News Archive

Home>News

Metra, railroads push project to untangle rail corridor

Metra and freight railroad industry representatives on Friday called for a $1 billion project intended to untangle a snarl of railroad tracks that causes major problems for Chicago commuters and commerce. The project, known as the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project, wou [...]

Budget bill sets Jan. deadline for rule on oil tank cars

Hidden away in Congress’ big spending bill, designed to fund the federal government through FY 2015, are stern marching orders to the U.S. Department of Transportation: Deliver a final rule for new, safer oil tank car design standards by Jan. 15, 2015, and require that all ra [...]

Can oil price declines end railroads' bull run?

Crude oil hit its five year low price on Monday, Dec. 8, under pressure from growing production in the U.S. and the unwillingness of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to cut production. West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. crude benchmark, declined 4.3 percent to [...]

Previsich testifies before senators on passenger rail

SMART Transportation Division President John Previsich testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security Dec. 10 at the Russell Senate Office Bui [...]

Oil trains, pipelines and tanker ships

Everyone nowadays seems to either love or hate “fracking” for oil and natural gas in U.S. shale formations. But fracking enjoys an enviable safety record. After all, a large fraction of it is done a mile underground. Not much, if any, evidence of groundwater contamination has [...]

Old threats from a new Congress

In a twist to 18th century satirist Jonathan Swift’s “Modest Proposal,” National Industrial Transportation League (NITL) President Bruce Carlton suggests shippers consume (as in “eat”) their railroads. Before the Surface Transportation Board (STB), Carlton termed his petition [...]

Spending bill provisions for Amtrak, railroads

According to The Washington Post, a $1.01 trillion spending bill that will keep most of the federal government funded through September retains Amtrak’s current funding of $1.39 billion, the same amount it currently receives. It also provides $3 million to expand inspec [...]

Conductor plays Santa online in your home

Now that the holiday season is upon us, we can expect that Santa Claus is very busy. So much so, that he has given in to the digital age by making himself available online. Our Santa – and there really is only one true Santa – is none other than BNSF Railway conductor and SMA [...]

Early rail retiree insurance cap rises in 2015

SMART Transportation Division members and their dependents insured under the Railroad Employees National Early Retirement Major Medical Benefit (ERMA) Plan (GA-46000) will have their lifetime maximum amount of coverage increased, effective Jan. 1. ERMA is a comprehensive bene [...]