Rail Industry News

(Source: Teamsters Local 174 press release, July 16, 2017) TUKWILA, Wash. — Teamsters Local 174 members at Safeway voted today to ratify a new four-year contract with their Employer. The agreement covers both the drivers who deliver Safeway products to Safeway stores...

(Source: News 12 New Jersey, July 17, 2017) GLADSTONE, N.J. — Gov. Chris Christie is denying accusations that he is withholding funds from New Jersey Transit after it was announced the agency would have to use money from its capital fund to pay for day-to-day...

(Source: Patriot Ledger, July 17, 2017) QUINCY, Mass. — About 100 people gathered at the MBTA bus maintenance facility in Quincy Monday morning to rally against the potential privatization of some jobs at the transit agency. Full story: Patriot Ledger

(Source: Associated Press, July 18, 2017) SAVANNAH, Ga. — A railroad owner must pay $3.9 million to the family of a movie worker killed on a Georgia railroad trestle in 2014, a jury decided Monday in civil verdict that found the company shared in the blame for the...

(Source: Reuters, July 17, 2017) NEW YORK — About $1 million worth of smuggled marijuana was discovered last week in the spare tire compartments of newly assembled Ford Fusion sedans imported into the United States from Mexico, U.S. officials said on Monday. In all,...

(Source: www.nj.com, July 14, 2017) NEWARK, N.J. — Work accomplished includes installing two new track switches between the Hudson River tunnels and Penn Station platforms, dismantling two other switches to be replaced next week, and replacing half of a track...

(Source: Lewiston Tribune, July 16, 2017) LEWISTON, Idaho — One of the biggest questions in the debate about removing the four lower Snake River dams is whether rail could haul the grain that's now barged to Portland and transferred onto ocean-going vessels headed to...

(Source: Progressive Railroading, July 14, 2017) In late June, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation (SFDF) held a groundbreaking ceremony for the first project in its new industrial park: a refrigerated warehouse and distribution center that will be served by BNSF...

(Source: Associated Press, July 16, 2017) NEW YORK — U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is asking Amtrak to discard the idea of creating new economy seating with reduced legroom aboard its trains. Full story: www.cnycentral.com

(Source: AllGov.com, July 17, 2017) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The new head of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) comes from one of train travel’s biggest competitors: the airline industry. Richard H. Anderson, who retired as CEO of Delta Airlines in May...

(Source: New York Post opinion column by Nicole Gelinas, July 16, 2017) NEW YORK — Two-thirds of New Yorkers think Gov. Cuomo is doing a bad job with the subways, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. But this dismal showing hasn’t spurred Cuomo to change his ways when...

(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, July 13, 2017) WASHINGTON, D.C. — On May 8, Esteban Garcia sat beside a supervisor in his truck for his annual safety ride. As a 16-year UPS driver and member of Teamsters Local 177 in Hillside, NJ, Garcia...

(Source: Railway Age, July 14, 2017) NEW YORK — In a major victory for freight railroads, a Surface Transportation Board (STB) attempt to revive what previously was ruled an unconstitutional regulatory scheme has been blocked by the federal Eighth Circuit Court of...

(Source: Bloomberg, July 17, 2017) NEW YORK — New Jersey Transit is using a record $505 million earmarked for maintenance and other capital improvements to plug a hole in its operating budget through mid-2018, continuing the years-long practice of raiding that fund to...

(Source: Associated Press, July 14, 2017) WASHINGTON, D.C. — So far, so good. Amtrak’s chief operations officer called the first week of summer-long track work and corresponding schedule cutbacks for commuters at Penn Station a success. Full story: Seattle Times

(Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, July 13, 2017) PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The quest to uncover the truth about the deaths of 57 Irish railroad workers on the Main Line in 1832 has led to an encouraging discovery: Ground-penetrating radar last month found several anomalies...

(Source: Omaha World-Herald, July 13, 2017) OMAHA, Neb. — For 105 years, Union Pacific trains carried travelers across the United States. But passenger service came to a halt in 1971, as airline and Interstate travel continued to grow. Next month, passengers will once...

(Source: Philly Voice, July 13, 2017) PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Over the past two years, the future of 30th Street Station and the surrounding area in University City has been a central focus of local stakeholders, including Amtrak, SEPTA, PennDOT, Drexel University and...

(Source: Bergen Record, July 13, 2017) BERGEN COUNTY, N.J. — Gov. Chris Christie refused to sign a bill Thursday that would provide local emergency responders with more information on the scores of trains hauling volatile crude oil through New Jersey, saying it could...

(Source: DeSmog Blog, July 13, 2017) NEW YORK — “We were very lucky in this instance,” Plainfield Fire Chief David Riddle said. “There was no fire, nobody got hurt by the grace of God.” As the residents of Lac-Megantic were preparing to acknowledge the 4th anniversary...