Traffic density matters because it helps managers decide which rail track routes shift from main lines to possibly less viable branch lines.

Rail could leap forward with on-time management of shipper goods if it were bolder and faster at innovating.

AAR disregards that straight electric locomotives are easier to maintain. Plus each electric locomotive could be as powerful as perhaps two diesel-electric units.

Momentum for increasing railroad chemical traffic should continue in 2021.

A good news indicator will be when the railroads and private car fleet owners start placing large new orders.

The abnormal year of 2020 cannot be ignored. It simply is less relevant for strategic purposes when tracking rail’s progress.

Superior market intel can be a game changer.

Important railroad customers are not satisfied with a business-as-usual case.

Regardless of a transport or logistics manager’s objectives, the digital age name of the game is to estimate the dollar savings provided by an application like this.

A few images convey a great deal about the intermodal rail model.

Which of the big seven railroad companies has a volume growth strategic plan to sync with J.B. Hunt?

The Rail Pulse members control a potential car fleet universe of about 300,000 units.

Overall, there will be lower rail volume levels continuing into the first quarter of 2021.

Rail freight needs to become more truck-like as to timely inventory reporting.

Genuflecting toward Wall Street has symbolically become part of the North American Class 1 rail company culture.

Oklahoma looks to have a reasoned approach toward railway change.

National freight “outlook” is significant for states, municipalities and companies that may want federal money for rail or other transport projects.

It is too early to call the intermodal recovery a long-term win for the railroads.

2020 could end up for the railroads as the worst overall freight volume loss year-over-year in the past 15 years.

Changes with significant impact on rail customers are taking place across New England.

Intermodal was supposed to be the growth engine for rail.

Jim Blaze explores the state of the major railroads that operate in Mexico – particularly Kansas City Southern, which is rumored to be a takeover target.

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.  That search for modal share growth is still fundamentally the real strategic challenge for the seven Class 1 North American railroads.  Profitability remains excellent.  Net cash flow? Down a bit during the second quarter […]

About 25% of the total railcar fleet is in storage of one kind or another. Jim Blaze writes about best practices of rail storage.

The cost to build a railroad is staggering. Jim Blaze gives an overview of the costs involved in such an endeavor.

Jim Blaze explores the pontential for a merger or mergers among the Class 1 railroads.

Railroad volumes continue to drop. What might they do to increase volumes? Where are the volume increases going to come from?

Jim Blaze writes about the advantages to the railroads of rebuilding locomotives instead of buying new ones.

Are the railroads following Hunter Harrison’s PSR directives? Railroad expert Jim Blaze explores the topic.

Like all industries, the coronavirus has impacted railroads. What should they be doing to gain market share and better serve their customers?

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic the Class I railroads were mothballing freight cars – and locomotives. Jim Blaze examines the issues surrounding the surplus of locomotives.

The pandemic’s economic toll has hit all sectors of transportation, including rail. Read how railroads can manage costs during this global crisis.

Transporting grain is a major source of revenue for the railroads. How will the coronavirus impact the grain market and the railroads?

Jim Blaze looks at the declining need for railroad tank cars. Why is this happening and what’s next?

The coronavirus is impacting all sectors of the economy, and railroads are no different. Read what expert Jim Blaze thinks will happen going forward.

Should the railroads pare the number of types of railcars? Jim Blaze explores this topic.

Are there too many railroad freight cars? Jim Blaze writes about many reasons why this is the case.

Jim Blaze writes about the outlook for intermodal rail in 2020.

In the past 30 years railroad freight cars have been able to carry heavier loads, thanks to decisions made in the late 1980s. Read Jim Blaze’s article about what happened and how it has been very important to the railroads.

Railroads once carried much of the fresh produce across the U.S. Can they do it again? Jim Blaze explores the topic in his latest commentary.

Jim Blaze writes about the transportation of hazardous materials by rail. Accidents have occurred, and the railroads need to continue to work to decrease their number. However, rail is the safest way to transport hazardous materials.

Jim Blaze explores whether the Class 1 railroads are downsizing their railcar fleets.

Jim Blaze writes about the long, slow decline of coal as the key commodity for railroads, and whether plastics might replace the lost volume.

Railroad expert Jim Blaze writes about coal, a key commodity hauled by rail. The amount of coal being hauled by rail is declining. Why? And what does the future hold?

Jim Blaze explores the decline of railroad freight volume and what may happen going forward.

Jim Blaze profiles TTX, a company that is essential to the railroad industry.

Jim Blaze writes about the key messages he extrapolated about railroading in 2019.

Jim Blaze writes about the potential of short-haul intermodal traffic on the North American Class 1 railroads.

Jim Blaze writes about the financial issues inherent in an Alaska-to-Alberta rail route.

Railroad market voice Jim Blaze writes about technological advances that are making railroads’ capital expenditures on infrastructure more efficient.

