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CHICAGO — Spot market prices in the freight transportation sector are trending downward during a time when freight companies typically ship peak volume for the holiday season. High inflation, fears about the economy’s future, and a slowdown in consumer spending mean less freight is needed to replenish already above-normal retail inventories. These circumstances are a […]
Railroads are attracted to extremely long trains like a moth to a flame. And sometimes they get burned from this unhealthy obsession. A case in point: In October CSX Transportation ran two overlength merchandise trains at each other on its single-track mainline between Savannah and Augusta, Ga. The plan was to do a double saw-by […]
NEW YORK – Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman unleashed a barrage of criticism at the big four U.S. Class I railroads during the RailTrends conference on Wednesday, claiming that their crew shortages are self-inflicted and that the resulting service problems are damaging the economy. The service meltdown was brewing long before the pandemic, […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific once again will meter traffic to limit congestion if certain customers don’t voluntarily reduce the number of private freight cars operating on the railroad. UP informed shippers last week, Trains News Wire has learned. “Union Pacific regularly reviews our network to monitor for elevated inventory,” UP spokeswoman Robynn Tysver says. […]
NEW YORK — Canadian Pacific’s experimental hydrogen-powered locomotive made its maiden revenue run last month in Calgary, Alberta, taking the first step in determining whether the technology could one day replace diesel-electric locomotives. “I’ll tell you, the excitement around it, the potential of it, is real,” CEO Keith Creel told the RailTrends conference on Tuesday. […]
NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. – R.J. Corman Railroad Co., has reached an agreement to purchase a 43-mile branch line and lease another 20-mile branch in North Carolina from Norfolk Southern. This will be the 19th railroad operated by Corman. The sale is subject to customary regulatory approvals. The newly created Raleigh & Fayetteville Railroad, LLC (RFCC) […]
FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway has given four new locations its Certified Sites designation, clearing the way for rail-served development along its network. The new sites, which are ready for development, are located in Kansas, Nebraska, Washington, and Wyoming. The include Dodge City Business Park in Dodge City, Kan.; Seward/Lincon Regional Rail Campus in […]
CHICAGO – This column intends to consider the intricacies of today’s carload business in an environment constantly influenced by what’s happening in the world. Labor unions, pandemics, the economy, equipment usage, and technology all effect how railcars move. These factors shape what type of freight goes where, the volume, the urgency, and how the service […]
ARLINGTON, Va. — The boilermakers’ union that represents 300 railroad workers has rejected their tentative agreement with the U.S. Class I systems, becoming the third labor organization to give a new contract a thumbs down. The union announced today that its members rejected the contract that had been based on the recommendations of the Presidential […]
ATLANTA – Norfolk Southern Chief Operating Officer Cindy Sanborn will retire at the end of the year and will be succeeded by Paul Duncan, who is currently senior vice president of transportation and network operations. “Cindy joined Norfolk Southern during the pandemic and helped us navigate a global supply chain disruption. She strengthened our culture, […]
WASHINGTON — A rail labor union coalition has proposed that Congress require federal regulators to conduct an annual “stress test” that would determine whether the Class I railroads have enough people, equipment, and infrastructure capacity to meet freight demand. The recommendation, made Nov. 10 by the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO, comes amid […]
CHICAGO — Metra’s board of directors has voted to maintain its current special post-pandemic fare discounts — a $100 flat-rate “Super Saver” monthly pass and $10 and $6 day passes — through the end of 2023 as part of the operating budget for the coming year approved on Friday. The current fare structure was one […]
