Rail Industry News
Disability annuities for railroad employees
(Source: Railroad Retirement Board press release, May 1, 2018) CHICAGO — The Railroad Retirement Act provides disability annuities for railroaders who become totally or occupationally disabled. Medicare coverage before age 65 is also available for totally disabled...
Amtrak set to close doors in Havre on June 2
(Source: Television station KFBB, May 22, 2018) MISSOULA, Mont. — Amtrak officially set the date to close ticket stations at both Havre and Shelby locations on June 2, 2018. Full story: www.kfbb.com
U.S. amputees sue CN, saying it creates danger
(Source: Associated Press, May 17, 2018) IOWA CITY, Iowa — Two Iowa women who lost limbs when they were struck while trying to climb through trains that were blocking the road sued the railroad Thursday for allegedly ignoring a safety hazard that's left a trail of...
A public safety issue: Streets blocked by trains leads to tickets, lawsuit in Kentucky
(Source: Lexington Herald-Leader, May 22, 2018) SOMERSET, Ky. — Authorities in two Southern Kentucky counties have cracked down on trains that allegedly block highway crossings for long periods, keeping ambulances from passing and making people late for work. Full...
CN says operations performing better than expected after tough winter
(Source: Canadian Press, May 15, 2018) BOSTON — CN Rail says that its operations are performing better than it expected so far in the second quarter after a rough winter that led to the replacement of its chief executive. Full story: Financial Post
More Americans say they wouldn’t ride in self-driving car
(Source: CNBC, May 22, 2018) NEW YORK — Self-driving cars are scaring more Americans than they used to. More people now say they would not ride in a fully autonomous car than those surveyed in late 2017, according to AAA. Some 73 percent of U.S. drivers surveyed by...
Canada passes law hiking foreign ownership limits for airlines, CN Rail
(Source: Bloomberg, May 22, 2018) Ownership limits in Canadian airlines and the country’s biggest railway will rise this week after the wrangling over a controversial transport law finally came to an end. The law would raise the individual ownership limit in Canadian...
Teamsters oppose “skinny” NAFTA
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, May 22, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to recent reports that North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiators are being pressured by the “free trade” lobby to abandon the ambitious reforms of...
UP CEO “worried about NAFTA”
(Source: CNBC, May 22, 2018) NEW YORK — With U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin admitting on CNBC that there are still some "significant" issues hindering a new NAFTA deal, CEOs like Union Pacific's Lance Fritz are concerned. Full story and video: CNBC
More plaintiffs added to FMLA lawsuit against CSX
(Source: Herald-Dispatch, May 22, 2018) HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — With the addition of 15 plaintiffs, a federal lawsuit filed in February by former railroad workers against CSX for alleged wrongful termination is continuing to grow, according to a complaint refiled in...
China’s super-fast bullet train puts American transit to shame
(Source: Business Insider, May 13, 2018) HOUSTON — Traveling to China can often feel like visiting the future. The cities stretch out for what seems like forever, while new skyscrapers, bridges, and futuristically designed landmarks spring up every year. Nowhere is...
KCS announces operations, labor relations and legal appointments
(Source: Kansas City Southern press release, May 21, 2018) KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern (KCS) today announced the appointments of Michael A. Walczak to vice president mechanical, Maquiling B. Parkerson to vice president labor relations and Adam J. Godderz...
No “summer of hell” repeat for NJ Transit riders in 2018
(Source: NJ Spotlight, May 21, 2018) NEWARK, N.J. — While the fate of a new trans-Hudson rail tunnel remains in question thanks to Republicans in Washington, D.C., Amtrak officials say they are making good progress on an ongoing project to repair infrastructure deep...
NS trains idled near Atlanta homes for weeks due to traffic congestion
(Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 21, 2018) ATLANTA, Ga. — Norfolk Southern officials are looking for solutions after residents of an Atlanta neighborhood complained about trains idling on nearby tracks for too long. Full story: Atlanta...
Amtrak closes record number of on-site ticketing counters
(Source: Washington Examiner, May 21, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amtrak closed a record amount of on-site ticket windows in the first five months of 2018, a signal of the growing shift towards online ticket purchases. A spokesman on Monday confirmed the Washington...
Teen who started fire that burned 48,000 acres ordered to pay $36 million
(Source: CNN, May 21, 2018) ATLANTA — On Monday, an Oregon judge ordered the boy, who pleaded guilty to starting the Eagle Creek wildfire last year, to pay $36,618,330.24 in restitution to cover the damages. Of that, the Union Pacific Railroad is owed $1,048,877.52 in...
Amtrak says it’s expecting more than 320,000 riders over Memorial Day weekend
(Source: Amtrak press release, May 21, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amtrak is expecting heavy ridership as the summer season kicks off and customers head to the rails for convenient and flexible summer vacations. Affordable fares and convenient service make Amtrak ideal...
STB: Class I workforce up slightly in mid-April
(Source: Progressive Railroading, May 21, 2018) As of mid-April, U.S. Class Is employed 145,959 workers, up 0.59 percent since mid-March, but down 2.11 percent compared with April 2017, according to Surface Transportation Board data. All but one employment category —...
BNSF setting volume records in Southwest Washington, system wide
(Source: The Columbian, May 21, 2018) COLUMBIA, Wash. — BNSF Railway shipments were at an all-time high during the first quarter of this year, the company reported, surpassing its record set in 2006. BNSF, which is also moving record numbers of trains through...
Amtrak stops paying medical bills of those injured in February train crash in S.C.
(Source: The State, May 21, 2018) COLUMBIA, S.C. — Amtrak is refusing to pay any more for the medical bills of those injured in a February train crash in Cayce that killed two and injured 100-plus, lawyers for more than a dozen of those injured say. Full story: The...
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