Transportation News

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LIRR derailed in Brooklyn, N.Y., dozens injured

FOX5NY reports that 103 people were injured when Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) train 2817 derailed at the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, N.Y. at 8:20 a.m. The first train car left the track, but no other cars seemed to have derailed. Approximately 600 passengers were on the tr [...]

SMART TD comments to FRA regarding in-cab distractions

Jan. 3 – SMART Transportation Division submitted comments protesting in-cab distractions to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The FRA recently issued a public notice in docket FRA 2016-0002-N-22, allowing for comments to be made on in-cab distractions. “W [...]

Profits over safety: Rail industry lobbies to stall ECP brake technology

The WashingtonPost.com recently reported that the rail industry is lobbying hard to stall or potentially reverse the FRA’s ruling that freight trains be equipped with ECP (electronically controlled pneumatic) brakes by 2021. Despite the growing number of rail crashes an [...]

SMART TD saddened by the sudden loss of Charlene Payne

Charlene Payne, a long-time UnitedHealthcare representative for the Railroad Accounts, passed away unexpectedly Saturday, December 17, 2016. Payne was a dear friend to many at SMART Transportation Division, and her passion and dedication in serving all railroad members was re [...]

OSHA’s Cold Stress Guide

Anyone working in a cold environment may be at risk of cold stress. Some workers may be required to work outdoors in cold environments and for extended periods, for example, snow cleanup crews, sanitation workers, police officers and emergency response and recovery personnel, [...]

Human Rights Committee update

In an effort to improve efficiencies and provide enhanced, more cost effective service to our members, the SMART Transportation Division has recently conducted a review of its internal operations. One of the areas identified for restructuring is the process for providing assi [...]

Republicans plan attacks on unions’ political power

According to an article published by The Hill, Republicans are planning a renewed attack on the political power held by unions via the passing of right-to-work and other unfavorable laws. This comes in the wake of the GOP victories across the country in November giving Republ [...]

Sen. Schumer implores feds to screen transit employees

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is asking the Dept. of Homeland Security to “immediately step in to enforce a recommendation” made years ago to screen mass transit employees against federal terror watch lists.  Read the complete article from abcnews.go.com.

STB signs Memorandum of Understanding with Canadian Government

Chairman Daniel R. Elliott III of the Surface Transportation Board (STB) visited the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) in Ottawa, Canada, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate information sharing between the agencies. The CTA is the economic regulato [...]