Editor's Note: When railroad executives begin accusing one another of intimidation, perhaps the public should consider what railroad workers have endured for generations. The proposed UP–NS merger is more than a contest between corporate empires; it is another attempt to concentrate power in an industry already governed by too few hands and too little accountability. If shippers fear speaking freely today, imagine the position of the workers whose livelihoods depend upon challenging that same authority tomorrow. The railroads were built by labor, sustained by labor, and ought not be surrendered to the unchecked ambitions of those who merely own them.

Trains / November 4th

Canadian Pacific Kansas City CEO Keith Creel spent 12 minutes of a quarterly earnings call criticizing the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, Trains reports. Creel said CPKC will ask the Surface Transportation Board on Nov. 18 to reject the deal. If it’s approved anyway, CPKC wants conditions to protect captive shippers and short lines. He also said shippers have told him they’re afraid to oppose the merger for fear of retaliation by UP.

Editor's Note: There is something revealing about a railroad executive threatening higher rates if denied a merger, then a railroad fighting to keep those remarks from public view. For generations, railroad workers have been lectured about efficiency, competition, and the sacred obligations of the free market, while the men at the top grow increasingly comfortable exercising power without restraint. If this is how corporate management speaks to its customers, working railroaders need little imagination to understand what further consolidation may mean for labor. The public should remember that the railroads exist to serve the nation, not to furnish a handful of executives with an empire beyond question.

Stop the Rail Merger Coalition / November 2026

The Stop the Rail Merger Coalition said Union Pacific was trying to keep video of CEO Jim Vena’s remarks at a March shipper conference out of public view. At that conference, Vena said he would “probably increase everybody’s rates” if the merger with Norfolk Southern failed. UP appealed a judge’s order to make the video public, and CPKC filed a motion to compel its release. UP has since released the video.

Editor's Note: Railroad workers have spent generations being told that transparency, accountability, and discipline are essential to running a railroad, though these principles seem considerably less popular in the executive suite. Management demands explanations for every minute of a worker’s day, yet asks the public for patience when explaining twelve minutes of its own. The same corporations that insist labor has nothing to hide when subjected to constant surveillance now discover an abiding concern for the dangers of a recording. Accountability, it seems, remains a virtue best practiced by the working class.

Trains / November 2nd

Union Pacific has appealed a judge’s order to release video of CEO Jim Vena’s March speech to shippers, which critics call a threat to raise rates on merger opponents, Trains reports. UP said releasing the video would let others edit and manipulate it, and asked the Surface Transportation Board to delay its release. CPKC, BNSF, CSX and a shippers’ group opposed the appeal. They argued UP missed the filing deadline, and BNSF called the appeal “a cynical ploy to delay.”

Editor's Note: There was a time when railroad barons scarcely bothered to disguise their contempt for those who stood in the way of their fortunes; apparently, that time has returned. When a railroad executive speaks of punishing opposition with higher rates, it reveals a philosophy of power that every working railroader ought to recognize. Corporate leadership preaches the virtues of competition while pursuing consolidation, demands obedience from labor while resisting accountability for itself, and increasingly mistakes the nation’s railroads for private kingdoms. These railroads were built by the sweat and sacrifice of working people, and their future must never be surrendered to those who believe wealth confers the right to punish dissent.

Trains / November 5th

Union Pacific released video of CEO Jim Vena’s March speech to shippers on Nov. 5, after the Surface Transportation Board rejected UP’s appeal as late and without merit, Trains reports. In the video, Vena says he would raise rates for merger opponents “three or four extra percent to teach you a lesson.” UP insists it doesn’t retaliate against customers. The STB has asked anyone to report possible retaliation, ordered UP to file related documents by Dec. 4, and gave UP until Nov. 19 to respond to CPKC’s request to end the merger review.

Editor's Note: When five state attorneys general join railroad labor in questioning a merger, the warnings can no longer be dismissed as the grievances of a single interest. For decades, consolidation has been sold as progress, while railroad workers have watched jobs disappear, territories expand, and the demands of Wall Street take precedence over the needs of the nation. The public interest is not measured by stock prices, executive bonuses, or the size of a corporate empire, but by the quality of service, the security of working people, and the prosperity of the communities railroads were built to serve. An industry that cannot distinguish between serving the country and enriching its shareholders has forgotten whose labor made its wealth possible.

