Category: Amtrak/Commuter News
Restricted speed: A warning not to be ignored
As most railroaders can attest, there are times that procedures and operating rules set by the FRA or imposed by carriers can be difficult to understand. The language may seem vague, and the ballast-level application often is left up to interpretation, which leads to ambiguit [...]Obama FY 2013 budget friendly for transport
WASHINGTON – Federal spending on transportation projects, including aviation, highway, conventional and high-speed passenger rail and transit, would increase by 2 percent under a proposed fiscal year 2013 budget presented Congress Feb. 13 by President Obama. Transit spending [...]
FRA amends conductor certification rule
WASHINGTON – Responding to petitions for reconsideration to its Nov. 9, 2011, final rule on conductor certification, the FRA has delayed for six months the testing implementation dates and clarified other mandates affecting territorial qualifications and the definition of hos [...]
FRA proposes new minimum training standards
WASHINGTON – New minimum training and qualification standards are being proposed by the Federal Railroad Administration for rail workers in safety sensitive positions. In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published Feb. 7 in the Federal Register, the FRA said affected employees [...]View ‘UTU: Stronger Than Ever’ video
A short video explaining the benefits of UTU membership, which was presented at the 2011 UTU regional meetings and the 2011 quadrennial convention, is now available online at www.utu.org. The video notes the history of labor unions in the United States, which originated in th [...]Patience, persistence will ensure HSR
In 2008, California voters authorized a $9.95 billion bond measure as a down-payment for a high-speed rail project linking the Sacramento (in northern California), the San Francisco Bay area and Los Angeles. The projected $98 billion route subsequently won $3.3 billion in fed [...]
UTUIA now accepting scholarship applications
The UTUIA is now accepting scholarship applications for the UTU/UTUIA Scholarship Program. Information regarding the scholarship and the application process is below. The application form printed in the January edition of the UTU News is the official scholarship application f [...]
FRA seeks new passenger train safety rules
Improvements to existing passenger train emergency systems regulations have been proposed by the Federal Railroad Administration. The improvements are aimed at helping passengers and passenger-train crew members better locate and operate emergency exits during evacuations, an [...]