American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association

Trucking, labor haggle over driver work rules

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the Teamsters union agree that truck driver fatigue is an issue, but the two organizations disagree on how to solve the problem.

Testifying on Tuesday at a Senate Commerce committee hearing on freight transportation issues, Lamont Byrd, director of the union’s safety and health department, told lawmakers that a big part of the problem are the changes made to the hours-of-service (HOS) regulations last year, which he says is resulting in drivers...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trucking-labor-haggle-over-driver-work-rules

Rail Roundup: UP’s grain transload project, senators’ grade crossing bill

A Union Pacific train hauling rail cars.Union Pacific constructing Chicago-agrea transload facility for agricultural producers

Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) is constructing a grain transload facility near Chicago to benefit Midwest agricultural producers and processors and reduce their supply chain costs.

The company is building the facility within its Global IV intermodal terminal in Joliet, Illinois. The Union Pacific Global IV Transload Facility will be managed by JCT, a 50-50 joint venture between Consolidated Grain and Barge Co. and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rail-roundup-ups-grain-transload-project-senators-grade-crossing-bill

Rail stakeholders see promise and peril in Biden infrastructure push

A photograph of an open box car.

Freight rail stakeholders looked favorably upon the prioritization of freight rail within the transportation infrastructure provisions in President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion, 10-year American Jobs Plan. But some worry about its price tag and projects they view as unrelated to infrastructure.

“The OneRail Coalition applauds the Administration for prioritizing rail as part of President Biden’s infrastructure proposal, and for recognizing rail’s role as part of the solution to climate issues. Rail is...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/rail-stakeholders-see-promise-and-peril-in-biden-infrastructure-push

FMCSA gives railroad CMV drivers HOS relief

Regulators have relaxed hours-of-service (HOS) rules for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers working for most of the nation’s railroads despite opposition from safety officials claiming that the exemption needlessly increases fatigue risk.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration five-year waiver would exempt commercial railroad employees from the FMCSA’s 14-hour and 60-hour/70-hour rules. Current HOS rules prohibit drivers from driving after the 14th hour after coming on duty as well...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-gives-railroad-cmv-drivers-hos-relief

AAR, ASLRRA mourn death of union leader

A photograph of rail track.

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) expressed condolences over the death of Larry Willis, president of the Transportation Trades Department for the AFL-CIO.

WIllis, 53, died Sunday as a result of injuries sustained in a biking accident on Nov. 22. 

Larry Willis, president of the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO (Photo: TTD)

“Larry’s passing is a tremendous loss for all who knew this thoughtful, tireless...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/aar-aslrra-mourn-death-of-union-leader

Rail stakeholders: Tough road ahead for infrastructure bill

A photograph of tank cars parked at a rail yard.

The multibillion-dollar infrastructure bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week, but whether it can make it through the Republican-controlled Senate to President Donald Trump’s desk is less clear.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Moving Forward Act on a largely party-line vote of 233-188 last Wednesday, and the bill now is in the U.S. Senate. 

The act includes an infrastructure component that authorizes the federal government to spend nearly $500 billion over five years...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/rail-stakeholders-tough-road-ahead-for-infrastructure-bill

Rail groups split on Democrats’ infrastructure bill

A photograph on a train with a city landscape behind it.

A number of the railroad-related items listed in the 846-page, $500 billion infrastructure bill introduced by House Democrats this week could face some hot debate as it goes through Congress, judging by the reactions of rail trade groups and rail labor.

The bill, entitled Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America), is a five-year, $494 billion surface reauthorization bill unveiled on June 3 by the U.S. House and Transportation &...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/rail-groups-split-on-democrats-infrastructure-bill

Senators introduce bill on financing loans for rail infrastructure projects

A photograph of a train passing by an old wooden barn in the middle of a field.

Two U.S. senators last week introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at helping short line railroads and passenger railroads finance capital investment projects.

Republican Senator John Thune (South Dakota) and Democrat Senator Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire) introduced the Railroad Rehabilitation and Financing Innovation Act, which aims to bolster the existing railroad rehabilitation and improvement financing (RRIF) loan program.

The bill seeks to improve the existing program through three...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/senators-introduce-bill-on-financing-loans-for-rail-infrastructure-projects

Rail industry groups eye pandemic relief/capital investment funding

A photograph of a train hauling tank cars across a field.

As the rail industry gears up to seek federal engagement in transportation infrastructure issues such as grant funding for capital projects, a new factor – the manufacturing downturn brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic – is influencing discussions between the industry and lawmakers.

In particular, rail equipment producers are vulnerable because the severe drop in railcar traffic has dried up demand for railcar manufacturing, according to the Railway Supply Institute (RSI).

“The COVID-19...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/rail-industry-groups-eye-pandemic-relief-capital-investment-funding

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