Flathead Beacon / November 3rd

In a guest column, the attorneys general of Montana, Kansas, Iowa, Florida, and North Dakota urge the Surface Transportation Board to reject Union Pacific's proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern. They argue the deal fails the board's 2001 standard requiring Class I mergers to enhance competition. They note the STB rejected the first application as incomplete and paused review of the refiled version. They warn the merger would serve UP's finances over shippers' interests and could raise prices.

Editor's Note: We have seen numerous Congresses come and go, many of them promising all sorts of "change," when at the end of the day, the wealthy and powerful remain completely in control. Perhaps this time we can break that cycle as many people and politicians are looking for a new direction which will serve the needs of the many rather than the privilege of the elite. Our friends at the United Electrical union have the right idea.

UE / November 6th

UE's national officers issued a statement after the 2026 midterms welcoming Democratic gains while crediting grassroots organizing, not party leadership, for the results. The union urged the incoming Congress to pass a pro-worker agenda even if it faces presidential vetoes, including a higher minimum wage, Medicare for All, expanded Social Security, the PRO Act, and a revived Green New Deal that would include cleaner rail locomotives.

Editor's Note: A nation that can summon billions to serve corporate interests ought not find itself pleading for the means to move its own people. While Washington quarrels over appropriations, the workers who build, maintain, and operate our railroads are left to contend with an industry forever demanding more while investing too little in its future. Passenger rail is not a political ornament to be dusted off during election season, but a public necessity that demands reliable funding, skilled labor, and a government capable of protecting both. The measure of a nation’s progress is not how generously it rewards private wealth, but how faithfully it serves the working people who sustain it.

Trains / November 4th

Democrats made big gains in Tuesday’s elections, but Republicans still control the executive branch, so new passenger rail investment will need bipartisan support, Trains reports in an analysis. Rail funding from the 2021 infrastructure law expired Sept. 30, and Congress hasn’t passed a replacement, so programs are running on a stopgap spending measure. Federal Railroad Administration chief David Fink said the agency has 22% fewer staff than when the Trump administration took office. He also said new corridors face a shortage of passenger cars.

Editor's Note: In recent years, when public transit initiatives are on the ballot in states, counties, and municipalities, the citizenry generally supports them. Clearly, people want to get the hell out of their cars and off the highways, but they need public transit to make that happen.

Metropolitan Transportation Commission / November 5th

Early returns show San Francisco Bay Area voters approving the Regional Transit Measure, a 14-year sales tax of a half-cent in four counties and one cent in San Francisco. As of November 5, it led with about 62% support across five counties, with many mail ballots still uncounted. The tax would raise roughly $980 million a year, mostly to stabilize operations at BART, Muni, Caltrain, and AC Transit, which carry more than 80% of the region's daily transit trips.

Editor's Note: These two states have come to love trains, and little by little, the passenger rail network has expanded over the last two decades. From the plans they have, the best is yet to come, with new service planned to numerous twons and cities in both states. Colorado might be the next to join with them. Other states have great potential as well. Hopefully we are witnessing the beggining of a passenger train revival nationwide in the coming years.

High Speed Rail Alliance / October 28th

The Federal Railroad Administration has released $550 million for the S-Line passenger project. The money is part of a $1.09 billion grant from 2023 that had largely stalled, and it will restore the 18-mile Raleigh–Wake Forest segment. The full 162-mile Raleigh–Richmond corridor is now publicly owned, which lets passenger service set its own schedules without freight conflicts. The rebuilt route would be about 30 miles shorter with 110 mph top speeds, but most of the corridor is still unfunded.

Editor's Note: Big plans are afoot in the Midwest for expanding the network and frequencies of passenger trains. But it will take an extraordinary effort - and a strong and determined political coaltion - to make it all happen.

High Speed Rail Alliance / November 2026


The High Speed Rail Alliance will hold its 2026 annual conference on November 13 at 120 S. Riverside Plaza in Chicago, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The program builds on the creation of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority and covers Midwest organizing and sustainability, aiming to help advocates plan for high-speed and regional rail. Illinois State Rep. Rita Mayfield will give the keynote, and lunch is included with tickets.

Editor's Note: The people who serve passengers aboard our nation’s trains should not be expected to shoulder another risk devised in a boardroom and imposed without their consent. A locked case is no substitute for sound safety policy, and the consequences of a failure will fall not upon those who approved it, but upon the crews and passengers entrusted to their care. Railroad labor has fought too long and buried too many of its own to accept the notion that workplace safety is a privilege management may grant or withdraw at its convenience. Those who do the work deserve more than assurances from those who will never face the danger.

