Transportation News

SMART-TD Oklahoma crew battle has begun — time to weigh in!

As a direct result of the powerful message we’ve sent to two state legislators and the work by Oklahoma’s State Legislative Board, a two-person rail crew bill will be heard in the House of Representatives’ transportation committee. Yet H.B. 1075 needs your continued help to p [...]

C3RS: SMART-TD and Norfolk Southern agree to anonymous safety reporting

SMART Transportation Division began a new era in rail safety and worker protection by working with Norfolk Southern to accept and act on anonymous safety reports. How it Works The one-year pilot program, called the Close Call Reporting System (C3RS), is similar to one airline [...]

Virginia 2PC bill heading to governor

Parliamentary procedures between the two chambers of the Virginia Legislature concluded Tuesday, and a two-person crew bill now awaits the governor’s signature. “It was a big day and a big win in our state for rail safety for the public and the men and women who work on the r [...]

Sam Nasca, N.Y. SLD, passes away

Sam Nasca, the dean of active SMART Transportation Division state legislative directors, who led union efforts for at least 32 years in the state of New York, passed away on Feb. 14, 2024, at the age of 90. Brother Nasca first joined the union in 1959 and was in his 64th year [...]

From the Ballast: Cowboy boots and hazmat suits

This article was contributed by Johnny Walker, SMART-TD Local 610's legislative representative. Rail conductors and all other crafts have a role to play in the event of a derailment or accident. In these situations, conductors are first on the scene.

NS, SMART-TD, BLET and FRA sign landmark C3RS safety agreement

Joint pilot program encourages railroaders to confidentially report safety concerns ATLANTA (February 15, 2024) – Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC), the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division (SMART-TD) [...]

Online fundraiser established for family of deceased Local 210 member

His family as well as members of Local 210 in San Antonio are mourning the death of Brother Charlies Scherbarth on Feb. 6, 2024. Brother Scherbarth, 30, was a member of our union for nearly a decade, joining in November 2014. He worked as an engineer for BNSF. An online fundr [...]

FRA issues safety bulletin on securing rolling stock

The Federal Railroad Administration’s Office of Railroad Safety issued the following bulletin on Feb. 13, 2024, in response to an industry fatality earlier this year. The text is reproduced below: The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is investigating an accident th [...]

Two-person crew effort advances in Virginia

Rail safety legislation championed by the SMART Transportation Division’s Virginia State Legislative Board is on the cusp of landing on Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s desk. The Virginia House on Wednesday followed the lead of the state’s Senate earlier passage of the two-person crew b [...]