WASHINGTON – Any attempt to regulate intermodal traffic would not fix current congestion issues and would clash with congressional intent to keep railroads largely deregulated, the Association of American Railroads has told the Surface Transportation Board. Last month STB Chairman Martin J. Oberman expressed concern about the impact of congestion on intermodal shippers, some […]
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WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Aug. 7 offered mixed results compared to the same week in 2020, with carload traffic running ahead of 2020 figures while intermodal volume slipped slightly below 2020 levels. Statistics from the Association of American Railroads show a total volume of 509,607 carloads and intermodal units, 2.4% […]
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WASHINGTON — Canadian Pacific and Canadian National have taken steps to limit congestion at their U.S. intermodal terminals as shippers have been slow to pick up containers due to the impact of the pandemic. The Canadian railways outlined their responses in letters to Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman, who on July 22 requested information […]
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BERLIN — Much of Germany’s rail system has been shut down by a two-day strike expected to leave only about a quarter of the nation’s long-distance trains in operation Wednesday and Thursday. The Associated Press reports national operator Deutsche Bahn is asking passengers to avoid unnecessary travel and will suspend COVID-19 related restrictions, allowing every […]
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NORFOLK, Va. — The company’s first issuance of green bonds and plans to address greenhouse gas emissions highlight Norfolk Southern’s Environmental, Social, and Governance Report, the new name for its 14th annual corporate responsibility report. “From environmental stewardship to the safety and development of our entire team, we are in the business of a better […]
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OTTAWA, Ontario — Service on the O-Train light rail Confederation Line will remain suspended until at least Friday following Sunday night’s minor derailment of an out-of service train. CTV News reports OC Transpo, the city’s transit agency, is focusing on axle bearings as it investigates the single-axle derailment. In a memo, OC Transpo General Manager […]
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Independent analyst Anthony B. Hatch is fond of saying that one of freight railroads’ enduring advantages is owning and maintaining their own infrastructure. Nothing could drive that point home better than the repair blitz that Union Pacific launched after its 1,200-foot Dry Canyon Bridge sustained heavy damage from a wildfire. The 150-foot-tall span in Hotlum, […]
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OTTAWA, Ontario — The Transportation Safety Board is deploying a team of investigators following a incident that saw the derailment of one axle of a train on Ottawa’s light rail Confederation line, shutting down the line on Monday. The CBC reports the incident occurred about 8:30 p.m. Sunday when an out-of-service train was changing tracks […]
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BISMARCK, N.D. — Approximately 15 cars of a BNSF coal train derailed Sunday afternoon in Bismarck, KX TV news reports. No injuries were reported. Bismarck police and fire and the Burleigh County Sheriff’s responded to the incident just outside the southeast border of the city limits. The derailment initially blocked one roadway, Yegen Road, but […]
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FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway’s second-quarter earnings improved as volume and revenue surged compared to a year ago, when the onset of the pandemic led to historic traffic declines. BNSF’s operating income rose 32.5%, to $2 billion, as revenue increased 26%, to $5.6 billion, the railroad’s parent company, Berkshire Hathaway, reported on Saturday. The […]
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PALESTINE, Texas — County officials have accepted a donation of more than $14,000 for the court case seeking to keep Union Pacific from closing its car shop in Palestine, per an agreement that originated more than a century ago. The Palestine Herald-Press reports the Anderson County Commissioners Court has accepted $14,500 raised by an online […]
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WASHINGTON — Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern told federal regulators today that congestion in their busiest international intermodal terminals has been due to disruptions that are beyond their control. Both railroads have taken steps to limit the flow of containers, particularly to their terminals in Chicago, where bottlenecks have arisen from an unprecedented combination of […]
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