Rail Industry News
UE strike in Erie, Pa., gets national attention and widespread support
(Source: United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) press release, February 27, 2019) ERIE, Pa. — The strike by members of UE Locals 506 and 618 against the massive concessions imposed by Wabtec when they took over the locomotive plant on Monday...
AAR reports rail traffic for week ending Feb. 23, 2019
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, February 27, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 23, 2019. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was...
BNSF completes cleanup of diesel spill that forced McCook to abandon 4 million gallon water tank
(Source: McCook Gazette, February 26, 2019) McCOOK, Neb. — A temporary easement requested by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad in 2005 for a drainage pipe to discharge treated groundwater is no longer needed and the McCook City Council on Feb. 18 approved a...
Even California’s analysts are confused about bullet train fate
(Source: Bloomberg, February 26, 2019) LOS ANGELES — Even California’s studiously deliberate bureaucrats are confused by what Governor Gavin Newsom intends to do with the state’s high-speed rail project. Full story: Bloomberg
Teamsters Brewery and Soft Drink Workers Conference convenes
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, February 26, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Local unions from across the U.S. and Canada were represented today by officers and business agents attending the annual Brewery and Soft Drink Workers Conference. On...
Opinion: Amtrak’s airline CEO wants to kill America’s most storied trains
(Source: Seattle Times opinion column by Jon Talton, February 26, 2019) SEATTLE — Amtrak's improbable survival comes despite a mandate to be self-sustaining that applies to no other mode of transportation. Killing long-distance trains to fund promised short runs is no...
Another oil train crashes as Alberta government gets into the oil-by-rail business
(Source: DeSmog Blog, February 26, 2019) NEW YORK — The government of Alberta, Canada, the heart of tar sands country, recently announced plans to get into the oil-by-rail business. Attempting to work around a lack of pipelines, the provincial government intends to...
BNSF trestle fire halts traffic across Columbia River
(Source: Television station KOIN, February 26, 2019) PORTLAND, Ore. — The only railroad trestle trains can use to cross the Columbia River from Oregon to Washington was shut down for hours Tuesday after a fire erupted, likely caused by repair workers with torches....
UE Locals 506, 618 go on strike after Wabtec takeover of GE Transportation in Erie, Pa.
(Source: United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) press release, February 26, 2019) ERIE, Pa. — On February 26, 2019, approximately 1,700 members of UE Locals 506 and 618 went on strike to preserve decent wages and working conditions at the GE...
BNSF posts revenue, income growth in 2018
(Source: Progressive Railroading, February 26, 2019) BNSF Railway Co. posted fourth-quarter operating income of $2.1 billion, up 3 percent over the same quarter's results in 2017. A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., BNSF logged quarterly revenue of $6.2 billion,...
Snowbound Amtrak train with nearly 200 passengers moving again after 36-hour “nightmare”
(Source: CNN, February 27, 2019) SEATTLE — Finn Friedman chose to take the train because she's terrified of flying. After all, the journey from Seattle to Los Angeles on Amtrak's Coast Starlight is supposed to be a scenic 35-hour trip across mountain ranges, along an...
Defective equipment delays PTC installation on LIRR
(Source: Television station News 12 Long Island, February 26, 2019) RONKONKOMA — A costly project to install potentially lifesaving technology on the Long Island Rail Road has been delayed. Siemens and Bombardier admitted to the MTA on Monday that more than 4,000...
United Rail acquires New England Southern
(Source: Progressive Railroading, February 25, 2019) United Rail Inc. has acquired the New England Southern Railroad (NES) in Concord, New Hampshire. United Rail, a short line consolidator and owner of the SmartRail brand for electronic precision railroading and brand...
Frustration, flaring tempers at Atlantic City NJ Transit meeting
(Source: Press of Atlantic City, February 22, 2019) ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — NJ Transit officials couldn’t say when the Atlantic City Rail Line will reopen but promised a definite date within three weeks during a public meeting Thursday night at the rail station. Full...
California’s train troubles cast a pall on U.S. high-speed rail
(Source: Bloomberg, February 26, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — For more than a decade, California has been trying to develop a 520-mile network of trains speeding as fast as 220 mph, much as they do in parts of Europe and Asia. Investing in high-speed rail in the U.S. is...
MBTA pension fund faces hard times after 2018 losses
(Source: State House News Service, February 25, 2019) BOSTON — After the MBTA pension fund posted losses in 2018, officials warned Monday that the burden of covering retirement for thousands of T employees remains "a really crucial issue." Full story: The Salem...
Connecticut Teamsters locked out by Coors-Mill beer distributor; Boycot of Rogo products urged during lockout
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, February 25, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — After almost a year of negotiations with members of Local 1035 in Hartford, Connecticut, Rogo, a Coors-Miller beer distributor, has locked out all the drivers. The...
National Guard rescues 9 rail workers snowbound on 2 trains in southern Minnesota
(Source: Television station Fox 9, February 25, 2019) ELLENDALE, Minn. — The National Guard rescued nine people off two trains Monday morning that had become stuck in a snow drift the night before. Full story: www.fox9.com
Amtrak train with 183 passengers has been stranded in Oregon snow since Sunday
(Source: CNN, February 26, 2019) ATLANTA — An Amtrak train headed for Los Angeles with almost 200 people on board came to a standstill Sunday evening after hitting a tree that had fallen onto the tracks. Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari told CNN that none of the 183...
Opinion: Union Station’s Great Hall looks better than ever, so why are Chicago commuters fuming?
(Source: Chicago Tribune column by Blair Kamin, February 25, 2019) CHICAGO — It’s easy to understand why Metra commuters who endure the dismal conditions of Chicago’s Union Station are frustrated and furious. Full story: Chicago Tribune
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