EADS, Colo. — The company interested in buying Union Pacific’s dormant Tennessee Pass line through the Colorado Rockies would do so to provide a more direct route for grain shipments from eastern Colorado and Kansas, according to the company’s lawyer. Colorado Pacific Railroad, which bought the former Missouri Pacific Towner Line in eastern Colorado, notified […]
Type of Train: Freight
DOT announces $900 million in BUILD grants (updated) NEWSWIRE
WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on Tuesday announced 55 projects in 35 states which will receive funding under the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development grants, with funding totaling $900 million. Half of the funds were awarded to projects in rural areas, with a maximum award of $25 million for a single project and no […]
Roadrunner sells intermodal business NEWSWIRE
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. – Roadrunner Transportation Systems has sold its intermodal business to Universal Logistics Holdings for $51 million in cash. A soft intermodal market, effects of Hurricane Dorian, and a malware attack were reasons for the sale, Michael Gettle, Roadrunner’s chief operating officer, told an investors’ conference call. Roadrunner has provided drayage services between […]
For Midwest railroads, the frac sand boom may be over NEWSWIRE
St. Croix Valley No. 1363 works at the Titan Lansing sand plant in North Branch, Minn., on Oct. 8, 2019. Steve Glischinski CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. – Take a look along railroad lines in western Wisconsin, and you’ll find evidence of the frac sand boom that’s meant good times for railroads. BNSF Railway serves a plant […]
Moody’s paints gloomy picture for Powder River coal NEWSWIRE
Two DPU locomotives bring up the rear as an empty Union Pacific unit coal train heads west through Lombard, Ill., in June 2019. Moody’s Investor Services foresees a continued slide in production of Powder River Basin coal, previously a major source of traffic for UP and BNSF Railway. TRAINS: David Lassen NEW YORK – Despite […]
US carloads, intermodal dip for October 2019 NEWSWIRE
Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 2, 2019, as well as volumes for October 2019. U.S. railroads originated 1,224,477 carloads in October 2019, down 8.4 percent, or 112,703 carloads, from October 2018. U.S. railroads also originated 1,331,944 containers and […]
Class I roads make official their desire for one-man crews NEWSWIRE
A crew member returns to the locomotive after lining a switch at Canadian Pacific’s yard in Bensenville, Ill. Class I railroads have formally introduced a proposal for one-man crews on road trains. TRAINS: David Lassen WASHINGTON — After hinting at it for months, Class I railroads have officially asked that single-person crews be part of […]
Freight railroads issue bargaining notice to unions to launch new round of labor talks NEWSWIRE
WASHINGTON — Six Class I railroads filed a Section 6 notice on Friday, kicking off what is expected to be a tense round of negotiations with labor unions representing more than 125,000 railroads across the country. In a press release announcing the notice, officials with the National Railway Labor Conference and the National Carriers’ Conference […]
Hub Group intermodal revenue declines NEWSWIRE
OAK BROOK, Ill. — Lessened demand, increased competition, and closed rail lanes caused a 9% decline in third quarter intermodal volume, officials of the Hub Group announced Wednesday. Intermodal revenue declined by 7% to $539 million at the intermodal, trucking, and third-party logistics company. “Intermodal has in fact lost some share, and it’s not just […]
Schneider sees 30 percent drop in intermodal income in third quarter NEWSWIRE
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Intermodal net income was down 30% in the third quarter of 2019 for major intermodal, trucking, and logistics company Schneider National. The drop was due to reduced volumes and increased rail costs, officials say. Revenue was off by 2% and Schneider’s intermodal operating ratio increased to 89.9, up from 85.8 for […]
Alberta to lift production quotas for rail-hauled oil in December NEWSWIRE
A Canadian National crude oil trainset passes through River Forest, Ill., on Union Pacific on Sunday, Oct. 27. CN and Canadian Pacific will see an upswing in crude oil traffic following a decision by the province of Alberta to lift quotas on oil production if the oil moves by rail. TRAINS: David Lassen EDMONTON, Alberta […]
DOT advances proposal to allow movement of liquefied natural gas in tank cars NEWSWIRE
Tank cars placarded for alcohol bring up the rear of a Canadian Pacific train passing the Elmwood Park, Ill., Metra station. While many flammable materials may be moved by tank car, liquefied natural gas is not currently among them; a Department of Transportation proposal would change that. The tank cars shown are not the type […]
