BLET News
“We don’t feel safe anymore.” Trauma, health concerns remain after Ohio derailment
(Source: Associated Press, March 11, 2023) Heather Bable speaks rapidly, recalling the terror of the night when a train loaded with hazardous chemicals derailed less than a half-mile from her home in East Palestine, Ohio. She heard an earthshaking boom and, from her bathroom window, “all you saw was the flames.” Full story: www.pbs.org
Read MoreAnother NS train derails in Alabama hours before CEO testifies before Senate
(Source: NBC News, March 9, 2023) A Norfolk Southern train derailed Thursday in Calhoun County, Alabama, hours before company CEO Alan Shaw faced lawmakers to answer questions about a Feb. 3 derailment that led to a toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio. Full story: NBC News
Read MoreSTB approves termination of Montana Rail Link’s lease with BNSF Railway
(Source: Trains Magazine, March 8, 2023) The Surface Transportation Board today approved Montana Rail Link’s plan to terminate its lease with BNSF Railway, paving the way for BNSF to regain control of the former Northern Pacific main line between Jones Junction, Mont., and Sandpoint, Idaho. Full story: Trains Magazine
Read MoreUnions sue BNSF over outsourcing of locomotive repairs
(Source: Trains Magazine, March 7, 2023) A group of unions announced on March 7 that they have filed suit against BNSF Railway over outsourcing of locomotive inspections, maintenance, and repairs, claiming the railroad is cutting its mechanical workforce to boost profits and failing to act in good faith under its existing labor agreements. The suit…
Read MoreOff the rails: Unfulfilled grain car orders reach epidemic levels, set new records to start 2023
(Source: Farm News Media, March 7, 2023) So far this year, average weekly unfilled grain car orders one or more days overdue have numbered over 16,000 a week — the highest rate recorded since the data series began in 2017, according to AFBF Economist Daniel Munch. Full story: Michigan Farm News
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