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!
UBS equity research analyst Tom Wadewitz’s 2021 outlook calls for a continuation of healthy freight activity during the first half of the year with a little more uncertainty in the back half.
The railcar manufacturer sustained a net loss of $10 million in its fiscal-year first quarter, but it’s eyeing a market recovery in the second half of 2021.
Falling U.S. coal carload volumes reflect the decline of U.S. energy consumption of power generated by coal. Also, U.S. intermodal traffic offset volume losses in 2020.
Momentum for increasing railroad chemical traffic should continue in 2021.
Acquisitions and record Canadian grain loadings round out rail news
BNSF and Wabtec conduct advanced tests on a battery-electric locomotive by putting it in service in California with two Tier 4 diesel locomotives.
While the pace of growth in the supply chain cooled during December, transportation and warehouse capacity remains tight and prices are high.
Missouri-based Boomerang Tube lays off 185 workers from its manufacturing operation in Liberty, Texas.
A train carrying more than 160 Volkswagen vehicles was derailed in Mexico last week by thieves, according to Mexican authorities.
FRA announces the full implementation of PTC as well as interoperability among competing railroads.
Railcar lessor GATX acquires tank container lessor Trifleet in 175 million euro deal.
From volume volatility to a busy board, here are five themes that dominated the rail industry this year.
Mexico’s new fuel import regulations are seen by critics as an attempt to boost state oil firm Pemex.
Top 10 lists dominate the end of any year. American Shipper’s Top 10 stories list is voted on throughout the year by readers simply by reading our stories on americanshipper.com. Here are the stories you read the most in 2020.
The U.S. District Court in Nebraska sides with Union Pacific’s request to prevent Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees division from striking over the railroad’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The abnormal year of 2020 cannot be ignored. It simply is less relevant for strategic purposes when tracking rail’s progress.
Total employment among the U.S. operations of the Class I railroads fell nearly 14% year-over-year amid the railroads’ continued deployment of precision scheduled railroading.
Canadian Pacific has announced a pilot project to develop North America’s first line-haul hydrogen-powered locomotive.
Disruptions in one corner of the world can impact operations at home. With the turbulence of 2020 hopefully behind us, Global Supply Chain Week will examine where the dust has settled and share lessons on reacting to the enormous disruptions of the previous year.
The coronavirus relief bill that passed Congress includes language that would make permanent a tax credit encouraging short line railroads to invest in capital projects.
Initial reports reveal seven tank cars derailed in Washington state and two were on fire, said.
Railroads assert work time flexibility is needed to respond to emergency situations on their tracks.
The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division is considering action against Union Pacific over quarantine pay and “common sense” COVID-19 safeguards.
Drayage provider ContainerPort Group announces intermodal terminal operator FSI Inc. will start operating under the CPG banner at the beginning of the year.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the freight rail industry needs to reconsider where it places buffer cars on high-hazard flammable trains in order to reduce potential accident severity.
Using artificial intelligence to cull insights from freight transportation’s massive amounts of data can not only encourage safe environments, It also has the potential to improve productivity and efficiency, as well as provide supply chain visibility that benefits all stakeholders, says a tech executive.
Railway supply workers support critical infrastructure, the trade group says.
Cybersecurity skills are among the gaps identified in GAO review of DOT’s workforce.
The Eastern U.S. railroad attributed its decision to furlough employees to changing market conditions.
Rapid platform developer Vantiq has partnered with Infosys to launch an accelerator to speed development of supply chain digitization solutions.
The Cass Freight Index sees sequential weakness in shipments but logs year-over-year improvement with expenditures data advancing.
CN has partnered with other organizations to develop a plastics resins export facility in Alabama near the Port of Mobile. The facility will open in late 2021.
J.B. Hunt issues intermodal service advisory as railroads BNSF Railway and Norfolk Southern implement gate restrictions in Los Angeles and Chicago.
Freight rail groups and others congratulate the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, on his nomination to lead DOT; also, U.S. weekly rail volumes rise nearly 5% year-over-year
Expanding what service and performance data Transport Canada collects could help demystify the freight rail operations, the agency said.
CSX is looking for customers interested in developing facilities at the 225-acre Columbia Tennessee Rail Site.
All 50 states plus the District of Columbia must now develop and implement safety measures for high-risk highway-rail grade crossings.
Superior market intel can be a game changer.
The railroad has named three locations to be part of its site-ready industrial development program.
The new rule takes into account recent technological advancements and harmonizes U.S. regulations with Canada’s.
The European Commission has released its Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy. Massive investments and infrastructure are needed to meet the EU Commission’s sustainability milestones.
Who will get to the front of the COVID vaccination line? Virtually everyone agrees front-line doctors and nurses, and people in nursing homes, should be first, but after that industry sectors are fighting over who is more important. Freight transportation groups say they should be in the top tier.
U.S. weekly carloads last week were only 1.4% lower than year-ago levels, while intermodal traffic is still experiencing double-digit percentage increases.
Train lengths, improving network velocity and coronavirus uncertainties are among the big themes expressed by Class I railroad executives at a recent investor conference.
Major railways are classified as leaders among thousands of companies that disclosed climate information to the CDP this year.
“This is one of the most difficult seasons we’ve been facing trying to move our cargo out of the United States,” says a California almond producer.
A cross-industry working group for freight rail cautions workers following three recent fatalities related to switching.
Alpenglow Rail is seeking customers for its new Port Arthur railcar storage, switching and transloading logistics park.
Important railroad customers are not satisfied with a business-as-usual case.
The GEODIS Women’s Network “is also intended to improve the reputation of the logistics and transport industry, a field traditionally dominated by men.”
