Railroads continue to play a significant role in North America’s economic infrastructure. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration, the U.S. rail freight network covers almost 140,000 route miles and is generally considered the largest, safest, and most cost-efficient freight system in the world. In addition, says the FRA, the almost $80 billion rail freight industry creates more than 167,000 jobs across the country.
In essence, rail freight companies charge businesses to carry cargo across their network of rails. Their rates are overseen by the Surface Transportation Board, a federal agency that regulates financial aspects of surface transportation. Major railroads in North America include Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National Railway.
Keep up with the latest news, trends and reports concerning rail freight transport here!
U.S. intermodal traffic on a weekly basis continues to show strength, rising last week by 22%, according to the Association of American Railroads. The increase comes amid higher U.S. retail sales in February year-over-year, despite a sequential decline.
Nevada’s 2021 rail plan lays out how the state can leverage freight rail more often and utilize existing infrastructure in light of nearshoring and emissions reductions opportunities.
Changes in export volumes for certain types of wheat may be reflected in changes in freight flows, according to reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Positive train control, also known as PTC, is a safety technology aimed at automatically stopping a freight or passenger train before a collision. This Ask Waves article describes what it is, its history and its future implications.
Witnesses at a U.S. House hearing on Wednesday stressed the need for a multimodal approach in federal support of the railroads, citing freight rail’s connection with both rural, inland towns and coastal ports.
A February incident involving an Ontario train derailment led Canada’s Ministry of Transport to issue two orders aimed at preventing the uncontrolled movement of rail equipment.
International intermodal volumes for the U.S. have risen 44% year-over-year, according to FreightWaves SONAR, amid higher import activity.
Transportation Technology Center Inc. is undergoing a management change that would enable the group to expand work to multiple sites, while the Surface Transportation Board appoints two short line railroad representatives to the Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council. Also, a Manitoba transload facility at the U.S.-Canadian border seeks customers.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report describes the events leading up to the incident in Vail, Arizona, that killed a Union Pacific employee.
Wells Fargo transportation research analyst Allison Poliniak-Cusic raises expectations for intermodal providers in a new report. Favorable catalysts for the mode are expected to carry into 2022.
February generally shows an increase in the number of trucking jobs, but not in 2021
U.S. weekly intermodal volumes moved higher last week amid support from retail and e-commerce, while carloads slumped as some U.S. Gulf Coast facilities seek to fully return to normal following February’s winter storm.
Three investigators will try to determine what caused the death of a BNSF worker on Wednesday at a rail yard near Los Angeles.
J.B. Hunt believes recent winter storms will negatively impact first-quarter operating income by $15 million to $20 million. The company said it had been successful advancing its intermodal service initiatives prior to the storms.
Drayage trucking and logistics company ContainerPort sold its container yard and depot division to ITS ConGlobal, a company with intermodal, finished vehicle and depot service terminals.
For the 12th consecutive month, CN hauled a record amount of Canadian grain.
The AAR released climate policy proposals encouraging partnerships and market solutions that promote competition and carbon capture, utilization and storage technology.
Adoption of technology has influenced U.S. Class I railroads’ staffing. Will additional technological innovation cut headcount even more, or will other factors have greater weight?
U.S. rail operator CSX says it is investigating a “data security incident” after a ransomware gang appears to have leaked personal information of employees and retirees.
Lower fuel expenses helped privately held BNSF’s net income grow by 5% in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Eastern U.S. railroad CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) has started the regulatory process to acquire New England short line operator Pan Am Railways in a move that CSX hopes will strengthen its intermodal presence in the region. The company on Thursday submitted its application to the Surface Transportation Board. The application includes a request both to acquire […]
FreightWaves is bringing back its in-person events this year with the F3: Future of Freight Festival in November, celebrating all things freight in a communitywide celebration throughout the city of Chattanooga.
The extreme cold and heavy snow dampened U.S. rail volumes last week.
Although market conditions are improving for Trinity Industries (NYSE: TRN), the railcar lessor and rail equipment manufacturer anticipates persistent headwinds through the first half of 2021 as prospective customers take a wait-and-see approach to gauging market demand. “Market uncertainty as it relates to COVID-19 remains the predominant story on the economic and rail industry outlook. […]
A U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling Tuesday vacated the Federal Railroad Administration’s May 2019 order on train crew size, saying the agency didn’t conduct an adequate public review prior to the order.
Communications between the railroads about fuel surcharges can be included in legal proceedings pertaining to alleged price fixing that occurred in the early 2000s, a federal judge ruled Friday.
U.S. Class I rail headcount totaled 113,461 employees in January.
The revised rules under the Railway Safety Act address winter operations of higher-risk key trains.
Two workers died after entering a tank car that carried natural gasoline at a TrinityRail facility in Oklahoma, according to OSHA. TrinityRail disagrees with OSHA’s findings.
The railroad says it will no longer build a rail transfer facility after the City of Atlanta raised objections to the Surface Transportation Board because of the site’s historical and cultural significance.
U.S. Class I rail operations are seeking to return to normal, with intermodal terminals opening in the central and western U.S. But the overall network is experiencing delays in multiple locations.
Prospective North American and international customers are inquiring about Wabtec’s battery electric, heavy-haul locomotive, which is undergoing advanced tests with BNSF. The company reported its fourth-quarter results on Thursday.
Cass freight data released Thursday shows a huge surge in freight spending with solid growth in shipments. The report indicated that 2021 is unlikely to produce the “rate relief” to shippers that 2019 provided.
FreightCar America makes Terry Rogers its permanent CFO, the Association of American Railroads reports weekly U.S. rail volumes rose 0.3% year-over-year, and The Broe Group updates its progress on a Savannah, Georgia-area industrial park.
