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WASHINGTON – A coalition representing a broad range of rail shippers has asked the Surface Transportation Board to increase competition among railroads by finalizing rules that would permit reciprocal switching. “Given the dramatic concentration of market power in the railroad industry, rethinking policies designed for a different era is both timely and smart. Reciprocal switching […]
A federal arbitration decision has ruled that train crew size is subject to collective bargaining, a major win for railroads and loss for unions in the railroads’ effort to reduce crews to a single person. The National Railway Labor Conference — representing Class I railroads — had sought to include crew size in its current […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. weekly rail traffic remains ahead of 2020 figures, although week-to-week numbers showed a slight decline, perhaps reflecting traffic disruptions by fires on the West Coast. For the week ending July 28, U.S. railroads moved 230,095 carloads (up 7.1% from the same week a year earlier), and 273,124 intermodal units (up 2.6%) for […]
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific set quarterly records for revenue, earnings, and adjusted operating ratio as second quarter volume bounced back from last year’s pandemic lows. “Behind those numbers obviously is a very impressive operating performance,” CEO Keith Creel says, rattling off a list of key metrics that improved, including train length and weight and […]
NORFOLK, Va. — Buoyed by strong volume and revenue growth, Norfolk Southern lifted its outlook for the year as it reported record second-quarter financial results on Wednesday. “We are even more confident about growth for the balance of this year,” CEO Jim Squires told investors and analysts on the railroad’s earnings call. The railroad now […]
Second of two parts. Part One is here. CHICAGO — An expanded menu selection and increased emphasis on food quality and preparation aren’t the only changes in Amtrak’s reinvention of dining car service on five western long-distance trains this summer. “They have made some really good choices,” observes Michael Provost, a Los Angeles-based server on […]
Norfolk Southern and Canadian Pacific have released details of their plans to address greenhouse gas emissions, with NS aiming for a 42% reduction by 2034, while CP has set a goal of reducing locomotive emissions by more than 38% by 2030, along with a reduction from non-locomotive operations by more than 27%. The NS figure […]
Union Pacific has posted photos to its Facebook, Twitter, and other social media accounts showing a firefighting train at work on the bridge at the famous Keddie Wye on its ex-Western Pacific Feather River Canyon route, with the message: “Thanks to our crews on our fire trains, working tirelessly to help control fires in northern […]
First of two parts ABOARD THE SOUTHWEST CHIEF — A month after Amtrak revamped dining-car menus on the five long-distance trains that serve the West Coast — replacing pre-packaged meals in a bowl with freshly-prepared breakfasts, lunches, and dinners — it’s clear the company is aiming for a higher standard than what it previously offered. […]
NEWINGTON, Conn. — As of today (Monday, July 26), the Connecticut Department of Transportation is adding service on its CTrail Hartford Line and Shore Line East rail services. Seven round trips are being restored on the Hartford Line after being eliminated in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Between Amtrak and CTrail service, there […]
SANDUSKY, Ohio – A 3-hour-plus drawbridge failure on Sunday afternoon (July 25) halted movements on Norfolk Southern’s busy Chicago Line and stranded marine traffic on Lake Erie’s Sandusky Bay. The bridge, a 1929 double-track rolling Scherzer-type drawbridge at MP 248 between Toledo and Sandusky, Ohio, was initially stuck in an up position, observers reported. But […]
NAISCOOT, Ontario — Two crew members were reported to have suffered minor injuries when a Canadian National train derailed late Saturday, reportedly after hitting a washout. CBC News reports a CN spokesman said a locomotive and 24 empty intermodal cars derailed on Canadian Pacific’s Parry Sound Subdivision; a Transportation Safety Board of Canada representative told […]
