Transportation News

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UP inaugurates “close call” project

Employees at the nation’s largest rail yard, the Union Pacific yard in North Platte, Neb., can now voluntarily and anonymously report “close-call” incidents that could have resulted in an accident, but did not, without fear of sanction or penalty from their [...]

RRB sickness, jobless benefits update

A new benefit year for jobless and sickness benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act begins July 1, 2010, the Railroad Retirement Board reports. Administered by the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), this law provides two kinds of benefits for qualified railroader [...]

Healthy options a phone call away

By Steven BurdickSenior VP, UnitedHealthcare Committing to a healthier lifestyle is something that all of us struggle with everyday. We all think about it, but it’s doing something about it that’s the challenge most of us face. The goal of UnitedHealthcare wellness programs i [...]

Health plans require dependent info

To comply with federal law, those enrolled in the Railroad Employees National Health and Welfare Plan and the National Railway Carriers and United Transportation Union Health and Welfare Plan must provide Social Security numbers of dependents. Failure to comply can result in [...]

Quit smoking, lose weight, feel better

By Dr. Norman K. Brown UTU medical consultant Hold the ketchup. Did you know that ketchup contains fructose, a processed sugar? I’ll get back to this shortly. Many of our common diseases are aggravated by — or even caused by — the way we live, especially how we ea [...]

Wellness programs promote healthier lives

By Steven Burdick, senior vice president, UnitedHealthcare Committing to a healthier lifestyle is something that all of us struggle with everyday. We all think about it, but it’s doing something about it that’s the challenge most of us face. The goal of UnitedHealthcare welln [...]

FRA: Rails can discipline camera disabling

The Federal Railroad Administration, following disciplinary action by Los Angeles Metrolink against two operating employees who disabled an inward facing camera in the locomotive cab, said that while the agency does not now regulate cab-installed inward facing cameras, it  [...]

Fatigue, harassment, intimidation take toll

By International President Mike Futhey We all know that when one wants the truth from the iron horse’s mouth, we ask the rank-and-file membership. That is especially so when it comes to safety. I commend our Rail Safety Task Force for going directly to the membership wi [...]

FRA proposes permanent cell-phone ban

The Federal Railroad Administration is moving to make permanent an October 2008 emergency order restricting the use by on-duty train crews of cell phones and other electronic devices. A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was published Tuesday, May 18, in the Federal Register, indi [...]

Controversy over PTC business benefits

Railroads are campaigning hard to get federal funding for all or part of the cost of developing and deploying a positive train control (PTC) system, writes Larry Kaufman in Rail Business newsletter. There are two elements to the PTC issue. Most aggravating, the railroads are [...]