Rail Industry News
CSX worker dies in North Carolina after being struck by moving equipment
An investigation is underway after a CSX worker was killed on the job Tuesday in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina.
NTSB investigates Ohio Central RR employee fatality
NTSB investigators have begun conducting observations and interviews regarding the fatality of a Ohio Central Railroad signal maintainer.
CPKC lags peers in offering sick time and now some dispatchers will have to forfeit it
ATDA President Ed Dowell said CPKC “exploited its merger as an opportunity to strip sick leave benefits from some of its most safety-critical employees.”
Moffat Tunnel wastewater spill highlights rail safety issues for Colorado
As Colorado lawmakers this month prepare to do something that Congress has been incapable of for more than a year — debate meaningful rail-safety legislation — Union Pacific, state regulators and officials in Grand County are debating tough questions about a massive wastewater spill last summer into the Fraser River near the state-owned Moffat Tunnel.
Activist Ancora may turn to PSR to “enhance value” at Norfolk Southern
Ancora is a $9 billion wealth advisory firm that has been using activism more often and has developed into an activist to be respected and feared. With an approximate $1 billion position in Norfolk Southern, the firm likely has a partner who has shared in the investment and is relying on Ancora to lead the activist effort.
BNSF intermodal train derails in south central Kansas
Seventeen cars of a BNSF intermodal train derailed early this morning (Monday, Feb. 12) east of Hazelton on the railroad’s Southern Transcon, KWNS-TV reports.
Coal spills into Feather River after UP train derails in California
A Union Pacific train carrying 118 tons of coal derailed Sunday due to a track defect and dumped its contents into and around Plumas County’s Feather River.
Derailed UP train spills over 1,000 gallons of fuel in Iowa
No one was injured when a train derailed Friday in the Union Pacific rail yard at South 23rd Street and Liberty Avenue, spilling 1,000 to 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel.
No injuries following 57-car BNSF derailment in Nebraska
Hall County Emergency Management has confirmed there are no injuries after 57 BNSF train cars loaded with coal derailed near Cairo early Friday morning.
NS train derails in eastern North Carolina
Fourteen cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed early Saturday morning near the town of Aurora, leading to a leak of molten sulfur from one car. No injuries were reported.
STB seeks operating details as part of ongoing Sunset Limited investigation
The Surface Transportation Board has asked Amtrak and the train’s host railroads to answer a series of detailed questions on delays encountered during specific runs by the train and other operational details along the train’s route.
Union Pacific seeks to block BNSF access to Arkansas quarry
For the second time in the past three months, federal regulators are being asked to settle a dispute related to Union Pacific’s 1996 acquisition of Southern Pacific.
Despite defects, misconduct and secret recordings, BNSF insists safety is the “center of everything we do”
As a fifth-generation railroader, John Mozinski has a front-row seat at Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) – but he says that view is not what it used to be. He’s been sounding the alarm about safety for years, blasting the railroad for cutting inspections and staff long before the fiery BNSF derailment in Raymond, Minnesota last spring.
A year after East Palestine derailment, U.S. freight trains remain largely unregulated
ProPublica Reporter Topher Sanders has spent the last two years with his colleagues reviewing court and regulatory records of thousands of incidents involving trains.
AAR reports rail traffic for January and the week ending February 3, 2024
Combined U.S. carload and intermodal originations in January 2024 were 2,231,182, down 0.7 percent, or 16,530 carloads and intermodal units from January 2023.
NTSB will return to East Palestine in June to release findings, probable cause of NS derailment
The National Transportation Safety Board will announce its final findings, probable cause, and recommendations regarding the 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment and massive hazardous materials release in East Palestine, Ohio. The public board meeting will be held at the high school in East Palestine.
Former BNSF track inspector who secretly recorded boss shares why he took on the railroad
As the country focuses on rail safety following derailments here and around the country, Don Sanders’ recordings raise new questions about internal operations at the BNSF Railway
CPKC railroad lags peers in offering sick time and now some dispatchers will have to forfeit it
The head of the American Train Dispatchers Association, President Ed Dowell, sent an angry public letter to CPKC executives and shareholders this week about the 35 dispatchers who will lose their sick time when they move from Canadian Pacific’s old U.S. headquarters in Minnesota to the new U.S. CPKC headquarters in July.
Filibuster derails proposal to require two-person crews on trains in Nebraska
A filibuster stretching over three days derailed a proposal Friday to require two-person crews on trains operated by major railroads in Nebraska.
FRA issues Emergency Order shutting down Oklahoma short line
The Federal Railroad Administration issued a rare emergency order shutting down an Oklahoma short line following the discovery of multiple derailments and safety violations. In an emergency order posted this week, the FRA alleged that the continued operation of the Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad posed an “imminent threat” to public safety.
BLET News
BLET Town Hall Meetings — Next Week
All BLET members are invited to two Town Hall meetings next week to discuss the tentative national agreement. These meetings are an opportunity for members to hear directly from national officers, ask questions, and share feedback: Tuesday, November 11 – Needles, CA/...
Deadline extended through November 14 to enroll in Health FSA program
The deadline for BLET members to enroll or change their Medical or Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) benefit selections for the 2026 benefit year has been extended from October 31 to midnight on November 14, 2025. It’s important to note that members must enroll...
BLET reaches tentative agreement on national contract
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) today reached a tentative national agreement with freight railroads represented by the National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC). Highlights of the tentative five-year contract include: General wage...
BLET’s District of Columbia Legislative Board hosts 20th anniversary celebration
From left: Herbert Harris Jr., Chairman; Kelly Hamrick, Alternate Secretary-Treasurer; Vince Verna, BLET Vice President & National Legislative Representative; Dorian Potts, Secretary-Treasurer; and Carlyle Smith, First Vice Chairman. ____________________ Members...
Illinois legislature approves $1.5 billion spending bill to fund mass transit, avert fiscal cliff
Early this morning, the Illinois Legislature passed a bill that averts the fiscal cliff at Metra, PACE and CTA by providing $1.5 billion in public transit funding. Governor Pritzker is expected to sign bill into law. About 300 BLET members work for Metra as locomotive...
Bob Peters elected General Chairman of NS-Northern Lines GCA as Dewayne Dehart retires after a dozen years in the elected office
Bob Peters was elected General Chairman of the BLET’s Norfolk Southern-Northern Lines General Committee of Adjustment at the GCA’s quadrennial meeting at BLET National Division headquarters on October 20-21, 2025. The NS-N GCA represents more than 2,400 active and...
BLET reaches tentative agreement with Western New York & Pennsylvania
Ballots are due back to the National Division by November 11. Photo by Cory Rusch, BLET Division 659 ____________________ The BLET has reached a tentative five-year agreement with the Western New York & Pennsylvania (WNYP) Railroad, governing rates of pay,...
Mark your calendars: 2026 BLET regional meetings to provide training, fellowship
BLET members who are scheduling their vacations for next year should make plans to attend one or both of the BLET’s regional meetings in 2026. The 2026 Western Regional Meeting will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, the week of July 13, while the 2026 Eastern...
In the line of duty: BLET mourns the loss of Brother Daniel P. Peterson
The BLET is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Brother Daniel P. Peterson, age 52, who died on the morning of October 19 as a result of an incident while working as a conductor for BNSF Railway. Brother Peterson was a proud and active member of BLET Division 232 in...
Railroad Retirement Board Q&A: Applying for a retirement annuity
Railroad employees considering retirement should familiarize themselves with the Railroad Retirement Board’s (RRB) annuity application process. Understanding how the process works can prevent delays and ensure that annuity payments begin as soon as possible after...
