OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The federal government is handing out $2.4 billion in railroad grants to help pay for 122 projects nationwide with more than half of the money going to smaller railroads. To continue reading…
Category: News
FRA aims to tighten rules for waivers that allow railroads to experiment with safety technology
By Bill Stephens for trains.com The proposal would give rail labor and trackside communities more of a say while seeking to protect union jobs from advancements in technology WASHINGTON – The Federal Railroad Administration today proposed more stringent requirements that railroads must meet in order to obtain safety rule waivers that allow experimentation with track […]
COST SHARE DECREASES FOR RAILROAD EMPLOYEES COVERED BY THE NATIONAL RAILROAD PLAN
October 10, 2024 – Although healthcare premiums across the country continue to rise, effective January 1, 2025, TCU members’ monthly cost-share will decrease by $31.67 for those covered by the Railroad Employees National Health and Welfare Plan. Over the last two years (2023 and 2024), TCU has fought to keep employee cost-sharing steady, and now contributions […]
UP explains absence from early contract agreements with organized labor
By Bill Stephens for trains.com The railroad wants to negotiate changes to work rules DALLAS – As BNSF Railway, CSX, and Norfolk Southern continue to sign tentative contract agreements with their labor unions well in advance of the start of national negotiations, one U.S. Class I railroad has been conspicuously absent: Union Pacific. To continue […]
Railroad BNSF stresses safety but is still held back by longstanding industry issues, report finds
BY JOSH FUNKUpdated 1:48 PM CDT, August 28, 2024Share Freight railroad BNSF is generally striving to improve safety on a consistent basis, but that message doesn’t always reach front-line workers who often don’t feel comfortable reporting safety concerns for fear of being disciplined, according to an assessment released Wednesday by regulators. To continue reading…(apnews.com)
Canadian freight railroads shut down, dealing a potential blow to North America’s economy
TCU NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR TESTIFIES BEFORE HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON RAIL SAFETY ISSUES CARMEN FACE
TCU National Legislative Director David Arouca. July 24, 2024 – TCU’s National Legislative Director, David Arouca, testified before a House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on the significant challenges the carmen craft is facing in the railroad industry today. Brother Arouca highlighted the issues our members consistently raise to us: the railroads are not giving them enough time […]
Hearing into disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment in Ohio puts focus on rushed inspections due to years of job cuts
BYJOSH FUNK AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Major freight railroads are rushing railcar inspections, reinforcing known safety concerns raised by unions for years, but at a House hearing Tuesday they’ll present new evidence from federal inspectors that railcar checks are routinely less than two minutes per car. To continue reading…
BNSF Accuses Teenage Rail Enthusiast of Derailing Train
By Railfan.com & Railroad Staff BNSF Railway Police have accused a 17-year-old railroad enthusiast of purposely derailing a coal train and filming it in Nebraska this spring. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that railroad police have referred the case to the Lancaster County Attorney’s Office recommending that the teenager be charged with felony criminal mischief after allegedly tampering […]