Rail Industry News
DOT’s Chao favored Kentuckians in meeting with officials seeking grants
(Source: Politico, October 7, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — In her first 14 months as Transportation secretary, Elaine Chao met with officials from Kentucky, which her husband Mitch McConnell represents in the Senate, vastly more often than those from any other state. In...
What PSR is, and isn’t
(Source: Railway Age, October 4, 2019) NEW YORK — Out of a remote location in a corner of New England comes an interesting operations research view of what Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) is, and is not. Peter Swan, a Ph.D. rail and logistics expert from the...
SMART TD General Chairpersons resolve to act in solidarity in face of negotiations, lawsuit
(Source: SMART Transportation Division press release, October 4, 2019) INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Hours after a lawsuit by rail carriers targeting our union over crew consist was announced Oct. 3, the Association of General Chairpersons — District 1 unanimously resolved to...
American railroads are already in recession with no end in sight
(Source: Bloomberg, October 7, 2019) NEW YORK — This year’s railroad slump is getting worse as a slowdown in manufacturing threatens broader weakness in the U.S. economy. There’s no bottom in sight as the decline in carloads for large U.S. railroads widened to 5.5% in...
GM can handle losses of UAW strike if new contract lowers labor costs
(Source: Detroit News, October 3, 2019) DETROIT — Some analysts estimate the UAW's nationwide strike against General Motors has cost the company about $1 billion so far. But GM can withstand the financial losses because of what it stands to gain with a new UAW...
UAW-GM strike, day 19: Unsettled issues remain at the main table
(Source: Detroit News, October 4, 2019) DETROIT — General Motors Co. and the United Auto Workers were expected to resume contract negotiations Friday morning, as the national strike against the Detroit automaker persisted into its 19th day. Full story: Detroit News
October is Passenger Rail Month in Virginia
(Source: Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation press release, October 3, 2019) RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) is pleased to announce October as Passenger Rail Month in Virginia. The Commonwealth began...
Deja vu: Blackjewel mines sold again
(Source: Gillette News Record, October 2, 2019) GILLETTE, Wyo. — A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge has approved the sale of the Eagle Butte and Belle Ayr coal mines in Campbell County to Eagle Specialty Materials. The ruling by Judge Frank W. Volk in Charleston, West...
Opinion: State Senate scrutiny of NJ Transit is most welcome
(Source: Opinion column by Tom Moran at www.nj.com, October 3, 2019) NEWARK, N.J. — Could it be that the death-grip rivalry between Gov. Phil Murphy and Senate President Steve Sweeney may produce at least some positive results? Full story: www.nj.com
AAR reports rail traffic down in September and for week ending September 28, 2019
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, October 2, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 28, 2019, as well as volumes for September 2019. U.S. railroads...
SMART TD ready to respond as carriers once again attack crew consist
(Source: Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers—Transportation Division (SMART TD) press release, October 3, 2019) NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio — Today, the nation’s Class I rail carriers, along with a few other railroads, filed suit in federal district court in the...
5 reasons the Houston-Dallas bullet train project makes sense
(Source: Houston Press, October 3, 2019) HOUSTON — The Central Texas High-Speed Railway (aka, the Texas bullet train) proposed to run between Houston and Dallas continues gradually clearing hurdles, its officials hoping to begin construction in 2020 with an eye on the...
Often-blocked railroad crossing still a problem for Louisville neighborhood
(Source: Television station WDRB, October 2, 2019) ANCHORAGE, Ky. — The distant rumbling of an approaching freight train is a frustrating sound to many of the people who live off La Grange and Old La Grange Roads in Anchorage. There, a dozen or more freight trains...
Will rail be key to exporting Canada’s tar sands oil to the world?
(Source: De Smog Blog, October 2, 2019) NEW YORK — While Canadians turned out en masse for large climate protests last week, the country's oil and gas industry continued its plans to ramp up and export its massive and polluting reserves of tar sands oil, also known as...
