Rail Industry News
Experts predict more short line railroad mergers and acquisitions
(Source: Freight Waves, December 23, 2019) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The freight rail industry, and short line railroads in particular, will likely continue to be the target of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in 2020 and beyond because private equity firms are recognizing...
SMART-TD requests Emergency Order from FRA to replace, repair tens of thousands of outdated brake valves
(Source: SMART-TD press release, December 12, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The president of the SMART Transportation Division, Jeremy Ferguson, is calling on the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to issue an emergency order requiring that outdated air brake valves on...
CSX derailment in Cincinnati sends about 20 cars off the tracks
(Source: CNN, December 22, 2019) CINCINNATI, Ohio — About 20 train cars were sent off the tracks Sunday morning in Cincinnati. A CSX train derailed around 5:15 a.m., sending seven to eight cars off the tracks about 10 miles west of downtown along the Ohio River. Full...
CSX train derails into Potomac River near Harpers Ferry, destroys Appalachian Trail walking bridge
(Source: NBC Washington, December 21, 2019) HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. — A freight train crossing the Potomac River near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, derailed early Saturday morning, causing two cars to plummet into the water. Seven cars derailed on the bridge, wiping out...
Sound Transit to Washington state Legislature: Let’s reduce car-tab taxes
(Source: Seattle Times, December 19, 2019) SEATTLE — As for car-tab taxes, Sound Transit continues to collect $110 per $10,000 of vehicle value, since the voter-approved Sound Transit 3 tax measure in 2016. Thousands of drivers, seeing annual car-tab fees triple,...
Unanswered questions linger over Mobile’s Amtrak commitment
(Source: www.al.com, December 20, 2019) MOBILE, Ala. — Costly rail line improvements, a new train station and interference with freight trains loomed Thursday as the chief concerns that could derail efforts to bring passenger trains back to Mobile. Full story:...
Cenovus aims to squeeze more oil onto trains with application to build diluent recovery unit
(Source: Financial Post, December 19, 2019) CALGARY — As persistent pipeline delays choke Canadian oil exports, Cenovus Energy Inc. and other energy companies are investing in new technologies to squeeze more crude onto trains bound for refining markets in the U.S....
Editorial: MBTA must get on board with calling CRRC to task for abuses
(Source: Editorial in the Boston Herald, December 20, 2019) BOSTON — Our tax dollars would never be used to support human rights abuses, child labor or market manipulation by a foreign government, right? Wrong! In November, NBC News released findings from its yearlong...
UP to report Q4 2019 results on January 23, 2020
(Source: Union Pacific press release, December 19, 2019) OMAHA, Neb. — You are invited to listen to Union Pacific Corporation’s fourth quarter 2019 earnings release presentation that will be broadcast live over the Internet and via teleconference on Thursday, January...
CN pulls air brake requirement on overpass just weeks after derailment
(Source: Winnipeg Free Press, December 19, 2019) OTTAWA — CN Rail has removed a safety requirement for the Lagimodiere Boulevard overpass just six weeks after grain cars leaned over the edge after a derailment. In a notice obtained by the Free Press, CN told all its...
CN says network performance recovered after TCRC strike
(Source: CN press release, December 19, 2019) MONTREAL — CN announced today that less than a month after the end of the 8-day labor action, performance indicators have normalized to pre-strike ranges indicating that train movements have recovered. The 8-day work...
Major Amtrak, VRE expansion set under $3.7 billion Virginia-CSX deal
(Source: Television station WTOP, December 19, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the biggest boost in decades to train travel in the D.C. area, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and CSX announced a $3.7 billion agreement Thursday for the state to buy 225 miles of track and build...
Approximately 30 BNSF employees in Sioux City furloughed
(Source: Sioux City Journal, December 19, 2019) SIOUX CITY, Iowa — NSF Railway, one of the largest freight railroad networks on the continent, has furloughed some of its Sioux City workers. In an email, BNSF spokeswoman Amy McBeth reported that "fewer than 30" railway...
Trump expected to sign off on 2020 transportation spending bill
(Source: Freight Waves, December 20, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump is expected to avoid a replay of last year by signing off on a $1.4 trillion fiscal year 2020 spending package that averts a government shutdown had Congress failed to meet a Dec. 20...
