Archive for October 2020
Amtrak warns of 2,400 additional job losses without new bailout
(Source: Reuters, October 8, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. government-supported passenger railroad Amtrak said on Thursday that without a new government bailout it could be forced to cut more spending and train services which could lead to the loss of another 2,400 jobs. Full story: Reuters Monday, October 12, 2020
Read MoreCargill urging regulators to keep track of Precision Scheduled Railroading performance
(Source: Freight Waves, October 8, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Responding to pressure to be more transparent about their service performance following the major railroad mergers of the 1990s, the freight railroads began providing shippers and regulators weekly data on metrics such as rail car velocity and terminal dwell times. Full story: Freight Waves Monday, October 12,…
Read MoreU.S. Supreme Court denies Indian River County’s appeal of Brightline lawsuit
(Source: Progressive Railroading 10/09/2020) The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this week denied Indian River County’s petition to appeal its lawsuit against Brightline/Virgin Trains USA and the Federal Railroad Administration, Treasure Coast Newspapers (TCN) reported. The county was arguing that $2.7 billion of tax-exempt private activity bonds issued to Brightline/Virgin Trains was “improper,” TCN reported. County Attorney Jeffrey Lamkin told…
Read MoreNorth Dakota to launch intermodal service
(Source: Progressive Railroading 10/09/2020) North Dakota will soon launch an intermodal rail service to help reduce shipping costs for the state’s agricultural producers and other industries, Gov. Doug Burgum announced this week. North Dakota officials have pursued access to intermodal rail for more than 20 years. Next week, it will become a reality as Minot,…
Read MoreOff-duty misconduct: the Internet
(Source: Labor Arbitration Institute – Conference Reporter 10/08/2020) An employee’s time away from work and the work site are their own, private time. . . unless there’s a connection (a “nexus”) to work and meets the elements of off-duty misconduct. At a recent conference, a Chicago-based labor arbitrator talked about two cases in which the…
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