Rail Industry News
BMWED provides national freight rail bargaining update
BMWED-IBT National Division officers, General Chairpersons, and staff met in Washington, D.C. this week with the National Carriers Conference Committee for three days of continued bargaining in the wake of the Presidential Emergency Board 250’s recommendations. No tentative agreement was reached.
BRS publishes collective bargaining update
The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, which represents more than 6,500 members working on the nation’s freight railroads in national collective bargaining, issued the following statement today regarding PEB 250 recommendations:
Alabama train engineer indicted in death of worker on rails
A train engineer who was allegedly chatting on video when his locomotive struck heavy equipment on the tracks in south Alabama, killing a Mississippi man, was charged with reckless manslaughter in the crash, court documents show. The engineer worked for the Alabama Export Railroad at the time of the collision.
Court sides with UP in ongoing dispute with Palestine, Texas
The city of Palestine, Anderson County and local employees of Union Pacific Railroad were recently handed a setback in the long fight of Union Pacific’s attempted exodus from the community.
AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending August 27, 2022
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 511,574 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
NS trains repeatedly block crossings in Ohio, one for 14 hours
Police alerted Norfolk Southern Railway at 10:12 a.m. Aug. 26 a train was blocking several railroad track crossings. Police reported another stopped train at 9:23 a.m. Aug. 25 blocking four railroad crossings.
CSX, NS trains block first responders at crossings in South Carolina
Leaders in Chester County say trains regularly blocking roads are causing public safety concerns. Now, they’re looking for ways to raise awareness, saying it’s not just an inconvenience.
U.S. rail traffic uptick continues
This is the third time in five weeks that a gain in total rail traffic has been reported.
Ridership on Amtrak’s Virginia routes reaches all-time high
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) and Amtrak announced yesterday that ridership on state-supported trains reached 110,256 passengers in July, a 28.9% increase from June’s level and a 19.8% increase compared with pre-pandemic ridership in July 2019.
DOT: $1.4 billion in rail infrastructure grants now available
The U.S. Department of Transportation today issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcing the availability of over $1.4 billion in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) Grant funding.
FTA to MBTA: Additional safety changes needed
The new Special Directives announced today require MBTA to address personnel, deficiencies and inadequate operating conditions, policies, procedures and training that compromised a culture of safety at the agency.
Is STB’s Primus in rail industry’s crosshairs?
The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a confirmation hearing Sept. 7 on President Biden’s nomination of Democrat Robert E. Primus to a second term on the Surface Transportation Board (STB). This is a preliminary step, requiring a subsequent vote among committee members whether to send the nomination forward to the entire Senate for consideration. The latter could be problematic, as will be explained.
UP conductor killed as train derails in El Paso
A train conductor was killed in a train derailment in El Paso, Texas, late Monday night, officials said. Two train cars derailed, damaging a backyard shed, a fence, and a gas meter and leading to the evacuation of about 50 people from nearby homes, according to the El Paso Fire Department. The victim was identified as 49-year-old Mario Aurelio Navarro, a conductor for Union Pacific, according to a news release from the El Paso Police Department.
Trouble on the Transcon
Earlier this month, Trains drove alongside BNSF Railway’s Southern Transcon from Barstow, Calif., to Belen, N.M., to see how North America’s busiest freight railroad and intermodal corridor is faring amid the crew shortages that have affected operations. BNSF’s California and Southwest divisions have been among the hardest hit in the country as the big four U.S. Class I railroads aim to replenish train crew staffing levels.
A U.S. freight rail crisis threatens more supply chain chaos
Federal regulators and the White House have been scrambling to prevent poor service and a possible strike from jamming up a vital but often overlooked network.
Gallup poll: Support for labor unions highest since 1965
Seventy-one percent of Americans indicated support for labor unions in a Gallup poll released on Tuesday, the highest percentage since 1965. The latest measure is a slight uptick from the 68 percent who supported labor unions when the survey giant polled the question last year.
UPS Teamster who saved a life is praised by state police, ignored by the company
Earlier this year, UPS driver Keith O’Brien was driving his route in Essex, Connecticut when he noticed a young girl sitting out in the cold in front of her house. What O’Brien did next may be the reason the girl’s mother is still alive today.
Critics work along the Mississippi to rally opposition to CP-KCS merger
Critics of a proposed $31 billion merger between the Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads are trying to marshal opposition in eastern Iowa, saying the deal would hurt the state and especially the Quad-Cities.
After a decade of hype, Dallas-Houston bullet train developer faces a leadership exodus as land acquisition slows
Ten years ago, a company calling itself Texas Central High-Speed Railway announced plans for a trailblazing bullet train that would whisk passengers between Dallas and Houston in 90 minutes. But a decade on, there are still no new tracks between Dallas and Houston.
KCS set to build $75 million rail bridge in Laredo
The new $75 million rail bridge will parallel Kansas City Southern’s current one across the U.S.-Mexico border, where the Class I railroad already processes about 26 trains a day in a 24-hour period.
BLET News
VP Wallace outlines PSR problems, offers solutions at STB hearing
BLET National Vice President Mark L. Wallace testified yesterday on behalf of the BLET at a hearing before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board titled “Urgent Issues in Freight Rail Service.”
BLET National President Pierce, Vice President and NLR Verna meet with Ohio SLB officers, members and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
On Monday, April 25, 2022, BLET National President Pierce and Vice President and National Legislative Representative Vince Verna attended the opening sessions of the quadrennial meeting of BLET’s Ohio State Legislative Board (SLB) in Columbus, Ohio. Brendan Sullivan, BLET Director of Legislative Affairs, was also in attendance
BLET National Division files comments for STB hearing, Vice President Mark Wallace to testify
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, April 25 — On Friday, April 22, 2022, the BLET National Division submitted written comments in advance of the upcoming Surface Transportation Board (STB) hearing scheduled for April 26 and 27, 2022. The in-person hearing, titled “Urgent Issues in...
CBC Unions reject lump-sum offers, seek proffer of arbitration
The Coordinated Bargaining Coalition released the following statement on April 25, 2022: On January 24, 2022, after more than two years of bargaining with the major U.S. Class I railroads, the 10 Rail Unions bargaining as part of the Coordinated Bargaining Coalition...
BLET’s Fifth National Convention
The BLET’s national conventions are held quadrennially, or once every four years. Approximately 475 delegates will represent more than 33,000 active locomotive engineers and trainmen throughout the United States.
BLET wins in court over Union Pacific’s antiunion tactics
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) secured a major court victory over the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) on April 13 as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld a district court’s 2021 ruling granting the BLET a preliminary injunction stopping the railroads’ indefinite suspension of six members of BLET Division 192 in El Paso.
Ballots to be mailed in tentative BLET-MRL agreement
The tentative agreement governs rates of pay, work rules, and health & welfare for approximately 475 members.
Rail Labor calls on STB to act on poor-quality rail service
The BLET reaffiliated with the TTD in January 2022, and many of the issues raised by President Regan reflect the concerns of BLET members, particularly the negative impact that Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) has had on our industry, and the draconian attendance policies that have been implemented in the PSR era.
President Pierce answers follow-up questions from March 8 Congressional hearing
On March 8, 2022, BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce testified before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. Following the hearing, President Pierce received questions for the hearing record from Rep. Jesús “Chuy” Garcia and Rep. Rick Crawford.
Registration opens for BLET’s Denver regional meeting, June 13-17, 2022
Registration is now open for the BLET regional meeting in Denver, Colorado, June 13-17, 2022.
