Rail Industry News
Senators Baldwin, Marshall reintroduce bill to address rail service
Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) on Wednesday introduced the Reliable Rail Service Act, which seeks to clarify the definition of railroads’ common carrier obligation and establish specific criteria for the Surface Transportation Board to consider when determining if a railroad has violated that obligation.
STB sides with Navajo coal company, says BNSF must ship coal to Canadian port
A federal board has sided with one of the largest coal producers in the United States in a contract dispute with a major freight railroad, ordering BNSF Railway to transport at least 4.2 million tons of coal this year for overseas use.
States clamp down on freight train safety, fearing derailments and federal gridlock
Spurred on by train derailments, some states with busy criss-crossing freight railroads are pursuing their own safety remedies rather than wait for federal action amid industry opposition and questions about whether they even have authority to make the changes.
Cleanup continues as MRL, BNSF get creative detouring around collapsed bridge
Nearly a week after a bridge collapsed over the Yellowstone River at Reed Point, Mont., sending rail cars into the water below, the cleanup is well underway.
CSX, CPKC will invest in connecting their networks to increase traffic in Southeast
CSX and CPKC railroads announced a deal Wednesday that will allow them to beef up a little-used connection between their two networks in the southeastern United States to handle a significant amount of freight.
“Really big:” U.S. Supreme Court ruling against NS seen as rebuke to corporate impunity
Opponents of unmitigated corporate power celebrated Tuesday when the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Norfolk Southern’s attempt to limit where companies can be sued.
BNSF accuses health clinic of submitting false asbestos claims
A major U.S. railroad found liable for spreading hazardous asbestos that killed hundreds of people in a Montana town is trying to convince a federal jury that a local clinic submitted hundreds of asbestos claims for people who weren’t sick, earning them lifetime government benefits and bilking taxpayer funds.
Locomotive engineer warned NS about makeup and length of train prior to East Palestine derailment
A Norfolk Southern locomotive engineer who inspected the train before it derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, was rebuffed when he told a supervisor he was concerned about the train’s length and composition, according to new information released Thursday by federal investigators.
Decision to vent and burn chemicals after East Palestine derailment under scrutiny at NTSB hearing
The decision to vent and burn five train cars’ carcinogenic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, in February came under renewed scrutiny Thursday as federal investigators questioned officials in the community still reeling from the aftermath of a toxic train derailment.
Oversight Democrats say NS is stonewalling East Palestine investigation
Democrats on the House Oversight and Reform Committee issued a new request Thursday for documents from Norfolk Southern, alleging the railroad company has failed to produce documents on its derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this year.
NTSB publishes East Palestine docket
The docket (DCA23HR001) for NTSB’s investigative hearing regarding the February 3, 2023, derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train in East Palestine, Ohio, is now available on the NTSB website.
CPKC, CSX form joint venture for hydrogen locomotives
Canadian Pacific Kansas City and CSX are working together to build and deploy hydrogen locomotive conversion kits that will be used for diesel electric locomotives.
Union Pacific to announce Q2 2023 results on July 26
Union Pacific Corporation will release second quarter 2023 financial and operating results on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at 7:45 a.m. ET.
AAR reports rail traffic for week ending June 17, 2023
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 477,126 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.0 percent compared with the same week last year.
Norfolk Southern’s decisions made after fiery East Palestine train derailment will be examined at NTSB hearing today
Some of the key decisions made in the aftermath of February’s fiery derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in eastern Ohio will be examined at a hearing Thursday.
Opinion: Railway Safety Act will reduce threats to our communities, protect the environment
At a time when the nation’s attention to rail disasters has soared due to continued high-profile derailments, and with the likelihood that many more thousands of rail cars with hazardous materials are coming due to recent rail company mergers, it’s fair to say that not enough has been done in the past decade to prevent rail disasters.
Roundup of DOT efforts to keep communities safe and hold the rail industry accountable
Following the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, USDOT has taken steps to improve rail safety and called on Congress to pass the Railway Safety Act — working to protect communities of all sizes across the country.
AAR: Carloads up, intermodal down for week ending June 17
It’s the fourth consecutive week that U.S. carloads rose while intermodal volumes fell, and total rail traffic continued to lag 2022 levels, according to Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) reports.
2 craft unions press senators to act on rail safety bill
IAM and IBEW estimate that they represent nearly 1.4 million members across the U.S.
Florida mayors celebrate completion of higher-speed rail line connecting state
A 170-mile stretch of rail now connects Miami to Orlando as Brightline is gearing up to run 16 daily round trips between Miami and Orlando starting later this year.
BLET News
Georgia: New state law increases penalties for assault against railroad workers
BLET Georgia State Legislative Board Chairman Dwayne Massengale (second from left) at the desk of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp during the signing ceremony. ____________________ A new law in the State of Georgia, backed by the BLET, increases the punishment for assault...
Rail Conference in the spotlight as IBT hosted 2024 Political Coordinators Meeting
BLET SLB Chairmen (SLBC) who attended the Political Coordinators Meeting. Front row, from left: Brendan Sullivan (BLET Director of Political Affairs), Corey Martin (Illinois SLBC), Adam Hausman (Nebraska SLBC), and Vince Verna (BLET Vice President & NLR). Back...
Chicago: Ballots mailed in tentative Metra, UP implementing agreement
Ballots were mailed last week to BLET members eligible to vote on a tentative implementing agreement regarding Metra’s takeover of services from the Union Pacific Railroad. Ballots were mailed to 307 members. UP has provided operating crews to Metra since its purchase...
New report says railroads and regulators must address dangers of long trains
The recently-released report confirms what the BLET has been saying all along. Longer trains create a greater risk of overall safety. Photo courtesy of Cory Rusch, BLET Division 659 ____________________ A report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and...
In his testimony to the STB, First VP Wallace says “inept” Class I management, PSR to blame for lack of growth in rail industry
BLET First Vice President Mark Wallace did not mince his words when he testified at the Surface Transportation Board’s public hearing that focused on the lack of growth and poor service in the freight rail industry. “To be clear, today’s rail service problems and lack...
ATDA, BLET, & SMART-TD jointly endorse Sherrod Brown for US Senate after he meets with Presidents of the three unions at ATDA HQ
For Ohio’s rail workers and union members across the state, the choice is clear. Sherrod Brown has spent his career fighting for them—fighting for fair wages, safe working conditions, and the right to organize. Bernie Moreno, by contrast, poses a threat to the very existence of unions and the protections they provide.
Teamsters Rail Conference endorses Harris-Walz
The 70,000-member Teamsters Rail Conference represents locomotive engineers, trainmen, and maintenance-of-way workers on all major freight railroads in the United States, Amtrak, and many of the nation’s commuter rail systems and short lines. The 70,000-member...
Education & Training: Record attendance for September 12 Local Chairman class
The BLET National Division Education & Training Department hosted a claims and grievance training class for Local Chairmen on September 12. “With 113 attendees in person and via Zoom, it was the largest single training class hosted since our Department was founded...
BLET-backed identity protection bill signed into law in Illinois
Cory Martin, Chairman of the BLET Illinois State Legislative Board ____________________ Last month, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a BLET-backed privacy bill into law that protects the identities of train crew members following grade crossing incidents...
Nunnenkamp reelected Kansas Legislative Board Chairman
Brandon Nunnenkamp of BLET Division 130 (Kansas City, Kan.) was reelected to his second term as Chairman of the Kansas State Legislative Board at its quadrennial meeting in Lenexa, Kan., September 4-6. Brother Nunnenkamp is a BNSF locomotive engineer. He was first...
