Rail Industry News
Senate confirms Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the daughter of a Teamster, as Secretary of Labor
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien recommended her for the job.
Trump taps former Pa. GOP chair to serve on Amtrak board of directors
Rob Gleason, a longtime resident of western Pennsylvania, has been an advocate for expanding rail service.
NS says route through Asheville, N.C., will reopen by March 31
Still to be addressed is the badly damaged section of track east of Swannanoa to Old Forts, the rugged Old Fort Loops segment of the line to Salisbury, N.C.
FRA personnel cuts could further delay languishing rail initiatives: Analysis
Concerned about such a prospect, the Rail Passengers Association and 22 other public transportation advocacy organizations on Friday, Feb. 28, sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, urging him to “preserve mission-critical personnel to avoid further delays in the administration of these passenger and freight projects.”
Thieves targeting freight trains in California and Arizona deserts make off with $2 million worth of Nikes
It is said the trains are so long that train crews rarely encounter the thieves.
BNSF reports Q4, full year 2024 results
For the year, BNSF’s pre-tax earnings increased 0.5%, to $6.64 billion, while revenue declined 0.5%, to $23.35 billion.
CPKC dedicates new rail bridge between U.S., Mexico
The bridge is 1,170 feet long and cost $100 million.
Washington state calls for more, faster Amtrak Cascades service
Proposed bills would establish goals for cutting travel time, increasing daily roundtrips, and boosting on-time performance from Seattle to Portland and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Two years after East Palestine derailment, rail leaders still urge safety reforms
Rail leaders highlighted the worsening safety trends across the industry and the harmful impacts of the precision scheduled railroading (PSR) business model that prioritizes profits over safety.
Two bills addressing hazmat rail movements reintroduced in U.S. House
Previous versions of these bills did not advance out of House committees in 2023.
Trump administration shakes up funding formulas for rail projects
The order also contains provisions that would seem to threaten FRA funding for Amtrak, CRISI grants, and grade-crossing elimination projects.
Two years after derailment, toxic chemicals still roll through East Palestine
Despite an initial outcry, changes at the federal level have been bogged down.
Norfolk Southern reports Q4, full-year 2024 results
For full-year 2024, revenue was $12.1 billion and income from railway operations was $4.1 billion.
CN reports Q4, full-year 2024 results
Operating income for the full year was down 5% compared to 2023.
CPKC reports Q4, full-year 2024 results
For the full year 2024, the railroad reported that its operating ratio decreased by 60 basis points to 64.4 percent from 65.0 percent in 2023.
Union Pacific reports Q4, full-year 2024 results
The company repurchased 6.3 million shares of stock in 2024 at an aggregate cost of $1.5 billion.
CSX reports Q4, full-year 2024 results
Revenue for the full year totaled $14.54 billion in 2024.
Onboard workers at Brightline vote to join TWU
The TWU victory comes after an aggressive anti-union campaign by the privately-owned company.
New NJ Transit head tells union he’s ready to bargain as strike deadline looms
Kris Kolluri, the new head of NJ Transit, is imploring the union that represents locomotive engineers to come to the table before a possible strike in March.
Shift to remote-controlled dams, trains raises unions’ concerns
But the lack of clarity surrounding training, or how the equipment would provide “equivalent levels of safety for workers who perform duties around or adjacent ” to the train cars, or the surrounding community and pedestrians, has drawn opposition from unions.
BLET News
Education & Training: Annual LM-2 workshop
The BLET Education & Training Department hosted a hybrid training class for LM-2 filers from February 23-26, with a total of 24 officers participating — both in person at the BLET National Division Training Center and virtually via Zoom. The workshop was designed...
Replacement ballots now available in BLET-Indiana Rail Road contract vote
BLET members are currently voting on a tentative agreement with the Indiana Rail Road. Ballots will be tabulated on Friday, March 13. Eligible members who have not yet received a ballot should call the BLET National Division’s dedicated voicemail line to have one...
BLET members ratify new four-year contract with Alstom/MARC
On February 26, BLET members voted unanimously to ratify a new four-year contract with Alstom. The contract cover locomotive engineers who operate Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC) trains in the Washington-Baltimore area. The agreement covers the period from Jan. 1,...
BLET hails introduction of Railway Safety Act of 2026 in U.S. House of Representatives
On March 2, Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), along with co-leads Nick LaLota (R-NY), Michael Rulli (R-OH), John Garamendi (D-CA), introduced a companion bill to the Railway Safety Act of 2026 in the U.S. House Representatives. It matches the Senate measure that was...
BLET chalks up another organizing win as Austin Western workers say yes to union representation
Train and engine service employees at the Austin Western Railroad (AWRR) overwhelmingly voted to join the BLET in an election certified by the National Mediation Board in late February. Including this victory, BLET has won 15 representation elections in the past three...
Black History Month: Teamsters honor legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Earlier this month, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters unveiled a new bust of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Teamsters Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The bust honors the special relationship shared between Dr. King and the Teamsters Union during his lifetime...
BLET backs bills guaranteeing extra pay for working on federal holidays, paid sick leave
The BLET and Teamsters Rail Conference have thrown their support behind two U.S. Senate bills that will improve the pay and benefits of all Americans, including rail workers. Holiday Pay: The “Holiday Pay Act,” introduced by Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), would require...
Ballots mailed in tentative agreement with Indiana Rail Road
The BLET has reached a tentative agreement with the Indiana Rail Road (INRD). Ballots were mailed to members on February 20. The tentative agreement would provide retroactive pay dating to July 1, 2024, and subsequent general wage increases each year through July 1,...
BLET applauds bipartisan reintroduction of the Railway Safety Act
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) National Division today applauded the bipartisan reintroduction of the Railway Safety Act (RSA) in the United States Senate. The legislation is being led by Senator Jon Husted (R-OH) and Senator Maria...
Notch 8: A message to the membership from BLET First Vice President Gary Best
Brothers and Sisters, When I addressed the members at our Eastern Regional in Daytona Beach last summer, I said that our Union had been in a siding for the last couple of years and had just received a signal to come out on the mainline when President Mark...
