TTD in the news

Reported by Frank Wilner for Railway Age.

The National Mediation Board (NMB) on June 14 set in motion a ticking time bomb toward an economy-jolting national railroad shutdown within 90 days, its two Democratic members agreeing with rail labor—and over the remonstrance of carriers and the NMB’s lone Republican—that a voluntary agreement to amend unionized rail worker wages, benefits and work rules is not within reach.

Negotiations, dating to January 2020, involve 12 rail craft unions (bargaining in two coalitions collectively representing some 115,000 rail workers), most Class I freight railroads and many smaller ones. Management is represented by the National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC). CSX is negotiating separately with two unions, representing train and engine workers, over wages and work rules (not benefits). Canadian Pacific negotiates separately with all its U.S. unions.

Reported by Joanna Marsh for Freightwaves.

The Federal Railroad Administration is now requiring the Class I railroads, Amtrak and commuter railroads to include fatigue risk management plans as part of their larger system safety and risk reduction programs.

The rule was published Monday in the Federal Register. The Federal Railroad Administration will review the plans annually, per the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, and it will also conduct periodic audits.

FRA said this rule is one of several ongoing initiatives to address the complex operational, environmental and cultural issues that contribute to fatigue.

Reported by Marybeth Luczak for Railway Age.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on June 13 published in the Federal Register a final rule on “Fatigue Risk Management Programs for Certain Passenger and Freight Railroads.” The Commuter Rail Coalition (CRC) and Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) respond.

“Under the regulation, Class I freight railroads, Amtrak and commuter railroads must develop and implement a Fatigue Risk Management Program (FRMP) as part of their larger system safety and risk reduction programs,” FRA said in a statement. “Before submitting a FRMP plan to FRA for approval, each railroad is required to consult with affected employees to identify fatigue hazards, as well as specific actions to be taken to mitigate or eliminate those risks.”

Reported by Trains.

The Federal Railroad Administration has issued its new rule on railroad fatigue management, set for formal publication on Monday, and at least one rail union leader has offered a positive response.

The final rule, “Fatigue Risk Management Programs for Certain Passenger and Freight Railroads,” is available here for public inspection. Following its publication on Monday, it will become effective July 13. It requires railroads to identify situations with a risk of fatigue and mitigate or eliminate those risks, including such factors as scheduling practices and employees’ consecutive off-duty hours.

Reported by Elliot Robinson for Global Railway Review.

Amtrak have received a grant from the FRA which will allow the company to train over 600 employees in its new apprenticeship programme.

It has been announced that Amtrak have received a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) $8 million grant which will enable Amtrak to advance its new apprenticeship programme. The programme, launched in March 2020, will be rolled out and implemented nationally, offering a three-year career track for personal and professional advancement. With training hubs in Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Wilmington, and Beech Grove, the grant will enable the programme to train over 600 employees in the next three to five years.

Reported by Gabrielle Gurley for The American Prospect.

The transportation workforce instability and a worker-friendly job market both brought on by COVID show no signs of letting up. Flight attendants flee regional carriers for higher pay, better routes, and other perks with legacy airlines. Bus drivers quit in droves, forcing transit systems to offer signing bonuses, while merchant marine crews grapple with endless weeks working on ships waiting to get into clogged ports. What could make this work more unsettling? A proposed Department of Health and Human Services pre-employment drug testing regime that could render millions of employees in safety-sensitive positions—pilots, flight attendants, railway engineers, mariners, and truckers and others—ineligible for work or send them out of the industry altogether.

Reported by T.A. DeFeo for Trains.

The Federal Railroad Administration could soon rule on a petition that would allow a pair of freight railroads to use wayside wheel temperature detectors for inspections currently performed by workers. But a union representing railroad employees says granting such a request would be dangerous.

Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific jointly petitioned the FRA to allow them to use the Automated Brake Effectiveness test process using wheel temperature detectors as an alternative to Class I brake tests performed by certified car inspectors. The railroads say the test is more accurate and will allow them to proactively identify and repair defects, which will lead to safer operations.

According to documents filed with the FRA, the railroads asked for a waiver for a potash unit train operating between Saskatchewan, Canada, and Portland, Ore. The tests would take place on the trains, which typically operate with between 130 and 190 cars, in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Reported by Lori Ann LaRocco for CNBC.

The drop in Shanghai’s port productivity, which is driven by to the lack of people working due to Covid lockdowns, can be seen in the container wait time at the port, according to CNBC’s new Supply Chain Heat Map.

“In Shanghai, ocean terminals, warehouses, and trucking services are operating as normal but with lower efficiency due to staff shortages and lack of drivers,” said Brian Bourke, Chief Growth Officer of SEKO Logistics.

CNBC’s Supply Chain Heat Map is a new data tool CNBC created along with 10 of the world’s top maritime and logistics data providers. it shows the scores of challenges facing the global supply chain in real time, so investors can understand the inventory problems facing companies.

America’s Workforce Union Podcast.

AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department President Greg Regan joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed an oppressive attendance policy implemented by BNSF Railway and its impact on workers and the supply chain crisis.

Called Hi-Viz, the policy is point-based and docks workers for absences, including family emergencies and sickness. Due to this strict policy, many workers fear they will be laid off in the next eight months, which could further disrupt the supply chain.

Reported by Dan Zukowski for SmartCitiesDive.

Even with advanced automated driving technology, transit vehicles including public transit buses and vans are “highly likely” to require the presence of a qualified human operator, according to a report issued Thursday by Traffic21, a transportation research institute at Carnegie Mellon University.

Human operators will likely be required in part because transit buses operate in a complex, ever-changing urban environment alongside pedestrians, bicyclists and other road users, the report says. Transit operators also interact with passengers and are responsible for their safety on board the vehicle.

While advanced driver assistance systems such as lane-centering and pedestrian warnings can improve safety, higher levels of automation can create their own safety issues, the report said.