Rail Industry News
Chinese rail company in Massachusetts seeks more MBTA money as Trump ban looms
(Source: Boston Herald, November 23, 2019) BOSTON — China’s government-owned CRRC is fighting for more lucrative MBTA contracts to keep its Springfield plant humming as the Trump administration looks to ban federal dollars going to the mass transit company and state...
Coal: Is this the beginning of the end?
(Source: BBC News, November 25, 2019) LONDON — The fuel that powered the industrial revolution may be in decline at last. This year looks set to see the largest fall in electricity production from coal on record, according to a new report. The reduction is estimated...
Canada’s economy could end up big loser as rail strike drags on
(Source: Bloomberg, November 23, 2019) OTTAWA — Canada’s $1.7 trillion economy has long been closely tied to the ebbs and flows of global trade. Now, a homegrown crisis threatens to hobble its export industries and stunt its already weak growth. Full story: Financial...
CN strike the latest blow to Prairie farmers in difficult year
(Source: Globe and Mail, November 24, 2019) WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Bev Wieben is a farmer in northwestern Alberta’s Peace region, a slice of the province where roughly one-third of the crops remain unharvested. Farmers in the area ship grain on the Canadian National...
What the media misses about national rail strike by CN train crews and yard workers
(Source: www.rabble.ca, November 24, 2019) CALGARY — Here in Alberta, what news coverage there has been about the strike for safer working conditions by Canadian National Railway train crews and rail yard workers has focused on the increasingly agitated calls by...
TCRC says no progress in talks with CN
(Source: Reuters, November 25, 2019) TORONTO — Labor union Teamsters Canada said on Monday it has made no progress in reaching an agreement with Canadian National Railway Co, the country’s biggest railroad. Full story: Reuters
Freight rail seeks ways to stay afloat amid sinking rail volumes
(Source: Freight Waves, November 24, 2019) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — As the freight rail industry looks ahead to 2020, the leaders of several Class I railroads and railroad lessors said a return to volume growth isn’t likely to appear until the second half of next year....
Santa Train packing party brings back old memories, creates new ones
(Source: Kingsport Times News, November 21, 2019) KINGSPORT, Tenn. — Community volunteers gathered Wednesday at Food City on Eastman Road in Kingsport to ready many of the more than 15 tons of gifts to be distributed from this year's Santa Train. Full story: Kingsport...
Developers say Houston-Dallas bullet train is still on track as project clears another hurdle
(Source: Television station KHOU, November 21, 2019) HOUSTON — It’s been more than 50 years since the Northwest Mall opened as Houston’s newest shopping mecca. The site would draw huge crowds again if Texas Central has its way. The private developer of the...
BNSF Railway claims California counties unlawfully charge them a higher tax rate
(Source: Legal Newsline, November 21, 2019) OAKLAND, Calif. — BNSF Railway alleges 15 California counties are assessing it a higher property tax rate than other commercial and industrial property owners in violation of federal law. BNSF Railway Co. filed a complaint...
KCS deploys CloudMoyo artificial intelligence platform
(Source: Railway Age, November 21, 2019) NEW YORK — Kansas City Southern has completed the global deployment and rollout of a cloud-based operational testing system from Bellevue, Washington-based CloudMoyo (CM), a developer of artificial intelligence (AI)...
Durbin introduces bill to improve Amtrak on-time performance
(Source: Press release from the office of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, November 21, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced a bill today that helps improve Amtrak on-time performance (OTP) in Illinois and around the country by providing Amtrak...
CN strike disrupts steel, copper trade with U.S.
(Source: Industry Week, November 21, 2019) SEATTLE — Steel, copper, aluminum and zinc shipments between the U.S. and Canada are at risk from a strike at Canadian National Railway Co. In the U.S., Union Pacific Corp., the largest freight rail provider in the West...
CN strike rattles Canada’s supply chain
(Source: Freight Waves, November 21, 2019) TORONTO — Nearly three days into a strike by thousands of Canadian National rail workers, the ripple through Canada’s supply chain intensified across the country as pressure mounted on the federal government to end the strike...
Shippers shift to trucks as CN strike enters third day
(Source: Reuters, November 12, 2019) WINNIPEG/MONTREAL — Shippers scrambled to shift freight onto trucks on Thursday as a strike at Canada's biggest railroad, Canadian National Railway Co CNR.TO, entered its third day and left many goods stranded. Full story:...
Canada’s federal ministers focused on collective bargaining to resolve CN strike
(Source: National Post, November 21, 2019) OTTAWA — Federal ministers expressed faith in the collective bargaining process and would not comment on the possibility of back to work legislation, as a national railway strike continued into its third day on Thursday. Full...
TCRC: Propane shortage appears largely manufactured by CN
(Source: Teamsters Canada press release, November 22, 2019) MONTREAL — The widely reported propane shortage in Ontario and Québec appears to be largely manufactured by Canadian National Railway (CN). Despite the strike by members of the Teamsters Canada Rail...
TCRC says “no substantive progress” with CN as strike enters fourth day
(Source: Reuters Canada, November 22, 2019) MONTREAL — A strike at Canada’s biggest railroad, Canadian National Railway Co, entered its fourth day on Friday amid ongoing talks, but the Teamsters union said in a statement that “no substantive progress” has been made on...
AAR: Rail traffic down again for week ending November 16
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, November 20, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 16, 2019. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was...
KCS announces results of 19th annual Holiday Express fundraising campaign
(Source: Kansas City Southern press release, November 20, 2019) KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern (KCS) announced today its 19th annual Holiday Express will distribute $170,450 to The Salvation Army at stops along the route to provide warm clothing and other...
BLET News
Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition submits force stabilization and growth proposal to rail carriers
Today, the Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition (RLBC) put forth a proposal to the rail carriers to stabilize employment in each rail craft.
BLET Job Bank: Amtrak
Amtrak is recruiting Locomotive Engineers to work in Miami, Florida, Jacksonville, Florence, S.C. or Raleigh, N.C.
Golf tournament raises funds for scholarships
The Midwest Rail Craft Scholarship Foundation will hold a charity golf tournament on July 10-11 to benefit the children of rail union members.
Room still available for advanced Local Chairman Workshop
Room is still available for BLET members who wish to participate in the advanced Local Chairman Workshop scheduled for May 22-27 at the National Labor College on the campus of the George Meany Center in Silver Spring, Md.
FRA issues Final Rule on locomotive horns
Locomotive engineers need to be on the lookout for instructions from their railroad regarding compliance with the new regulation for sounding train horns.
UTU misrepresented BLET agreements during BNSF strike
As most of you know, UTU used the BLET/BNSF Primary Recall Agreement as its justification to strike. Since the strike, BLET’s agreement and our actions have been grossly misrepresented and this is to give you the other half of the story that UTU has omitted in its spin.
Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund offering assistance in Pa., N.Y. and N.J.
The Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund recently received a Disaster Alert Notice for the states of Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey due to severe storms and flooding that caused major damage in early April.
House Committee votes on legislation to save Amtrak
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved two bills on April 27, H.R. 1630 and H.R. 1631, that would provide funding for Amtrak and would improve high-speed passenger rail.
Teamsters to hold Rail Conference legislative workshop
Officers from various state legislative boards of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division from around the U.S. will meet in Las Vegas May 6-7 for a first-ever Teamster Rail Conference Legislative Workshop.
Workers Memorial Day 2005
The following is a statement from Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen National President Don M. Hahs on Workers Memorial Day.
