News - Page 520 of 627

Effective peer-to-peer ‘in-cab communication’ is key

March 4, 2013 In-cab communication is an essential element in overall railroad safety. Too many fatal accidents and injuries have been attributed to a lack of or insufficient “in-cab communications.” Peer-to-peer interaction is the key component to effective in-cab communications, accordin [...]

Amtrak carried record passenger traffic in 2012

March 4, 2013 Perhaps sparked by highway congestion or the hassle of air travel, Amtrak’s passenger rail service has been the nation’s fastest growing mode of transportation, according to a new report that urges Congress to push forward with a coordinated national rail plan. The government [...]

OSHA slams Norfolk Southern again

February 28, 2013 WASHINGTON – Norfolk Southern Railway Co. has been ordered to pay $1,121,099 to three workers following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which found that the company violated the whistleblower provisions of the [...]

Tags Federal Railroad Safety Act, fine, FRSA, Norfolk Southern, NS, OSHA, whistleblower

SMART joins fight against larger trucks

February 27, 2013 Some Congressional lawmakers want to allow bigger trucks on the nation’s highways, but the SMART Transportation Division and others are asking them to hit the road. In a letter to all 435 members of the House of Representatives, the SMART Transportation Division has joined wi [...]

Halt the neglect of transportation infrastructure

February 27, 2013 SMART Transportation Division President Mike Futhey and Assistant President John Previsich this week joined the leaders of other AFL-CIO affiliate unions at the organization’s annual winter meeting. They also meet separately with members of the organization’s Transportation T [...]

Tags AFL-CIO, TTD, unions

Congress must advance plan for Amtrak

February 26, 2013  ORLANDO, Fla. – As lawmakers prepare to debate passenger rail reauthorization, leaders of AFL-CIO transportation unions are calling on Congress to set a long-term future for Amtrak that meets the demands of a growing ridership, invests in the railroad’s decaying equipment an [...]

Tags Amtrak, passenger rail network, TTD

Engineer says cell phone not factor in crash

February 25, 2013 The engineer of one of two ore trains that crashed head-on just outside of Two Harbors, Minn., in 2010 is taking issue with the National Transportation Safety Board report on the accident, disputing that cell phone use by the train crews was a relevant factor. In an exclusive [...]

Tags Cell Phone Ban, cell phone crash, fatigue

FRA issues new report on fatigue

February 25, 2013 The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a new report on the status of fatigue among railroad industry employees. In 2001, the FRA began examining the fatigue status of safety-critical railroad employees by using logbooks to collect work and sleep data over a period of [...]

Tags fatigue, FRA, sleep

With elections past, our work begins

February 22, 2013 By James Stem, National Legislative Director – As a new Congress begins its largely partisan struggles, which are sometimes difficult to understand and frequently disturbing, the job of the National Legislative Office is to convince lawmakers that the legislative agenda of S [...]

Healthy drivers are happy drivers

February 22, 2013 Healthy drivers are happy drivers As the year kicks off, I must ask you: “How are you doing?” “I am healthy and happy” is the answer I’d love to hear, but, sadly, it’s the answer I hear less and less. Consider our work schedules, and the nature of our jobs: We s [...]