FELA Lawyer News Blog

Archive for the ‘Washington Railroad News’ Category

SEATTLE, Wash. – In an OSHA Regional News release dated Feb 28, 2013, The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has found that Union Pacific Railroad’s Pocatello, Idaho, operations violated the whistle-blower protection provisions of the Federal Railroad Safety Act and has ordered the railroad to pay more than $309,000 in back wages, benefits, damages and reasonable attorney’s fees to a conductor after determining retaliation for reporting a co-worker’s work-related injury.
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EVERETT, Wash. – Emergency responders and clean-up crews responded to a BNSF train and tanker truck collision near Paine Field at Everett, Washington on Monday, June 11, where a tanker truck trailer was knocked on its side, spilling fuel.

Aerial view of railway crossing on Boeing property in Everett, WA that was the site of a collision between a tanker truck and a BNSF train on June 11, 2012.

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PASCO, WA – The area around a BNSF train crash and derailment was evacuated after a hazardous material spill in a Pasco, WA rail yard on Monday, November 7, 2011.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) train

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The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered BNSF Railway Co. to pay more than $300,000 to an employee.

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PASCO, WA – According to news reports, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad carrying about 25,000 gallons chemicals, derailed on Sunday, May 15, at around 5:00 p.m. near Pasco, Washington.

BNSF Spokesman Gus Melonas told the media that several freight cars derailed while moving less than 5 mph during a switching operation. Seven cars derailed from the tracks, causing nearly 12,500 gallons of hydrochloric acid onto the ground by 9:30 p.m. No injuries were reported at the time of the incident. ... Read More

LONGVIEW, WA – Three people were killed and a fourth was critically injured when a shuttle van drove through a private railroad crossing in Longview, WA and into an oncoming BNSF freight train on Wednesday, March 23, 2011.

Shuttle van where 3 people were killed and another critically injured lies in a ditch after collision with BNSF freight train on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 in Longview, WA.

Two railroad workers were killed and a third was critically injured in the accident. The shuttle van driver was also killed in the accident. ... Read More

UNIVERSITY PLACE, WA. – A BNSF train derailed around 8:00 pm Saturday night, February 26, near Chambers Bay golf course in University Place, Washington. The accident sent four tankers filled with sodium hydroxide onto the beach, spilling about 50 gallons of lye.

BNSF crews untangle the wreckage of a freight train that derailed at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington. Photo courtesy S. Wyant on Hometown Clipper website.

A northbound freight train with two locomotives and 109 cars was on the tracks when it derailed. All but 11 cars, including six tanker cars, were empty. Train crews from from Tacoma, Olympia, Seattle, Pasco and Salem, Ore were on the scene of the accident within 30 minutes to contain the spill. ... Read More

GRAND ISLAND, NE – CXT Concrete Ties, located in Grand Island, Nebraska, is shutting down and moving operations to Washington State and Arizona.

CXT Concrete company makes precast concrete products, including railroad ties for major railways.

Union Pacific says it couldn’t reach an agreement with CXT over contract negotiations so nearly 70 railroad tie workers are losing their jobs. ... Read More