Archive for March 20, 2020
SMART TD and BLET petition FRA for emergency protocols regarding COVID-19
CLEVELAND, Ohio, March 20 — The SMART Transportation Division (SMART-TD) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) today filed a joint request urging the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to issue an Emergency Order (EO) to address employee safety conditions in response to the national COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. “The employees we represent are essential…
Read MoreWashington State Legislature passes train crew bill
(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/18/2020) The Washington State Legislature has passed a bill that would establish a minimum crew size on certain trains, rail labor unions reported yesterday. The bill, HB 1841-Establishing Minimum Crews on Certain Trains, passed out of the State House on March 10. The Senate signed off on the legislation on March 12, according…
Read MoreD.C. Circuit rejects Union Pacific challenge to DOT flammable freight data disclosure rule
(Source: Reuters, March 18, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — A U.S. federal appeals court has denied a bid by Union Pacific Railroad Company to invalidate a U.S. Department of Transportation safety rule that requires railroads to share with states and tribes information about trains passing through that carry highly-flammable liquids, rejecting claims that the rule insufficiently…
Read MoreU.S. weekly coal carloads fall to 10 year low
(Source: S&P Global Platts, March 18, 2020) HOUSTON — US coal carloads fell to a 10-year low 55,542 in the week ended March 14, down 5.3% from a week earlier and 23% lower than the year-ago week, the Association of American Railroads said Wednesday. Full story: S&P Global Platts Friday, March 20, 2020
Read MoreAAR reports rail traffic decline for week ending March 14, 2020
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, March 18, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 14, 2020. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 463,017 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.6 percent compared with the same week last year. Total…
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