Rail Industry News
AAR, Short Line Association seeking changes to Hours of Service mandate
(Source: Freight Waves, November 6, 2019) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Short Line Regional Rail Association (ASLRRA) are seeking modifications to the existing hours of service (HOS) regulations which they say will...
Hoffa: 2020 Presidential candidates must share vision for labor
(Source: Column by Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa published in the Detroit News, November 6, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The 2020 presidential election, now less than a year away, is arriving at a key moment in U.S. history. Workers, long the backbone of this...
U.S. freight rail traffic down 8.1% in October 2019
(Source: Freight Waves, November 6, 2019) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — U.S. rail traffic tumbled 8.1% in October as weakness in the industrial economy put pressure on rail volumes. Freight railroads in the U.S. originated nearly 2.56 million carloads and intermodal units in...
Rail freight nosedive: “Sensible actions aimed at accelerating growth” needed, says AAR
(Source: Railway Age, November 6, 2019) NEW YORK — In the Association of American Railroads Nov. 6, 2019 traffic report, Senior Vice President Policy and Economics John T. Gray succinctly notes what is dragging rail freight down: “Sluggish growth abroad and trade...
Railroad Retirement benefits will increase in 2020
(Source: Railroad Retirement Board press release, November 1, 2019) CHICAGO — Most railroad retirement annuities, like social security benefits, will increase in January 2020 due to a rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the third quarter of 2018 to the...
Railroad retiree earnings limits increase in 2020
(Source: Railroad Retirement Board press release, November 1, 2019) CHICAGO — Railroad retirement annuitants subject to earnings restrictions can earn more in 2020 without having their benefits reduced as a result of increases in earnings limits indexed to average...
Years after rail saga, Wisconsin’s Talgo trains sit idle
(Source: Wisconsin Public Radio, November 6, 2019) MADISON, Wisc. — In Beech Grove, Indiana, two massive brick warehouses have been a part of the landscape for more than a century. One of the buildings has a concrete sign that reads 1907. The other reads 1910. Both...
Quad Cities to Chicago Amtrak service gets green light
(Source: Railway Track & Structures, November 5, 2019) NEW YORK — The name “Quad Cities” refers to five U.S. cities, three in Illinois and two in Iowa located along the Mississippi River. The Illinois cities are Moline, Rock Island, and East Moline, and the Iowa...
NJ Transit passenger dies aboard train despite doctor’s attempt to save him
(Source: www.nj.com, November 5, 2019) NEWARK, N.J. — A man on a rush-hour train headed to New Jersey died after possibly suffering a heart attack, despite a doctor’s best efforts to revive him. NJ Transit train No. 3363, on the North Jersey Coast Line route, was...
MBTA Board commits to reimagined commuter rail system
(Source: State House News Service, November 4, 2019) BOSTON — The MBTA board voted Monday to back substantial investment in the commuter rail, calling for electrification of the system and more frequent service through the most dense corridors in a step that...
BNSF forges more “funnel” double-track
(Source: Railway Age, November 5, 2019) NEW YORK — In early October, BNSF placed in service approximately 2.5 miles of second main track near the community of Westmond, Idaho, closing the gap between two larger sections of double-track main line on one of the busiest...
BNSF posts higher operating income, lower revenue in Q3 2019
(Source: Progressive Railroading, November 5, 2019) BNSF Railway Co. reported third-quarter operating income rose 3 percent to $2.2 billion, while total revenue fell 2 percent to $6 billion compared with the same period a year ago. Full story: Progressive Railroading
Former Union Pacific employees raise safety concerns after Neff Yard layoffs
(Source: Televisions station KSHB, November 5, 2019) KANSAS CITY — Three weeks after Union Pacific announced plans to transfer operations away from Neff Yard, several employees who were laid off reached out to 41 Action News to voice concerns about safety with the...
