Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Nov. 16, 2019. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 501,249 carloads and intermodal units, down 8.4% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending Nov. 16 were […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
Federal agency to require states to update grade crossing plans, improve safety NEWSWIRE
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao today announced significant plans to advance highway-rail grade crossing safety this week. The announcement comes as the Federal Railroad Administration hosted a grade-crossing safety summit, with remarks from FRA Administrator Ron Batory, Acting Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Steve Bradbury, and Federal Highway Administration Deputy Administrator […]
Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz says US-China trade dispute has gone too far NEWSWIRE
Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz Union Pacific OMAHA, Neb. — The Trump Administration’s trade battle with China has gone too far and will do serious damage to the U.S. economy the longer tariffs remain in place, Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz says. About 40% of UP’s traffic originates or terminates outside the U.S., so trade […]
Precision Scheduled Railroading set to make Mexico debut Dec. 2 NEWSWIRE
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern Railway has released details of the second phase of Precision Scheduled Railroading it is introducing to its Mexican subsidiary. With a planned Dec. 2 rollout for Phase Two, Kansas City Southern de Mexico will consolidate trains, move certain Laredo, Texas, terminal work to the Mexican side of the […]
Canadian National executive explains railroad’s pivot to growth under Precision Scheduled Railroading NEWSWIRE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Canadian National is more focused on growing with its customers than railroads that are currently implementing Precision Scheduled Railroading, a shipper noted at an investor conference this week. How did CN transition from an emphasis on profit margins, he asked, to one of growth? “We are, as you say, the pioneers of […]
CSX can grow faster than the economy over the long term, CEO Jim Foote says NEWSWIRE
Jim Foote, CSX Corp. CEO CSX Corp. NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Dramatic improvements in service reliability will enable CSX Transportation to grow faster than the overall economy over the long term, CEO Jim Foote told an investor conference this week. That would be an accomplishment: Since 2011, CSX’s overall traffic volume has been flat while the […]
AAR: Carload and intermodal traffic volumes dive again; Grain ticked up slightly the week of Nov. 9 NEWSWIRE
Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Nov. 9, 2019. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 515,269 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.9% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending Nov. 9 were […]
Canadian National expects traffic slowdown to continue NEWSWIRE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Canadian National continues to cut costs in the face of rapidly weakening freight demand across virtually all types of traffic. On a revenue ton mile basis, CN’s volume has slumped 12% to 13% over the past two weeks amid a traffic downturn that is affecting the entire rail industry, Janet Drysdale, vice […]
Trade war, trucking competition ‘undercut’ Alameda Corridor NEWSWIRE
LOS ANGELES — Competition from other ports, U.S. trade policies, and local dray moves are causing intermodal traffic declines that undercut the financial stability of the multi-track Alameda Corridor serving the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Opened in 2002, the Alameda Corridor routes Union Pacific and BNSF Railway trains away from the ports […]
STB board member Oberman feels board should promote rail competition NEWSWIRE
EVANSTON, Ill. — The Surface Transportation Board, which regulates the nation’s rail industry, ought to make competition among the railroads its “guiding light,” according to one of the board’s newest members, who also believes shippers “have very little bargaining power” with freight haulers. And while Class I railroads easily garner the nation’s attention, the importance […]
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 […]
UP set to open stretch of third track near River Forest, Ill. NEWSWIRE
An inbound Metra UP West train eases past track construction as it approaches the River Forest, Ill., station on Oct. 27, 2019. Union Pacific will place the third track into service between River Forest and Melrose Park this weekend, leading to some Metra delays and service changes. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — Union Pacific is […]