Transportation News

Visit the digital archive of the SMART-TD News (PDFs)

RRB advises rail workers impacted by Hurricane Harvey

The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is reminding rail employees out of work due to Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath that they may qualify for unemployment benefits. To determine eligibility or file claims for benefits, affected railroaders should call the RRB’s toll-fr [...]

Your Track to Health: August hot topics – anxiety and exercise

Your Track to Health has provided tips on handling social anxiety as well as the benefits of exercise. Click on the links below to read how you can overcome social anxiety and about the benefits of adding exercise to your daily routine. Tips for handling social anxiety: Every [...]

Recovery tips for dealing with storms and flooding

Being prepared for emergencies is very important. Optum has provided pdfs on tips on being prepared and recovering from hurricanes, tropical storms and flooding. Preparing for and recovering from hurricanes and tropical storms Recovering from storms and flooding Visit liveand [...]

Class I’s continue to cut jobs despite profits

The Omaha-World Herald reports that Class I railroads continue to cut jobs, despite earning large profits. Altogether, the railroads have cut 25,000 jobs or 13 percent of their personnel in recent years. With companies cutting jobs left and right, and with freight volumes on [...]

Member seriously injured during eclipse

Brother Steven Barber of Local 1346 in Nashville, Tenn., lost his arm during last week’s solar eclipse while working as a foreman. Management was unavailable during the incident at Radnor yard because they were watching the eclipse, delaying emergency treatment to Barbe [...]

Risch Op-Ed: Bigger trucks destroy roads

SMART TD National Legislative Director John Risch recently wrote an opinion editorial, published by Inforum, about how larger trucks destroy roads and take away important railroad jobs. “Beyond destroying our roads, increasing the weight of trucks will shift freight tra [...]

Fundraiser set up for granddaughter of SMART TD member

A fundraiser for the newborn granddaughter of Scott Finley, SMART TD member and BNSF conductor with local 113, Winslow Ariz., was recently set up on YouCaring.com. Brenna Finley, daughter of Ariel and Sheldon Finley, was born on August 16, 2017, with multiple health issues. S [...]

42 injured in SEPTA train crash

Forty-two people, including the train engineer, were injured when their SEPTA train crashed into an empty, stopped train inside the 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby, Pa., shortly after midnight, Tuesday, Aug. 22. In a statement, SEPTA said that none of the inj [...]