Overall volume at the big six Class I railroads declined an average of 6% during the third quarter, as coal continued to plummet and carload struggled to recover compared to pre-pandemic levels. Intermodal, however, returned to positive territory in the third quarter, notching 1% growth, on average, at the big systems, according to a review […]
Type of Train: Freight
Latest weekly rail traffic stats show carload still down, intermodal remaining strong
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail carload traffic remains below 2019 levels for the week ending Oct. 10, although the gap appears to be decreasing. Strong intermodal traffic again created an overall increase over the same week ago, according to statistics released by the Association of American Railroads. Carload traffic was down 5.2% compared to 2019 — […]
Digest: Virginia port receives $20 million for rail expansion
Tuesday morning rail news: Norfolk, Va., port receives $20 million for rail expansion project The Virginia Port Authority will receive $20.2 million in Port Infrastructure Development funding from the U.S.Department of Transportation to complete rail expansion at its Norfolk International Terminals. The Suffolk News Herald reports the money will support building two new four-track sections for its […]
Digest: North Dakota announces launch of intermodal service
Thursday morning rail news: Governor announces BNSF intermodal service for North Dakota North Dakota will gain direct intermodal access to international markets for the first time through a BNSF Railway facility in Minot. Gov. Doug Burgum made the announcement Wednesday, saying that the service to begin next week will be the culmination of a more […]
Paper trail
Signode introduced its first single-use paper grain door in 1948. Prior to that innovation, wooden boards were used. The remnants of paper grain doors could often be seen as empty cars returned home, as on this Gulf, Mobile & Ohio car. The cars had to be cleaned out before reloading. Photo by Bill Raia collection […]
Total U.S. rail traffic for week ending Oct. 3 creeps above 2019 levels
WASHINGTON — Total U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Oct. 3 was up 0.8% over the same week in 2019, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, thanks to the continued strength of intermodal volume. Final statistics for the month of September, meanwhile, showed carload traffic down significantly from September 2019, but that […]
Digest: San Angelo, Texas, approves deal for rail port
More Wednesday morning rail news: San Angelo, Texas, approves deal for rail port The San Angelo, Texas, city council on Tuesday approved a $600,000 deal with South Plains Lamesa Railroad to create a rail port in the community, which one city official calls a “game changer” for the community. The San Angelo Standard-Times reports that under […]
Digest: Approaching hurricane disrupts freight, Amtrak service to New Orleans
Wednesday morning rail news: Freight, Amtrak service to New Orleans disrupted as hurricane approaches The New Orleans Flood Protection Authority plans to begin closing the city’s floodgates today in preparation for Hurricane Delta, which will interrupt the flow of freight traffic through the city, Norfolk Southern is advising customers. The storm is projected to make landfall […]
Digest: CN sets Canadian grain record for seventh straight month
More Monday morning rail news: CN sets Canadian grain record for seventh straight month Canadian National moved a record amount of Canadian grain for the seventh straight month, transporting 2.43 million metric tons of grain in September. The railroad moved 7.76 million metric tons in the third quarter of 2020. As is the case with […]
Digest: CP sets Canadian grain records for third quarter, September
Friday afternoon rail news: CP sets records for Canadian grain movement in third quarter, September Canadian Pacific has reported the latest in a series of records for Canadian grain traffic, setting records of 7.72 million metric tons for the third quarter and 2.8 million metric tons in September. The records continue to reflect the introduction […]
Pure Gold
Orange groves are visible across the road from the LaVerne Cooperative Citrus Association packing house, one of California’s largest in 1920. The large building features several rooms and multiple loading tracks. The rooftop refrigeration condenser unit (back center) marks it as having a cooling or cold storage room. Photo by University of Southern California Libraries/California […]
Packing produce
Orange crates are stacked on end in two layers, with a third horizontal layer. The top of the load is kept below the openings in the bunker (note the full load of ice). Photo by Library of Congress […]