OSHA finds BNSF retaliated against worker, orders railroad to pay back wages

BNSF Railway to pay more than $147K in back wages, damages to former employee DENVER – An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has found that BNSF Railway Company violated federal law when it terminated a track inspector for insubordination after the employee reported railroad track defects to management….


January 10th 2017
FAA issued final rule on small airplane safety certification standards

Rule will streamline approval of new technologies WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a final rule that overhauls the airworthiness standards for small general aviation airplanes. This innovative rule will reduce the time it takes to move safety enhancing technologies for small airplanes into the marketplace and will also…


Unions seek to overturn punitive New Jersey substance abuse law

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, January 9 — Two railroad labor unions have jointly filed a lawsuit to overturn a punitive New Jersey law that prohibits New Jersey Transit locomotive engineers from operating trains if their personal motor vehicle driver’s license is suspended. The unions argue that the state law, signed by Governor Chris Christie in late August…


January 9th 2017
FRA releases 2017 drug and alcohol testing rates

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has determined that the minimal annual random drug and alcohol testing rate will remain the same for 2017, as positive test rates have remained below the set threshold. The testing rates will continue to be 25 percent of covered service employees for drug testing and 10 percent of covered service…


January 5th 2017
LIRR derailed in Brooklyn, N.Y., dozens injured

FOX5NY reports that 103 people were injured when Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) train 2817 derailed at the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, N.Y. at 8:20 a.m. The first train car left the track, but no other cars seemed to have derailed. Approximately 600 passengers were on the train at the time of derailment. Click here to…


January 4th 2017