Safety
BLET announces new appointments to Safety Task Force
Plan to ship natural gas by rail raises alarm
(Source: Fortune, April 11, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump wants to allow natural gas to be shipped in railroad cars, a move that would open new markets hungry for the fuel but could risk catastrophic accidents if one were to derail. Trump on Wednesday ordered the Transportation Department to write a new rule…
Read MoreLawmakers seek to mandate two-person crews on freight trains
(Source: Safety and Health Magazine, April 10, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Legislation reintroduced by Rep. Don Young (R-AK) on March 13 would require at least two certified crew members on all freight trains operated in the United States. “Requiring a second crew member aboard a train to help share the operational workload is a commonsense…
Read MorePublic Hearing of HB 2970 Two Person Crew Bill in Oregon
On March 4, 2019, in Salem, Oregon I had the pleasure of attending the Joint Committee on Transportation public hearing of HB 2970 or as it is commonly known as the Two-Person Crew Bill with Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) Oregon State Legislative Chairman Brother Scott Palmer, BLET Members, SMART-TD (Sheet Metal, Air,…
Read MoreSenators to reintroduce grade crossing safety act
(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/05/19) U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) announced they will reintroduce a bill to fund improvements to “dangerous” grade crossings. The announcement comes nearly a week after a fatal accident involving two MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) trains and a car at a crossing in Nassau County, New York. …
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