Rail Industry News
State, local government officials push Senate to take up rail safety bill
Blocked crossings and prevention of future derailments are among the key issues as three lobbying groups representing state and local governments push Senate leaders to bring the Railway Safety Act of 2023 to the Senate floor for a vote.
BLET National settles lawsuit filed by NJ Transit, but still at odds over contract
The engineers union maintains they are the lowest paid locomotive engineers in the New York-New Jersey region. The union has rejected offer that are patterned after what other rail unions agreed to because the offers don’t account for the highly technical nature of a locomotive engineers job.
Residents fear some railroad bridges in Buffalo are disasters waiting to happen
Richard Hyde fears the worst when he looks at the crumbling concrete stanchions that support the CSX railroad bridge spanning the Buffalo River.
Oberman: STB remains actively involved in modifying rail regulation
We hosted a June 15 call with Marty Oberman, Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board, on Thursday. We see a reciprocal switching ruling well before year-end, and a bottleneck ruling potentially in 2024.
BNSF sets date for taking control of MRL
BNSF Railway aims to take over Montana Rail Link operations on Jan. 1, 2024.
Legislation would increase NTSB funding for rail investigators
U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) on June 12 introduced a bill that would increase federal funding to enable the National Transportation Safety Board to add 15 railroad, pipeline and hazardous materials investigators.
Intermodal startup envisions autonomous double-stack trains and terminals
Startup Autonomous Intermodal LLC envisions a system that features an integral 4,000-foot double-stack train and 9,000-horsepower locomotive.
AAR reports rail traffic for week ending June 10, 2023
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 471,141 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.9 percent compared with the same week last year.
SEPTA’s engineer shortage makes service tough after I-95 collapse
The unexpected shutdown of I-95 could end up giving SEPTA a much-needed boost — if it can find enough engineers to maintain an expanded schedule of trains.
AAR: North American rail volume down through first 23 weeks for 2023
For the week ending June 10, 2023, U.S. Class I railroads hauled a total of 471,141 carloads and intermodal units, falling 5.9% compared with the same week last year.
Chinese contractor submitted unfinished Orange Line cars to MBTA
Problems have continued to plague the production of new Orange and Red Line trains, the latest of which involved the Chinese contractor submitting unfinished cars to the MBTA for final inspection and delivery.
West Coast dockworkers, shippers reach tentative contract agreement
The union for thousands of West Coast dockworkers has reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, it was announced Wednesday, after more than a year of negotiations and several work disruptions that snarled shipping traffic at some of the largest ports.
Video: Investigating the U.S. railroad industry
After a train derailment in Ohio, Fault Lines investigates whether the railroad industry has prioritized profits over safety.
TTD to White House: Maintain STB’s chairmanship
Removing Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chair Martin J. Oberman or failing to reappoint him “would undermine the significant progress the Board has made during his tenure,” Transportation Trades Department (TTD), AFL-CIO President Greg Regan wrote in a June 13 letter to President Joe Biden.
Amtrak’s Chicago-St. Louis route attains 110 mph service
The schedule changes for Lincoln Service trains will enable passenger rail service to reach 110 mph.
Rising costs prompt Union Pacific to downgrade its full-year operating ratio outlook
A trio of recent Union Pacific agreements with rail labor unions, combined with ongoing volume and expense challenges, likely will make the railroad’s operating ratio rise this year.
Passenger rail advocate calls on STB to resolve Amtrak’s on-time performance woes
A trade group representing passenger rail wants the Surface Transportation Board to move quickly in responding to Amtrak’s complaint that Union Pacific is contributing to the lackluster on-time performance of Amtrak’s Sunset Limited service.
Sen. Brown confident about Railway Safety Act
With all 51 Democrats likely to support the legislation, nine GOP votes for the bill are needed. Brown is confident they will get those votes
Rail labor objects to CPKC’s request for safety waiver
Rail labor groups are rejecting efforts by CPKC to extend and potentially make permanent a waiver that enables the Class I railroad from its Calgary, Alberta, office to dispatch trains at three locations near the U.S.-Canada border.
FRA releases supplemental advisory related to hot bearing wayside detectors
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on June 9 announced that it has made an additional recommendation to Safety Advisory 2023-01.
BLET News
BLET SLB Chairmen: Two days left to submit candidate recommendations via email
BLET State Legislative Board Chairmen are continuing to review candidates for public office who are worthy of our support in the upcoming national election on November 5. Their list of candidates for federal office will be published in an upcoming issue of the...
Melone elected new Chairman of Montana State Legislative Board
Brother Kristian (Kris) Melone, a BNSF locomotive engineer and member of BLET Division 504 (Great Falls, Mont.), was elected to his first term as Chairman at the Montana State Legislative Board’s quadrennial meeting on August 14-15, 2024. He has served as the State...
Washington: STB to hold hearing on growth in the freight rail industry — BLET’s Wallace to testify
Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chairman Robert Primus has called a public hearing on September 16 and 17 to gather information about how the freight rail industry has grown and intends to grow in the future. STB is the federal agency charged with economic...
BLET exposes carriers’ backdoor effort to change PTC safety regulations
The BLET has called out five railroads for a backdoor attempt to make changes to Positive Train Control operating rules without going through proper regulatory channels. Each railroad has in place FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plans (PTCSP), which dictate...
TCRC defiant as government mandates binding arbitration to end CN, CPKC lockouts
Sean O’Brien, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and François Laporte, President of Teamsters Canada, were on the picket line at CPKC’s headquarters in Calgary on August 23. ____________________ The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC)...
AFL-CIO Executive Paywatch exposes exorbitant CEO pay in railroad industry
The AFL-CIO released its annual Executive Paywatch report which tracks how worker wages have fallen while CEO pay continues to soar. Here are some highlights from the railroad industry: CEO to worker pay ratios CSX — 116:1 (it previously was a 186:1 ratio) Union...
Illinois: Division 644 recognizes three Brothers upon retirement
From left: Rob Weimer, BNSF Galesburg Assistant Superintendent; Brandon Sauvageau BNSF LaCrosse Superintendent; Will Wayzny BNSF Superintendent Of Safety; Division 644 Locomotive Engineer James VonKannon; Division 644 Locomotive Engineer Troy Ericson; Division 644...
Lambert reelected to second term as UP-Eastern District General Chairman
Officers, members, and guests at the UP-Eastern District GCA's quadrennial meeting in Omaha, Neb., on August 14, 2024. _____________________ Chad Lambert was reelected to his second term as General Chairman during the Union Pacific-Eastern District General Committee...
BLET SLB Chairmen: Candidate recommendations due by August 30
BLET State Legislative Board Chairmen are in the process of reviewing candidates for public office who are worthy of our support in the upcoming national election on November 5. Their list of candidates for federal office will be published in an upcoming issue of...
RRB budget update: Funding concerns continue as Senate proposes FY 2025 funding
The Railroad Retirement Board has provided an update as Congress considers RRB’s funding levels for fiscal year 2025. In July, a House subcommittee proposed a catastrophic $26 million budget cut for RRB. In mid-August, the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved a...
