Transportation News

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

Right to Work is WRONG – meetings in Toledo and Cincy, Ohio

Right to Work (RTW) legislative measures, designed to weaken unions, are supported by Trump and his administration, so it is imperative that we make our opposition known and heard. SMART Transportation Division will be hosting a free event for all union members of all crafts, [...]

Amtrak train in ND stuck in snow for 12 hours

RUGBY, N.D. – A 25-foot wall of snow stopped an eastbound Amtrak train in its tracks for twelve hours. Fortunately, no one was injured. Passenger services aboard the train remained operational, making the long wait more bearable. Read more from Bismarcktribune.com here. [...]

Charter bus stuck on tracks hit by CSX train, four fatalities reported

BILOXI, Miss. – An eastbound CSX train hit a packed charter bus that was stuck on the tracks at approx. 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 7. Four fatalities have been reported and several people were airlifted from the scene. Nearly all of the 50 people aboard the bus were injured [...]

Sign petition to Trump/FTA to save Caltrain project

Dear SMART TD member: Please click on the link below to sign (and please share) this online petition to the White House asking the FTA to approve funding that has long been earmarked for San Francisco’s Caltrain’s Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project (PCEP) a high-speed [...]

Chicago Metra doors open at 34 mph

The doors of a packed Metra BNSF train opened while going 34 mph, reported the Chicago Sun-Times. No one was hurt and the doors quickly closed after an estimated three seconds. SMART TD Illinois State Legislative Director Bob Guy told the Sun-Times that when engineers are pul [...]

Union workers shut down right-to-work bill in N.M.

Thanks to scores of union members who showed up at a committee hearing  in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a right-to-work measure was effectively shut down and cannot be reintroduced for the remainder of 2017. Read the complete story published by PeoplesWorld.com, here.

SMART TD welcomes two new DLC lawyers to represent members

If you are injured on the job, you have powerful rights under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA). All of SMART TD’s Designated Legal Counsel (DLC) are chosen because they specialize in handling FELA claims and are experienced in dealing with railroad clai [...]

New commuter rail line opens in Denver

The International Railway Journal reported that the newest commuter rail line, called the R Line, just recently opened.  The new commuter rail line is part of the Denver, Colo. RTD (Regional Transportation District) FasTracks expansion plan.  Read the complete story, here. &n [...]

Feds set back to Caltrain project; contractors step up

Railway Age reported that contractors on Caltrain’s Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project (PCEP) agreed to extend the deadline for first day of construction from March 1, 2017 to June 30, 2017.  This announcement was issued just days after the Federal Transit Admin [...]