PITTSBURGH — Railroad Development Corp. has appointed Dr. Juan de Dios Oleachea as managing director, international business development. He will lead business-development activities in selected markets, with Latin America and mining-related opportunities worldwide as initial targets. Oleachea is a founding shareholder of Peru’s Ferrocarril Central Andino, where he has served as chairman since its formation […]
Train Topic: Rail Industry
Data reported to federal regulators reveal extent of deterioration in rail service
Overall on-time performance for the big four U.S. Class I railroads has fallen from a pre-pandemic average of 85% to just 67% in the last week of May 2022, as crew shortages continue to plague rail service. The extent of the service decline was revealed in historic on-time performance data that BNSF Railway, CSX Transportation, […]
NS, UP offering transcontinental intermodal service for Hapag-Lloyd from Virginia to the West Coast
Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific are teaming up to deliver Hapag-Lloyd international containers from the Port of Virginia to destinations on the West Coast. The new service, said to be a first and dubbed OceaNS Bridge Express, was announced on Wednesday but was launched in April. Importers are struggling with congestion that has caused lengthy […]
Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern run interline intermodal test train carrying produce from Mexico
Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern want to haul produce grown in Mexico to destinations in the Midwest and Canada. The railways ran an interline intermodal train from Laredo to the Midwest this week to test the truck-conversion concept, CP Chief Marketing Officer John Brooks told an investor conference on Tuesday. The train — CP […]
California congresswoman urges STB to reject CP-KCS merger
U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., has urged the Surface Transportation Board to reject the proposed Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger, arguing that the first Class I combination in two decades would stifle competition. “The proposed merger represents a grave threat to competition in the domestic rail industry, which is already highly consolidated,” Porter wrote in […]
Backers of Calgary-Banff passenger proposal awaiting word on funding from Alberta
The backers of a $1.5 billion plan to launch passenger service over Canadian Pacific between the Calgary airport and the Rocky Mountain resort community of Banff say they can’t move forward with design work and consultation with lineside communities until Alberta decides whether it will commit $30 million annually to the project. Liricon Capital Managing […]
Engineer in fatal Cascades derailment reaches settlement with Amtrak
Amtrak has reached a settlement with the engineer who was seriously injured in the fatal 2017 derailment of Cascades train No. 501 on a curve in DuPont, Wash. In a lawsuit filed against Amtrak, engineer Steven Brown argued that he was not properly trained. The settlement, compensation for pain and suffering related to the accident, […]
Cost pressures prompt Union Pacific to reduce financial outlook
OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific has lowered its financial expectations for this year in light of rising fuel prices, inflation, and the impact of its sluggish operations. It’s now unlikely that UP will reach an operating ratio of around 55% for the year, Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Hamann told an investor conference on Tuesday. UP […]
90200 isn’t just any former locomotive
CHICAGO—Non-powered control unit 90200 isn’t just any former locomotive that lost its prime mover and traction motors when converted to a glorified baggage car with cab controls. Seen here outside Amtrak’s Chicago locomotive shop on June 2, 2022, coupled to an Illinois-owned Siemens SC-44 Charger, the carbody once was number 200. It is the first […]
Rail unions again request arbitration as contract talks remain stuck
Rail unions negotiating new national contracts with Class I railroads have again requested arbitration as talks remain stalled. Labor and the National Carriers Conference Committee have been working on joint mediated negotiations under the direction of the National Mediation Board. The talks had resulted from the unions’ request to be released from mediation after more […]
Service problems related to crew shortage have cost CSX traffic
NEW YORK – CSX Transportation has lost traffic and failed to capitalize on strong freight demand due to service problems related to its ongoing train crew shortage, CEO Jim Foote says. “How much business are we missing? Lots. This is not minimal. This is not on the fringes. We’re not doing the job we should […]
NEWS VIDEO: New Brightline route drawbridge now operating
Video by Mark Elias, Mark Elias Media Services JUPITER, Fla. — Florida East Coast Railway’s new Loxahatchee River drawbridge that will begin carrying frequent Brightline passenger trains in early 2023 is now being raised for boat traffic and lowered for trains. Dismantling of the former 96-year-old bridge on the site began in mid-April, when accommodations […]