Video: Massive logjam demolishes NS bridge in Brunswick, Mo.
(Source: Televisions station KOMU, October 2, 2019) CHARITON COUNTY, Mo. — In a small town of just 816 people, major events like a bridge collapse bring them together. A logjam on the Grand River Bridge near Brunswick took out the structure Tuesday evening. The video,...
Hoffa: Workers deserve protection from anti-union employers
(Source: Column by Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa published by the Detroit News, October 2, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — A U.S. House committee last week took a much-needed step towards empowering workers by approving legislation that would expand their right...
Details emerge on GM offer to UAW as strike continues
(Source: Detroit News, October 2, 2019) DETROIT — Details of General Motors Co.'s Monday night offer to the striking United Auto Workers began to emerge late Wednesday, with wage increases or lump-sum payments offered in all four years of a proposed contract, the...
Phillips 66 cuts crude-by-rail shipments to Washington due to new state law
(Source: S&P Global Platts, October 2, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new Washington state crude-by-rail law has forced Phillips 66 to significantly cut shipments of Bakken crude to its Ferndale Refinery, the refinery's manager told federal regulators. Full story: S&P...
STB issues two proposed rulemakings
(Source: Freight Waves, October 2, 2019) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has been busy lately. The Board issued two proposed rulemakings on September 30, while an August decision regarding fuel surcharges has led a coalition of shippers’...
Third quarter carload declines worst yet in 2019
(Source: Freight Waves, October 2, 2019) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Rail volumes continued their declines in the latest week according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). Week 39 of 2019 was no better than the ones that preceded it as a number of demand...
BLET News
General Chairman Roberts reelected
Brother Tom Roberts of BLET Division 601 (Newark, N.J.) has been reelected General Chairman of the CSXT Northern District (Conrail Shared Assets) General Committee of Adjustment.
BNSF-MRL General Chairman Pierce reelected
Dennis R. Pierce has been reelected to another three-year term as General Chairman of the BNSF-MRL General Committee of Adjustment at meetings in Las Vegas on July 3. Pierce, a member of Division 98 (Lincoln, Neb.), was elected by acclamation.
Teamsters Applaud GCIU Board’s Approval of Merger Agreement
The Graphic Communications International Union (GCIU) General Board approved the submission of a merger agreement with the Teamsters Union to their membership for a rank-and-file vote on June 30.
Fourth of July statement from BLET National President Don M. Hahs
The following is a statement issued by BLET National President Don M. Hahs in celebration of our nation’s 228th birthday.
Guest Column: FRA urges use of two-way EOTs
In 1997 the Federal Railroad Administration issued a new regulation to require the use of two-way end-of-train (EOT) telemetry devices. At the time the regulation was issued, FRA had identified eleven accidents, which might have been prevented had the trains been equipped with two-way EOTs. There have been modifications to the EOT rules since then.
Funeral arrangements for Brother Heath Pape
Funeral services for Brother Heath Pape of BLET Division 197 (San Antonio, Texas) will be held on Thursday, July 1 and Friday, July 2.
New merchandise available at BLET Online Store
A new shipment of union-made BLET merchandise is now available through the National Division.
BLET member dies in collision
Brother Heath Pape, a member of BLET Division 197 in San Antonio, Texas, was killed in the collision between a Union Pacific train and a BNSF train on Monday, June 28. Brother Pape had just joined the BLET. He was 23 years old.
Train derails, releases toxic fumes
The BLET Safety Task Force is en route to the scene of a collision between two trains this morning near San Antonio, Texas, in order to assist the National Transportation Safety Board in its investigation. The collision and derailment caused an ammonium chloride and chlorine gas spill.
BLET member dies in collision with gasoline tanker truck
BLET Division 230 (Meridian, Miss.) member Dennis Vinson was killed in a collision between his Norfolk Southern train and a gasoline tanker truck on June 25. He was 58 years old.
