News Archive
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 [...]City of Lac-Megantic, Quebec studying plan to reroute railway
In the wake of the devastating oil train disaster nearly three years ago that killed 47 people in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, city leaders are in the first phase of studies to determine the feasibility of rerouting the train tracks to avoid train transit through the city’s downtown [...]
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. [...]