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Amtrak asks STB to investigate, NS, CSX

November 18, 2014 WASHINGTON – Amtrak is taking action to improve the on-time performance (OTP) of its trains that operate over tracks controlled by other railroads. In a complaint filed on Nov. 17, Amtrak is asking the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to investigate Norfolk Southern Railway [...]

Tags Amtrak, CSX, Norfolk Southern, on-time performance, STB, U.S. Surface Transportation Board

Former Local 911 Chairperson Fred Croes Jr. dies

November 14, 2014 Retired former Local 911 (Minneapolis) Chairperson Fred J. Croes Jr., 78, a mentor to many United Transportation Union and SMART Transportation Division officers in the Upper Midwest, died Nov. 12 of natural causes. Croes was born May 18, 1936, in St. Paul, Minn. At age 18, h [...]

Tags Fred J. Croes Jr., Local 911

Ill. SLD Guy's letter supporting Amtrak published

November 13, 2014 SMART Transportation Division’s Illinois State Legislative Director Bob Guy responded to a “letter to the editor” published in the Nov. 5 issue of the The News-Gazette and Guy’s letter was published by the newspaper Nov. 13. The original letter by Corr [...]

Tags Amtrak, Illinois State Legislative Director Bob Guy

Union leaders vow push for infrastructure solutions

November 13, 2014 Transportation union leaders vowed to “redouble their efforts” to push for bipartisan solutions to the growing transportation infrastructure investment crisis that is undermining the economy and idling millions of jobs, said AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Departmen [...]

Tags AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department, John Previsich, John Risch

Wash. SLD Krohn appears on PBS coal show

November 12, 2014 SMART Transportation Division Washington State Legislative Director Herb Krohn Nov. 7 appeared on Northwest Now, a Public Broadcasting System program that airs in Washington on Television Station KBTC. Northwest Now is an Emmy®-award winning weekly public affairs show that go [...]

Tags coal, Herb Krohn, Washington state

FRA Strengthens Railroad Employee Training Requirements

November 12, 2014 The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Nov. 7 issued a final rule that strengthens training requirements for railroad employees and contractors who perform safety-related work. The rule, which was mandated by the Rail Safety Improvement Act (RSIA) of 2008, ensures safety-r [...]

Tags Federal Railroad Administration, FRA, railroad employee training requirements

Szabo Stepping Down as Head of FRA

November 12, 2014 After nearly six years serving as chief of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration, Joe Szabo is stepping down in January. In a statement to FRA staff, Szabo said, “I will head home to accept a position as a senior fellow for the Chicago Metrop [...]

Tags Federal Railroad Administration, FRA, Joe Szabo

Parents want GPS monitoring of school buses

November 12, 2014 The results of a new survey by Fleetmatics Group PLC show that parents would like more visibility into their children’s safety aboard the school bus, as well as more accountability for operators. Nearly nine in 10 parents responded they want to see closer GPS monitoring of bu [...]

Tags GPS monitoring, school bus

Thank you, military veterans!

November 11, 2014 World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or tempo [...]

Operation Lifesaver co-founder Sam Grayson dies

November 10, 2014 Sam Grayson, who co-founded the Operation Lifesaver program in 1972, died Nov. 2 at his Boise, Idaho, residence, Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) announced last week. He was 93. Grayson and Ed Schafer of Union Pacific Railroad, along with Idaho Peace Officers and then-Gov. Ceci [...]