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Poll shows conservative support for Amtrak

Armed with polling data obtained by SMART?Transportation Division?political consultant Dean Mitchell of DFM?Research, Colorado State Legislative Director Carl Smith and Assistant Legislative Director Charlie Skidmore Sept. 14 presented community leaders from Colorado, Kansas [...]

BNSF to serve new crude-rail terminal in Wyo.

CTRAN L.L.C., Cogent Energy Solutions L.L.C. and Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners have announced they secured all permits, funding and customers to begin construction on a crude-by-rail terminal adjacent to the Casper Natrona County International Airport in Casper, Wyo. To b [...]

Importance of a current connection for RRB benefits

Under the Railroad Retirement Act, a “current connection” with the railroad industry is one of the eligibility requirements for occupational disability annuities and supplemental annuities, and is one of the factors that determine whether the Railroad Retirement Board or the [...]
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Amtrak funds at risk in extended shutdown

Amtrak, the U.S. intercity passenger railroad, may have trouble staying on track, literally, if a U.S. government shutdown is prolonged for a month or more. The Washington-based railroad, which has never made money, gets 12 percent of its operating budget and most capital and [...]
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Amtrak commits to end food, beverage losses

WASHINGTON – Amtrak is moving forward with a plan to eliminate its food and beverage losses over five years. It builds on successful initiatives implemented since fiscal year 2006 that have increased the cost recovery rate from 49 percent to 65 percent. “We have made steady a [...]

Suicides by rail leave more than just one victim

Sharon Spitler had every intention of taking her life when she left her motel room in the early morning of Sept. 25. At 6:40 a.m., the 56-year-old Westland, Mich., woman walked to the nearby South Shore railroad tracks and stood between the long twin rails that disappear in b [...]

Natural gas locomotives to be common by 2016

In 2011, U.S. railroad companies consumed a little over 3 billion gallons of diesel, nearly 5.5 percent of the total consumption for the entire country. Oil is currently much more expensive than natural gas, which thanks to the shale boom, is at record low prices in the U.S. [...]

SMOHIT Screenings

The following screenings are scheduled as of this date.  All Sheet Metal Workers are eligible who were initiated to journey-level status prior to January 1, 1993 and are on minimum dues, if retired.  The #Eligible column includes eligible members from the targeted local union [...]

Sheet Metal Industry Recognizes Its Own With National Safety Awards

Safety in the sheet metal and air conditioning industry is an important concern, and the Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT) recognizes contractors, training centers and individuals annually who initiate safety training programs and provide overall safety [...]

Amtrak in New York state to stay open

ALBANY, N.Y. — Amtrak and the state Department of Transportation have reached an agreement on a method for sharing costs on most trains in the Empire State, avoiding a shutdown of service that could have taken place as early as Oct. 17. The agreement, required by the fe [...]