Category Archives: Carmen Division

CN Petitions FRA for Relief from Performing Single Car Air Brake Tests

Canadian National Railway Company (CN) has petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety regulations contained at 49 CFR 232.305, Single car air brake tests. Specifically, CN requests relief from part 232.305(b)(2), regarding the requirement to conduct a single car air brake test on a

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NS Petitions FRA for Relief from Brake System Safety Standards

Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) has petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety regulations regarding refresher training for mechanical inspectors. Specifically, NS proposes to create a 3-D simulation using web-based software to satisfy the “hands-on” portion of the training required by 49 CFR 232.203(e),

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TTD: FRA rejects Kansas City Southern’s brake test waiver, Stops cross-border crews

Washington, DC – Larry I. Willis, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issues this statement in response to the Federal Railroad Administration rejecting a request from Kansas City Southern Railway to conduct safety-sensitive brake tests in Mexico: “We learned yesterday that the Federal Railway Administration (FRA) denied a request by Kansas City Southern

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New Officers Sworn in at TCU Carmen Local 6011

On January 8, 2019, Carman’s Division Assistant General President, Donald Grissom, prepares to swear in the newly elected officers for T6011 (TTX) at their regular Union meeting in Tinley Park, IL.  Officers from left to right are Vice President Michael Dibenedetto, Recording Secretary Anthony Petraitis, President John Krantz, Financial Secretary Eric Berndt, Local Chairman Izaak Campos

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CSX Petitions FRA for Relief from Brake System Safety Standards

CSX Transportation (CSX) petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a waiver of compliance from certain provisions of the Federal railroad safety regulations regarding the testing and inspecting of air brakes.  CSX’s waiver contains three specific requests: (1) to extend the mileage limits of the subject trains from 1000 to 1052 miles before a Class

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Follow Up – KCS Petitions FRA to Perform Mechanical Inspections in Mexico

In a follow-up to a previous story on the TCU website, a group of bipartisan members of congress recently wrote Elaine Chao, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, in opposition to Kansas City Southern’s (KCS) petition for waiver.  The requested relief would allow Mexican inspectors to perform the required tests and inspections on the Mexican

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FRA to renew Rail Safety Advisory Committee

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has announced that it will be re-establishing the Rail Safety Advisory Committee – commonly known as ‘RSAC.’ The committee’s charter was recently dissolved in order to redesign the charter’s memberships and voting-eligibility. Rail labor unions have been assured that their voting ability and weights will not be reduced. Rather, the

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