Altoona politicians condemn latest round of NS layoffs at Juniata shop
(Source: Altoona Mirror, November 6, 2019) ALTOONA, Pa. — The layoff of 95 more workers at the Juniata Locomotive Shop has a local labor leader wondering what’s next. Tuesday’s layoffs followed on the heels of a layoff of about 100 workers on Sept. 3. The latest...
Norfolk Southern furloughs 58 workers at DeButts yard in Chattanooga
(Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press, November 5, 2019) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Norfolk Southern furloughed 58 workers Tuesday at its DeButts yard in Chattanooga as part of a company-wide cutback in diesel shop operations the railroad is making in response to a drop in...
Burlington council to consider Amtrak options
(Source: Television station WCAX, November 4, 2019) BURLINGTON, Vt. — A key discussion over how Burlington could accommodate Amtrak service is set to take place before the city council Monday night. A plan in place would bring the Ethan Allen Express north from...
Union Pacific has a history of derailments at Boone rail yard
(Source: Des Moines Register, November 5, 2019) BOONE, Iowa — Over the past eight years, trains derailed 15 times in a Boone Union Pacific rail yard before a Saturday derailment caused a gas leak. Most of the derailments in the two-mile stretch of the rail yard...
Amtrak prepares for increased Thanksgiving travel
(Source: Television station WSET, November 4, 2019) LYNCHBURG, Va. — The Thanksgiving travel season will soon be underway and Amtrak is prepared to accommodate additional customers traveling during the busiest travel week of the year. Full story: www.wset.com
Amtrak prepares for increased Thanksgiving travel
(Source: Television station WSET, November 4, 2019) LYNCHBURG, Va. — The Thanksgiving travel season will soon be underway and Amtrak is prepared to accommodate additional customers traveling during the busiest travel week of the year. Full story: www.wset.com
Update on PTC implementation planned for upcoming RSAC meeting
(Source: Safety and Health Magazine, November 5, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — An update on the implementation of Positive Train Control – emergency slowing and stopping systems designed to help prevent train crashes and derailments caused by human error – is on the...
BLET News
Working families remain our top priority
November 2 was the culmination of years of hard work by BLET members and other union members around the country. While John Kerry did not win, the house of Labor was united in our efforts and we should be proud of what we accomplished.
TCRC member killed in switching incident
Brother Christopher Lewis, a member of Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) Division 528 (London, Ontario), was fatally injured in an on the job accident on October 27.
Statement from President Jim Hoffa and Secretary-Treasurer Tom Keegel on the Presidential election
“While our candidate, John Kerry, did not win, we are proud that the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, along with the entire family of labor, united in an historic effort to fight for the interests of working families. And while President Bush was re-elected, we note that more than 55 million people cast their vote for a progressive agenda. We will continue the fight for that agenda in the next Congress and in state legislatures around the nation as we work hard to expand the base of support.
Urgent safety message from the FRA
Betty Monro, Acting Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, issued the following safety message regarding the recent rash of swiching accidents in the railroad industry.
Labor helps Kerry rally in Cleveland
Organized labor, including the AFL-CIO and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, made its presence known last night as Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry concluded his campaign tour in Cleveland.
Get out and vote!
Today, Americans have an historic opportunity to direct this nation’s future. The elections being contested will determine the path that our country takes, and based on our choices, we can either go down the right path or the wrong one.
Attention BLET Secretary-Treasurers
If you received a notice from the Internal Revenue Service regarding Form 990, please forward it to the BLET Compliance Department for handling
BMWE members overwhelmingly approve IBT merger
By a 76 percent majority, members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees today voted in favor of merging with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Iowa elects new State Legislative Board Chairman
Members of the BLET’s Iowa State Legislative Board elected Jeff A. Kurtz as their new chairman at quadrennial meetings on October 13 and 14.
Seniority maintenance tied to exclusive representation
BLET General Chairman Tom Roberts today clarified the reason behind his General Committee’s recent action to begin a seniority maintenance fee program at Conrail.
