Archive for November 2018
U.S. railroads post carload, intermodal gains in Week 47
(Source: Progressive Railroading 11/29/2018) U.S. railroads reported a combined gain of 3 percent in carload and intermodal traffic for the week ending Nov. 24, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data. For the week, total carloads rose 1.7 percent to 232,954 units and intermodal volume increased 4.3 percent to 237,897 containers and trailers compared with the same…
Read MoreNTSB says broken rail probable cause of 2017 UP ethanol train derailment in Graettinger, Iowa
(Source: National Transportation Safety Board press release, November 27, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. — On March 10, 2017, about 12:50 a.m., Central Standard Time, eastbound Union Pacific Railroad unit ethanol train, UEGKOT-09, with 3 locomotives, 98 loaded tank cars, and 2 buffer cars filled with sand derailed near milepost 56.8 at a timber railroad bridge near Graettinger,…
Read MoreUP cuts about 200 jobs in another round of layoffs
(Source: Television station Fox 16, November 26, 2018) LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Around 200 positions are being cut in a second wave of layoffs at Union Pacific. In October, Union Pacific announced a workforce reduction of approximately 475 employees occurring in the fourth quarter. Additionally, approximately 200 contract positions will be eliminated. Full story: www.fox16.com Tuesday,…
Read MoreQ&A: Buyouts and Railroad Retirement benefits
(Source: Railroad Retirement Board press release, November 9, 2018) CHICAGO — Railroad employees frequently ask the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) how the acceptance of a buyout from a railroad employer affects their future eligibility for benefits under the Railroad Retirement and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Acts. The following questions and answers provide information on this subject. 1.…
Read MoreStop China’s infiltration of U.S. railroads
(Source: Defense One, November 26, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. — America shouldn’t be buying Chinese railcars, ceding control of its rail industry, or injecting spyware-laden rolling stock into its transportation network. A myriad of problems has led to a “surprising level of foreign dependence on competitor nations,” according to the White House’s long-awaited report on the…
Read More