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. rail traffic was down for a second straight week y/y, the first back-to-back decline this year after 15 straight weeks ahead of 2024 levels.
A letter from the STB chairman says customers continue to report problems in southern US, requests details of ‘concrete steps’ to recover.
Duration Capital Partners said it has invested $600 million in short line railroad operator Watco Cos.
BNSF and CSX hauled a trainload of tanks and other military equipment to Washington for the Army’s 250th birthday parade.
As tariff talk cools, intermodal carriers are becoming more upbeat.
Chicago, Il. — The Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger has gone smoothly over the past two years — until a long-planned computer system cutover last month in former Kansas City Southern territory in the U.S. CPKC Chief Operating Officer Mark Redd says the cutover — during which CP’s operations system replaced the old KCS system […]
Logistics’ share of US GDP rose in 2024, and CSCMP doesn’t see it declining any time soon.
The Reading & Northern Railroad has promoted executive Jim Raffa to vice president, marketing and sales.
The largest U.S. railroad is taking a customer-focused approach as it deploys technology across it 32,000-mile system.
Carload freight showed solid growth in May, but a marked decline in containers and trailers signals caution for the second half of this year.
Rail is one of the safest options in the transportation industry, and Greenbrier continues to advance that operational safety through innovation. The company’s latest initiative—the GBX Training Tank Car—represents a significant advancement in tank car education. Built from an actual tank car, this mobile classroom delivers hands-on safety instruction and technical training. “Rail safety is […]
CSX’s on-time performance in May, measured by trip plan compliance for intermodal and carload shipments, returned to December levels.
History doesn’t provide a road map for how intermodal traffic may perform in the midst of a trade war, analyst Larry Gross says.
Shortline operator Regional Rail expanded its network with the acquisition of Minnesota Commercial Railway.
A California startup wants to repurpose a lightly used freight route for a luxury overnight train connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Short line Cumberland & Knox made its debut last weekend with a 56-mile run in Maine.
Norfolk Southern board chair Claude Mongeau, who guided the panel after a failed takeover, has resigned.
BNSF Railway introduced the First Mile/Last Mile team dedicated to development of single-carload traffic.
The Surface Transportation Board has opened a formal review of Watco’s acquisition of Michigan rail short line Great Lakes Central.
Union Pacific and partner ZTR said they have completed testing of a hybrid battery-electric locomotive.