On Dec. 1, KCS announced that the blockades had officially come to an end. The Mexican economy has taken a hit due to the pandemic and the protests only added to the hurt.
Warehousing jobs continue to soar
November was a bright spot for U.S. and Canadian grain carloads.
The railway has started reaching out to First Nations groups and the broader public to share its plan.
Samantha Brooks and Ellen Reiche were arrested Saturday night in connection with an alleged terrorist attack on train tracks north of Seattle.
Five Class I railroads ask the Surface Transportation Board to consider an alternative arbitration program.
A rail blockade in west-central Mexico has ended, freeing key rail lines connecting to the Mexican seaport of Lázaro Cárdenas on the Pacific coast.
CP will serve Hapag-Lloyd at the New Brunswick port through 2025.
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.
Wabtec shares its “30 by 30” strategy for combating climate change. Greenbrier plans to track its emissions and energy intensity in 2021.
The Association of American Railroads recently laid out some issues that Amtrak, host railroads and the federal government must grapple with as they implement on-time performance metrics and standards for Amtrak.
Larry Willis, president of the Transportation Trades Department for the AFL-CIO, died Sunday after sustaining injuries in a biking incident.
The acquisition would add Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to CSX’s 23-state network.
The $229 million deal comes as CAI International seeks to focus on its containing leasing business.
A few images convey a great deal about the intermodal rail model.
Transportation PACs offer a way for trade associations — and the smaller companies they represent — to have a political voice, proponents say.
KCS says Mexico protests are impacting fourth-quarter revenue, and Norfolk Southern announces leadership changes.
The rules reflect the latest science on fatigue management, Transport Canada says.
The railroads say they are ensuring their networks keep running as coronavirus cases surge in the Midwest. Meanwhile, union members want the railroads to be more consistent in their responses to the pandemic.
Rep. Joseph D. Morelle of New York says LNG unit trains would pose a safety threat to the local community.
As a major shareholder of CN and CP, TCI Fund Management has submitted proposals for climate action. TCI also requested shareholder votes on climate plans at yearly meetings.
October’s total employment level among the U.S. Class Is was the second lowest for 2020 as railroads implement PSR.
CP’s partnership with Maersk is starting early, with the first vessel coming into Vancouver in December versus March 2021.
The railroad has opened a new intermodal terminal in Minneapolis, and service to and from Los Angeles will begin in January.
Railroads are leveraging automation and evaluating assets to improve fuel efficiency. Corporate climate goals are on the rise as railroads increase their conservation and emission-reducing efforts.
The facility aims to provide plastics producers with an alternative to the Gulf Coast.
The Senate has confirmed the appointments of Robert Primus and Michelle Schultz.
U.S. carload traffic on a weekly basis was 3.1% lower last week on a year-over-year basis and 1.7% higher sequentially.
Nearly 92% of the U.S. Class I rail network is interoperable and close to fulfilling the federal positive train control mandate by the Dec. 31 deadline, according to FRA data.
Which of the big seven railroad companies has a volume growth strategic plan to sync with J.B. Hunt?
1998: The Surface Transportation Board has approved the division of Conrail between Norfolk Southern and CSX, which will be left in control of most railroad traffic in the eastern half of the United States.
Tight container market, COVID-19 pandemic concerns and sufficient network capacity are among top concerns of some grain shippers.
Given the tight market, Hunt customers can expect to hear from company soon on need for rate increases to cover higher costs
Former Bethlehem Steel plant site at Sparrows Point, Maryland, attracts shippers and 3PLs to build Northeast distribution centers.
The city of San Angelo, Texas, approved a deal with South Plains Lamesa Railroad to create a rail port connecting to Mexico.
The rule defines performance and service metrics for Amtrak and it requires freight rail to meet an on-time performance standard.
Protestors blocking ports and rail ramps in the Mexican state of Michoacán are disrupting Kansas City Southern de Mexico’s operations and damaging Mexico’s economy.
CSX and Union Pacific executives talk about their companies’ plans to grow the business.
What won and what lost in the third quarter for the rails?
FreightWaves Classics will present articles about key events, companies,, organizations, etc. from the history of transportation, logistics, supply chain and freight.
Weekly intermodal traffic is still higher year-over-year although on a sequential basis, volumes appear to be leveling off for trailers.
Market conditions hastened the railcar manufacturer’s decision to move all of its railcar production to Mexico, according to company executives during the third-quarter earnings call.
Management from J.B. Hunt sees the current inventory replenishment cycle sustaining a high freight demand environment through the first quarter of 2021.
A railroad from Mexico’s Port of Mazatlan to Winnipeg, Manitoba, would require enhanced container-handling facilities at both sites.
Canadian Pacific, CN, and the Canadian government are taking steps to ease the social and reputational risks, according to a Monday report by Moody’s Investors Service.
Loadsmart has added less-than-truckload (LTL) and rail services as the digital freight brokerage continues to expand its multimodal offerings. The expansion, announced Tuesday, allows customers to book shipments across all major transportation modes, building on existing capabilities for truckload, port drayage and transload. “Loadsmart is now a one-stop-shop logistics solution for domestic freight,” said Felipe […]
The Rail Pulse members control a potential car fleet universe of about 300,000 units.
Third-quarter revenue fell 14% year-over-year, parent company Berkshire Hathaway said. However, lower operating costs led BNSF to a sub-60 operating ratio.
XPO is `very comfortable with where we are’ heading into 2021, Jacobs says.
Jaguar acquires five short lines, while OmniTRAX readies more business-ready sites.