FRA NPRMs address track, brake inspection requirements
(Source: Railway Age, December 19, 2019) NEW YORK — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on Dec. 19 issued two Notices of Proposed Rulemakings (NPRMs), one updating current Track Safety Standards (TSS), the other updating existing Brake System Safety (BSS)...
TCRC seeks rare court action against CP Rail to cap working hours
(Source: Reuters, December 20, 2019) MONTREAL — A Canadian union is taking the unusual step of pursuing contempt-of-court charges against Canada’s second-largest railroad, in a previously unreported case that escalates the debate over working hours for railroad...
AAR reports rail traffic decline for week ending December 14
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, December 18, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 14, 2019. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was...
Ford cancels Hamilton light rail project
(Source: Railway Age, December 17, 2019) NEW YORK — Doug Ford, the Province of Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Premier, has axed Hamilton’s DBFOM (design, build, finance, operate, maintain) B-Line light rail project, only months after he said publicly that the...
Amtrak revamps cars in West Quincy
(Source: Television station KHQA, December 18, 2019) WEST QUINCY — Some local Amtrak train cars, ranging from 30 to 40 years old, are getting a makeover. The project has provided a dozen local residents with work this holiday season. Full story: www.khqa.com
Officials fight Union Pacific lawsuit that threatens East Texas jobs
(Source: Television station KLTV, December 18, 2019) PALESTINE, Texas — The City of Palestine moved on Tuesday to file an initial response to a lawsuit involving Union Pacific. In the suit, Union Pacific requests a court invalidate an 1872 pact that keeps a certain...
BLET News
Amtrak amendment passes in Senate
An amendment giving long term funding to Amtrak has passed in the U.S. Senate. Amendment 2360 to S. 1932, Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 2005, passed by a margin of 93-6 today. S. 1932 is still being considered by the Senate.
Corrected BLET Directory now available online
A corrected version of the BLET Online Directory is now available. The correction was due to an error in the Designated Legal Counsel section.
BLET members must call Senators today to support Amtrak!
BLET members are urged to contact their U.S. Senators today and ask them to support the Lott-Lautenberg amendment (#2360) to the Budget Reconciliation being considered tomorrow.
November 14 deadline set for Katrina relief
The Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund has established a deadline of November 14 for requests for funds from victims of Hurricane Katrina.
FRA emergency order missing critical elements
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has set a November 22 deadline for an emergency order mandating that Union Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Norfolk Southern, CSX and all other railroads take specific and immediate steps to fix a growing safety problem which has lead to an increasing number of train accidents, resulting in nine serious train crashes, ten fatalities and injuries to more than 600 people since January, 2005.
President Bush agrees to reinstate Davis-Bacon protections for Gulf Coast workers
At a meeting today with leaders of the Republican Main Street partnership, President Bush promised to reinstate Davis-Bacon protections for workers in the Gulf Coast region starting November 8. The provision requires contractors on federally funded projects to pay workers the prevailing wages and benefits of the region.
Rail carriers’ toxic brew: Hijackings, chemical explosions, security threats
Numerous security and safety breaches this month on the nation’s railways, including a man who allegedly hijacked a train with a bow and arrow, reinforce the findings of the Teamsters Rail Conference report, “HIGH ALERT: Workers Warn of Security Gaps on Nation’s Railroads.”
Space remains for December 4–7 S-T Workshop
Space is still available for members interested in attending the Education & Training Department’s Secretary-Treasurer Compliance Workshop in Cleveland from December 4-7.
Senate Committee to hold NTSB confirmation hearing
The Senate Committee on Science, Commerce and Transportation will hold a confirmation hearing for Kathryn Higgins to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board, on Tuesday, November 1.
Election Supervisor issues first report to BLET
As a result of its merger with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the BLET will take part in the IBT convention following the BLET National Convention in June 2006. The rules for electing IBT officers and delegates to the IBT convention are significantly different from BLET rules; therefore, the Election Supervisor for the IBT elections has issued its First Report to the BLET to help BLET officers and members familiarize themselves with these new rules and procedures.
