California’s Amtrak-operated Pacific Surfliner and San Joaquin routes are due for an equipment upgrade following a Federal Railroad Administration $100 million direct grant to the California DOT (Caltrans). Amtrak operates the routes under contract to Caltrans. The mone [...]
Notwithstanding severe winter weather that caused rival Canadian Pacific’s profit to plunge 67 percent, Canadian National reported a 31 percent increase in first quarter 2011 profit versus first quarter 2010. This comes following a 19 percent increase in CN profit for c [...]
Due to changes in the financial services markets, the UTU is no longer able to offer a UTU-branded credit card. Over the years, these UTU-branded cards generated much-needed funding for the union’s education and training fund. Servicing of former UTU credit card account [...]
China’s effort to lead the world in high-speed rail development appears to be moving forward at the expense of safety, reports The Washington Post. The Chinese government, reports the newspaper, has ordered all high-speed trains to reduce their top speed from some 220 m [...]
We know all too well that alcohol consumption and drug use can imperil our jobs. But how about off the job; and how about family members? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports more than 600,000 emergency room visits annually due to alcohol or drug problems; [...]
By UTU International President Mike Futhey In a horrendous March accident in Kelso, Wash., a conductor trainee and a locomotive engineer were killed when the carrier-provided shuttle van in which they were riding was struck by a moving train at a private highway-rail grade cr [...]
Kansas City Southern’s first-quarter 2011 profit was almost double that of the first quarter 2010, the railroad reported April 22. This followed an 82 percent increase in profit for calendar-year 2010. The employee headcount remains constant at 6,080. The railroad did n [...]
Canadian Pacific Railway reported a sharp drop in profit for the first quarter 2011 compared with first quarter 2010, citing severe winter weather. CP said its 15,143 employee count increased by 613 during the quarter, but gave no indication of whether it would add employees [...]
By FRA Associate Administrator for Safety Jo Strang The Federal Railroad Administration’s Risk Reduction Program is a voluntary industry-wide initiative to reduce accidents and injuries and build a strong safety culture by expanding the toolkit to analyze and manage ris [...]
Union Pacific profit rose 24 percent in first quarter 2011 compared with first quarter 2010, the railroad reported April 20. This follows a 47 percent jump in Union Pacific profit for calendar-year 2010. UP Chairman Jim Young said the railroad would increase its 43,000 employ [...]
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