Railroad

U.S. weekly rail traffic rose nearly 6% last week amid a 43% increase in grain carloads and a 13% rise in intermodal traffic.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services’ fourth quarter came in better than expected. However, the company said it was reviewing long-term margin targets across all segments. Intermodal margin forecasts may be reduced but other units could see upward revisions.

Cortera report shows surge in business spending as the year drew to a close.

U.S. operations of the Class I railroads employed fewer employees in 2020 than in any year since at least 2012. Headcount was 14% lower than in 2019.

Medical records from UPS truckers and Norfolk Southern rail workers exposed as hackers leak data from a Virginia occupational health-care provider after an apparent ransomware attack.

Short line operator is seeking companies that might be interested in constructing facilities on sites located on the Georgia Woodlands Railroad, which interchanges with CSX.

The Federal Highway Administration, in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration and the Federal Transit Administration, awarded grants to five commuter rail agencies for incident-prone areas.

The December rates subindex jumped 13% year-over-year, setting the stage for big rate hikes in 2021, according to Cass data.

Anticipated higher natural gas prices could prompt coal’s share in U.S. power generation to grow in 2021 and 2022, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook.

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

A towing vessel struck a CSX swing bridge near Slidell, Louisiana, very early Wednesday morning. Rail operations have since resumed at a reduced speed.

Michelle Schultz’s appointment brings the board to five members, the full complement prescribed by federal law.

The National Transportation Safety Board is looking into the factors that may have contributed to a fatal accident at the Acca rail yard in Richmond, Virginia, in October.

Dachser promotes Burkhard Eling to CEO; GlobalTranz hires Bryan Foe as SVP; the Containerization & Intermodal Institute appoints Randy Bayles to its board; and Illinois Railroad Association taps Michelle Kelm as executive director.

U.S. short line rail operator OmniTRAX confirms it was the victim of a ransomware attack and data breach targeting its owner, Broe Group.

A federal district court judge in Nebraska determined that it would be illegal for the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way – Employes Division to take action against Union Pacific over the railroad’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A change in plans for the Brazos yard in Texas contributed to Union Pacific reaching an operating ratio in the mid-50s.

Robert Primus gets confirmed as the newest member of the Surface Transportation Board while the Intermodal Association of North America names Barbara Melvin as its new board member.

Emerge founder Andrew Leto and content marketing expert and best-selling author Joe Pulizzi will keynote FreightWaves’ upcoming virtual Sales & Marketing Summit.

Rail shippers discuss what issues they would like to see addressed in 2021. Among them: further action by the Surface Transportation Board and Congress on ensuring rail competition and adequate rail service.