Rail Industry News
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...
Washington’s Metro teams up with TSA to test anti-explosive detection system
(Source: Washington Post, December 17, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The images on the screen looked like the infrared bodies you see on ghost hunting shows, but the green figures that flashed on the screen at the Pentagon City Metro station Tuesday in Arlington, Virginia,...
CSX to announce Q4 2019 results on January 16, 2020
(Source: CSX press release, December 19, 2019) JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Corp. will release fourth-quarter financial and operating results after the market close Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. This will be followed by a conference call and live webcast hosted by the...
Metra’s on-time performance is slipping, but one train line is late more often than any other
(Source: Chicago Tribune, December 11, 2019) CHICAGO — Your Metra train was more likely to be late this year, primarily due to signaling and switching problems, along with weather delays, according to the commuter railroad. Full story: Chicago Tribune
Rail traffic needs a holiday miracle
(Source: Railway Age, December 18, 2019) NEW YORK — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ended Dec. 14, 2019, and, for this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 520,589 carloads and intermodal units, down 8.5%...
Canadian crude by rail shipments to surge, spurring investment
(Source: Bloomberg, December 18, 2019) CALGARY — Canadian shipments of crude by rail are poised to surge next year, spurring investment in new export infrastructure. Crude-by-rail capacity in Alberta is expected to grow by 100,000 barrels a day in December after the...
W.Va. legislators express concern over plan to auction off idled intermodal facility
(Source: Charleston Gazette-Mail, December 17, 2019) CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia legislators on Tuesday objected to state plans to auction off the $32 million Heartland Intermodal Gateway, in Prichard, for as little as $1 million, after the complex shut down...
Sask. First Nation fears wildlife, groundwater contaminated by 1.5 million liters of oil released during CP Rail crash
(Source: CTV News, December 17, 2019) SASKATOON — Kawacatoose First Nation's chief is speaking out over concerns about potential environmental damage resulting from last week's fiery Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) train derailment near Lanigan. A CP train derailed and...
Amtrak’s return to Mobile hinges on key New Year’s Eve vote
(Source: www.al.com, December 17, 2019) MOBILE, Ala. — Mobile city officials will decide a few hours before the brightly lighted MoonPie drops and ushers in the New Year whether they are on board with a financial commitment to bring Amtrak back to the Port City. Full...
BLET News
Change to win coalition unions announce plans
The Change to Win Coalition unions announced the following plans today.
BLET members to vote on Division size initiative
BLET members will consider a constitutional provision this month that may impact the size of local divisions.
In the line of duty: Mark W. Cain and Arthur L.
BLET Division 203 (Jackson, Miss.) members Mark Cain and Arthur “Buddy” Irby were killed on July 10, 2005, when their CN/IC locomotives collided head-on in Anding, Miss.
BLET seeks human factors input on rule violations
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen is asking its members to participate in a voluntary program that will gather data to help eliminate the root causes of common railroad rule violations.
Inspector General’s report on Amtrak flawed
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen is supporting the National Association of Railroad Passenger’s opinion in regards to Department of Transportation Inspector General Kenneth Mead’s recent report.
Amtrak battle not finished
The House vote on Amtrak last week was not the end of the battle for the future of the rail carrier. The BLET and other members of the Amtrak Action Alliance are still working to obtain full funding for Amtrak.
Hahs: Increase funding for rail security training
On behalf of the 55,000 men and women of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, I extend condolences to the families and victims of the tragic July 7 terrorist bombings in London.
DOL extends LM-30 deadline
The U.S. Department of Labor has extended the filing date for 2004 LM-30 reports from July 15 to August 15, 2005.
BLET disputes Mineta remarks
The statement issued by U.S. Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta on July 5 regarding Amtrak and the Alaska Railroad is pure bunk.
James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund Essay Contest
The James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund Essay Contest will award scholarships annually to 50 students. The completed application and essay must be received by the Scholarship Fund office no later than September 30, 2005.