The loans would enable short line railroads to pay for rehabilitation projects.

How the board calculates cost of capital is outdated. How much of an overhaul is needed?

Jim Blaze writes about the decline in rail freight; is it a recent event, or has it been taking place over a longer period?

Shippers need to take heed of the Congressional push to allow Amtrak to sue freight railroads over on-time performance.

CRRC Yangtze Co. Ltd., owner of 22% of Vertex, claims nearly all of the debt listed in the petition filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.

Jim Blaze writes about the power and influence of mentors on a person’s career and life.

Jim Blaze writes about the Alameda Corridor in Los Angeles, that takes some of the freight from the harbor to distribution centers. Is it still economically viable?

Jim Blaze writes about the North American railroads KPIs, and what the railroads need to do to increase railcar use, revenue and shipper loyalty.

Shipping liquified natural gas by rail is a controversial topic. Read what Jim Blaze thinks about the idea in his latest commentary.

Jim Blaze writes about Conrail Shared Assets and its accomplishments on behalf of CSX and Norfolk Southern.

Jim Blaze explains the new CSX trip compliance reporting… perhaps the first step for railroads to compete more effectively with the trucking industry.

Market View commentator Jim Blaze writes about the advantages short line railroads offer to shippers.

Jim Blaze writes about the competitiveness of railroads vs. trucks and the railroads’ lack of interoperability.

Jim Blaze writes about the decisions that will go into determining 2020 capital expenditures by the freight railroads.

Can carload rail become a volume and market share leader in today’s emerging high-tech freight logistics world? Or will it continue to exhibit a declining role?

Market Voice Jim Blaze contents that railroads are using the wrong KPIs to increase volume and capture market share from trucks.

Market Voice Jim Blaze writes about rail intermodal and what is happening to this area of the railroad sector.

Jim Blaze writes about FreightWaves SONAR and how it could be a helpful tool for the freight railroads.

As railroads cut less profitable routes, shippers should learn as much as possible about railroads plans for future service.

Jim Blaze writes about the recent history of intermodal rail service and what may happen in the next few years.

The Class I railroads have reported their second quarter/first-half of 2019 results. Jim Blaze writes about what may happen during the remainder of 2019.

Jim Blaze writes about the pros and cons of shippers owning or leasing their own freight railcars to move their products.

How to read the Class I railroads’ second-quarter earnings reports and what questions to ask.

Jim Blaze writes about earnings season for the railroads, and what investors, customers and employees should be looking and asking for in the railroads’ quarterly earnings reports.

Jim Blaze writes about railroad movement of scrap – the market today and the future of the market.

Jim Blaze writes about the movement of grain by rail. This is a huge business for U.S. and Canadian railroads, and is also critical to the export market of the two countries.

Market expert Jim Blaze writes about the railroads’ transportation of fracking sand, as well as stone and gravel, aggregates and phosphates.

Market expert Jim Blaze writes about the movement of coal by rail. He explores the history of rail-coal; more importantly, he writes about what the future may hold for coal in the U.S. and how that will impact the railroads.

Railroad market expert Jim Blaze writes about the movement of chemicals by rail and how that sub-set of railroad traffic is profitable and may grow significantly in the near future.

Market expert Jim Blaze explores what railroads need to do to capture more of the market share of oversize loads, which are essential to the economy and profitable as well.

Market expert Jim Blaze dissects the recent Surface Transportation Board hearings on demurrage and accessorial charges. Read his observations on the relationships between the railroads and their shipper customers…

Market expert Jim Blaze explains the economics behind railcars. He also provides information about the various types of railcars and what market conditions the railroads are facing as they seek to “right-size” their fleets.

Rail market expert Jim Blaze discusses how FreightWaves SONAR can help determine how best to ship freight.

FreightWaves market expert Jim Blaze looks at a regulatory spat between Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway over the concept of “open access.” Learn why that is important to all railroads – and shippers!

Market expert Jim Blaze compares and contrasts Amtrak and America’s freight railroads.

Market expert Jim Blaze looks at an under-appreciated asset of North America’s freight railroads – their real estate holdings. Read Jim’s hypothesis of what the railroads might do with this real estate in the near future.

Market expert Jim Blaze looks at how rail freight volume has changed over the years and what the outlook is for the next decade. Learn what he thinks will happen to the railroad industry in its long-term competition with trucking to carry freight.

Market expert Jim Blaze questions the benefits to-date of precision scheduled railroading (PSR). Read his views on how railroads could prove PSR’s value to shippers.

Precision scheduled railroading (PSR) is the latest tactic railroads are using to improve their operations – and their images. Market voice Jim Blaze explores whether PSR is real or just marketing hype…

U.S. and European freight railroads are very different in many respects. Market analyst Jim Blaze gives insights about how the two systems differ.

Precision scheduled railroading and positive train control can help railroads improve service, safety and profits. Learn how in Jim Blaze’s piece.