Transportation News

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Federal income tax and Railroad Retirement benefits

The following questions and answers describe the tax statements issued by the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) each January for federal income tax purposes. Railroad retirement beneficiaries needing information about these statements, or about tax withholding from their benefi [...]

N.Y. reps. urge settlement of LIRR dispute

Twelve members of the U.S. House of Representatives have co-signed a letter to the chairman of New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority urging the MTA to reach a settlement with union employees of the Long Island Rail Road and avert a possible strike by those emp [...]

SMART wins election by Brega bus operators

Bus operators employed by Brega Transport Corp. that provide service for Transport of Rockland in Rockland County, New York, have voted for representation by the SMART Transportation Division. Of the eligible voters who participated in the election, 46 selected SMART TD, 21 v [...]

Treasurers’ workshop set for March in San Antonio

The SMART Transportation Division is conducting a local treasurers’ workshop at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 67 Hall in San Antonio, Texas, March 11-12. Attendance is limited to 30 registrants. Those interested in attending the workshop should contact the office of the SMART [...]

Metrolink to roll out collision avoidance system

The Metrolink passenger railroad Thursday (Feb. 20) will become the first commuter service in the nation to roll out a sophisticated collision avoidance system designed to overcome human error. Had so-called positive train control been in place five years ago, experts say, it [...]

Pilot shortage is an airline fairy tale

Airlines sell a commodity and buy from monopolies, i.e., the airports that provide landing rights. So it isn’t surprising they have such a tough time making money. Now they have another problem: There aren’t enough pilots and co-pilots willing to work for the low pay offered [...]

RRB announces pre-retirement seminars

Railroad employees and their spouses closing in on retirement will be able to learn the latest benefit information and application requirements as part of a new program announced by Labor Member of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board Walter A. Barrows. Designed for railroad em [...]

First Student memo exposes incentives to cut corners

News 4 has obtained a memo from the president of a huge school bus company telling its employees if they want to make extra money they need to cut serious corners. And that, employees told News 4, is at the root of all the dangerous problems we’ve been uncovering. Read the co [...]

Lawmakers press LIRR to settle with unions

Members of the Long Island congressional delegation are beginning to pressure the MTA to settle a contract dispute with Long Island Rail Road union workers and avert a strike that could cripple the nation’s largest commuter rail system as soon as next month. But the Met [...]

Sen. Heitkamp Honors SMART Member from N.D. Derailment

WASHINGTON – On the floor of the U.S. Senate, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp Feb. 10 shared the heroic story of Geoff Andersen, an engineer in training for Burlington Northern Santé Fe railroad, from Larimore, N.D., whose actions during the recent train derailment near Casselton, N.D., [...]