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Tentative agreement reached on Kyle Railroad

The negotiating team representing SMART Transportation Division members on the Kyle Railroad has reached agreement with the carrier on a proposed contract for all crafts under its jurisdiction. The Transportation Division represents engineers, conductors, brakemen, maintenanc [...]

Former Maine, N.H. State Director Phillips dies

Former Maine-New Hampshire State Legislative Director Ernest “Ernie” A. Phillips, 77, died March 27. Phillips was born Jan. 4, 1936, in Milford, Maine. In February 1956, he went to work for Bangor and Aroostook Railroad as a trainman. In July 1962, he was employed by Maine Ce [...]

At L.A. motorcycle show, this ‘knucklehead’ is tops

Hundreds of motorcycle enthusiasts who entered custom bikes in the Easyriders® 2013 Bike Show in Anaheim, Calif., were apparently barking up the wrong tree. When it was all said and done, Howard “Tree” Slayton’s replica 1947 Knucklehead Harley-Davidson Radical Chopper was the [...]

Amtrak haters: Bullies with no public purpose

The following article was written by Railway Age columnist and former UTU Director of Public Relations Frank N. Wilner. Conservative columnist and American Enterprise scholar Michael Barone, with degrees from Harvard and Yale, is a smart fellow. But a recent column about Amtr [...]

NARP rebuts CNN high speed rail report

The following rebuttal from the National Association of Railroad Passengers is in response to a CNN report by Anderson Cooper critical of Amtrak and high speed rail funding: “So is Anderson Cooper still a real journalist? He headlines a daily talk show, and was swimming with [...]

Appalachian and Ohio contract vote unanimous

SMART Transportation Division-represented train and engine workers employed by Appalachian and Ohio Railroad have ratified a new five-year agreement by a unanimous vote. SMART Transportation Division International Vice President Dave Wier said the agreement provides for subst [...]

Amtrak seeks $2.1B for improvements

Amtrak, the U.S. intercity passenger railroad supported by taxpayers, asked Congress to more than double its capital budget so it can buy more trains and improve infrastructure. Amtrak, in a letter today to Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner, asked for $2 [...]

Hackers set up accounts in names of BNSF workers

LINCOLN, Neb. — Hackers stole the identity of 18 local people — at least 17 of them current or past BNSF workers — and used their personal information to bilk an online company out of more than $11,000. Twelve Lincoln residents and six more who live in Lanca [...]

Jury clears UP, crew in Riverside train deaths

Union Pacific Railroad was cleared today of negligence in the deaths of two friends killed when a mile-long train plowed into them near a rail crossing in downtown Riverside, where the women became stranded after the drunken one at the wheel drove onto the tracks. After delib [...]