Rail Industry News
Teamsters at Coca-Cola Refreshments authorize unfair labor practice strike
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, November 30, 2015) CHICAGO — More than 225 Coca-Cola Refreshments workers represented by Teamsters Local 727 voted Sun., Nov. 29, to authorize an unfair labor practice strike against the beverage industry...
As oil train shipments increase, some worry bridge safety standards aren’t enough
(Source: www.al.com, November 29, 2015) BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — In Tuscaloosa and elsewhere, oil trains are increasingly becoming an everyday part of American life. Since 2008, the hydraulic fracturing boom has dramatically changed the way domestic companies produce oil...
Canadian crude by rail exports rebound 38 percent in third quarter
(Source: Reuters, November 25, 2015) NEW YORK — Canadian exports of crude by rail surged 38 percent in the third quarter of 2015, according to data released on Wednesday, as wider price differentials improved the economics of shipping oil on tank cars to markets and...
AAR: Weekly rail traffic down 5.7 percent from 2014 for week ending November 21
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, November 25, 2015) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Nov. 21, 2015. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 532,532...
Nostalgia coupled to reality on Amtrak’s transcontinental train
(Source: Boston Globe, November 29, 2015) BOSTON — Chicago’s Union Station is one of the most dramatic public spaces in the country. The gigantic five-story, barrel-vaulted ceiling rests atop sturdy Corinthian columns, studded with brass lamps grounded on polished...
Amtrak saves piece of staircase for ‘Untouchables’ actress who helped make it famous
(Source: Chicago Sun-Times, November 27, 2015) CHICAGO — Last week Melody Rae was invited to take an Amtrak train to Chicago from her backwoods home in Western Washington state to pick up a chunk of marble. The stone was salvaged from a Union Station staircase that...
Oil train safety concerns cast shadow over proposed CP-NS deal
(Source: McClatchy News Service, November 25, 2015) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Concerns about the safety of crude oil trains loom over a proposed rail takeover that would create the largest rail system in North America. Full story: www.McClatchyDC.com
In proposed deal, BNSF will pay for not reporting leaks on time
(Source: Associated Press, November 29, 2015) OLYMPIA, Wash. — BNSF Railway agreed to pay $71,700 for failing to timely report crude oil leaks and other hazardous material spills under a proposed settlement. Full story: The Columbian
High-speed rail: Not so fast
(Source: Boston Globe, November 29, 2015) BOSTON — Trains are so popular on the East Coast, they’re giving other modes of transportation a run for their money. Amtrak carries more riders between Boston and New York, for example, than all of the airlines combined. Yet,...
Tight budgets open $20 billion New York rail tunnel plan to private cash
(Source: Reuters, November 30, 2015) NEW YORK — Private money is expected to fund part of a $20 billion rail tunnel project linking New Jersey with Manhattan, according to a senior executive at the national rail network Amtrak. Full story: Reuters
2012 Paulsboro derailment: Experts prohibited, appeals missed
(Source: Courier-Post, November 25, 2015) CAMDEN, N.J. — Plaintiffs suing Conrail over the 2012 Paulsboro train derailment missed the deadline to appeal a judge's decision to prohibit a medical expert's testimony. The group is denied an extension because the deadline...
Editorial: BNSF, workers should agree on safety
(Source: Daily Inter Lake, November 29, 2015) KALISPELL, Mont. — A former railroad engineer’s allegations of unsafe working conditions caused by long hours and unpredictable scheduling have raised concerns about rail safety not only locally but also nationwide. Full...
Huge hurdles, upside in proposed CP-NS mega merger
(Source: Fortune, November 25, 2015) NEW YORK — Last week, Canadian Pacific Railway made a $28.4 billion takeover bid for Norfolk Southern that would create North America’s third-largest railroad by revenue behind Union Pacific and BNSF. The combined company would own...
Weather aids post-Thanksgiving travel efforts
(Source: Associated Press, November 29, 2015) NEW YORK — Tens of millions of Americans returning home after the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend Sunday had cooperative weather and mostly efficient airport operations to thank for smooth traveling conditions. Full...
Quebec government suing CP Rail for damages in Lac-Megantic disaster
(Source: CBC News, November 17, 2015) MONTREAL — The Quebec government is suing Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) for $409 million in damages as a result of the 2013 tragedy at Lac-Mégantic. The lawsuit, filed on Friday at Quebec Superior Court, claims CP failed to take...
Widows: Union Pacific knew of defect before veterans killed
(Source: Associated Press, November 26, 2015) LUBBOCK, Texas — Intensive care nurse Angie Boivin had just tended to a woman whose leg was severed near the hip when she saw her husband Larry lying nearby under an American flag blanket. She says that she was with him...
America’s freight trains are first class
(Source: Boston Globe, November 29, 2015) BOSTON — The United States’ freight rail network is the finest and safest in the world, crisscrossing North America to connect the largest ports up and down the East and West coasts, as well as the Gulf of Mexico. All at an...
CSX’s Santa Train completes its 73rd run
(Source: Railway Age, November 23, 2015) NEW YORK — CSX’s Santa Train completed its 73rd run on Nov. 21, 2015 in Kingsport, Tenn., after having made its inaugural run in 1943 as a good will gesture to residents of rural Eastern Kentucky and Southwest Virginia. Full...
First annual National Lionel Train Day is December 5
(Source: Charlotte Observer, November 25, 2015) CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It took 115 years, but it’s finally time to celebrate Lionel trains. Dec. 5 marks the first-ever National Lionel Train Day, with more than 140 hobby shops and toy stores across the country, including...
How railroad history shaped Internet history
(Source: The Atlantic, November 24, 2015) NEW YORK — Council Bluffs is a mid-sized town in Iowa, right on that state’s border with Nebraska. Although better known for cultivating presidential candidates than server racks, Iowa is a pretty popular site for data...
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