Rail Industry News
FRA does not like how the California High-Speed Rail Authority is acting; U.S. DOT could pull funding
(Source: Railway Track & Structures, December 16, 2019) NEW YORK — The California High Speed Rail Authority is acting like your typical teenager. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has told the group not to proceed with a plan to lay future track from San Jose...
UP says PTC implementation is complete; Interoperability efforts continue
(Source: Union Pacific press release, December 16, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Union Pacific recently completed Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation, activating its final track segment. The technology is now implemented on all the company’s federally mandated rail...
Rail volume down for 9th straight month in November
(Source: Supply Chain Dive, December 16, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — November was the ninth month in a row in which the total rail freight carloads have fallen year-over-year, according to numbers released by the Association of American Railroads. Both carloads and...
Santas subdue knife-wielding man on LIRR
(Source: News 12 Long Island, December 15, 2019) LONG ISLAND, N.Y. — A group of men dressed up as Santa Claus say they had to subdue a knife-wielding man on the Long Island Rail Road. An LIRR rider posted video on Twitter Saturday night of a fight between people...
Jury finds National Guard member not guilty in armed confrontation with BNSF workers
(Source: NCW Life, December 13, 2019) WENATCHEE — A jury found the Chumstick Valley man who confronted a group of railroad workers with an assault rifle not guilty of all eight felony counts as his trial closed Friday Full story: www.ncwlife.com
Could a Dallas-Houston bullet train actually improve Texas’ environment?
(Source: Dallas Morning News, December 15, 2019) DALLAS, Texas — Someday you could hop a bullet train in downtown Dallas and arrive in Houston in fewer than 90 minutes. The high-speed train will have a number of impacts on the state, from economy to education, and...
KCS Vice President Cheatum sells $832,535 in company stock
(Source: Slater Sentinel, December 15, 2019) NEW YORK — Kansas City Southern VP Lora S. Cheatum sold 5,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.37, for a total value of $832,535.00. Following...
Rail systems in 3 U.S. cities press Chinese train maker after NBC News report on child labor
(Source: NBC News, December 15, 2019) NEW YORK — The public transit systems in three major U.S. cities are seeking answers from the company manufacturing their new train cars after an NBC News investigation found it uses materials containing minerals mined by children...
Leaked memo reveals that some of the things travelers most hate about airlines are coming to Amtrak
(Source: BGR.com, December 15, 2019) NEW YORK — Come January, Amtrak is reportedly going to start borrowing even more from the playbook of airlines and importing some of that industry’s hated practices like the addition of new fees and non-refundable fares, among...
STB chief predicts legal challenges to railroad rate reform
(Source: Freight Waves, December 16, 2019) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — If one thing could be taken away from two days of hearings on railroad rate reform, it was that neither railroads nor their customers will be happy with whatever rule federal regulators propose. That’s...
Teamsters Canada says CN workers being transferred across Canada twice in 1 year
(Source: Canadian Press, December 13, 2019) MONTREAL — The Teamsters union says Canadian National Railway Co. (CN) has begun to transfer workers as part of an apparent move to relocate its rail traffic control center to Edmonton from Montreal. Teamsters Canada says...
U.S. rail carrier reportedly cracked down on same retrofitted tank type involved in fiery Saskatchewan derailment
(Source: CBC News, December 13, 2019) SASKATOON, Sask. — Transport Canada says "only the most crash-resistant tank cars available" are allowed to haul crude oil on Canadian rail lines. But the Canadian Pacific Railway train that derailed on a remote patch of...
Canadian farmers want to ban rail worker strikes
(Source: CBC News, December 15, 2019) CALGARY — Alberta's Wheat and Barley Commissions say the CN strike cost farmers their reputations in an international market. And the groups are turning to the government for a permanent fix. Across Alberta, farmers want to...
CSX employee struck and killed by train in W.Va.
(Source: Television station WSAZ, December 15, 2019) WOOD COUNTY, W.Va. — A CSX Transportation employee died Saturday after being struck by a train. The incident happened near DuPont Road before 4 p.m. CSX Transportation is conducting an investigation. The victim’s...
Case of man accused of armed confrontation with BNSF train crew heads to jury
(Source: NCW Life, December 12, 2019) WENATCHEE — James Carl Brown must now wait for a jury to decide whether he was justified in firing gunshots in a confrontation with railroad workers near his home last year. The late-night October 2018 confrontation left the...
CN says grain movements back to pre-strike levels
(Source: CN press release, December 12, 2019) MONTREAL — CN said that its movement of Canadian grain is back to pre-strike pace after recovering from the 8-day strike that occurred in November. Despite a slow start to the crop year due to adverse weather, CN spotted...
NJ Transit graduates more engineers, says it has hired the most in its history
(Source: www.nj.com, December 11, 2019) NEWARK, N.J. — Consider this class the Advanced Placement class of NJ Transit locomotive engineers, who completed their training faster than the usual 20 months. Full story: www.nj.com
NJ Transit set to borrow $500 million to replace old trains and buses
(Source: www.nj.com, December 9, 2019) NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit is about to take out the mother of all new vehicle loans -- $500 million to purchase new trains and buses to rid the fleet of the old ones that break down and cause delays. The financing would allow NJ...
“Safety is not the priority” at MBTA, experts write in scathing new report
(Source: Radio station WBUR, December 9, 2019) BOSTON — Fiscal belt-tightening, a lack of trust in leadership, and frequent lapses in maintenance and inspections all contributed to a "questionable" approach to safety at the MBTA, an independent panel concluded in an...
Train safety technology hasn’t quite reached the station
(Source: Roll Call, December 5, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — After years of delays, a railroad safety system that federal regulators say could have prevented some 300 deaths since 1969 is finally close to full implementation — but large gaps remain, with commuter...
BLET News
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.
UTU seeks sell-out of BNSF engineers
Once again showing its willingness to sell out operating crafts, leadership of the United Transportation Union has proposed eliminating locomotive engineer jobs on BNSF Railway lines in Washington and Oregon.
Franklin P. Greene Fund suspends lending
Don M. Hahs, BLET National President, announced today that the Franklin P. Greene Fund has suspended lending for the time being.
Utah Railway engineers, trainmen OK 5-year contract
Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen represented by the BLET ratified a new contract today with the Utah Railway.
Senate Commerce Committee takes up Amtrak funding
The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved S. 1516, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2005 by a vote of 17-4.
Inspector General’s Amtrak proposal wrong, BLET says
The Department of Transportation’s Inspector General again claimed that Amtrak could save between $75 million and $158 million annually by doing away with dining, lounge and sleeper cars, checked baggage service and food and beverage service on its long-distance runs.
BLET releases remote control hazard study
Major U.S. railroad corporations should no longer be permitted to operate remote control locomotives free from regulatory oversight by the Federal Railroad Administration (“FRA”).
Inexperience a factor again in remote control wreck
A serious remote control-related train wreck took place at the General Motors plant in Shreveport, La., on July 23, just one week after the technology was implemented at that location.
Hahs statement on withdrawal from AFL-CIO
As President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the founding member of the Teamsters’ Rail Conference, I respect the decision of General President Hoffa and the Teamsters General Executive Board to disaffiliate from the AFL-CIO.
