Transportation News

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RRB: Earnings limit for rail retirees is scheduled to increase in 2020

Railroad Retirement annuitants subject to earnings restrictions can earn more in 2020 without having their benefits reduced as a result of increases in earnings limits indexed to average national wage increases. Like Social Security benefits, some Railroad Retirement benefit [...]

Federal lawsuit may cost NS millions

A jury found Norfolk Southern liable last month for a 2010 breach in contract with Drummond Coal Co., meaning that the carrier could end up paying back the Alabama-based coal company millions in penalties. The contract between the coal supplier and NS required that Drummond&# [...]

TTD, SMART TD file complaint over National Mediation Board rules change

The AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), in conjunction with SMART Transportation Division and 13 other unions associated with the railroad and aviation industries, filed suit in federal court in the District of Columbia against the National Mediation Board (NMB) r [...]

Virginia SLD reminds state voters: Absentee voting has begun!

SMART Transportation Division Virginia State Legislative Director Ronnie Hobbs issued a reminder Oct. 16 that absentee voting in-person or by mail has begun for the state’s Nov. 5 general elections. Voters can cast absentee ballots in person at their local voting regist [...]

Poll claims Coloradans are willing to pay more taxes for rail service

A recent poll conducted by RBI Strategies & Research in conjunction with Magellan Strategies found that 61% of those surveyed would support a sales tax increase to fund a passenger rail service project along Colorado’s Front Range. Although a sales tax increase is support [...]

Kansas SLD criticizes UP yard cuts

Union Pacific’s version of Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) claimed more victims recently. UP announced last week that it was doing away with its Neff Yard in Kansas City, Mo., and with it 200 well-paying rail jobs evaporate. The short-term benefits of these and other wo [...]