Cory Martin
Illinois State Legislative Board Chairman
2024 Illinois Primaries
Brothers and Sisters, it is Primary season in Illinois and we need to get out and vote. 2024 is shaping up to be a big year from the top of ticket to the very bottom, and sometimes the local races are the most vital. You recently received our list of suggested...
Brothers and sisters, as we move forward with this new chapter of the ISLB I want to continue to express my sincerest condolences to the Falaney family. Chris was a wonderful Husband, Father and Union man. He was an example of what we represent and something we should...
I toured the BRC Clearing yard in Chicago today with Illinois Congressman, Sean Casten and other Rail Labor leadership.
The short lines – doing their part in fighting against our safety…
Rail safety legislation: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has continued to speak publicly about his desire to move forward the Brown-Vance rail safety bill (S. 576). The bill would need 60 votes to clear a procedural hurdle and be considered on the floor....
Chairman, Chris Falaney and Vice Chairman, Corey Martin with STB member Robert Primus
Chairman, Chris Falaney and Vice Chairman, Corey Martin with STB member Robert Primus at the 2023 BLET Regional Meeting in Milwaukee.
2023 recipients of the BLET ISLB Don Little Scholarships
The 2023 BLET ISLB Don Little Scholarships have been awarded! Dylan Hawbaker (Div. 155) Sarah Molitor (Div. 131) Morgan Toedebusch (Div. 444) Congratulations, and best of luck on your future endeavors!
17,807
Grain carloads carried by U.S. railroads in the week ending May 20, down 12.7% from a year ago and leaving the commodity traffic down 7.1% so far this year, according to the Association of American Railroads.
Meeting National President Eddie Hall
I got a chance to chat with our new National President Eddie Hall at the NASLBC meeting in Kansas City. (pic)
Norfolk Southern Wants Ohio Securities Suit In Georgia
Norfolk Southern asked an Ohio federal judge Friday to send a proposed securities class action accusing it of misleading investors by not disclosing the heightened risks of train derailments prior to the February incident to the Northern District of Georgia, as it...
California Trucking Bill Has Autonomous Vehicle Industry On Edge.
Momentum for a California proposal seeking to ban autonomous heavy-duty trucks from operating without a human driver behind the wheel has sparked fears that the Golden State will kick off a nationwide patchwork of state regulations that will hinder the burgeoning...
Future of Chicago-Area Public Transit Hangs in Balance as State Lawmakers Wrap Up Hearings on Agency Funding, Oversight
Future of Chicago-Area Public Transit Hangs in Balance as State Lawmakers Wrap Up Hearings on Agency Funding, Oversight With the Chicago area’s public transit system approaching the precipice of a $730 million fiscal cliff in just over a year’s time, state Sen. Ram...
Project 2025 Would Undo the NLRB’s Progress on Protecting Workers’ Right To Organize
Project 2025 Would Undo the NLRB’s Progress on Protecting Workers’ Right To Organize As autoworkers, baristas, package carriers, Hollywood writers and actors, and thousands of other workers fight for and win new unions and new union contracts, Biden administration...
Durbin, Duckworth, Budzinski, Announce $157 Million In Federal Funding For Springfield Rail Improvements Project
Durbin, Duckworth, Budzinski, Announce $157 Million In Federal Funding For Springfield Rail Improvements Project SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) today...
FRA awards $2.4B in CRISI grants to fund rail projects
FRA awards $2.4B in CRISI grants to fund rail projects The Federal Railroad Administration today announced the award of $2.4 billion in fiscal-year 2023-2024 grants for freight- and passenger-rail projects. Administered through the FRA's Consolidated Rail...
FRA aims to tighten rules for waivers that allow railroads to experiment with safety technology
FRA aims to tighten rules for waivers that allow railroads to experiment with safety technology This car is part of Canadian National’s Autonomous Track Inspection Program. The fully automated car evaluates track geometry without interrupting normal railroad...
U.S. STB Approves Transaction That Creates Rail Link Between Mexico, U.S. South
U.S. STB Approves Transaction That Creates Rail Link Between Mexico, U.S. South The U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) has approved applications from two North American railroads to buy the rail lines operated by G&W’s Meridian & Bigbee Railroad, L.L.C....
Amtrak’s Borealis train ridership reaches 100K in five months
Amtrak’s Borealis train ridership reaches 100K in five months Amtrak’s Borealis line running between St. Paul’s Union Depot and downtown Chicago hit a milestone this week with 100,000 riders, a feat achieved in just 22 weeks since service began in May. Original...
Are Railroads Slowly Committing Suicide?
Are Railroads Slowly Committing Suicide? North America’s remaining six major freight railroads appear to be committing slow motion suicide, according to testimony offered by rail customers, industry analysts and labor to regulators on the Surface Transportation Board...
STB extends mediation for Union Pacific, Metra
STB extends mediation for Union Pacific, Metra The Surface Transportation Board on Tuesday, Oct. 15, granted Union Pacific a 30-day extension to the mediation period in its effort to reach an agreement with Chicago’s Metra regarding some financial aspects of an...
Appropriators proposal trims Amtrak fiscal 2025 budget: Analysis
Appropriators proposal trims Amtrak fiscal 2025 budget: Analysis Eastbound Wolverine No. 350 flies past the shuttered Ypsilanti, Mich., depot on June 7, 2024. The train is operating only Friday though Sunday until mid-October while midday, midweek trackwork takes...