Rail Industry News
California Air Resources Board wants locomotives and rail yards to be better on the environment
(Source: Railway Track & Structures, November 15, 2019) NEW YORK — Railroad companies in California might be feeling more pressure when it comes to the environment. On Nov. 20, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is going to start holding public meetings and...
Richmond, Calif., might ban coal shipments
(Source: Salt Lake Tribune, November 18, 2019) SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Now city officials in Richmond, Calif., are considering a proposed ordinance banning the handling and storage of coal. The proposal has divided Richmond — a working-class city of 110,00 with...
Rail industry sees a window of opportunity amidst challenges for over-the-road shipping
(Source: Forbes.com, November 18, 2019) NEW YORK — Demand for rail freight will continue to rise due to increased road congestion, making rail a key enabler for driving a competitive advantage within the supply chain. Yet several major barriers and imbalances exist in...
Rail Passengers Association president testifies that Amtrak fuels economy
(Source: Transportation Today, November 18, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Jim Mathews, president of the U.S. Rail Passengers Association, recently testified before the House Rail & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Rail that Amtrak plays an important role in economic growth....
CN to cut jobs as trade wars, shaky North American economy take toll
(Source: Financial Post, November 16, 2019) OTTAWA — Canadian National Railway Co. is potentially cutting hundreds of jobs due to a slowdown in freight shipments that it blames on the wobbling North American economy and global trade wars. Canada’s largest railway on...
Fighting for rail safety, Teamsters Canada Rail Conference serves strike notice to CN
(Source: Teamsters Canada Rail Conference press release, November 16, 2019) MONTREAL, Quebec — Given a lack of progress at the bargaining table, the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) last night served notice of intent to strike to Canadian National Railway (CN)....
Union Pacific declares fourth quarter 2019 dividend
(Source: Union Pacific Railroad press release, November 14, 2019) OMAHA, Neb. — The Board of Directors of Union Pacific Corporation has declared a quarterly dividend of 97 cents per share on the company’s common stock, payable December 30, 2019, to shareholders of...
NJ Transit under scrutiny over slow pace of improvements
(Source: NJ Spotlight, November 15, 2019) NEWARK, N.J. — The scene at the legislative hearing at the Hoboken train station Wednesday evening was all too familiar for NJ Transit riders: Once again they had a chance to bemoan the service they get from the state’s mass...
Port Authority to receive over $2.5 million from Norfolk Southern after 2018 derailment in Pittsburgh
(Source: Railway Track & Structures, November 14, 2019) NEW YORK — The Port Authority of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania is expecting to receiver almost $2.6 million in damages from Norfolk Southern following the 2018 derailment where a train landed on light rail...
Opinion: Railroad key performance indicators suggest continuing weakness
(Source: FreightWaves.com opinion column by Jim Blaze, November 14, 2019) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — KPIs are shorthand for linked key performance indicators. Not all railroad industry KPIs are internalized data. In fact, the best KPIs come from non-railroad sources....
Amtrak unveils its new high-speed Acela train prototype
(Source: The Points Guy, November 14, 2019) NEW YORK — New state-of-the-art high-speed Acela train cars are one-step closer to hitting the rails in 2021. Amtrak just released images of the first prototype being constructed at Alstom Transport’s Hornell, New York...
Norfolk Southern coal freight continues to drop amid new operating plan
(Source: S&P Global Platts, November 14, 2019) HOUSTON — While Norfolk Southern's coal freight and revenue have fallen amid weak domestic and international market conditions, the railroad remains optimistic about its improved productivity driven by its new operating...
AAR: Rail traffic down 5.9% for week ending November 9
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, November 13, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 9, 2019. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 515,269...
Kansas City Southern announces new capital allocation policy
(Source: Kansas City Southern press release, November 12, 2019) KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern (KCS) announced that its Board of Directors approved a new capital allocation policy. Under this new policy, the Company intends to deploy available cash in the...
Seventh Circuit rules the ADA does not protect future disabilities
(Source: JD Supra, November 13, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — On October 29, 2019, the Seventh Circuit held that Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company (“BNSF”) did not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) by refusing to hire a job applicant due to his...
FRA proposal calls for state highway-rail grade crossing plans
(Source: Transport Topics, November 13, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a proposed rule that would require states to develop highway-rail grade crossing action plans — or update the action plans they have. Full story: Transport...
Probe of NJ Transit’s problems gets underway as commuters come out to complain
(Source: www.nj.com, November 13, 2019) NEWARK, N.J. — Commuters got a rare chance to tell lawmakers in person Wednesday evening about their issues with NJ Transit on their home turf – steps away from the buses and trains that would take them home from Hoboken...
Clean-up underway after 20-30 car BNSF coal train derailment near Red Oak
(Source: Radio Iowa, November 13, 2019) RED OAK, Iowa — An investigation is underway into the cause of an early-morning train derailment in southwest Iowa. Montgomery County Emergency Management says the county’s communications center was notified by Burlington...
Woman hurt in NJ Transit Hoboken Terminal crash settles lawsuit for $1.5 million
(Source: NBC New York, November 13, 2019) NEW YORK — A woman injured in the fatal crash of a New Jersey Transit train in 2016 has settled a lawsuit for $1.5 million. LaTonya Story was aboard the train that crashed at Hoboken Terminal, killing one and injuring more...
Another multimillion dollar jury verdict against Amtrak stemming from 2017 Dupont accident
(Source: NW News Network, November 13, 2019) DUPONT, Wash. — Another passenger badly injured in the Amtrak train derailment south of Tacoma nearly two years ago will collect big-time damages. But suing Amtrak like this suburban Seattle woman did will no longer be an...
BLET News
Opinion: Me thinks thou dost protest too much (Shakespeare), or Will the real Paul Thompson please stand up
By Ed Rodzwicz,
First Vice President,
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen
Teamsters Rail Conference fights for Amtrak funding
To bring public attention to Amtrak’s potential bankruptcy, Teamsters will distribute fliers to Amtrak passengers in Solana Beach, Calif., tomorrow (March 30).
President Bush announces intent to nominate Joseph H. Boardman for FRA Administrator
On March 17 President Bush announced that he intends to nominate Joseph H. Boardman to be Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration at the Department of Transportation.
62nd U.S. community passes remote control safety resolution
The city council of Corbin, Ky., passed a remote control safety resolution on March 14 that urges the U.S. Congress to force the Federal Railroad Administration to implement enforceable safety regulations to govern the operation of remote control locomotives.
BLET helps defeat paycheck deception bill in Georgia
Members of the Georgia House of Representatives defeated a “paycheck deception” bill on March 11 with the help of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and members of other labor organizations.
Room still available for advanced Local Chairman Workshop in May
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.
BLET State Legislative Chairmen to meet
BLET Legislative Chairmen from across the U.S. will meet in Las Vegas in early May for their annual business conference, a legislative workshop and the IBT Unity Conference.
Rail Carriers’ outright rejection of Rail Labor’s proposed ‘ground rules’ derails negotiations
The second bargaining session over changes in wages and work rules of the national rail carriers concluded prematurely on March 9 when the National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC), representing the Class One carriers, refused to entertain or even discuss ground rules for negotiations proposed by the Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition (RLBC), representing seven rail unions comprised of 85,000 rail workers.
TTD resolutions cite FRA, rail security needs
The AFL-CIO’s transportation leaders this week condemned the Federal Railroad Administration for being “asleep at the switch” and issued a call for improved transportation security during its winter board meeting held in Las Vegas.
Statement of facts about remote control
It is apparent — once again — that the United Transportation Union has missed the mark when it comes to remote control.
