Amtrak has announced it will halt operation of its remaining long-distance trains as of Thursday in anticipation of a possible freight rail work stoppage which could begin Friday morning. In other news as of midafternoon Wednesday, members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have begun receiving instructions on what to do in case […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
Machinists reject tentative contract deal and authorize a strike
WASHINGTON – Members of the union representing machinists have rejected the tentative agreement that union leaders had reached with the Class I railroads and have voted to authorize a strike. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 19 said today that its 4,900 members had voted to reject the deal that had […]
Federal regulators strike BNSF and CN comments predicting gridlock from CP-KCS merger
WASHINGTON – Federal regulators on Tuesday agreed to toss out some comments that BNSF Railway and Canadian National had filed in response to the proposed Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger. CP had asked the Surface Transportation Board to strike evidence that BNSF, CN, and CSX Transportation submitted separately on July 12, the deadline for final responses […]
Residents speak out against CP-KCS merger at Iowa meeting
DAVENPORT, Iowa — The second in a series of comment sessions on the draft environmental report for the proposed Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger was held Tuesday evening in Davenport, with Iowa residents questioning whether the report from the Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Assessment accurately reflected the impact on their communities. The Quad […]
NS to halt bulk moves by unit train on Thursday
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has told customers it will halt bulk commodity movements by unit train on Thursday, Bloomberg is reporting, stepping up that railroad’s plans for a potential shutdown ahead of Friday’s end of the cooling-off period for labor negotiations. NS has previously announced it would stop accept accepting intermodal and automotive shipments on […]
SMART-TD union asks Congress to let negotiations play out as strike deadline looms (updated)
WASHINGTON – Congress should let rail labor contract negotiations play out until a deal acceptable to the rank and file is reached, the SMART-TD union told congressional leaders today. If a contract based solely on the recommendations of the Presidential Emergency Board were presented to union members, it would fail by more than a 3-to-1 […]
Union Pacific issues $600 million in green bonds for investments that will reduce emissions
OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific has issued $600 million in green bonds to support investments that will reduce the railroad’s carbon footprint, including battery electric locomotives. The bond deal was finalized on Sept. 9, UP said on Monday. Proceeds will be directed to the purchase of battery electric locomotives, locomotive modernizations, expansion of intermodal terminals, […]
Biden, other government officials try to avert rail work stoppage
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden called railroad and union leaders on Monday in a direct effort to avoid a potential railroad work stoppage, according to multiple media reports. The Washington Post reports Biden’s calls followed emergency meetings last week at the White House led by the National Economic Council, and that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg […]
Senators introduce legislation to impose rail labor settlement
WASHINGTON — Two U.S. senators have introduced a resolution that would require unions and railroads to accept recommendations made in August by the Presidential Emergency Board to settle their labor dispute and avert a strike or lockout. The news site Roll Call reports Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) introduced the legislation on […]
Chicago suburbs focus on safety in attacking CP-KCS environmental report
ITASCA, Ill. — Given the location of the event —in the heart of the cluster of Chicago suburbs who have organized to fight the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger — it is little surprise that Monday’s public meeting on the merger’s draft Environmental Impact Statement was a prolonged attack on that report, and on the […]
BNSF to shut gates to temperature-controlled intermodal traffic
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway will stop accepting temperature-controlled intermodal traffic as of 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13, as it prepares for a possible work stoppage, the railroad said in a notice to customers on Monday night. The BNSF notice says the railroad has now reached agreements with nine unions — which would […]
Amtrak begins suspending service because of possible freight rail work stoppage
CHICAGO — Amtrak will begin suspending service on some long-distance trains as of tomorrow (Tuesday, Sept. 13) in preparation for a possible railroad work stoppage later this week. Trains immediately affected will be the longest-duration trains — the Chicago-Los Angeles Southwest Chief; Chicago-Seattle/Portland Empire Builder; Chicago-Emeryville, Calif., California Zephyr; and the Los Angeles-San Antonio portion […]