RWU
News & Information Service
Rail Workers Weekly News Digest
Number 14 - June 25th, 2019
Below is a series of articles compiled over the previous week.
They are of interest to railroad workers.
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2019-14  Article 1

Union Leaders Criticize Precision Scheduled Railroading


The implementation of  precision scheduled railroading  (PSR) has contributed to dwindling morale and could result in creating unsafe working conditions should the federal government withhold intervention, according to union witnesses at a June 20th Congressional hearing on rail safety.

"If [the rail industry] is left to self-regulate, the PSR operating model will do what is cheapest and not what is safest and in the best interest of the public or our members," said  Jerry C. Boles , president of the  Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen  at "The State of the Rail Workforce"  hearing  held by the U.S. House of Representatives  Subcommittee  on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials.

Union witnesses said the deployment of PSR, an operating model which seeks to run trains on a fixed schedule, has resulted in worker fatigue and a sense of job uncertainty because of the railroads' efforts to lower headcount and spread out job duties among fewer employees.

2019-14  Article 2


Trump Threatens Veto Over Passenger Rail Funding


The White House issued a veto threat against the fiscal 2020 funding bill, saying President Trump was "disappointed" at Congress for boosting investment in Amtrak instead of eliminating the National Network, as outlined in the President's budget request. 

The White House also objected to language that prevents the U.S. DOT from clawing back grant funding from the California High-Speed Rail project. 

Congress is scheduled to vote this week. Call your Representative and let them know you support investment inpassenger rail! Read more ...

2019-14 Article 3

Labor Network for Sustainability - June 2019 Newsletter


2019-14  Article 4

Montana Rail Link budgets record capex


(Editors Note: proportionately, the capital budget at this smaller regional railroad exceeds that of the Class Ones. MRL also has a better safety record. And the railroad is installing PTC voluntarily because it is the "right thing to do.")

Capital spending for  Montana Rail Link  (MRL) is up in 2019 — way up. The large regional has budgeted a record $95 million, besting the previous high-water mark of $59 million set in 2018 by a wide margin.

Over the past five years, MRL has allocated about $250 million for capital expenditures, mostly to bolster its 937-mile network in Montana and Idaho.

The railroad needs to expand and maintain infrastructure because the volume of trains traversing its network is increasing, says Ross Lane, MRL’s chief communications officer. Read more ...
2019-14  Article 5

Amtrak police force cuts prompt lawmakers' security concerns


House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and dozens of other U.S. congressmen want to know why  Amtrak  is reportedly planning to reduce the size of its police force by 20 percent over the next several years. 

In a letter sent yesterday  to Amtrak President and Chief Executive Office Richard Anderson, DeFazio and 52 other House members expressed concern that the possible Amtrak Police Department (APD) cuts "could undermine the safety and security of the entire system."

The letter asks Anderson to explain Amtrak's justification for the proposed reduction in the security workforce, and noted that Amtrak failed to provide Congress with sufficient information about the plan before moving forward.  Read more ...
2019-14  Article 6

Overall carload and intermodal traffic down more than 5% for the week of June 15


WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 15.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 527,989 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.4 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending June 15 were 257,385 carloads, down 4.6 percent compared with the same week in 2018, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 270,604 containers and trailers, down 6.2 percent compared to 2018. Read more ...

2019-14 Article 7

Why the UK Needs a Nationally Integrated and Publicly Owned Railway: What RMT Workers Have to Say


NOTE: The railroads in the UK were privatized in the 1990s. Since then, a whole series of crashes have taken place, worker safety has been compromised, ticket prices have skyrocketed, and service is a mess. The carriers have attempted to run trains with single crews ("driver only operation") but the unions have been somewhat successful in warding this off by striking over the issue. Perhaps it is time for unions in the U.S. to call for nationalization of the rail industry here!

2019-14 Article 8

Prevent Severe Cut to Public Transit Funding

The U.S. House of Representatives may soon be voting on an appropriations bill (H.R. 3055) that includes public transportation funding for fiscal year (FY) 2020. At the 11th hour, U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) has introduced an amendment that would cut public transit funding by 12% later this year. 


It’s critical that Voices for Public Transit speak out loudly and swiftly to oppose the Perry Amendment. It would reduce public transportation funding by an estimated $1.2 billion, taking us in exactly the wrong direction. This would mean fewer new buses and trains, and less money to make critical improvements. Congress needs to support mobility, jobs, and economic development by expanding public transportation, not cutting it. America deserves a first-class public transit infrastructure.

TELL YOUR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE

Protect Public Transit Funding→

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