It may seem improbable, but the odds that faster trains are coming to the Northeast Corridor have jumped recently. That’s because beginning in 2015, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is expected to finally permit modern European designs on tracks throughout the countr [...]
Today, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order creating a Presidential Emergency Board to help resolve an ongoing dispute between the Long Island Rail Road Company and some of its employees. The Presidential Emergency Board will provide a structure for the two sides [...]
The payment of a railroad retirement annuity can be affected by entitlement to social security benefits, as well as certain other government benefits. Such dual entitlement, if not reported to the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), can result in benefit overpayments that have t [...]
UTU members and their dependents insured under the Railroad Employees National Early Retirement Major Medical Benefit (ERMA) Plan (GA-46000) will have their lifetime maximum amount of coverage increased, effective Jan. 1. ERMA is a comprehensive benefits plan for employees wh [...]
HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania state House delivered a body blow Nov. 18 to hopes for a major transportation spending proposal in a test vote that raised doubts about whether any roads bill will pass this year. The House voted 98-103 against a proposal to raise gasoline t [...]
New tour buses and buses that provide service between cities must be equipped with seat belts starting in late 2016 under a federal rule issued Wednesday, a safety measure sought by accident investigators for nearly a half century. Beginning in November 2016, all new motorcoa [...]
Henry L. Dacanay Jr., 46, president of SMART Transportation Division Local 1732 at San Jose, Calif., died Nov. 14 following a heart attack. Dacanay worked for Amtrak as a conductor for 19 years. Besides serving as local president, he held various other positions including loc [...]
Members of the SMART Transportation Division and all of rail labor have the opportunity to make it federal law to have two qualified persons working on all freight trains operating in the United States a reality. Now is the time to contact your legislators in the House of Rep [...]
As the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee prepares a markup on rail reauthorization legislation, the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) is urging Congress to embrace a national vision for intercity passenger trains. NARP is concerned that commit [...]
It’s been sitting around in Pomona for nearly 53 years, but now the beast they call Big Boy is making tracks for Wyoming. Officially known as Union Pacific steam engine No. 4014, the locomotive has been parked at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona since 1962, a displ [...]
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