Rail Industry News
Judge allows East Palestine residents lawsuit against Norfolk Southern to proceed
A class action suit accusing Norfolk Southern of negligence over the train derailment that released toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, last year can go forward, a federal judge determined Wednesday.
AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending March 9, 2024
Total carloads for the week ending March 9 were 214,585 carloads, down 3.7 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 258,077 containers and trailers, up 13.5 percent compared to 2023.
Union Pacific CEO defends safety practices without mentioning key critic
Jim Vena’s opening remarks Wednesday at the J.P. Morgan 2024 Industrials Conference could easily be seen as a rebuttal to one man: Amit Bose, the chairman of the Federal Railroad Administration.
Buttigieg scolds railroads for not doing more to improve safety since East Palestine
In a new letter to the freight railroads’ main trade group, Buttigieg said too often regulators encounter resistance when trying to get the industry to do more to improve safety.
BNSF eliminates management jobs amid uncertain freight outlook
BNSF Railway eliminated several hundred management positions at its headquarters and across the system last week as part of a belt-tightening move.
Are railroad layoffs compromising safety and service?
Recent layoffs by Class 1 railroads Union Pacific (UP) and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) have not only raised alarms that safety may be compromised but shippers are complaining service has been poor. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently weighed in.
Va. governor vetoes bill requiring two crew members on trains
Virginia’s legislative effort to require two crew members on all trains died after the governor vetoed the legislation on Friday.
Bill to end cuts to railroad unemployment insurance advances in Senate
The Senate Budget Committee has unanimously voted to advance a bill that would permanently exempt railroad workers’ unemployment and sickness insurance benefits from sequestration cuts, and end current cuts.
More BNSF employees laid off in Lincoln in second round of furloughs
More BNSF workers in Lincoln may have lost their jobs after another round of furloughs were announced. At least 10 conductors were set to be furloughed from their positions in Lincoln on Wednesday.
Vent and burn of tank cars in East Palestine was not justified, NTSB testifies
The decision to blow open five tank cars and burn the toxic chemical inside them after a freight train derailed in Eastern Ohio last year wasn’t justified, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board told Congress Wednesday.
NTSB needs more funding for rail and air safety probes, chair says
The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board will tell the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday the agency needs more funding and warn cuts could put probes into aviation and rail accidents at risk.
NS alone should pay for cleanup of East Palestine derailment, judge says
Norfolk Southern alone will be responsible for paying for the cleanup after last year’s fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio, a federal judge ruled. The decision issued March 6 threw out the railroad’s claim that the companies that made chemicals that spilled and owned tank cars that ruptured should share the cost of the cleanup.
NTSB investigating collision, derailment involving three NS trains in Pa.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board continued work Sunday to determine why three freight trains collided and derailed near Steel City, Pa., on March 2.
Latest freight railroad layoffs and Wall Street pressure renew concerns about safety and service
The latest rail layoffs this week, combined with an investment fund’s ongoing campaign for control of Norfolk Southern, are renewing concerns among unions and regulators about the effects all the cuts might have on safety and service.
Mass furloughs reported at BNSF operations in 4 states
The furloughs were announced Tuesday, with 362 workers reportedly losing their jobs, according to the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) with the AFL-CIO.
Rail safety bill heads to governor’s desk in Virginia
As the federal government considers requiring two crew members on all trains, similar legislation to increase rail safety statewide passed both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly.
Misreporting masks true scale of rail suicides in U.S., experts claim
High-profile train derailments may capture public attention, but a more silent crisis looms over America’s railroads, with suicides potentially constituting the majority of fatalities, a revelation that suggests a significant underreporting issue.
FRA raises red flag over worker furloughs at UP
Federal Railroad Administration Administrator Amit Bose yesterday told Union Pacific Railroad CEO Jim Vena that the company’s furloughs of maintenance of equipment (MoE) workers jeopardizes the safety of railroad workers and the public.
Following furloughs, rail workers demand immediate federal safety inspections of BNSF locomotives and rail cars
Shop Craft Unions at the BNSF Railway are urgently calling upon the FRA to initiate unannounced focus inspections on all locomotives and rail cars owned and leased by BNSF Railway, and immediately issue non-compliance orders requiring BNSF to fix all found defects before being permitted to use such equipment, citing concerns over numerous defects that are allegedly being ignored and neglected by BNSF management.
Analysis: Rail industry’s future hinges on outcome of proxy fight at Norfolk Southern
The proxy battle that activist investor Ancora Holdings is waging against Norfolk Southern isn’t just about the direction NS should take and who should run the company. It’s a fight for the future of the railroad industry.
BLET News
Train crews drive resurgence at Amtrak as trains sell out ahead of Thanksgiving holiday rush
Amtrak's recent surge in ticket sales are thanks in large part to the hard work and dedication of the train crews including BLET members. Amtrak photo ____________________ Amtrak trains are selling out from coast to coast thanks in part to surging demand for...
Division 301 in Roanoke marks 140th anniversary
BLET Division 301 in Roanoke was chartered on November 17, 1885. Members celebrated their Division's 140th anniversary at a Division meeting earlier in this month where they wore t-shirts designed by Local Chairman Patrick Jennings. ____________________ In 1885,...
BLET backing efforts to secure funding for Caltrain, other mass transit agencies
The BLET is backing efforts to place a funding measure on the November 2026 ballot that would help keep the trains rolling at Caltrain. Photo courtesy of Caltrain ____________________ Commuter railroad Caltrain and other public transit agencies in the San Francisco...
One year later, Division 13 member Tony Ramos continues battle with brain cancer; Fundraiser set for La Crosse on December 4
Brother Tony Ramos, an Air Force veteran, was invited to attend a Wisconsin Badgers football game in November where he was presented with a game ball in recognition of his year-long battle with brain cancer. ____________________ It’s been one year since BLET member...
LIRR unions in NMB public interest hearing tell labor board that PEB recommendations are a foundation for reaching a settlement
On Monday, November 17, the National Mediation Board (NMB) held a “Public Interest Hearing” at its offices in Washington to assess if either the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) or a coalition of five rail unions that includes BLET would accept the recommendations of...
National Transportation Safety Board issues two safety advisories directed at conductors and other rail workers
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued two safety alerts in November regarding rail operations: the first addressed the risks of shoving moves, and the second concerned the dangers of unexpected equipment moves. The BLET Safety Task Force urges all...
BLET members ratify five-year deal with WNYP
On November 11, BLET members ratified a new five-year agreement with the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad (WNYP), governing rates of pay, benefits, and work rules. The agreement runs through 2030 and provides for a guaranteed 40-hour work week, a signing...
BLET reaches tentative agreement with SEPTA
The BLET has reached a tentative one-year deal with SEPTA for locomotive engineers who operate regional rail trains for the transit agency. Ballots were mailed last week. If ratified by the members, the deal would build upon gains achieved in the previous round of...
BLET reaches tentative agreement for CPKC Soo Line locomotive engineers
Ballots are due back to the National Division by Thursday, December 11. Photo by Cory Rusch, BLET Division 659 ____________________ The BLET has reached a tentative five-year agreement with the CPKC for locomotive engineers who work on the CPKC Soo Line territory....
BLET holds Town Hall meetings in Pennsylvania, more dates added for the upcoming weeks
BLET members turned out in strong numbers and came prepared with thoughtful, detailed questions at our recent Town Hall meetings in Harrisburg, PA, on November 16, and Pittsburgh, PA, on November 17. See photo highlights of the Pennsylvania meetings. The discussions...
