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!
Norfolk Southern CEO Jim Squires is retiring in May 2022, and current Chief Marketing Officer Alan Shaw will succeed him.
Economist Steve Pociask opines on why he thinks the Surface Transportation Board should tread carefully when deciding how to proceed with the issue of reciprocal switching.
The Surface Transportation Board has adopted a final rule that addresses temporary trackage rights in situations in which one rail carrier needs access to another carrier’s track due to an emergency.
Wallace served as CSX’s executive vice president of sales and marketing before moving into an advisory role in July as he underwent cancer treatment.
Heightening the clearance of the Howard Street Tunnel will enable double-stacked trains to run in and out of the Port of Baltimore.
Canada’s supply chain is in a “crisis situation” as over 50 ships wait to dock at the Port of Vancouver and CN struggles to restore service.
Southern California ports and private operators are using carrots and sticks to help eliminate a massive pileup of cargo.
Picking transport stocks in 2022 will not involve a blanket approach, according to Deutsche Bank. However, there are still several companies with significant upside potential.
CSX and Canadian Pacific were recognized this month by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America for the ways they address environmental, social and governance issues.
Surface Transportation Board Chairman Marty Oberman is asking Norfolk Southern why service has deteriorated, according to shippers — and what the railroad plans to do about it.
Two agencies in Mexico have given their approval of the proposed merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern.
Lawsuits between two Class I railroads and three unions have been consolidated into one proceeding in federal court, with a request to fold an additional lawsuit from BNSF into the proceeding.
CN hasn’t been able to reopen its rail main link to the Port of Vancouver due to weather issues as large backlog of vessels continues.
New Fortress Energy subsidiary Energy Transfer Services’ permit allowing the transport of liquefied natural gas in special tank cars is set to expire next week, according to environmental group Delaware Riverkeeper.
The STB is allowing the merger application of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern to proceed as is, rejecting Union Pacific’s concerns over the application’s completeness.
CN’s line between Kamloops and Vancouver has been shut down since Nov. 15 following extensive flooding and mudslides. Canadian Pacific reopened its line to limited traffic on Monday.
The U.S. Department of Transportation recently awarded grants for a number of projects across the country that involve Class I and short line railroads, including G&W subsidiary Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad.
Canadian Pacific says it will reopen its rail link with the Port of Vancouver on Tuesday, vowing to clear backlogs to “get the supply chain back in sync.”
The railroad says CP’s and KCS’ traffic diversion analysis is incomplete, and so the board should compel CP and KCS to revise its merger application.
The board of commissioners for the Virginia Port Authority unanimously approved a $61.5 million construction bid for a project that would increase on-dock rail capacity to 1.1 million containers a year.
