TTD in the news

Reported by Mark Gruenberg for People’s World. The nation’s rail unions and the AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department are hailing the Biden administration’s final rule mandating two-person crews on all but a few of the nation’s freight trains. About the only union-side objections to the Federal Railroad Administration’s rule, published April 2, were that it shouldn’t […]

Reported by David Lassen for Trains. The Federal Railroad Administration today issued its new final rule generally requiring two-person crews on trains, which it says “enhances safety” and industry group the Association of American Railroads immediately blasted as “unfounded and unnecessary.” The 223-page final rule requires two-person crews except for certain operations “that do not pose […]

Reported by Progressive Railroading. The Federal Railroad Administration has issued its final rule on train crew safety requirements, which generally mandates a second crew member on Class I freight and passenger trains, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced today. The minimum crew-size rule is long overdue, Buttigieg said in a press release. “Common sense tells us that […]

Reported by David Shepardson for Reuters. The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) said Tuesday it will require major railroads to have at least two crew members for most trips. The final rule creates a special approval process for railroads seeking to initiate new one-person train crew operations and requires trains carrying some hazardous […]

Reported by Carolina Worrell for Railway Age.

President Joe Biden on March 14 announced his intention to nominate Jennifer Lynn Homendy for Chair and Member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The nomination is for a second five-year term as a Member expiring Dec. 31, 2029. Her first term expires Dec. 31. 2024. Her separate Chair nomination is for a three-year term.

Homendy is the 15th Chair of NTSB, an independent agency (from Executive Branch) now at full five-member strength with members serving five-year terms. She is the fourth woman to serve as Chair since the agency was created in 1967. As Chair, she is the agency’s Chief Executive, managing an annual budget of $140 million and more than 440 full-time employees across the country. She has also served as NTSB’s 44th Board Member since 2018.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Angus King, I-Maine, Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., introduced legislation to standardize the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Clearance Process which is used by transportation workers nationwide. The applicants often have to apply for more than one security clearance program using the same background check paperwork and […]

Railroad labor union leaders today urged the Federal Railroad Administration to reject or at least severely restrict a proposal that would allow a pair of Genesee & Wyoming short lines to conduct intensive tests of Parallel Systems autonomous, self-propelled battery-electric freight cars.

The Heart of Georgia and Georgia Central railroads last year asked the FRA to waive a number of federal rail equipment regulations that would allow operation of Parallel’s container cars. The tests aim to prove that the technology is safe and that the equipment can coexist with conventional railroad operations. Parallel says its zero-emissions cars would allow railroads to effectively compete with trucks for short-haul moves.

At a public hearing today, FRA officials heard from Parallel, the G&W short lines, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, elected officials, and area economic development executives. They all touted the potential benefits of shifting freight off the highway to rail and encouraged the FRA to allow the tests to proceed.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – After years of advocacy, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced today that she successfully pushed the Biden administration to implement stronger Buy America standards for federally funded highway projects to support domestic manufacturing and create good-paying jobs. Senator Baldwin had long called for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to end the 40-year waiver […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), a senior member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, re-introduced the Stronger Communities Through Better Transit Act, which would authorize $20 billion annually for four years ($80B total) to transit systems for their operating budgets. More than 60 of his colleagues are original cosponsors.  The bill would […]

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Bob Casey, D-Penn., introduced the Energizing American Shipbuilding Act. This legislation would increase the United States’ exports of liquified natural gas (LNG) and crude oil on American built, flagged, and crewed vessels, and, subsequently, it would expand our domestic shipbuilding […]