Rail Industry News
Senate committee to hold hearing on PTC
(Source: Progressive Railroading, July 30, 2019) The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will hold a hearing tomorrow on Capitol Hill to consider the next steps for positive train control(PTC) implementation. The hearing will focus on PTC...
FRA’s Alexy named chief safety officer
(Source: Progressive Railroading, July 30, 2019) Karl Alexy has been named associate administrator for railroad safety and chief safety officer for the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Office of Railroad Safety. Alexy succeeds Robert Lauby, who retired from the...
Union Pacific subcontractors spark fire, more than 100 railroad ties go up in flames near Sacramento
(Source: CBS Sacramento, July 29, 2019) SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Suisun firefighters battled a large vegetation fire east of Cordelia Road and Pennsylvania Monday evening. Firefighters found over 100 individual railroad ties on fire just before 6:30 p.m. Officials said...
Another NS train derails at Horseshoe Curve
(Source: Altoona Mirror, July 27, 2019) ALTOONA, Pa. — Another Norfolk Southern freight train derailed as it traveled around the Horseshoe Curve about 4:10 p.m. Friday. The derailment, six cars by the estimate of onlookers, a number later confirmed by Norfolk Southern...
Freight trains to blame for unpredictable delays on MARC, VRE
(Source: WTOP, July 29, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Delays along tracks frequented by freight carrier CSX have worsened D.C. area rail commutes and led to an overall decrease in ridership, the Maryland Area Regional Commuter and Virginia Railway Express services say....
Union Station has serious security vulnerabilities, Amtrak Inspector General says
(Source: Dcist, July 29, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Washington’s Union Station and the Ivy City Yard maintenance facility continue to have serious security gaps that make them vulnerable to trespassers and potential safety problems, according to a report from Amtrak’s...
Shrouded in darkness, Baltimore’s Howard Street Tunnel is a workhorse rail artery
(Source: Baltimore Sun, July 27, 2019) BALTIMORE, Md. — Now that construction money appears to be coming to make the aged Howard Street Tunnel able to accommodate double-stacked CSX freight trains, it’s time to explain this workhorse rail artery. Built from 1890 to...
KCS General Counsel Godderz sells $173,930 in company stock
(Source: Trent Daily Times, July 23, 2019) NEW YORK — Kansas City Southern General Counsel Adam J. Godderz sold 1,390 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, July 22. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.13, for a total transaction of...
North Dakota, Montana launch new fight over moving volatile Bakken oil by rail
(Source: DeSmog Blog, July 25, 2019) NEW YORK — The oil industry in North Dakota and Montana — home to the prolific Bakken Shale Formation — faces an “impossible choice.” That's according to a new petition to federal regulators from the attorneys general of North...
U.S. Class I workforce contracted in June, STB data shows
(Source: Progressive Railroading, July 23, 2019) U.S. Class Is as of mid-June employed 141,360 people, down 1.1 percent from mid-May's level and down 4 percent from June 2018's count, according to Surface Transportation Board (STB) data. Only one of six workforce...
CN profit beats estimates on higher crude, grain shipments in Q2 2019
(Source: Reuters, July 23, 2019) NEW YORK — Canadian National Railway beat analysts’ estimates for quarterly adjusted profit on Tuesday, as the country’s largest railroad operator shipped higher volumes of crude, refined petroleum products and grains. Full story:...
CN reports Q2 2019 financial results
(Source: CN press release, July 23, 2019) MONTREAL — CN today reported its financial and operating results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2019. “The CN team delivered record second-quarter results, and we remain optimistic on CN's volume prospects in the second...
AAR: Rail traffic down again for week ending July 20, 2019
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, July 24, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 20, 2019. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 526,010...
70 cars from Union Pacific train derail in Missouri
(Source: Associated Press, July 26, 2019) KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Union Pacific officials say no one was injured when 70 train cars derailed in north-central Missouri. Full story: www.stltoday.com
Train carrying nine tankers filled with ethanol derails in Greensboro
(Source: Fox 8 Greensboro, July 26, 2019) GREENSBORO, N.C. — A train with nine rail cars carrying tankers derailed in Greensboro Thursday night. Full story: www.myfox8.com
Long-stalled $1.6 billion rail project between Newark and NYC showing signs of life
(Source: Associated Press, July 25, 2019) NEW YORK — A glimmer of hope has appeared in the seemingly intractable dispute over who will pay for improvements to the century-old rail infrastructure connecting New Jersey to New York and points north and south. Full story:...
Amtrak to offer nonstop Acela service between NYC, DC in September
(Source: Progressive Railroading, July 26, 2019) Starting Sept. 23, Amtrak will offer direct service between Washington Union Station in Washington, D.C., and New York Penn Station in New York City. Full story: Progressive Railroading
Contura Energy approved to bid for Wyoming mines
(Source: Gillette News Record, July 26, 2019) GILLETTE, Wyo. — About 700 locked out Blackjewel LLC coal miners are closer to returning to work after a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge approved the company’s motion to potentially sell its flagship Wyoming properties and a...
Norfolk Southern announces layoffs in Mingo County, W.Va.
(Source: Metro News, July 26, 2019) WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Norfolk Southern has laid off 20 workers at its rail yard in Williamson. The company released a statement Friday that said the decision is in line with other moves made to right-size the rail transportation...
Todd Rokita twice voted to defund Amtrak, and here’s what he said about his nomination to Amtrak board
(Source: Indianapolis Star, July 24, 2019) INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Former Rep. Todd Rokita of Indiana faced tough questioning during a Senate panel hearing on his nomination to the Amtrak board of directors Wednesday. Rokita was scrutinized for two previous votes to end...
BLET News
BLE Advisory Board approves Teamster merger documents
In one of the most historic moments in the 140-year history of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the union’s Advisory Board yesterday unanimously approved documents that govern a merger with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT).
Resolution of the BLE Advisory Board
NOW THEREFORE, be it RESOLVED that we the undersigned do hereby unanimously pledge to fight to preserve the goals of our forefathers, to protect our union’s ideals of brotherhood and unity, to move the organization forward, and to be the caretakers of our rich tradition by approving documents that would create the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, a division of the Rail Conference in the U.S., and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
BLE responds to UTU raid at CP
Leadership of BLE Canada today strongly condemned an attempted raid of its Canadian Pacific membership by the United Transportation Union, while an elected BLE officer has been relieved of his duties for assisting the UTU raid.
Hoffa: Unity is key to strength
Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa spoke about transportation labor unity in the afternoon session on June 30 at the 67th annual Eastern Union Meeting Association of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
Photos available of RCTC rally
Photos are now available on the BLE website of the June 26 rally by striking BLE Rail Canada Traffic Controllers (RCTC).
Canada Day, Independence Day statement by President Hahs
All BLE members in the U.S. and Canada are joining together this week in a celebration of freedom.
EUMA opens in Baltimore
The BLE’s 67th annual Eastern Union Meeting Association kicked off on June 30 with the opening ceremonies.
BLE-RCTC strike enters its 10th day
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers-Rail Canada Traffic Controllers’ strike is entering its 10th day. The more than 200 RCTC members went on strike on June 18.
BLE appeals CIRB decision
On June 15, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers filed for a judicial review by the Federal Court of Appeals of a decision made by the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
General Chairman Pierce clarifies MRL remote agreement
Dennis Pierce, BLE General Chairman on BNSF/MRL, recently sent a letter to all BLE local chairmen on the BNSF-Northlines and Montana Rail Link (MRL), which clarified the BLE’s agreements for protection and compensation for remote control on the MRL, and compared the remote control implementation on MRL to the implementation of remote control on BNSF.
