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Rail Workers Weekly News Digest
Number 40 - October 6, 2020
Below is a series of articles compiled over the previous week.
They are of interest to railroad workers and activists.
Regional Concerns Over AMTRAK Cuts
Teamster General Executive Board Gives a Pass to Corruption in a Narrow Split Vote
In a GEB vote on October 1, Rome Aloise was given a slap on the wrist for his serial corruption violations. For now, Aloise will walk away with a 30-day suspension with no admission of guilt. This decision was opposed by nearly half of the GEB.

The GEB’s decision is expected to be overturned by Judge Barbara Jones, the Independent Review Officer, who has the final say on the issue. It is expected that Aloise will be expelled from the union or hit with a lengthy suspension by Judge Jones.
Note: The BLET (Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen) and the BMWED (Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees) are members of the Teamsters Rail Conference. BMWED National Division President, Freddie Simpson, sits on the Teamster General Executive Board as an International Vice President. Simpson voted with the majority in the 12-to-11 split decision of the Board.

STB: Five Class Is were 'revenue adequate' in 2019 
A railroad is considered to be revenue adequate if it achieves a rate of return on net investment equal to at least the current cost of capital for the railroad industry in a given year. Congress directs the STB to conduct revenue adequacy determinations every year.
NCRR Investment for Nestle Purina Petcare Company Facility
Through the North Carolina Railroad Company’s economic development initiative, NCRR Invests, the company is investing approximately $2.1 million to assist with the repair of an existing rail line to return it to service. The line terminates in Eden, N.C. and is served by project partner Norfolk Southern. “Repair of the line also creates the opportunity for companies located along it to take advantage of rail service and connects available sites to rail, enabling them to be marketed as rail-served industrial sites,” NCRR said.
CN, CP notch record third-quarter grain hauls as global demand continues to surge     

Canada's two main railways notched another record-setting quarter for grain shipments, benefiting from strong global demand, a bumper crop, efficient cars and more capacity due to smaller hauls of other products amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Union Pacific - Good As Long As The Buybacks Last
Summary
  • UNP is fairly priced when compared to other railroad stocks.
  • Debt is going up fast and they are spending much more than what they make to reward shareholders via buybacks.
  • The buyback activity is pushing the stock higher but can only last for a determinate period of time.
Permit in Hand, An Entrepreneur Starts on Alaska-Alberta Railway
The team behind the proposed Alaska to Alberta railway aims to start prep work for construction in December, with a goal of getting the $17 billion cross-border railroad running by 2025.
Mainline testing for first British hydrogen train begins
The HydroFlex pilot involves the fitment of a hydrogen powerpack to an existing class 319 EMU, which will eventually allow it to run on conventional electrified and non-electrified routes. The train received approval for mainline testing in June 2019 following a successful proof-of-concept.
25 years later, Sunset Limited mystery still unsolved
"They pulled 29 spikes that bound the rails to the wooden ties. They shoved one of the rails out of alignment and propped it in place with a metal bar. And they bypassed the alarm wires that run along the tracks so the engineers on the train could not know what lay ahead."