CALGARY — Canadian Pacific will lock out the approximately 3,000 members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference as of 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, March 20, unless there is an agreement between the railroad and union by then, or the two sides agree to binding arbitration. The railroad announced the move on Wednesday. On Thursday, the […]
Type of Train: Freight
Union says BNSF, Norfolk Southern have declared impasse in crew-size negotiations
CLEVELAND, Ohio — BNSF Railway and Norfolk Southern have declared an impasse in negotiations with unions over crew size, one of the unions has informed its members. The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division told its members that the two railroads declared the impasse under Section 6 of the Railway […]
Weekly U.S. rail traffic again below 2021 levels
WASHINGTON — Overall U.S. rail traffic remained below levels of a year earlier for the week ending March 12, 2022, according to Association of American Railroads statistics. Weekly traffic included 496,134 carloads and intermodal unites, down 4.7% from the corresponding week in 2021. That included 232,388 carloads, a 0.9% increase, and 263,746 containers and trailers, […]
Traffic density data issue snags regulatory review of CP-KCS merger
WASHINGTON – Federal regulators have asked Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern to explain a discrepancy in the baseline traffic figures they use as part of their merger application. The railroads provided one set of traffic density data for the merger application itself and another set for the Surface Transportation Board’s environmental analysis. CP and […]
BNSF, J.B. Hunt to expand intermodal capacity
FORT WORTH, Tex. — Longtime partners BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt today said they will significantly boost intermodal capacity in the next few years by adding containers, chassis, and well cars while expanding terminals and their capabilities. “Over the past few years, intermodal has been disrupted by increased demand and tight capacity, resulting in poor […]
Railroads and shippers argue over reciprocal switching proposal
WASHINGTON — Railroads and shipper groups squared off over a proposed reciprocal switching rule during a daylong Surface Transportation Board hearing on Tuesday, with railroads warning of dire operational consequences and sole-served shippers saying they needed relief from high rates and poor service. Federal regulators seemed sympathetic to shippers’ concerns but grappled with how they […]
Carload Considerations: Oil’s sudden rise creates new demand, challenges for frac sand
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Texas Intermediate oil has eclipsed $100 a barrel in recent days, a substantial comeback from the record-low, negative-$37.00-per-barrel price during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. Oil’s rally, driven by a recovering economy and exacerbated by the Russian-Ukraine War is pressuring U.S. oil companies to increase shale production. […]
Michigan court reinstates case of youth struck by train
WYANDOTTE, Mich. — The Michigan Court of Appeals has reinstated a lawsuit against the Grand Trunk Western Railroad involving a teen who was struck by a train in 2012. The Associated Press reports Jacob Marion, who was 14 at the time, was stuck by a train and severely injured while walking down the tracks while […]
Union has yet to issue strike notice against CP in Canada (updated and corrected)
CALGARY — While Canadian Pacific workers in Canada have authorized a strike that could have begun as soon as tonight, their union has yet to provide the 72-hour notice necessary before walking out. Canadian agriculture and industry remain concerned about the potential impact of a walkout, and the railroad says on its website that a […]
Norfolk Southern introduces online carbon calculator
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has introduced a new online carbon calculator to aid customers in their efforts to measure and mitigate carbon emissions resulting from their supply chain decisions. NS, which first introduced a carbon calculator in 2008, says its new version is more accurate because it captures the full cycle of fuel usage, with […]
STB asks parties in Gulf Coast hearing to be prepared to address specific topics
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has asked parties involved in the upcoming hearing on Amtrak Gulf Coast service to be prepared to report on a meeting with the U.S. Coast Guard over drawbridge operations on the route, as well as several other issues, at the hearing scheduled for April 4. In a decision issued […]
Canadian Pacific trains involved in two derailments
Canadian Pacific trains were involved in two derailments on Saturday, one in Saskatchewan and one in Minnesota. An unknown number of cars were involved in the derailment of a train carrying corn near Drinkwater, Sask., but at least 20 cars are visible on their sides or otherwise off the track in a video posted to […]