Cory Martin
Illinois State Legislative Board Chairman
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 "has no meaningful connection to this district."
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 autonomous vehicle industry, experts say
Congressman Chuy Garcia
Had an excellent conversation with Congressman Chuy Garcia this morning. As you can expect, he is very squarely behind the Railway Safety legislation moving through the US Congress. I stressed to him the importance that ALL of the items and protections must stay in tact to provide real protection and safety for our members.
Just so you know, this is now who we have on T&I…
Nehls Leads Call for Biden Administration to Prioritize Rail Safety Over Special Interests? Washington, D.C. - Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), Chairman of the Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, led fellow T&I Committee Republicans in urging the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Biden Administration to immediately return to prioritizing the continued testing of automated track inspection (ATI) safety technology. The Committee Members wrote to FRA Administrator...
Minnesota ISLB Quadrennial Meeting
Got some quality time with our National officers Vince Verna and Brendan Sullivan while attending Minnesota's Quadrennial meeting. Special thanks to State Chairman Joel Mueller for inviting Illinois to participate.
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 the files area to apply OR they can be found at this link: 2023_Illinois_SLB_Scholarship
2023 Don Little Scholarship Applications
The BLET’s Illinois State Legislative Board is currently accepting applications for its Don Little Memorial Scholarship Fund, which was established in 2013. Up to Three (3) $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to applicants whose parent or guardian is a BLET member in good standing with a BLET Local Division represented by the Illinois State Legislative Board. Applicants must be 26 years of age or younger. Brother Don Little was a locomotive engineer with Metra commuter rail in Chicago and a...
Congratulations to the 2022 Don Little Memorial Scholarship Winners!
We proudly announce the two recipients of the 2022 Don Little Memorial Scholarships. Haley Dahl from Belvidere, IL and Jacob Harris from Pittsboro, IN. Congratulations!
Don Little Memorial Scholarship Fund
The BLET’s Illinois State Legislative Board is currently accepting applications for its Don Little Memorial Scholarship Fund, which was established in 2013. Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to applicants whose parent or guardian is a BLET member in good standing with a BLET Local Division represented by the Illinois State Legislative Board. Applicants must be 26 years of age or younger. Brother Don Little was a locomotive engineer with Metra commuter rail in Chicago and a proud member...
Call To Action!
March 11, 2021 Brothers and Sisters, Once again, I am asking you to rise to the occasion, once again a call to action! The Illinois House Bill HB2524 – VEH CD- FREIGHT TRAIN LENGTH has been assigned to a committee and we MUST “slip” this committee as a proponent (supporter) of this legislation. Please review the attached instruction sheet and proceed to ilga.gov to start the process. The hearing is scheduled for March 15th at noon. It is highly likely that I will be testifying at this hearing...
https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/amtrak-ridership-chicago-midwest/759151/?fbclid=IwY2xjawMsNahleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHpvcdP2sfB-Wo9348aZFO1YNtfOCGpv6wJp6ZivwYMwKjsZ1fREzeYZ5otak_aem_3TmmMuuFAEEtXdmXzrQeBQ
Amtrak ridership grows in Midwestern states Ridership on regional Amtrak trains out of Chicago Union Station grew 8% last year, according to a policy brief published last week by the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University. Compared with...
Musk’s SpaceX, others win US court challenge to labor board’s structure
Musk's SpaceX, others win US court challenge to labor board's structure Aug 19 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday agreed with Elon Musk's SpaceX and two other companies that the U.S. National Labor Relations Board's structure is likely unlawful and blocked...
A railway merger trifecta? What supersized UP/Norfolk Southern combo could mean
Here we go again. For the second time in recent years, two railroad titans are contemplating a marriage that could shake the freight landscape nationally and locally. Union Pacific Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway informed the U.S. Surface Transportation Board in...
FRA disbands Railroad Safety Advisory Committee
FRA disbands Railroad Safety Advisory Committee WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today disbanded its Railroad Safety Advisory Committee as part of a broader Department of Transportation push to bring federal advisory panels in line with a presidential...
Motorist cited for driving around gates before crashing into railroad machinery in Crystal Lake
A woman injured when her car collided with a piece of Union Pacific Railroad maintenance equipment Tuesday morning in Crystal Lake was cited for driving around railroad gates, officials said. After speaking with multiple witnesses, Metra police determined that the...
Lawmaker ‘all ears’ for transit funding while facing opposition to tax proposals
Lawmaker 'all ears' for transit funding while facing opposition to tax proposals (The Center Square) – An Illinois state senator says he’s “all ears” when it comes to funding public transit, but he insists on $1.5 billion from taxpayers and plans to continue pushing...
Shipper group, critical of UP-NS merger, says carload and unit train customers need competitive options
Shipper group, critical of UP-NS merger, says carload and unit train customers need competitive options WASHINGTON — The Freight Rail Customer Alliance today said that it’s opposed to the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, arguing that the transcontinental...
Missouri Congressman reintroduces bill to remove Amtrak right of preference
Missouri Congressman reintroduces bill to remove Amtrak right of preference WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) has reintroduced legislation that would strip Amtrak of its statutory right of operating preference on host freight railroads. It is at...
DOGE builds AI tool to cut 50 percent of federal regulations
DOGE builds AI tool to cut 50 percent of federal regulations The U.S. DOGE Service is using a new artificial intelligence tool to slash federal regulations, with the goal of eliminating half of Washington’s regulatory mandates by the first anniversary of President...
Rail unions warn DOT rollbacks could jeopardize train safety
Reported by John Gallagher for Freight Waves. Rail unions are raising concerns about the Trump administration’s plan to roll back protections for federal inspectors and investigators put in place in 2021 that they say could increase safety risks in the rail industry....