Category: Amtrak/Commuter News
Railroad unemployment and sickness benefits reduced again due to sequestration
Starting October 1, 2019, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) will reduce railroad unemployment and sickness insurance benefits by 5.9%, down from the current 6.2% reduction, as required by law. The adjusted reduction is based on revised projections of benefit claims and [...]
NJT boss to Trains Magazine: Carrier has a way to go to meet PTC deadline
In an interview with Trains Magazine’s Ralph Spielman, New Jersey Transit (NJT) President and CEO Kevin Corbett said that the passenger carrier has much progress to make in its implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) in order to meet the deadline for full impleme [...]
APTA reports U.S. rail ridership up in second quarter compared with 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Americans took more than 2.5 billion passenger trips on public transportation in the second quarter of 2019, according to the quarterly Transit Ridership Report released by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), representing 11 million trips [...]
Golf outing to honor Donald Wheaton
Local 898 in Boston will be holding the Donnie Wheaton Memorial Golf Tournament on Oct. 5 at Maplegate Country Club in Franklin, Mass. Holes are available for sponsorship by SMART TD locals for $150. A 42-year employee for Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad, which became Keo [...]Railroad Retirement Board seeks feedback on online services in survey
A contractor working with the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) on the board’s information technology initiatives, including RRB’s online services, is seeking feedback from active railroad workers and retirees that will direct its future plans. Accenture has set a S [...]
Happy Labor Day from SMART TD
Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894 after President Grover Cleveland signed it into law to appease angry union workers following a railroad labor strike that President Cleveland sent armed troops in to break up. More than a dozen workers were killed. More information i [...]
Local officers: Deadline to order timebooks is Sept. 16
In order to alleviate significant expense and wasteful distribution of timebooks, all locals must complete a timebook order form for the year 2020 and return it to the SMART TD office by Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. It’s important that the form is completed by a local officer, eve [...]NJT creates employee court advocate position
In a press release issued Wednesday, July 10, New Jersey Transit (NJT) announced that attorney Michael Rubin would be the carrier’s first employee court advocate to support operational employees who are victims of on-the-job assaults. The position was created in support [...]