Bill would create dedicated funding for freight infrastructure
(source: progressiverailroading.com) U.S. Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) last week introduced a bipartisan bill that would create a dedicated funding source for freight-related infrastructure projects. H.R. 3001, the National Multimodal and Sustainable Freight Infrastructure Act, would build on the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which outlines for the first time a national freight policy, according…
Read MoreHall named FRA’s deputy administrator
(source: progressiverailroading.com) Heath Hall has been named deputy administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), agency spokesman Marc Willis confirmed yesterday. U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao appointed him to the post and he was sworn in on June 23. Hall previously served as president of Strategic Marketing Group LLC, a full-service public relations firm. Before…
Read MoreUP derailment spills whipped cream into Texas creek, resulting in fish kill
(Source: KTXS, June 26, 2017) COLORADO CITY, Texas — A refrigerated car involved in Friday’s train derailment near Colorado City contained whipped cream that has melted into Champion Creek and resulted in a fish kill. A Union Pacific Railroad spokesman says strong winds caused the derailment. Full story: www.ktxs.com Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Read MoreSTB: Overall class I employment declined in mid-May 2017, but T&E employees increased 0.64 percent
(Source: Progressive Railroading, June 22, 2017) Class Is employed 149,032 workers in the United States as of mid-May, down 0.05 percent from employment in mid-April and down 2.42 percent from the year-ago figure, according to the Surface Transportation Board (STB). The train-and-engine transportation category increased 0.64 percent to 60,072 employees between mid-April and mid-May. Full…
Read MoreVideo Update on BLET National Negotiations
General Chairman Steve Leyshon gives a current update on the status of BLET National Negotiations.
Read MoreWill The Senate Pass Its Health Care Bill?
(Source: fivethirtyeight.com, June 23, 2017) By Nate Silver Filed under Congress We’ve seen this movie before. Republicans, after a secretive drafting process, finally unveil a health care bill. But the initial reaction is tepid, with both moderate and conservative Republicans expressing “concerns” and demanding changes to the bill. That’s what happened when the House Republican…
Read MoreArkansas governor signs BLET-backed bill to protect train crews
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, June 21 —Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson recently signed into law a BLET-backed bill that imposes harsher penalties on criminals who target railroad workers. Act 955 is designed “to protect freight rail employees and public transit employees by enhancing the penalties of certain criminal offenses.” Introduced as Arkansas House Bill 2116 on March 6,…
Read MorePrivate freight line hopes to end Chicago gridlock
(Source: Railway-Technology.com, June 26, 2017) CHICAGO — As North America’s single largest rail hub, Chicago handles roughly 25% of nationwide rail traffic between the country’s east and west coasts, as well as to the southern US and Canada. Approximately 500 freight trains operate in the Chicago area every day, carrying a third of all American…
Read MoreNevada governor vetoes two-person crew bill
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, June 16 — On June 8, 2017, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval vetoed a railroad safety bill that would have mandated a minimum crew size for freight trains operating in the state. The measure (S.B. 427) would have restored to Nevada law a provision for minimum freight train crew size, insuring that no freight…
Read More
Subscribe now for updates!
