Rail Industry News
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
108-year-old Portal Bridge is close to being replaced along NE Corridor
(Source: www.nj.com, February 23, 2019) NEWARK, N.J. — Eliminating the Portal Bridge, that rusty bane of commuters when it gets stuck after it opens, is a significant step closer to being replaced. Full story: www.nj.com
CN kept quiet on size of Manitoba oil spill, so two friends sent a drone up
(Source: Drone DJ, February 22, 2019) In western Manitoba, Canada, a train carrying crude oil derailed early Saturday morning and created an oil spill. CN Rail has not yet disclosed how much oil had leaked from the 37-car-wreckage. So two friends took it upon...
Texas flood victims reach settlement with Union Pacific
(Source: Palestine Herald-Press, February 22, 2019) PALESTINE, Texas — A federal lawsuit against Union Pacific Railroad filed last April by local victims of the 2016 flood was settled last month for an undisclosed, confidential amount. The lawsuit, one of several...
Union says Wabtec takeover of GE Transportation will destroy wages, benefits and working conditions
(Source: Press release from the United Electrical Radio & Machine Workers of America Local 506 and 618, February 24, 2019) ERIE, Pa. — On February 25th Wabtec is scheduled to take over the GE Transportation Erie facility. We have been in negotiations with the company...
Wabtec announces completion of merger with GE Transportation
(Source: Wabtec press release, February 25, 2019) WILMERDING, Pa. — Wabtec Corporation announced today it has completed its merger with GE Transportation, a former business unit of GE. This merger establishes Wabtec as a Fortune 500, global transportation and...
Jury awards BNSF track inspector $1.05 million in whistleblower case
(Source: National Law Review, February 24, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — On February 19th, a Colorado jury awarded Brandon Fresquez $1,050,000 in damages in his FRSA whistleblower retaliation claim against BNSF Railway Company. The verdict form reveals that the jury...
BHP reaches settlement with operator of 268-car mining train that derailed after he sued for unfair dismissal
(Source: Daily Mail, February 25, 2019) LONDON — A driver fired by BHP after the mining train he was transporting had to be manually derailed, causing the world's biggest train crash, has reached a confidential settlement with his former employer. Full story:...
Amtrak seeks to switch tracks to new long-term strategy
(Source: Freight Waves, February 22, 2019) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — In an effort to attract more passengers and generate more revenue, Amtrak wants to revamp its national network in order to boost passenger service in the South and West. However, the changes would curtail...
Metra begins replacing aging fleet with $71 million purchase contract
(Source: Progressive Railroading, February 21, 2019) Metra's board announced yesterday it approved a $70.9 million contract to purchase 15 remanufactured locomotives. Full story: Progressive Railroading
CP Rail CEO objects to Alberta’s oil production cuts
(Source: Canadian Press, February 21, 2019) MIAMI — The head of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. has voiced his discomfort at the idea of Alberta Premier Rachel Notley’s recent production curtailments, designed to draw down a glut of trapped crude oil and decrease the...
Pittsburgh objects to NS plans to raise bridges for double stack trains
(Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, February 21, 2019) PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Pittsburgh has filed a formal objection with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to Norfolk Southern Railroad’s plans to reconstruct a city street bridge in the North Side so double stack...
CN still tallying amount of oil spilled in Manitoba train derailment
(Source: Canadian Press, February 21, 2019) ST. LAZARE, Man. — CN is still tallying up the amount of oil spilled in a train derailment on a ranch in western Manitoba. The Transportation Safety Board has said 37 of 110 railcars went off the tracks early Saturday near...
Sarah Feinberg nominated to MTA Board
(Source: Associated Press, February 21, 2019) NEW YORK — The nation’s former chief railroad regulator has been nominated to join the board of the state agency that runs New York City’s subways and buses. Officials in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration said Thursday...
Opinion: Alberta’s crude-by-rail plan is risky and possibly unnecessary
(Source: CBC News opinion column by Kyle Bakx, February 20, 2019) CALGARY — The Alberta government has once again intervened in the energy sector, signing contracts to spend $3.7 billion to ship more oil out of the province by rail, but industry experts say the plan...
DOT says it will withhold final $929 million from California high-speed rail project
(Source: Eno Transportation Weekly, February 20, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Transportation said it will not pay the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) the final $929 million in federal appropriations that was legally committed...
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