Transportation News

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‘Buy America’ breach costs Texas light rail

The Federal Transit Administration has placed a hold on $900 million in federal grants destined to Houston’s light-rail transit system – Houston Metro — for alleged violation of “Buy America” procurement regulations, reports the Bureau of National Affairs in its BNA Tra [...]

70 new crash-worthy locos for Amtrak

Siemens, an international engineering firm with its U.S. headquarters in Washington, D.C., and plants throughout the U.S., has won a $466 million contract from Amtrak to build 70 Sprinter ACS-64 electric locomotives for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor. [...]

UTU Local 377 ratifies new B&P contract

UTU Local 377 members — engineers, conductors and brakemen — employed by Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad have ratified a new five-year agreement by an almost 8-to-1 margin. Balloting was by craft under provisions of the UTU constitution guaranteeing craft autono [...]

Vote your paycheck on Election Day

By Bonnie MorrAlternate Vice President – Bus Department Right now in our country, economics is spelling out what transit and transportation will look like now and in the future. The UTU Bus Department has been following the trends for funding that are necessary for pass [...]

UP may ink Illinois passenger rail contract

Union Pacific, frequently identified – rightly or wrongly – as a foe of joint freight/passenger rail operations, may be the first major railroad to sign such an implementing agreement, reports the Journal of Commerce. The Journal of Commerce quoted UP CEO Jim Young as saying [...]

NS joins the ‘earnings-have-soared’ pack

Norfolk Southern on Oct. 27 followed most other major railroads in reporting substantial earnings improvements for the third quarter 2010. CSX, Canadian National, Kansas City Southern and Union Pacific all have reported substantial improvements in net income and operating rat [...]

Small RR promotes freight/pass. sharing

Iowa Interstate Railroad and Amtrak are intending jointly to launch conventional-speed (79 mph) passenger service between Chicago and Iowa City over a previously abandoned rail line, reports progressiverailroading.com. The proposed service, reported progressiverailroading.com [...]

KCS, CN follow CSX, UP with big earnings hike

On the heels of blockbuster third quarter earnings reports by CSX and Union Pacific, Kansas City Southern and Canadian National on Oct. 26 reported their own impressive earnings improvements. Kansas City Southern reported doubling its third quarter net income, and reducing it [...]

Thinking about retirement?

So how long will you live after you retire, and will you have enough money to live on comfortably? Precisely. And that’s why – before you retire – you should think about post-retirement economic security, because few things could be worse than money running out during what ar [...]

Your vote is crucial. Vote Nov. 2

By James StemUTU National Legislative Director Alfred E. Newman, the not-very-bright Mad magazine character, had an expression shared today by too many Americans: “I am not sure who is running, and my vote won’t make a difference anyway.” It is doubtful thos [...]