Transportation News

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Former Bus Department Vice President Deiser passes away

Richard Deiser, a former Bus Department director and union vice president, died Feb. 28. He was 79 years old. Richard Deiser, a former Bus Department vice president, passed away Feb. 28 at age 79. “Rich was a great union brother who will be sorely missed by those who ha [...]

Class I carriers release 4th quarter & full year 2019 earnings reports

    4th Quarter 2019 Net Earnings: Increased 4% to $1.42 billion from $1.37 billion Earnings Per Share: n/a – BNSF is not publicly traded Revenue: Decreased 6% to $5.84 billion from $6.21 billion Operating Income: Increased 2% to $2.11 billion from $2.06 billion Ope [...]

NTSB member displeased FRA omitted fatigue in risk-reduction rule

Jennifer Homendy, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) final rule for Class I railroads and certain smaller railroads to establish risk-reduction safety plans issued Feb. 18 falls well short of the in [...]

RRB reminds customers to avoid scams

The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is reminding its customers to use caution and common sense to avoid being the victim of a telephone or email scam. Should there be some type of issue with an individual’s account or benefits, the RRB will typically communicate with tha [...]

Local 464 S&T saves teen near tracks in Oklahoma

The secretary & treasurer of SMART-TD Local 464 (Arkansas City, Kan.) rendered medical assistance to a teen who was found bleeding from a head wound on the side of the tracks in mid-February, saving the boy’s life. Jason Schwartz, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in [...]

DOT clarifies marijuana testing rule

The U.S. Department of Transportation clarified what is classified as marijuana for testing purposes in a release dated Feb. 18, 2020. Below is the release from DOT. DOT OFFICE OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICY AND COMPLIANCE NOTICE The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, Pub. L. [...]