217.370.8505 cory@bletislb.org

East Palestine has put railroads under a cloud of suspicion: Analysis

East Palestine has put railroads under a cloud of suspicion: Analysis All the positive freight railroad safety statistics in the world — like more than 99.9% of hazardous materials shipments arriving without incident — can’t overcome that image of a towering column of...

Off the rails: A call for freight railroad reform

Between all seven Class I freight railroad companies, the U.S. saw over 1,000 derailments in 2022. Norfolk Southern (the company responsible for the derailment in East Palestine) had 119 by itself. Other railways had even more, like BNSF which derailed 279 times in...

Norfolk Southern T&E workers get time off for medical care

Norfolk Southern T&E workers get time off for medical care Norfolk Southern Railway announced details of a new benefit offering train and engine (T&E) employees additional time off for medical appointments. The change was negotiated under the most recent...

Precision railroading strategy buckles under US legislative onslaught

Precision railroading strategy buckles under US legislative onslaught Under mounting pressure from a string of derailments, US Class I railways are abandoning elements of their predominant operational strategy of recent years . Precision scheduled railroading (PSR) is...

REMINDER ANOUNCEMENT! MAY 1st DUE DATE.

The annual ISLB Don Little Memorial Scholarships for 2023. The Illinois State Legislative Board will be awarding up to (3) $1000 scholarships to Illinois member’s children going to college. Applications MUST BE SUBMITTED by May 1st 2023. I have posted the documents in...