Rail Industry News
End of the Hoosier State line is a loss for air quality, environmentalists say
(Source: Indianapolis Star, June 17, 2019) INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Small towns between Indianapolis and Chicago cite the end of the Amtrak Hoosier State line as a loss for residents, but state environmentalists are calling the route's demise a loss for Indiana’s air...
More major Amtrak repairs start at NY Penn Station
(Source: NBC New York, June 17, 2019) NEW YORK — Some New Jersey Transit train passengers are facing changes due to Amtrak track repairs at New York's Penn Station. Full story: NBC New York
Sysco-Boston drivers ratify contract that improves and secures jobs
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, June 17, 2019) PLYMPTON, Mass. — Drivers at Sysco near Boston voted overwhelmingly to ratify their first contract that provides improved and affordable health insurance, seniority protections, annual wage...
Hartford Line beats expectations with 634,000 trips in first year
(Source: Hartford Courant, June 17, 2019) HARTFORD, Conn. — Ridership on the Hartford Line has exceeded expectations, with an estimated 634,000 trips during the rail line’s first year of operation, officials said Monday. Gov. Ned Lamont’s office said the number of...
Virgin will be the fastest train ever in the southern U.S. when Orlando service starts
(Source: Miami Herald, June 18, 2019) MIAMI — When Virgin Trains, then known as Brightline, opened up its Miami Central station a year ago launching express service from downtown Miami to West Palm Beach, it represented a milestone in the future of travel. Full story:...
Pro-worker labor bill becomes law in Nevada
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, June 17, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Teamsters are hailing progress for workers after passage of a new pro-worker law in Nevada that grants its 20,000 state employees the right to collectively bargain. SB...
Oregon house proposes oil train fees to fund spill planning
(Source: The Oregonian, June 17, 2019) PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon House of Representatives on Monday approved a bill to boost readiness for oil spills from trains, advancing legislation whose years-long delay revealed the strong influence of corporate money in Oregon...
Opinion: Is the death of rail-hauled coal true or premature?
(Source: Freight Waves opinion column by Jim Blaze, June 17, 2019) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The long-term trend line slope for coal is down. The angle of the slope isn’t yet certain. Unchanged, the pattern suggests lower coal demand and a market for building fewer coal...
U.S. rail traffic volumes have fallen for 20 straight weeks
(Source: Market Realist, June 17, 2019) NEW YORK — Overall, US railroad companies’ traffic volume fell for the 20th consecutive week in Week 23, which ended on June 8. On June 12, the Association of American Railroads reported that the companies’ rail traffic fell...
Building the Transcontinental Railroad, the moonshot of the 19th Century
(Source: CBS News, June 16, 2019) NEW YORK — It's something railroad enthusiasts believed they might never see again: one of the biggest steam locomotives ever built in America back on the tracks, rumbling west under its own steam. As Union Pacific # 4014 pulled out...
African American Heritage Group honors men and women who worked for the railroad
(Source: Television station WDBJ7, June 15, 2019) ROANOKE, Va. — The Norfolk & Western/Norfolk Southern African American Heritage Group will honor the contributions of the men and women who worked for the railroad in the Jim Crow south amid racial discrimination on...
Virgin Trains in Central Florida will leave highway traffic in the dust
(Source: Orlando Sentinel, June 17, 2019) ORLANDO, Fla. — When Virgin trains begin service from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and beyond, the Orlando area will gain the distinction for hosting nearly the fastest rail travel in the United States. Full story:...
Federal grant awarded to plan for Amtrak stop at Providence airport
(Source: Associated Press, June 16, 2019) PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island has received a $2.8 million federal grant to boost efforts to bring an Amtrak stop to the state’s main airport. Full story: www.turnto10.com
Man shocked by 3,000 volts after falling asleep in CSX train electrical compartment
(Source: Radio station WHOP, June 14, 2019) HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. — Deputies have released the name of a man who suffered electrical burns Friday afternoon in Crofton. Twenty-five-year-old Michael Johnson of Seattle, Washington was stowed away on a CSX train hoping to...
Metra train that caught fire was due for repairs
(Source: CBS Chicago, June 14, 2019) CHICAGO — A Metra train that burst into flames at Union Station Thursday was due for repairs but got passed over because of money, and there are more trains overdue for repairs. It’s still not clear what caused the fire. Metra...
TCRC rail traffic controllers ratify new CN agreement
(Source: CN press release, June 15, 2019) MONTREAL — CN announced today that following the tentative agreement reached in May, the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Rail Canada Traffic Controllers (TCRC-RCTC) has ratified the agreement. This agreement covers 180 rail...
North Dakota lawmakers seek Chao’s help to fight Washington state’s crude-by-rail law
(Source: Progressive Railroading, June 14, 2019) North Dakota's congressional delegation is making its case to U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao that Washington state's new crude-by-rail law violates the nation's Interstate Commerce Clause and interferes with...
U.S. poised to approve shipping LNG by rail for export with no new safety rules
(Source: DeSmog Blog, June 14, 2019) NEW YORK — On June 6, the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) announced that the company Energy Transport Solutions LLC had applied for a special permit to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) in...
Irish baby born on a train given free rail travel for 25 years
(Source: BBC News, June 13, 2019) LONDON — A baby girl who was born on an Irish train has been given 25 years' worth of free rail travel. The unscheduled arrival happened on the 15:05 local time service from Galway to Dublin on Tuesday, June 11. A doctor and two...
Texas ranks No. 1 for railroad accidents in the U.S.
(Source: Television station KSAT, June 13, 2019) SAN ANTONIO — Texas tops the list for the number of railroad crossing accidents with a total of 1,223 accidents from 2014 to 2018, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Full story: www.ksat.com
BLET News
Marysville, Mich. passes remote control safety resolution
The City Council of Marysville, Mich., unanimously adopted a resolution calling for improved federal safety regulations to govern the operation of remote control locomotives.
IBT/BLE wins IC&E representation election
The joint International Brotherhood of Teamsters/Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Rail Operating Employees’ Council today scored its first-ever organizing victory on the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad (IC&E).
Shreveport bans remote control locomotives
The city of Shreveport, La., became the third city in the United States to adopt legislation banning the use of remote control locomotives after a resolution passed by its City Council became effective on November 26.
Early retirement plan increases lifetime maximum
Effective January 1, 2003, the lifetime maximum under GA-46000 will inrease from $79,000 to $84,100.
Russian trade unionists visit BLE
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers’ headquarters in Cleveland will receive a delegation of trade unionists from Russia on December 12.
BLE, Teamsters seek to organize IC&E
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters are pooling their organizing power in an effort to bring union representation to more than 250 workers employed by the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad (IC&E).
Remote control arbitration concludes
The two-day arbitration hearing regarding the carriers’ assignment of remote control operations to non-engineers ended yesterday in Chicago with each party offering rebuttals.
Remote control arbitration begins today
The three-way arbitration hearing regarding the carriers’ assignment of remote control operations to non-engineers began in Chicago today at 9:30 a.m.
Judge rules that RCOs can access locomotive cabs to sound whistles/horns or bells
U.S. District Judge Joan Gottschall ruled on November 12 that Remote Control Operators (RCOs) are allowed to access locomotive cabs for the purposes of sounding whistles/bells or horns.
Detroit bans remote control locomotives
Under the leadership of City Council President Mary Ann Mahaffey, the City Council of Detroit, Mich., adopted a resolution on November 6 that banned the use of remote control locomotives within the city limits and called on the Federal Railroad Administration to adopt comprehensive regulations governing use of the technology.
