- Tags Memorial Day
Category: Amtrak

NTSB releases probable cause of Amtrak 188 crash
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held a board meeting (webcasted live) yesterday, detailing the probable cause of the May 2015 Amtrak train 188 derailment outside of Philadelphia. The derailment caused eight people to lose their lives and over 200 injuries. The [...]
Risch speech to NARVRE: unity and action
“The greatest threat to Railroad Retirement and Social Security is if Congress tries to mess with either one, which would automatically affect our pensions,” said John Risch, National Legislative Director of SMART TD. He made his remarks to the biannual convention of the Nat [...]Risch, Harrison testify at Sleep Apnea hearing
National Legislative Director John Risch and Local 759 (Newark, N.J.) Secretary and Treasurer Craig Harrison testified at a public hearing today before the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) about Obstructive Slee [...]
DOT threatens to shut down D.C. Metro for safety reasons
USA Today reports that U.S. DOT Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx threatened to shut down the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA or D.C. Metro) if the company does not improve safety. Foxx’s announcement comes after Metro employees refused DOT’s Federal [...]
RRB releases final rule doubling fraud penalties
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has released an interim final rule doubling penalties to health providers who submit false claims on a railroader’s behalf. Under the rule, the minimum penalty per false claim increases from $5,500 to $10,781. The maximum penalty per false [...]
RRB: Railroad Retirement age reductions Q&A
Railroad retirement benefits are subject to reduction if an employee with less than 30 years of service retires before attaining full retirement age. While employees with less than 30 years of service may still retire at age 62, the age at which full retirement benefits are p [...]
DOT announces $10 million TIGER grant to extend Amtrak
Project includes new passenger platforms in Middlebury, Vergennes and Burlington, Vermont BURLINGTON, Vt. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Federal Railroad Administrator Sarah E. Feinberg joined Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy and U. [...]
Ill. county passes resolution supporting proposed two-person crew rule
The following is an article written by SMART Transportation Division Illinois State Legislative Director Bob Guy and was originally published on the Illinois State Legislative Board website, www.illini.utu.org. Upon the urging of SMART, the Will County Board passed a resoluti [...]