WASHINGTON – The first day of the Surface Transportation Board’s unprecedented hearing focusing on growth in the rail industry – or, more precisely, the lack of it – allowed the Class I railroads to tout their successes. But the rail executives had to wait for an analyst panel that outlined the breadth and depth of […]
Railroad: CPKC
CN blames unplanned CPKC trackwork for June congestion in Directional Running Zone
When Canadian National reported disappointing second quarter results in July – partly due to congestion related to trackwork in the Directional Running Zone it shares with Canadian Pacific Kansas City in British Columbia – executives were vague on why some of the maintenance of way work in the country’s most important corridor was unplanned. At […]
CPKC expects a long-term boost from anticipated U.S. East Coast port labor disruption
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. – The looming dockworker strike on the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts could turn into a long-term opportunity for Canadian Pacific Kansas City to develop the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas into an alternate gateway to Texas, CEO Keith Creel says. The International Longshoremen’s Association says its 45,000 workers will walk off […]
The future of the locomotive
Predicting the future is tricky business. Circumstances can change at the drop of a hat, opening up previously unforeseen possibilities. However, with analysis and careful guesswork, a prediction can be made. With that in mind, let us examine the future of the locomotive on the U.S. rail network. The current state of railroading To predict […]
Union files lawsuits challenging Canadian government order that sent CN, CPKC contract talks to binding arbitration
MONTREAL — The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference is refusing to take no for an answer. The union, which represents 9,300 locomotive engineers and conductors on Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, has filed appeals challenging the decisions that led to binding arbitration being imposed on their failed contract talks with the railways. The union […]
Appeals court judge clears CPKC of contempt charge in hours-of-duty case
OTTAWA, Ontario — A Canadian judge has overturned a lower-court ruling that found CPKC in contempt of court in a case regarding excessive hours worked by train crews. The Canadian Press reports Federal Court of Appeal Justice Donald Rennie acquitted the railroad, writing in his ruling that it is “impossible to rationalize a finding of […]
CN, CPKC preparing to restart Canadian operations; union declines to return Sunday (updated)
Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City are moving toward restarting operations early Monday following a Saturday ruling by the Canada Industrial Relations Board ending the work stoppages at both railroads. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, however, continues to take issue with the CIRB decision sending the dispute between the union and railroads to binding […]
Canadian agency upholds binding arbitration order to end rail dispute (additional update)
OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canada Industrial Relations Board has affirmed the decision by Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon to end the work stoppages at Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, requiring the railroads to resume operations and to impose binding arbitration between the railroads and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference to resolve new contract […]
Teamsters Canada returning to work at CN, remains out at CPKC
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference has taken down its picket lines at Canadian National Railway and will begin returning to work, the union said in a brief statement early today (Friday, Aug. 23). But the union said the work stoppage continues at Canadian Pacific Kansas City pending an order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board, […]
Canadian commuter operations remain shuttered because of lockouts
The apparent end of lockouts at CPKC and Canadian National is not bringing an immediate return for commuter rail service halted by the labor dispute. Commuter lines suspended Thursday in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal will remain out of service today (Friday, Aug. 23) despite the government order to send the dispute between the railroads and […]
Canada’s labor minister orders arbitration to end CN, CPKC work stoppages, but union keeps picket lines up (additional update)
OTTAWA — The Canadian government has moved to end Canada’s freight rail work stoppage — the first to shut down both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City simultaneously. However, while the two railroads say they are preparing to resume operations after Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon sent the dispute to binding arbitration, the Teamsters Canada […]
Lockouts begin on CN, CPKC
Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City are now shut down in Canada after locking out Teamsters Canada Rail Conference operating crews beginning at 12:01 a.m. today (Aug. 22) — the first time both railroads have been hit by a work stoppage at the same time. A lockout of CPKC rail traffic controllers began […]