ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern service will improve this spring as crew shortages ease and the railroad rolls out a new operating plan, executives said on Wednesday. “Our service quality was significantly below where we needed it to be” in the fourth quarter due to ongoing crew shortages on several portions of the NS system, Chief […]
Type of Train: Freight
UP subsidiary Loup Logistics acquires Phoenix transload site
OMAHA — Union Pacific on Tuesday announced its Loup Logistics subsidiary had acquired the Precision Components Inc. transload facility in Phoenix, a UP-served location that processes more than 8,000 railcars and 38,000 trucks annually. The facility in central Phoenix covers more than 100 acres, with 125,000 square feet of covered storage and 3 miles of […]
Canadian National reports record financial results for fourth quarter
MONTREAL — Canadian National reported record fourth-quarter financial results on Tuesday, despite the impact of severe flooding that shut its main line through southern British Columbia for three weeks. CN’s “Full Speed Ahead” plan to improve the company’s financial results, announced in September amid a proxy contest launched by activist investor TCI Fund Management, gained […]
Judge blocks strike by BNSF unions over attendance policy (updated)
FORT WORTH, Texas — A judge has granted BNSF Railway a temporary restraining order, blocking a threatened strike by two of its unions over new work rules. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports U.S. District Court Judge Mark Pittman said that his ruling does not address whether the dispute between BNSF and the unions — the […]
CN names former CP official Tracy Robinson as its next CEO
MONTREAL — Canadian National on Tuesday named former Canadian Pacific executive Tracy Robinson as its new president and CEO, and reached an agreement with activist investor TCI Fund Management, which has dropped its proxy contest. Robinson spent nearly three decades at CP — with experience including positions in operations, finance, and marketing — before joining […]
Utilities look to stockpile more coal in 2022 even as coal-fired plant retirements loom: Analysis
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Railroads are likely to haul more coal to American power plants this year even as coal’s share of electric generating capacity declines. Utilities that use coal are eager to replenish inventories after high natural gas prices and supply chain issues severely depleted their supply in 2021. In a recent short-term outlook, the […]
Railroads say they welcome unions’ request for mediation in national negotiations
The group representing railroads in bargaining with rail labor unions says it welcomes the move to mediation in the two-year-old negotiations, a move the group representing unions reflects the fact railroads “are not bargaining in good faith.” The National Railway Labor Conference, which represents its member railroads in national labor matters, says in a Monday […]
Tourist railroad asks agency to drop railbank plan
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is considering a forced abandonment of a branch line owned by Roaring Camp Railroads as part of a move to railbank the line for possible future commuter-rail use — a move opposed by Roaring Camp. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports Roaring Camp, which operates […]
San Diego transit district votes to proceed with Del Mar safety fencing
DEL MAR, Calif. — After a lengthy but unsuccessful effort to negotiate an agreement, the San Diego’s North County Transit District has voted to proceed with plans to install a safety fence along its tracks on the coastal Del Mar Bluffs. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the district board voted 7-0 on Jan. 20 to […]
LA district attorney responds to UP criticism on train thefts
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon has responded to Union Pacific criticism of his policies, which it says play a part in much-publicized thefts from intermodal containers, by suggesting the railroad doesn’t do enough to protect its trains. The South Bay Daily Breeze reports that Gascon, in a letter to UP […]
Illinois NS derailment also involves Amtrak train
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — An Amtrak train suffered minor damage and delays Friday after striking a wheel from the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train near Springfield. The State Journal-Register reports about six cars of the NS train derailed while it was working at a spur in the Scheels area, south of Springfield. The locomotive of […]
Norfolk & Western Railway freight trains
Classic Trains editors are celebrating the history, heritage, and style of the Norfolk & Western Railway all through January 2022. Please enjoy this photo gallery of Norfolk & Western freight trains selected from the archives of Kalmbach Media’s David P. Morgan Library. The Norfolk & Western was a coal-oriented road linking Cincinnati and Columbus with […]