FRA adjusts accident/incident reporting threshold

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published a Final Rule on Dec. 24, 2013, that increases the rail equipment accident/incident reporting threshold for 2014 from $9,900 to $10,500. This action is taken every year to ensure the figures accurately reflect cost increases [...]

$400M N.M. railroad project may open in 2014

SANTA TERESA, N.M. — A $400 million Union Pacific railroad facility near a young New Mexico border town could open next year, according to the company. Union Pacific spokesman Aaron Hunt said Tuesday that construction near Santa Teresa is ahead of schedule and the facility co [...]

PEB 244 Issues Recommendations In LIRR Dispute

Presidential Emergency Board 244 issued its recommendations Dec. 21 for settling a dispute between the Long Island Rail Road and its unionized employees represented by the SMART Transportation Division and several other labor unions. The board’s recommendations are non-bindin [...]

DOT investing in American-made locomotives

The High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail program (HSIPR) doesn’t just mean faster trains and improved transportation choices for travelers across the country – it’s also strengthening the economy and creating jobs for people who may have never been on a train. So far, th [...]

Shippers liable for coal dust costs

Federal regulators have handed freight railroads a victory, saying they can require shippers to pay for specific steps to control coal dust from rail cars.  In a Dec. 13 decision, the Surface Transportation Board ruled that shippers failed to prove that BNSF Railway Co.’s coa [...]

Risch appears on America’s Work Force radio

SMART Transportation Division’s Alternate National Legislative Director John Risch appeared on America’s Work Force daily labor radio program Dec. 23 to discuss the country’s support for Amtrak and other issues. America’s Work Force is the only daily labor-r [...]

Risch appears on

SMART Transportation Division’s Alternate National Legislative Director John Risch appeared on America’s Work Force daily labor radio program Dec. 23 to discuss the country’s support for Amtrak and other issues. America’s Work Force is the only daily labor-r [...]