KANSAS CITY — Kansas City Southern will collaborate on a vehicle distribution center in Central Mexico capable of handling up to 10,000 vehicles when fully built out, the railroad has announced. The facility will handle both inbound and outbound vehicle traffic. KCS will collaborate with Suministros Industriales Potosinos SA de CV (SIPSA) and TransDevelopment Group […]
Type of Train: Freight
BNSF to extend container incentive program at two LA facilities
LOS ANGELES — BNSF will extend a weekend incentive program it has been offering at two LA-area intermodal facilities as part of ongoing efforts to address congestion at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The program introduced in September, offering a $50 incentive for oceangoing containers that arrive at its Hobart and Commerce […]
NS enacts vaccine mandate, sues to preempt union action
CHICAGO — Norfolk Southern will require its workers to be vaccinated for COVID-19, and has filed a lawsuit in an effort to block legal action by unions representing employees. Reuters reports the railroad filed the suit in a federal court in Chicago on Thursday, arguing that union objection to the mandate must be addressed through […]
Railfanning Chicago at Lisle, Illinois
Railfanning Chicago at Lisle, Illinois, is good for those hard winter days. You know, the ones that sometimes feel like it requires all the preparation, gear, and endurance of the Amundsen South Pole expedition. This is what makes Lisle, on BNSF Railway’s triple-track main line between Chicago and Aurora, Ill., is a good place to […]
Chinese-built 2-10-2 makes last runs in Iowa before entering storage
NEWTON, Iowa — Fifteen years have flown by for Chinese-built QJ 2-10-2 No. 6988, and it is making its last runs today and Saturday before going into storage. The locomotive is at the point where it is required to have a 15-year inspection per Federal Railroad Administration. It and sister No. 7081 were brought to […]
Chihuahua al Pacífico
Chihuahua al Pacífico Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico chop-nosed 515 and unadulterated sister 509 work a freight at La Junta, Chihuahua, in March 1975. The government-owned railroad began service in 1961 and became part of Ferromex in 1998. Keith E. Ardinger photo […]
Union Pacific sets quarterly marks for operating ratio and profits
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific set third-quarter records for operating ratio, profits, and earnings per share despite flat traffic volume and the impact of wildfires and bad weather that hurt service reliability. “The Union Pacific team dealt with multiple network disruptions that required us to rebuild bridges, reroute trains, and connect more closely with other […]
Weekly U.S. rail volume remains below 2020 levels
WASHINGTON — Weekly U.S. rail traffic continues to slip compared to 2020, with the latest figures from the Association of American Railroads showing a 4.2% drop from the same week a year ago. For the week ending Oct. 16, the overall volume of 496,983 carloads and intermodal units is, in addition to the decline compared […]
CSX profits surge as railroad steps up crew hiring effort
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation’s third-quarter profits, revenue, and volume all grew thanks to strong freight demand and the railroad’s acquisition of a bulk chemical trucking company. But executives said the railroad would have been able to handle more traffic if not for a persistent worker shortage, as well as the impact of the spike […]
Amtrak asks STB to compel cooperation by CSX in Gulf Coast case
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has asked the Surface Transportation to take action on two fronts on its pending request for a ruling enabling it to start passenger service between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala. The company is requesting that the board order CSX and Norfolk Southern to provide access to their properties to prepare for the […]
Fuel costs, smaller Canadian grain crop hit Canadian Pacific earnings
CALGARY, Alberta — Higher fuel costs and a disappointing Canadian grain crop weighed on Canadian Pacific’s third-quarter profits, the railway reported today. “There’s certainly challenges ahead as we look forward to our base business. We’ve got a smaller Canadian grain crop, we’ve got some supply chain issues, challenges, that the balance of the industry is also […]
CN CEO JJ Ruest to step down amid proxy contest
MONTREAL — Canadian National CEO JJ Ruest will retire in January, the railroad announced today amid the ongoing proxy contest launched by activist investor TCI Fund Management. No successor was named, and CN’s announcement came a day after TCI released its plan touting former CN Chief Operating Officer Jim Vena as its chief executive candidate […]