The Guardian / November 5th

The Transport Workers Union, which represents Amtrak onboard service workers, is condemning a new Amtrak policy that will let passengers keep firearms at their seats in locked cases, The Guardian reports. According to the union, the policy starts in January and covers about 1,500 more trains a day, including the busy Northeast Corridor. Right now, guns are allowed only on a few long-distance trains and must be stored in baggage cars. TWU’s John Feltz called the plan “sheer lunacy,” warning that a lock could fail or be forced open, putting riders and crews at risk.

Editor's Note: For years, railroad executives have treated experienced workers as an expense to be reduced, only to discover that experience cannot be manufactured when the railroad begins to falter. Now the same industry that has driven workers away with punishing schedules, relentless attendance policies, and deteriorating working conditions offers five-figure bonuses to lure them back. Fifty thousand dollars may buy a signature, but it cannot purchase loyalty, restore a family life, or make an intolerable workplace worth enduring. The shortage is not simply one of railroad workers; it is a shortage of corporate willingness to treat labor as human beings rather than disposable machinery.

Trains / November 5th

Norfolk Southern is offering experienced conductors $50,000 hiring bonuses at 11 priority terminals and $30,000 at seven others, Trains reports. The bonuses are paid in installments over 18 months. Terminal dwell at NS has risen to its highest level since the 2023 East Palestine derailment, though the railroad set a productivity record last quarter. CEO Mark George said the industry has to hire about twice as many trainees as it needs because so many leave during six months of training. NS appears to be the only U.S. railroad offering signing bonuses to experienced conductors.

Editor's Note: French railway workers have never been shy about taking "industrial action." It is part of the culture in many European countries that railroad workers go on strike, it is what they do.

The Independent / November 5th

French trade unions called a nationwide general strike on Nov. 5 that disrupted rail service across the country, The Independent reports. French intelligence expected 500,000 to 700,000 people to join demonstrations outside Paris, with major rallies in Lyon and Marseille. National railway SNCF warned of significant disruptions to regional and Paris commuter trains, while high-speed TGV service faced only minor delays. The strike follows three weekends of protests across France over the high cost of living and school conditions.

Editor's Note: The Democrats have taken control of The House, The Senate, and a majority of governorships and state houses across the country. Will this mean a new day for working people and unions in the USA? Or another betrayal where the party establishment does nothing, simply conforming to the status quo? Workers and our unions need to demand change and push like hell!

The Lever / November 5th

The Lever has launched a new video series hosted by David Sirota examining what Democrats will do with their return to power in Washington after the midterms. The first episode focuses on the party's internal divide over whether to keep deferring to wealthy donors or take up populist economic demands to win back working-class voters. Guests include former Labor Secretary Robert Reich and Democratic strategist and labor organizer Patrick Gaspard. New episodes will be released through November.

Editor's Note: Both political parties have treated working people and organized labor terribly in recent decades, ignoring workers' bread-and-butter issues and focusing on "culture wars." But the campaign rhetoric appears to be shifting, as appeals to class interests dominated talking points in the recent mid-terms. Let's hope this trend continues and workers can elect candidates based upon who espouses support for our issues - health care, education, housing, good union jobs, pay increases, pensions, paid leave, and all the rest!

AFL-CIO/ November 4th

The AFL-CIO credits its largest-ever midterm program with powering Democratic gains in the Nov. 3 elections. The federation says union volunteers reached more than 16 million union voters in 35 states. It also says a record 639 union members have won office so far, and that exit polls showed union households favoring Democrats by 21 points. In the AFL-CIO’s statement, President Liz Shuler said, “This blue wave was union-made.” She added that labor is ready to work with newly elected officials to raise wages and lower costs.

Editor's Note: Are we headed for a political realignment in the USA? It would be a great day when working class Republicans join with working class Democrats, realize their common interests, and tell the wealthy of both parites to kick rocks.

Politico / November 2nd

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler told Politico that how candidates handle artificial intelligence will be labor’s “litmus test” for the 2028 presidential race. Shuler said the AFL-CIO is drafting its own comprehensive AI legislation to protect workers. The goal is to keep AI from causing the kind of job losses workers suffered when manufacturing moved overseas. After passing four AI bills in California, the federation plans to push similar laws in other states and in Congress. Shuler also said labor supports strategic tariffs that protect industries like steel, but opposes across-the-board tariffs.