Transportation News

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Alert commuter rail crew saves life near Boston

STOUGHTON, Mass. — An alert and ever vigilant Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad crew — that recognized the difference between a bag of clothes between the tracks and a human being — saved a life in this Boston suburb last week. The MBCR crew, with engineer [...]

Congress to consider upping federal fuel tax

WASHINGTON — Truckers won’t be happy when the new Congress, with John Mica (R-Fla.) chairing the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, looks at raising the federal motor fuels tax. Mica told the Florida Times-Union that he supports raising the feder [...]

NS CEO named Railroader of Year

Norfolk Southern CEO Wick Moorman has been named Railroader of the Year by Railway Age magazine. “In addition to performing solidly, controlling costs, improving productivity and continuing to invest in growth capital in a recessionary economy, Norfolk Southern has exce [...]

UTU hero school-bus driver avoids fatal crash

BUFFALO — UTU-member and Buffalo school bus driver Yolanda Luciano (Local 1908) is being hailed as a hero — likely saving the lives of one or more of the eight elementary-school students aboard her First Student bus by engaging in a split-second emergency defensiv [...]

UTU to FRA: ‘Say no’ to Mexican safety checks

First it was Union Pacific wanting to have its trains inspected in Mexico. Now BNSF is making the same plea to the FRA — and as the UTU and other rail unions did in the case of UP — the FRA is being advised to, “just say no.” Putting safety first canno [...]

FRA to fine railroad for safety violations

WASHINGTON — Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA) faces a fine from the FRA for alleged failure to report an injury and for underreporting of days lost by an injured employee and failure to maintain complete and timely records of injuries to other employees [...]

Pigskin to conductor: ‘It’s job security’

Keith Fitzhugh is a conductor trainee on Norfolk Southern’s Atlanta North District. He could be playing football with the New York Jets. If you think trading a National Football League playbook for an operating employee’s rulebook is something akin to carrying the ball [...]

House Republicans choose committee chairs

WASHINGTON — House Republicans selected their committee leaders Dec. 7. As expected, John Mica (R-Fla.) was elected to chair the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee for 2011-2012. Most legislation affecting air, bus and rail members originates in this committe [...]

2011 drug, alcohol test rates set by DOT

WASHINGTON — Random drug and alcohol tests administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Federal Transit Administration to air, bus and rail workers in safety sensitive p [...]

California chooses initial HSR route

A 65-mile route through California’s Central Valley and Fresno has been selected by state officials as the starting point for a high-speed rail passenger line intended initially to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco, reports The New York Times. That segment would make use [...]