Power outages, bitter cold and heavy snows have caused temporary intermodal-related closures and significant delays.
UP appoints three employees to new roles within Loup Logistics and the company’s marketing and sales department.
The trade agreement’s rules governing how much of a car must consist of North American parts could incentivize automakers to set up more assembly plants in the U.S.
Appearing at an investor conference, J.B. Hunt CEO John Roberts said this year’s intermodal bid season will go a long way in determining whether the company curtails the division’s margin target.
Preeti Pande, the hydrogen solution provider’s chief marketing officer, comes with extensive fuel cell industry experience and a Ph.D.
Extreme cold and lots of snow in the Midwest and other areas could impact rail operations and cause delays, according to some railroads.
A Canadian National freight train derailed at an intersection with a West Chicago commuter line. Service remained disrupted early Monday afternoon.
CenterPoint acquires Houston-area distribution facility while Genesee & Wyoming reports industrial development results for 2020.
Plans to halt construction of the Keystone XL pipeline will likely mean more crude oil volumes being shipped by rail. But how much more will depend on a variety of factors, including oil price spreads, other pipelines, oil storage options and the railroads’ ability to juggle volumes.
OmniTRAX sets sights on Sand Springs; advisory group approves Union Pacific’s emission reduction targets.
The U.S. housing market is tight heading into 2021, with higher housing starts and limited inventories helping to support lumber and wood carloads.
TrinityRail will permanently close a plant in Vidor, Texas, laying off 59 workers by April 30.
Day Two of FreightWaves’ Global Supply Chain Week virtual conference includes experts from DHL, SVT Robotics, Geodis and JLL Inc.
Customers taking part in BNSF’s program to develop facilities on BNSF-owned real estate invested $1.1 billion in those facilities in 2020.
CSX’s tunnel widening plans are still moving forward; Canadian Pacific sees record grain volumes for January.
Railcar manufacturer Greenbrier is forming a joint venture with transportation asset management firm Longwood to lease railcars.
The number of jobs in the warehousing and storage sector also fell from December to January.
U.S. rail volumes rose 5.3% in January as gains for intermodal, chemicals and grain were enough to offset losses for coal and petroleum products, according to AAR data.
What suggestions would you give new Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg? Our reporters share theirs in this FreightWaves roundtable.
The Union Pacific employee, who was working in Vail, Arizona, was struck by a rail tamper and fatally injured, according to the railroad and the National Transportation Safety Board.
During a panel discussion, Home Depot and others talk about how to grow freight rail.
Higher consumer spending, inventory restocking and rising import levels contributed to a 9.6% gain in North American intermodal volumes in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to the Intermodal Association of North America.
TrinityRail, Canadian Pacific and Rocky Mountain Industrials announce company news; unions seek appointments to the National Mediation Board.
A train conductor in Georgia stopped a CSX train from hitting a homeless man on the tracks who was suffering from hypothermia.
“Demand in the intermodal and trucking sectors is at an all-time high, which makes this an ideal time to optimize FYX’s many assets and take it to the next level,” says new CEO Kenneth Forster.
FreightWaves’ Global Supply Chain Week will feature media expert Gary Vaynerchuk, Tyson Foods’ John Tyson, and Johnson & Johnson’s Kathy Wengel among dozens of speakers scheduled to appear at the free virtual event, scheduled for Feb. 22 through March 3.
Anticipated consumer spending levels, retail restocking and tight truck capacity are among the factors that could support intermodal volumes this year, according to Class I rail execs.
Revenue gains and lower costs in the fourth quarter weren’t enough to offset losses from GATX’s passenger airline-affiliated joint venture with Rolls-Royce.
With its acquisition of an Atlantic short line railroad in place, Canadian Pacific said the next opportunities to expand its network lie in its land holdings and partnerships.
Norfolk Southern seeks to increase train lengths and weights as part of its next stage of precision scheduled railroading deployment, executives said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Wednesday.
Canadian Pacific reported a fourth-quarter operating ratio of 53.9%, a record low. Fourth-quarter net profit was CA$802 million, up nearly 21% year-over-year.
CN expressed confidence that it has the network capacity available to handle more volumes in the second half of 2021. But pandemic uncertainties loom in the first quarter.
Fourth-quarter net profit was $671 million. An 8% decrease in operating expenses helped to offset a 4% decline in operating revenues.
Two FreightWaves SONAR charts illustrate Union Pacific’s views of the West Coast intermodal spot market.
CN’s fourth-quarter net income was C$1.02 billion amid a 2% increase in revenue and a 5% decrease in operating expenses.
Former CSX executive Dean Piance will serve as CEO of short line operator and logistics provider OmniTRAX.
KCS plans to deploy the third phase of its precision scheduled railroading program this year as it eyes an operating ratio goal in the mid-50s by 2022.
Marty Oberman has been appointed to serve as the chairman of the Surface Transportation Board.
Elevated numbers of CSX employees who contracted COVID-19 or are in quarantine have resulted in operational challenges to the railroad in the fourth quarter and into 2021.
KCS’ fourth-quarter 2020 net profit was $165.7 million, compared with $127.2 million in Q4 of 2019.
CSX’s fourth-quarter net income slipped 1% to $760 million amid a 2% decline in revenue.
Union Pacific has the network capacity to handle an anticipated rebound in rail volumes in 2021, executives said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Thursday.
Rail could leap forward with on-time management of shipper goods if it were bolder and faster at innovating.
Union Pacific’s net profit was $1.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2020, on par with the fourth quarter of 2019.
The Western U.S. railroad expects to invest $2.99 billion in capital projects to maintain and upgrade its infrastructure and assets.
Kansas City Southern’s new, more stringent emission target will keep the company in line with the Paris Agreement emission goals.
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.
