CALGARY, Alberta – A year after acquiring regional railroad Central Maine & Quebec – and regaining a part of its historic shortcut linking Montreal and the Atlantic – traffic growth is exceeding Canadian Pacific’s expectations. CP’s plans to gain transatlantic international intermodal business from Port Saint John, New Brunswick, have come to fruition. New finished vehicle traffic […]
Type of Train: Freight
CP, BNSF tell federal regulators they can handle rising traffic volumes
WASHINGTON – Canadian Pacific and BNSF Railway say they have enough crews, power, and other resources to handle surging demand for rail traffic. CP and BNSF are the first two Class I railroads to respond to the Surface Transportation Board’s request for updates about their ability to meet demand. Citing rail service problems, STB Chairman Martin […]
Canadian Pacific goes old school in ad against CN-KCS merger
Canadian Pacific’s campaign against Canadian National’s proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern took a new turn today with a half-page ad in The Washington Post that featured an editorial cartoon-style illustration – complete with caricatures of the three railroads’ chief executives. CP and CN skirmished on social media while KCS was considering their rival bids. […]
Digest: Metra to add service on all lines in July, releases new schedules for four lines
First of new Metra schedules increase emphasis on off-peak service; more to come With ridership gradually increasing, Chicago’s Metra announced plans to add service on all lines in July and has released pilot schedules on four lines that will increase off-peak service. The new schedules, available here, are effective on the UP North, BNSF, and […]
Digest: State legislators balk at proposed realignment of New York MTA leadership
Nomination of Feinberg as MTA chairwoman in jeopardy as legislators balk at plan New York legislators have indicated they will not vote on a proposal that would make Sarah Feinberg, the current interim president of New York City Transit, the new chairwoman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board. The New York Times reports the legislature […]
U.S. rail traffic remains ahead of 2020 weekly figures, but gap is narrowing
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 5 remains well ahead of figures for the same week in 2020, although the gap is narrowing compared to the pandemic-related decline in business earlier in 2020. The latest Association of American Railroads statistics show U.S. railroads moved 227,497 carloads for the week, up 18.1%; […]
The final Frontier
The final Frontier Central’s Frontier Yard, formally opened on March 14, 1956, replaced eight smaller yards in the Buffalo area, slashing classification time per car from 27 hours to 9. New York Central photo […]
Chemical shippers cite widespread rail service problems, particularly on CSX (updated)
WASHINGTON — The trade association representing chemical shippers has asked federal regulators to put CSX Transportation under increased scrutiny due to what one company called an “operations meltdown.” Members of the American Chemistry Council reported “significant and persistent” railroad service problems, particularly with CSX. But Kansas City Southern and Norfolk Southern also were cited for […]
Digest: Amtrak relaunches USA Rail Pass with $299 special
Amtrak offering USA Rail Pass at $200 savings Amtrak is relaunching its USA Rail Pass by offering the 10-ride pass for $299 through June 22, a savings of $200 over the regular price. The electronic pass allows up to 10 segments of coach travel in a 30-day period; trips involving a connection will count for […]
UP moves forward with closure of Texas car shop, set for June 14
PALESTINE, Texas — Union Pacific is advancing plans to close its Palestine Car Shop even as legal efforts continue by the city of Palestine and Anderson County continue to block the closure The Palestine Herald reports employees were told last week they will be furloughed after their shift on June 14. Closure of the shop […]
Digest: Florida county makes deal on crossing upgrades, ends suit against Brightline
Indian River County ends Brightline lawsuit, reaches agreement on $31.6 million in crossing improvements Longtime Brightline opponent Indian River County, Fla., has agreed to drop its lawsuit against the passenger service over grade crossing improvements along the Florida East Coast rail line used by the passenger carrier. WPBF-TV reports the agreement calls for cooperative efforts […]
STB seeks more detail on CN-KCS merger, sets timeline for voting trust comments
WASHINGTON – Federal regulators today asked Canadian National to provide more detailed financial information regarding its proposed merger with Kansas City Southern. The Surface Transportation Board, saying that it wants to take a cautious approach to CN’s request to put KCS into a voting trust while their $33.6 billion deal is under review, also set […]