Archive for May 2020
May 29 update and press release from the Railroad Retirement Board Labor Member; RRB begins paying CARES Act recovery payments for unemployed rail workers
https://www.ble-t.org/pr/news/newsflash.asp?id=12355 (BLET Editor’s Note: The following is a message to Rail Labor from John Bragg, Labor Member of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board.) CHICAGO, May 29 – In last week’s update, I advised that program testing was underway and that we anticipated making the first payments under Phase 2 of the agency’s CARES Act plan…
Read MoreFRA extends temporary safety reg waiver for freight railroads
(Source: Progressive Railroading 05/29/2020) The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has extended for 60 days temporary waivers of certain safety regulations for freight railroads, according to letters the agency sent last week to the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA). The FRA also sent a similar letter to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) addressed…
Read MoreUP publishes annual sustainability progress report
(Source: Progressive Railroading 05/29/2020) Union Pacific Railroad yesterday published its 2019 Building America report that highlights the company’s progress toward meeting social, economic and environmental initiatives. The report outlines the company’s assessment results detailing subjects such as customer service and satisfaction, rail safety and maintenance, and employment practices. “We’ve taken measurable steps to enhance customer communication, and we…
Read MoreBLET’s 2020 Cincinnati regional meeting postponed
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, May 28 — The BLET National Division is postponing its Cincinnati, Ohio, regional meeting that was originally scheduled for August 17-21, 2020. The postponement is due to the continuing, widespread restrictions on movement and travel as well as limitations on the size of gatherings due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The BLET plans…
Read MoreAAR: Week 21 traffic trends show ‘encouraging signs’
(Source: Progressive Railroading 05/28/2020) U.S. freight railroads logged 428,715 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending May 23, a 19.2 percent decrease compared with the same week last year, Association of American Railroads (AAR) data shows. Total carloads for the week tumbled 27.5 percent to 190,649 units, while intermodal volume fell 11.2 percent to 238,076 containers…
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