Rail Industry News
SEPTA to add service in wake of I-95 bridge collapse
SEPTA said it is working with unions to increase staffing.
Ohio offers East Palestine business owners no-interest, forgivable loans of up to $1 million
The state of Ohio will soon offer zero-interest, forgivable loans of up to $1 million to businesses hurt by the East Palestine train derailment last February, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday.
NS crews cleaning up fuel leak found near Harrisburg last week
A Norfolk Southern spokesperson said Monday that clean-up crews from their company and emergency agencies are working to clean up and contain a fuel spill discovered last week at a generator station.
Beer stolen from stalled UP train in east Bakersfield
A KGET viewer said they had seen several people go up to one of the rail cars and take beer from it.
RRB issues statements of service
Form BA-6 provides employees with a record of their railroad retirement service and compensation. The information shown is used to determine whether an employee qualifies for benefits and the amount of those benefits; therefore, it is important that employees review their Form BA-6 to see whether their own records of service months and creditable compensation agree with the form.
Federal regulators promise safety review at all the major freight railroads
The Federal Railroad Administration recently completed a review of Norfolk Southern’s safety culture in the wake of the February’s fiery derailment in Ohio, and officials plan to follow up with similar investigations of all the major freight railroads over the next year.
PA rail safety bill faces resistance from railroads
In the wake of a hazardous train derailment less than a mile from the Ohio border, Pennsylvania lawmakers are advancing legislation that supporters say would improve safety standards and increase corporate accountability.
Battle rages over Canadian law to expand railway competition
Set to come into effect with Ottawa’s federal budget bill, an obscure law has Canada’s two main railways fighting back over concerns about expenses and congestion, with the drama playing out in social media posts and a backroom lobbying push.
Stopped trains delaying first responders in Forest Park, GA
The Forest Park police chief says stopped trains are costing first responders valuable response time. He says trains can stall for up to five hours at a time, forcing officers to find other ways around when responding to emergencies.
Nation’s largest rail carriers to face comprehensive federal safety review
The nation’s largest rail carriers will soon undergo a “comprehensive and broad” safety review, according to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
In latest safety advisory, FRA makes additional hot bearing detector recommendation
In the wake of a May 10 Norfolk Southern derailment in Pennsylvania, the Federal Railroad Administration today issued a safety advisory recommending that railroads implement safeguards to ensure that hot bearing detectors properly report defects.
Destroyed evidence and retaliation: The alarming pattern at BNSF
Over the past 20 years, the railroad has repeatedly been sanctioned, fined and admonished by judges for destroying evidence, not complying with judicial orders, and retaliating against its own employees.
Canadian Pacific guilty of contempt of court for excessively long work shifts
A Federal Court judge has found Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. guilty of contempt of court for employees working excessively long hours.
23 freight cars derail, new vehicles heavily damaged in BNSF derailment in northern Arizona
Authorities are trying to determine the cause of a freight train derailment in northern Arizona that heavily damaged 23 cars and a load of new vehicles. The BNSF train cars were carrying a variety of new cars, vans and trucks.
Vessel buildup grows at West Coast ports as maritime supply chain begins to break
The number of vessels due to dock at the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach is increasing as labor slowdowns at West Coast port terminals have impacted supply chain operations, from trucks to rails and ocean carriers.
CPKC train derails east of Calgary
Crews are cleaning up after a train derailment about 100 kilometres east of Calgary Thursday afternoon. A spokesperson for Canadian Pacific Kansas City Southern confirmed that “multiple cars of a CPKC freight train carrying intermodal shipping containers” derailed at around 2:30 p.m. east of Cluny, Alberta.
A year after acquisition, CSX making improvements to former Pan Am trackage
CSX Transportation has made major upgrades to Pan Am Railways’ physical plant since acquiring the New England regional a year ago — and there’s more to come as part of its two-year plan.
Stuck BNSF train horn blasts for over an hour in Seattle
Residents near the Magnolia and Interbay neighborhoods of Seattle experienced a bit of an earache on Thursday when a train horn blasted for over an hour. KIRO 7 reached out to BNSF who told us the horn was simply just stuck on an unoccupied train.
AAR reports rail traffic for May and week ending June 3, 2023
Combined U.S. carload and intermodal originations in May 2023 were 2,319,808, down 5.7 percent, or 139,940 carloads and intermodal units from May 2022.
Canadian Pacific guilty of contempt of court in sweeping decision on excessive hours
A federal judge has found Canadian Pacific to be in contempt of court after the company forced train crews to work excessively long hours in violation of a court order to abide by the collective agreement and Transport Canada regulations.
BLET News
BLET stands in solidarity with Teamsters Canada Rail Conference
Roughly 10,000 members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference will be able to strike, or will be locked out by management, if a settlement is not reached by August 22. Photo courtesy of TCRC ____________________ BLET members in the United States are standing with our...
NJ Transit: Agency has money for a “fare holiday,” but says it can’t afford pay raises for locomotive engineers
NJ Transit leaders just can’t seem to get their story straight. In arguments before Presidential Emergency Board 251 earlier this month, NJ Transit plead poverty and said it had no room in its budget for additional expenses like pay raises for locomotive engineers....
Union Pacific: BLET holds carrier accountable for not living up to promises made in quality of life agreement
As a result of an agreement reached with BLET last year, BLET’s engineers employed at Union Pacific are supposed to be working under a negotiated schedule that provides for a four-day rest period after 11 days on the job. But the railroad has been slow to honor its...
Reminder to 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 national election on November 5. Their list of candidates for federal office will be published in an upcoming issue of the...
Railroad Retirement Board urges you to review Form BA-6
The Railroad Retirement Board routinely publishes important news of interest to active and retired BLET members. Here is a summary of highlights published in Summer 2024. • Each year the RRB prepares a Form BA-6, Certificate of Service Months and Compensation, for...
BLET Safety Task Force: Three major derailments in July are under investigation
July was a busy month for the BLET’s Safety Task Force (STF). The BLET has received party status from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to assist with investigations into three serious incidents: a BNSF hazmat derailment and fire in Carrington, N.D.; a...
Triennial Election refresher training classes are available in advance of next month’s Division nomination meetings
The BLET Education & Training Department is offering online training to help BLET Divisions prepare for the upcoming round of Triennial Elections, which are only a few weeks away. Nominations will be held at each Division’s first regular meeting in September of...
NJ Transit: BLET makes a strong case at hearing before PEB 251
The BLET made a strong case on behalf of its members as PEB 251 held formal hearings last week in the contract dispute between BLET and New Jersey Transit. NJT’s locomotive engineers have been seeking a new labor agreement since October 2019. NJT’s engineers are the...
BLET Eastern Regional Meeting: Highlight video features key speakers, major themes
The BLET National Division has prepared a video featuring highlights from several speakers at the union’s Eastern Regional Meeting last week in Washington D.C. The 8-minute video features the meeting’s opening ceremony and includes messages from U.S. Senator Bernie...
Keep up the pressure: Tell Congress to fully fund Railroad Retirement
BLET is continuing to urge its members and their families to tell their legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives to fully fund the Railroad Retirement Board. As reported previously, budget cuts that would be catastrophic for the RRB are now under consideration...
