Transportation News

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Canadian National places major locomotive order

Canadian National has placed the largest power order by a Class I rail carrier in three years, asking for more than 200 ET44AC locomotives to be acquired from General Electric over the next three years, according to a report from Railway Age. The first round of locomotives ar [...]

Make your hotel reservations for 2018 SMART TD regional meetings

Reservations are now open for both the Seattle, Wash., and Hollywood, Fla., regional meetings. Click here to learn how to make hotel reservations for the Seattle meeting.   Click here to learn how to make hotel reservations for Hollywood, Fla. SaveSave

CALL SENATORS: Tax bill could wipe out RRB unemployment/sick fund

The Republican tax bill that is being voted on today has the potential to wipe out Railroad Retirement Board-administered unemployment and sickness benefits. This is your last chance to call and tell your senators to VOTE NO. A call to action posted by SMART Transportation Di [...]

SMART TD President’s statement on Washington derailment

NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio (Dec. 19) — SMART Transportation Division is assisting as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) conducts its investigation and offers its sincere condolences to the victims and families of those affected by the Dec. 18 Amtrak Cascades derai [...]

Update: NTSB says derailed Amtrak train was speeding

The Amtrak Cascades train 501 that derailed over Interstate 5 near DuPont, Wash., Monday, Dec. 18 was speeding, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said. The train was traveling at around 80 mph in a 30 mph zone, the agency said. The train was carrying 80 passenge [...]

Retirees: Palmetto GBA introduces beneficiary portal

Palmetto GBA has introduced a new beneficiary portal, MyRRMed, where users will have access to claims data, historical Medicare Summary Notices and data on who they have authorized to have access to their private health information. Portal Functions: At this time, you can use [...]

Former UTU Director of Updating Peter Spalding has died

Peter N. Spalding, 75, died Saturday, Dec. 16. Spalding hired out with CSX in 1964 and was a member of Local 376 in Louisville, Ky. He eventually came to work at the UTU International, then headquartered in downtown Cleveland. While at the UTU, he served the membership in the [...]

High-speed Amtrak train derails in Wash., dangles over highway

CBS reports that high-speed, southbound Amtrak Cascades train 501 derailed on an overpass this morning near DuPont in Washington state. At least one train car crashed down onto Interstate 5 and blocked all lanes of traffic. Authorities say that injuries and casualties have be [...]

CSX CEO E. Hunter Harrison dead at 73

CSX CEO E. Hunter Harrison, 73, has died just two days after CSX announced that he was going on medical leave due to complications from an illness. CSX’s chairman of the board of directors, Edward J. Kelly III said on behalf of the board: “With the passing of Hunt [...]