SMART Local 202

05/21/2026

With overwhelming bipartisan support, lawmakers took a pivotal step forward for rail safety reforms after voting to include key Railway Safety Act provisions in the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill. Read on to learn more about what it took to make today's victory possible. https://www.smart-union.org/smart-td-celebrates-historic-victory-for-rail-safety-reforms/

05/20/2026

https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/east-palestine-train-derailment/trump-cites-east-palestine-train-derailment-for-support-of-railroad-safety-act/

President Donald Trump cited the Feb. 3, 2023, train derailment disaster as a reason for Congress to include the Railway Safety Act in the Surface Transportation Bill.

05/12/2026

https://www.trains.com/pro/regulatory/fra-announces-11-rule-updates-aimed-at-reducing-regulations/

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today announced finalization of 11 new rules it describes as deregulatory actions to improve rail operations, remove inefficiencies, and reduce costs without compromising safety. In a press release, FRA Administrator David Fink called mostly minor c...

04/30/2026

The FRA has abdicated its role in safety. Read on to see how this once-trusted and neutral regulator has made it clear that they are only interested in helping America’s railroads achieve their Wall Street mandates, despite the obvious and known risks. https://www.smart-union.org/fra-picked-a-side-and-its-not-railroaders-or-rail-safety/

02/03/2026

https://therealnews.com/three-years-later-life-in-east-palestine-ohio-is-still-derailed

While corporate payouts have flowed, most East Palestine families still haven’t seen a dime.

01/23/2026

https://www.denverpost.com/2026/01/22/front-range-passenger-rail-trains-voters-rtd-funding-polis-ballot/

“We don’t want Colorado to be like California, where you have 16-lane highways and at rush hour you cannot get anywhere.”

01/22/2026

Here is a conservative and fair snapshot of what railroading paid at a Class I railroad in 2024. It doesn’t rely on overtime assumptions or best-case scenarios. It is just complete, verifiable data. So when you're at the bar and hear the longshoremen bragging about the $65/per hour they are going to make in 2030, just know that you were pulling in $73.16 two years ago and have had two raises since. https://www.smart-union.org/what-does-73-16-hour-actually-mean/

01/22/2026

The constant drive to climb the ladder (and to avoid being fired) felt by railroad managers almost always translates into scare tactics that keep workers silent and the big bosses oblivious to reality. The FRA had a solution. Read on to learn why it was scrapped, and how things are probably going to get much worse before they get any better. https://www.smart-union.org/the-safety-program-that-works-and-why-railroads-wont-use-it/

01/22/2026

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/federal_legislation_regulation/news/House-Democrats-want-UP-NS-to-explain-mergers-impact-on-workers--76186?fbclid=IwdGRjcAPfIARleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEehEm0SOKcpkVHHl7HnkinT-RUHrZ9ylXBBWzpD7O4Af_L03KgwejJ1VYSNQA_aem_M6TzDUiUtpQR63rPRDV2PA

Railroad industry news about: Surface Transportation Board, Union Pacific Railroad, Norfolk Southern Railway, proposed merger's impact on labor, U.S. House Democrats. From the editors of Progressive Railroading Magazine

01/21/2026

https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/tax-measure-for-front-range-passenger-rail-could-appear-on-2026-ballot/

Colorado voters along the Front Range could decide on whether to approve a new tax this year to help fund passenger rail service between Fort Collins and Pueblo.