Rail Industry News
Amtrak service returns to Florida following Hurricane Ian
Amtrak this past weekend was set to restore its passenger trains between Miami and New York two weeks after Hurricane Ian.
STB launches Office of Passenger Rail
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on Oct. 1 established the Office of Passenger Rail, responsible for investigating and analyzing issues regarding Amtrak on-time performance (OTP).
How railroads standardized time in the U.S.
Long before radios and extensive signaling systems, railroads safely operated multiple trains on the same line.
CP and KCS make their case for merger in final day of STB hearings
Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern will make their closing arguments for their merger on Thursday, the sixth and final day of Surface Transportation Board hearings on the first Class I railroad combination in two decades.
Illinois lawmakers call on STB to delay CP-KCS merger
A merger between two large freight railroad companies could potentially spell disaster for the Chicago area if allowed to go through unchecked, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., warned on Tuesday.
American Train Dispatchers Association ratifies labor agreement
Members of the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) have ratified the labor contract with the freight railroads, joining three other unions that have already done so.
Much-needed grain piles up in Canada due to overwhelmed railways
The world sorely needs more grains, and Canada has a bin-busting harvest this year. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough rail cars to transport it all.
New York governor announces completion of LIRR third track project
The new 9.8-mile track runs from Floral Park to Hicksville, giving the railroad more operational flexibility.
NJ Transit sells naming rights to Meadowlands rail line
NJ Transit has sold the naming rights of its Meadowlands Rail Line to an online sports betting company.
NS to announce Q3 2022 results on October 26
Norfolk Southern will announce its third quarter financial results at 8:45 a.m. ET on Wednesday, October 26, 2022.
STB gets an earful about KCS-NS Meridian Speedway joint venture
Now CSX wants in. NS wants to keep CSX out. And NS wants to protect the route that carries nearly 10% of its intermodal traffic, saying CPKC might pose a threat to reliable service.
DeFazio joins those questioning SEPTA’s contract with China-backed rail company
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) is asking the Federal Transit Administration to look into a contract between the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and the China Railway Rolling Stock Corp. (CRRC) after three Republican congressmen penned a letter earlier this week.
BNSF’s Truxton Flyover: Improving traffic flows on Southern Transcon
It is in Tucson, Arizona, that the BNSF Railway constructed its Truxton Natural Flyover, allowing trains to change main tracks to take advantage of more favorable grades when coming from Needles, Calif., while remaining properly aligned for refueling and inspections at the crew-change point in Belen, N.M.
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service suspended for emergency track repairs
The Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, which operates the Pacific Surfliner route on behalf of Amtrak, last week temporarily suspended service south of Irvine, California, due to emergency track repairs.
UP train blocked Metairie crossing for three hours
For those who travel Metairie Road in Old Metairie on a regular basis, waiting for a train to clear the railroad crossing is a frequent occurrence.
Port of New York moves ahead with new threshold for empty container fee on ocean carriers
The Port of New York and New Jersey is moving ahead with new shipping container requirements for ocean carriers and fees for violations.
UP, BNSF say CP-KCS merger will melt down Houston terminal
Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern executives say there’s plenty of capacity in Houston to handle the eight additional trains per day they’ll run through the busy terminal within three years after their merger.
STB adds three days to CP-KCS hearing
The three-day Surface Transportation Board hearing on the proposed Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger has ballooned to a six-day hearing. The board will hold mostly virtual hearings on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 3-4, with remaining witnesses. CP and KCS will appear on Thursday, Oct. 6, to rebut comments made throughout the hearings.
A railroad megamerger could be a boon to Canada’s dirty oil industry
Canadian Pacific is eying an even bigger prize — with a potential payoff from connecting Canada’s uniquely dirty oil fields to U.S. refineries on the Gulf of Mexico and creating what analysts say could be an attractive new backup route for crude producers if pipelines shut down.
BNSF to build $1.5 billion facility in Barstow to handle container traffic
BNSF Railway has announced plans for what it is calling the first master-planned rail facility built by a Class I railroad — costing more than $1.5 billion and including a rail yard, intermodal facility, and warehouses for transloading from international to domestic containers.
BLET News
President Biden appoints PEB to investigate national rail contract dispute
The United Rail Unions issue the following statement July 15, 2022: The Rail Unions who are bargaining as part of the Coordinated Bargaining Coalition and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way/SMART Mechanical Coalition attended the Public Interest Hearings hosted by...
Carriers continue to stonewall at latest NMB hearings as IBT offers added support
On Tuesday, July 12, 2022, BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce traveled to Washington D.C. to represent the membership of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen at the Public Interest Hearings held by the National Mediation Board (NMB) in a final attempt to assist the involved Rail Unions and Carriers in reaching a contract settlement.
BLET Strike Vote: The rest of the story
Today, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen tallied the ballots cast in its first nationwide strike vote over national contract negotiations since 2011. In a showing of solidarity and unity, 99.5% of the participating members voted to authorize a strike should such action become legal in the coming days, and become necessary to secure a contract worthy of their consideration.
Deadline extended for BLET’s Baltimore regional meeting
For those making last minute plans to attend the BLET’s upcoming regional meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, please be advised that the deadline to make hotel reservations has been extended to July 7, 2022.
Ballots for strike authorization being mailed June 24 to BLET members at Class I railroads
This week, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is mailing ballots to more than 23,000 members seeking authorization for the Union’s leadership to call a strike should one become necessary to settle the current national contract dispute with the nation’s largest rail carriers. This is a mandatory step required by the Brotherhood’s internal law as the Union approaches the point where self-help becomes a legal option to both labor and management.
BLET to hold strike authorization vote
In a conference call held with all BLET General Chairmen today, National President Dennis R. Pierce announced that preparations are underway to poll members to authorize a strike in the event one becomes necessary to attain the Organization’s national bargaining goals.
BLET members ratify new contract with DM&E; Wages to increase 27%
By a nearly 5-to-1 ratio, members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) ratified a new on-property agreement with the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (DM&E) on June 13, 2022.
Deadline approaches for BLET’s Baltimore regional meeting
Those planning to attend the BLET’s upcoming regional meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, are reminded that the deadline to make hotel reservations is June 28, 2022. The meeting will be held August 1-5, 2022.
FRA publishes rule on fatigue management
On June 13, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published its long awaited rule on rail worker fatigue management. The fatigue final rule was mandated by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008.
United Rail Unions statement on proffer of arbitration, June 15, 2022
The United Rail Unions issued the following statement on June 15, 2022: Following the conclusion of our third week of compulsory mediation conducted by the National Mediation Board (NMB), the Rail Unions who are bargaining as part of the Coordinated Bargaining...
