BLET RATIFIES NJ TRANSIT CONTRACT

“I am pleased to announce the ratification of a new contract by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), representing a fair and fiscally responsible agreement for our locomotive engineers, NJ TRANSIT, our customers, and the taxpayers of New Jersey. From the outset, Governor Murphy and I were clear that any agreement must balance fair compensation with budgetary discipline — and this contract delivers on both.” ~ NJ Transit President & CEO Kris Kolluri

The contract ratification follows five years of negotiations and the first strike at the agency in decades.

The Federal Railroad Administration’s new website, “FRA Safety Data,” incorporates valued feedback from FRA stakeholders, industry associations, state transportation departments, and researchers. The modernized site features enhanced data tables, visuals and narrative elements, with a user-friendly interface designed to support future updates. In compliance with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, the site now aligns with the USDOT’s Open Data Portal.

CRC is inviting nominations for the 2025 Champions of Commuter Rail.

The Champions of Commuter Rail Awards recognize individuals who have impacted the industry through their innovative thinking and inspirational leadership, and include The Doty Award, which is presented to someone who has demonstrated the value of building teams of diverse individuals and nurturing the next generation of railroad leaders.

Nominations are welcome via email through July 15; a panel of past-winners will select this year’s awardees.

The 2025 Champions of Commuter Rail Awards Dinner will take place Tuesday, November 4, in the majestic Great Hall of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Drama in Chicago and Philadelphia: The Transit Fiscal Cliff Has Arrived (Eno Center for Transportation)

• Judge turns back challenge to MBTA housing law (State House News Service)

• The Last Thing US Transit Agencies Should Do Now (Bloomberg UK)

• USDOT Clears $2.9B for Infrastructure Projects (Railway Age)

• Where Public Transit Systems Are Bouncing Back Around the World (Bloomberg UK)

• IL: Thousands of workers caught in middle of transit fiscal cliff talks (Mass Transit)