Category: Transportation
Train Lengths Would Be Capped Under New Arizona Bill
A revived effort to pass a bill limiting train length in Arizona is underway with key support from both sides of the aisle. As the legislation awaits its next hearing, your help is needed to ensure that lawmakers understand why this legislation will have a positive impact on their home districts. Read on for details.
Senate Hearing Highlights the Good, the Bad, and The Ugly of RRB
Railroad Retirement remains a strong and valuable system, but chronic underfunding of the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) itself is creating unacceptable service delays that directly harm railroaders and their families. Read on to see the result of this week’s Senate Committee Hearing on the current state of the RRB.
On-Duty Assault Leaves Amtrak Conductor Facing Financial Hardship
18 months ago, Sister Heather Steele (Local 168, Chicago) was violently attacked while working as an Amtrak conductor. After exhausting disability support, she and her family are now facing severe financial hardship, including the loss of their home. Read on to learn how you can help our brave union sister.
Transit Equity Day: Remembering Rosa Parks
Each year on Feb. 4, Rosa Parks’ birthday reminds us that public transit is also a platform for dignity, equality, and progress. Read on to see how some transit agencies are honoring the trailblazer’s legacy today and how this tribute connects civil rights history with the ongoing work of bus and passenger rail members.
Railroads Have Short Memories: East Palestine 3 Years Later
Ohio State Safety & Legislative Director Clyde Whitaker reflects on the 3rd anniversary of the East Palestine derailment with a powerful commentary. Despite new laws and promises, the railroads are still playing the same dangerous games with safety. Read on to see how crews are still being pressured to ignore defect detector warnings and keep trains moving, proving that profits continue to come before people.
RIDER Safety ACT Aims to Curb Transit Assaults Nationwide
Transit operators could gain critical support while on the job under a new bill that provides federal funds for “transit support specialists,” unarmed security responsible for detecting and defusing disputes and other risks before they become violent. Read on to learn about the impact they could have on transit systems across the country and in the lives of riders and operators.
Rail Safety Is Too Important For Corporate Discretion
A veteran Louisiana railroader dismantles the myth that safety mandates hurt efficiency, arguing from lived experience that federal rail safety rules exist because companies repeatedly choose profit over people when left to police themselves. Read on to see why rail workers, not think tanks or lobbyists, are the true experts on what it takes to keep crews and communities safe, and why the Rail Safety Act deserves a full vote in Congress.
Virginia 2-PC Law Could Become a Reality if We Act Now
After falling victim to former Governor Glenn Youngkin’s veto pen in 2024, legislation requiring a minimum two-person crew (2-PC) on freight trains is one step closer to becoming law in Virginia. With a new governor in office, the momentum is on our side —read on to learn how you can help get the bill over the finish line.