ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has named Paul Duncan as vice president, network planning and operations. Duncan will succeed John Friedmann, who previously announced his retirement after 27 years at NS. Duncan is currently vice president of service design and performance at BNSF Railway. He joined BNSF in 2002. In an email announcing the hire, Chief […]
Train Topic: Rail Industry
TTCI introduces Technology Digest e-library
PUEBLO, Colo. — Transportation Technology Center, Inc., the research and testing affiliate of the Association of American Railroads, is for the first time offering access to three decades of research conducted under the AAR’s Strategic Research Initiatives program. Technology Digest, a weekly publication which highlights research findings and reports industry-related projects, is available through TTCI’s […]
Bipartisan infrastructure bill a boon for carload business? — Analysis
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Passenger and freight railroad projects will benefit from federal surface transportation dollars made available in President Biden’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law in November. But freight railroads should also see residual value from increased carloads of construction-related materials as highway and infrastructure-heavy projects ramp up. This […]
Weekly U.S. rail traffic remains sluggish
WASHINGTON — U.S. railroads’ traffic slump to begin 2022 extended to a fifth week, as railroads moved 458,152 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Feb. 5, a 7.6% drop from the same week in 2021. Through five weeks of the new year, overall rail traffic is running 9.1% below 2021 levels, with intermodal traffic […]
Canadian government announces intent to implement PTC
OTTAWA — The Canadian government has announced plans to require its own version of positive train control, which it is calling Enhanced Train Control. Transport Canada has published a Notice of Intent to implement the safety system, which is intended to ensure trains comply with trackside signaling and speed limits and avoid collisions. In the […]
FRA sets track and roadway safety symposium
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration will hold its first Track & Roadway Workplace Safety Symposium April 5-7 in St. Louis. There is no registration fee, and registrants receive a discounted lodging rate at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. The event was originally scheduled for 2020 in Louisville, Ky., but was postponed because of […]
Union Pacific names Whited to sustainability and strategy position
OMAHA, Neb. — Beth Whited has been named to Union Pacific’s newly created position as executive vice president-sustainability and strategy. The appointment by the UP board of directors is effective immediately. Whited has been executive vice president and chief human resource officer since 2018. The company said that in her new role, she will help […]
Is Canadian truckers’ protest a short-term opportunity for cross-border rail? — Analysis
OTTAWA, Ontario — Thousands of truck drivers have descended on Canada’s Parliament in recent days, clogging the streets of the Canadian capital and blocking U.S.-Canadian border crossings in response to a Jan. 15 government vaccine mandate requiring truckers returning from the U.S. to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccine. Dubbed the “Freedom Convoy,” and originating […]
Failure of coupler part led to 2021 CN derailment in New Brunswick
GATINEAU, Quebec — Failure of a key component caused a coupler to fall from a rail car, triggering a 22-car derailment in New Brunswick in January 2021, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said in a report issued Tuesday. The board also cautioned that if design of such components is not reassessed based on changes […]
How to rerail a freight car on a short line
How to rerail a freight car: When things go bang that shouldn’t on the railroad, it usually means trouble and most likely a derailment. Derailments are a fact of life, and when one occurs on a main line of a Class I railroad, it usually results in many cars on the ground with extensive media […]
Metra to receive $500 million American Rescue Plan grant
WASHINGTON – Chicago’s Metra will receive a $513.6 million from the American Rescue Plan fund, announced U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The funds will help the commuter agency maintain service and keep workers on the payroll as it continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. “Public transportation has helped people reach their jobs […]
Meet the new boss: Canadian National CEO Tracy Robinson – analysis
Canadian National shocked the railroad world this week with the selection of Tracy Robinson, a Canadian energy executive and former Canadian Pacific official, as its next CEO. The surprise came mostly from the fact that she is not a marquee name in railroad circles and has been out of the industry for eight years. But […]