Amtrak cases and quarantines fall for third straight week By Bill Stephens for trains.com WASHINGTON — The spike in COVID-19 infections and quarantines among Class I railroad employees has continued this month and hit a pandemic high in the week ending Jan. 22, according to the most recent data from the Federal Railroad Administration. Overall, 2,275 […]
Tag: COVID-19
From ports to rail yards, global supply lines struggle amid virus outbreaks in the developing world
Some back-to-school products could be hard to find for American consumers in the coming weeks By David J. Lynch for washingtonpost.com Fresh coronavirus outbreaks are forcing factory shutdowns in countries such as Vietnam and Bangladesh, aggravating supply chain disruptions that could leave some U.S. retailers with empty shelves as consumers begin their back-to-school shopping. The […]
U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak asks Congress for $5.4 billion
David Shepardson for reuters.com U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak on Thursday asked Congress for $5.4 billion in the budget year starting Oct. 1 as it still grapples with the impact of COVID-19. President Joe Biden, who plans to attend a 50th anniversary event on Friday for Amtrak in Philadelphia, has called for $80 billion in new […]
IAM District 9 Hosts COVID Vaccination Site for St. Louis Area Members
Last week IAM District 9 hosted a COVID-19 vaccination site for Machinists Union members and staff. Firefighters from Pattonville Fire District distributed over 460 shots at the Bridgeton, MO office. “Thanks to the Pattonville Fire District with the help of St. Louis County, IAM members in our area who wanted to get vaccinated had the […]
How to Find a COVID-19 Vaccine Near You
All adult Americans, regardless of age or health conditions, are expected to be eligible to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccination by Monday, April 19, 2021. But for many, finding a vaccine has been a daunting task. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can help with its VaccineFinder tool. All you need is a zip […]
US rail traffic jumps 25% year-over-year but is flat from prior week
Investors will be watching rail volumes trends and whether Class I railroads can meet financial targets for 2021 and 2022, Wall Street analyst says By Joanna Marsh for freightwaves.com Weekly U.S. rail volumes rose nearly 25% last week, although some commodities may be affected by uneven year-over-year comparisons because the start of the COVID-19 pandemic […]
Third stimulus check: Veterans waiting month for COVID stimulus payments should get them Wednesday
By Benjamin Kail for masslive.com Veterans Affairs beneficiaries who’ve waited nearly a month for their $1,400 COVID-19 stimulus checks should see them by Wednesday, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Weeks of administrative holdups prevented retirees, Veterans Affairs beneficiaries and other low-income recipients of federal benefits from getting their checks as quickly as tens of millions of other Americans. Still, Social Security, […]
AAR’s policy paper addresses how freight railroads are meeting challenges related to climate change
A main theme of the paper, entitled “Freight Railroads & Climate Change,” focused on how United States railroads need to be a part of the climate change solution, at a time when Congress works to balance economic recovery from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “The [AAR] and the rail industry recognize that the climate is changing,” […]
Do You Qualify for COVID-19 Funeral Assistance?
You may qualify if: You are a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who paid for funeral expenses after January 20, 2020, and The funeral expenses were for an individual whose death in the United States, territories or the District of Columbia, may have been caused by or was likely the result of COVID-19. […]
Union Pacific has to navigate vaccine rollout in 23 different states
‘In every state, the process to get a vaccine into an arm is different,’ says CEO Lance Fritz By David Earl for ketv.com Critical workers at one of the nation’s largest railroads have started to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations. Union Pacific touted the effort in a social media post in early March. But the Omaha-based […]