mobile to delay decision on commitment to Amtrak
(Source: www.al.com, December 30, 2019) MOBILE, Ala. — The Mobile City Council will likely postpone Tuesday a crucial vote that could determine the future of passenger rail service returning to the city. The delay comes after council members learned late last week...
Mist that sickened Norfolk Southern workers unidentified
(Source: Suffolk News-Herald, December 30, 2019) SUFFOLK, Va. — The source of a mysterious mist that sickened two train workers as their train passed through downtown Suffolk on Saturday evening is still undetermined, according to city officials. Full story: Suffolk...
BNSF crew trapped in derailed train escape, make it to shore
(Source: ABC Fox Montana, January 2, 2020) BONNERS FERRY, Idaho — Bonners Ferry Firefighters and other emergency first responders are still working to contain a BNSF train that derailed into the Kootenai River Later Wednesday night. According to the Boundary County...
Shippers say they overpaid for rail transport, alleging price fixing
(Source: Houston Chronicle, January 6, 2020) HOUSTON — The petrochemical and refining unit of the French energy major Total is the latest big freight shipper to accuse the nation’s four biggest U.S. railroads of price fixing by adding fuel surcharges to cargo prices....
Pa. State Rep reflects on 2019 Norfolk Southern layoffs, wants company to “step up”
(Source: Television station WJAC, January 2, 2020) ALTOONA, Pa. — A state representative wants a railroad corporation to step up, following three rounds of layoffs from Norfolk Southern’s Juniata Locomotive Shops in 2019. Full story: www.wjactv.com
“Union Pacific is railroading the community,” union leader says after job cuts at Armourdale Yard
(Source: Fox 4 Kansas City, January 3, 2020) KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Union Pacific is cutting jobs at the Armourdale Yard in KCK, less than three months after employees were laid off at its Neff Yard on the other side of the state line. Full story: www.fox4kc.com
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...
BLET News
BLET to conduct two S-T Workshops in 2006
The BLET’s Education and Training Department will conduct two three-day Secretary-Treasurer Compliance Workshops next year to assist STs prior to the major federal tax reporting deadline.
UnitedHealthcare to send confirmation letters to employees who opt-out of benefits
Each year employees have the opportunity to change benefits during the Open Enrollment period. This is held each October for next year’s benefits. As a general rule your benefits will not change from one year to the next unless you return the enrollment form making a change.
Engineers to receive a cost of living adjustment on January 1
Locomotive Engineers covered by the December 16, 2003 National Agreement will notice an increase in their pay checks on January 1.
Rail carriers cut-off negotiations
On December 14, the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC) refused to set new dates for bargaining with the Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition (RLBC). The RLBC represents seven rail labor unions whose contracts cover nearly 85,000 rail workers or 65 percent of the carriers’ employees. The NCCC represents the Class One carriers (Union Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Norfolk Southern, CSX, etc.) that transport most the rail freight in the country.
Rail security bill introduced by Representative Lynch
Representative Stephen Lynch (D-MA) has introduced a bill, H.R. 4372, that would mandate security training for railroad workers. Also known as the Rail Worker Emergency Training Act of 2005, the bill would address many of the concerns expressed by BLET members in the Safe Rails, Secure America surveys conducted by the Teamsters Rail Conference.
Credit cards now accepted at BLET online store
Online shopping for BLET merchandise just got a whole lot easier.
Graniteville report highlights vulnerability of nation’s railways
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) yesterday recommended that rail companies make important operational changes, including reducing speeds in populated areas, to avoid another catastrophic accident like the crash in Graniteville, S.C., in January that killed nine people.
BLET’s Kinsman begins 2006 campaign
Getting an early start and building momentum for the 2006 elections, Brother James Kinsman — Chairman of the BLET’s Wisconsin State Legislative Board — has announced that he is running for political office in his home state.
Passenger rail safety to get national TV spotlight
ABC’s PrimeTime is scheduled to air a major story on commuter railroad safety on Thursday, December 1.
FRA amends Emergency Order No. 24
Generally, the revisions incorporate the information provided in Questions and Answers published by FRA on November 4th. However, FRA also addressed the three specific items contained in the Petition for Amendment that the BLET filed on November 7th, and tightened the original requirement with respect to switch point indicators.
