STB Eyes Alternatives to URCS (UPDATED May 25)

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) in October 2022 sought public comment on a new report that identifies and evaluates alternatives to the Uniform Railroad Costing System (URCS) that could be used as a replacement general-purpose costing methodology. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the Western Coal Traffic League (WCTL) respond.

NS: ‘Safety First’ Gets ‘Nuclear Power’

Norfolk Southern has retained Atkins Nuclear Secured (ANS) to conduct a multi-year independent review of the railroad’s “safety-first culture.” NS and ANS “will build upon the work and safety initiatives under way

Four East Palestine High School students receive scholarships for higher education.

Class I Briefs: NS, CSX

Norfolk Southern’s (NS) President and CEO Alan H. Shaw awards first Bulldog Legacy Scholarships. Also, NS and CSX are ranked among America’s Climate Leaders by USA Today.

(BNSF Photograph)

BNSF, SMART-TD Reach Tentative Agreements

BNSF on May 24 announced on LinkedIn that it has reached new tentative agreements with the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD) granting individual paid sick days.

NTSB to Hold East Palestine Investigative Hearing

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced May 24 that it will hold a two-day investigative hearing in East Palestine, Ohio, on June 22-23, as part of the ongoing investigation into the

FRA Issues NPRM to Amend Passenger Equipment Safety Standards (UPDATED May 25)

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), proposing to amend its Passenger Equipment Safety Standards as recommended by the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC), according to an April 3 Federal Register report.

(Union Pacific Photograph, via Twitter)

UP, BLET Reach Tentative Agreement on Work Schedules, Time Off

Union Pacific (UP) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) on May 24 reported reaching a tentative agreement to provide engineers with a “more predictable” work schedule that will also enable the Class I railroad “to better manage staffing levels, which supports more consistent and reliable service.”

For Week 20, Carloads, Intermodal Volume Decline

U.S rail traffic in Week 20 (ending May 20, 2023) lagged the same week last year—falling 5.2%, according to the Association of American Railroads’ May 24 report. Both carloads and intermodal volume were down.

Commentary

Don’t Overlook Truck Size and Weight (Updated May 24)

Just when you thought the halls of Capitol Hill couldn’t get any stickier, with misguided, unnecessary safety legislation rising out of the muck, here comes the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee with

WCTL Seeks Revenue Adequacy Remedy (Updated May 23 with AAR Rebuttal)

The Western Coal Traffic League (WCTL) has filed for a writ of mandamus with the D.C. Circuit Court for the Surface Transportation Board to take administrative action in Docket No. EP 722, Railroad

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