Archive for February 2019
Jury awards BNSF track inspector $1.05 million in whistleblower case
(Source: National Law Review, February 24, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — On February 19th, a Colorado jury awarded Brandon Fresquez $1,050,000 in damages in his FRSA whistleblower retaliation claim against BNSF Railway Company. The verdict form reveals that the jury awarded $800,000 in emotional distress damages and $250,000 in punitive damages. This significant win underscores the…
Read MoreOpen enrollment for the BLET Short Term Disability Enhanced-Plan coverage
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, February 25 — Open Enrollment for the BLET’s Short Term Disability Enhanced-Plan through Sun Life will end on February 28, 2019. Those who enroll will have their coverage take effect on March 1, 2019. If you are a locomotive engineer working on a participating railroad, your BLET Short Term Disability Base-Plan coverage will…
Read MoreWalmart tests pilot program that calls for more rail
(Source: Progressive Railroading 02/23/2019) Walmart has launched its own fleet of intermodal containers and is using its own drivers to move the containers from rail hubs to stores, the retailer’s vice president of inbound logistics said in a recent interview. Walmart’s Ken Braunbach told Supply Chain Dive earlier this month that the company began the pilot program in…
Read MoreU.S. rail carload, intermodal traffic fell in Week 7
(Source: Progressive Railroading 02/21/2019) U.S. railroads’ combined carload and intermodal volumes dropped 3 percent to 523,915 units for the week ending Feb. 16 compared with year-ago levels, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data. Railroads logged 250,236 carloads for the week, down 3.9 percent, and 273,679 intermodal containers and trailers, down 2.1 percent. Three of the 10…
Read MorePSR isn’t really all that new
Written by David Schanoes, Contributing Editor (Source: Railway Age 02/20/2019) Not that long ago, E. Hunter Harrison’s methods and strategy for CSX were subject to close scrutiny, tough questioning, much doubt, some head scratching (close 8 of 12 hump yards, anyone?), customers complaining, labor opposition and STB inquiries. All of that and more was in response to…
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