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!
Schneider National announced improved transit times on its cross-border intermodal service with Canadian Pacific Kansas City.
Rail freight turned in solid gains for the holiday week ending July.
A federal appeals court has thrown out a rule that gave shippers with poor rail service access to a second railroad.
BNSF asks Surface Transportation Board for emergency order to start southern California-Salt Lake City service over Union Pacific tracks.
Intermodal helped make CPKC the fastest-growing railroad in the second quarter.
Carload rail freight edged down in the latest week but stayed ahead of year-to-date levels.
The monthly jobs report showed small changes in truck transportation employment, more of the overall trend of stability.
A panoply of socioeconomic factors are weighing on rail freight, as the economy wrestles with signs of strength and uncertainty, a new analysis finds.
Border agents recently seized $31 million worth of narcotics from commercial shipments in Texas, Michigan, Ontario, and Quebec.
A proposed private passenger train will make the Los Angeles to New York City trip in less than 72 hours – and carry tractor-trailers and their drivers.
That light at the end of the rail merger tunnel is becoming an oncoming investment express.
Surface Transportation Board moves to expedite delayed cases, some of which have languished for years.
The Port of Los Angeles expects to boost exports from a rail-served logistics park in California’s Central Valley.
Bipartisan legislation would limit the number of hours for employees supervising traffic flow in railroad yards.
Rail traffic was flat in the latest week data as softening demand for China imports likely hit intermodal volumes.
Shippers can book, track and trace, and get improved freight car visibility through a new tech partnership.
Republicans and Democrats split over automated track inspection systems and Federal Railroad Administration safety regulations
The Trump administration’s proposed new regulatory enforcement policy could make railroads less accountable, unions assert.
Agri-business giant Louis Dreyfus has been selected to operate the multimodal grain terminal at Indiana’s Lake Michigan port.
CPKC foresees July return to normal service after a botched computer system cutover on former Kansas City Southern.
The National Institutes of Health plans the first comprehensive research project to study the long-term health effects of the 2023 rail disaster in East Palestine, Ohio.
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.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services has expanded its premium intermodal offering, Quantum, to businesses in Mexico.
Wells Fargo is selling its rail leasing equipment business to a joint venture of GATX Corp. and Brookfield Infrastructure.
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling, clearing the way for a rail line that would move Utah crude oil to the national rail network.
Freight on U.S. railroads posted another win against year-ago shipments.
In the calm before the surge, BNSF is confident its network can handle the coming wave of import containers from Asia.
The Greenbrier Cos. has added Ted Baun as senior vice president of its North American commercial team.
After small railroad volume growth outperformed the Class I, Norfolk Southern is expanding an interchange program to more than 260 shortline partners.
Short line railroads and their stakeholders took their legislative wishlist to Washington for the annual Congressional lobby event.
Coal remained the commodity leader as U.S. rail carloads stayed ahead of year-ago levels.
Intermodal volumes so far seem to be dodging the “air pocket” expected in the wake of steep tariffs on goods from China.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are looking for a new harbor rail operator for the first time since 1998.
Railroad executives told an investors conference that future mergers face likely insurmountable regulatory hurdles.
Surface Transportation Board Chairman Patrick Fuchs has added a team of public-private advisers as he reforms the federal freight rail regulator.
The ITS Logistics US Port/Rail Ramp Freight Index shows looming issues at rail terminals and an early peak season ahead.
Coordinated effort is vital to optimizing use of the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s busiest port complex, says Canadian National CEO Tracy Robinson.
Eastbound international container volume out of Southern California was down 5% from the prior week and 10% compared to the four-week rolling average, according to RailState.
It’s a whole new freight market from what it was just a month ago, according to the May State of Freight webinar.
Cross-border tensions are moderating Canadian National’s outlook, but its CEO still expects around 3% growth in freight volumes this year.
U.S. railroads carried more freight in the most recent week from a year ago, according to the latest industry data.
Talk of mergers is making the rounds of Class I railroads as a way to kick-start growth and take advantage of a business-friendly Trump administration.
Rebuilding after hurricane damage and rerouting around a Baltimore tunnel project cost CSX a million dollars a day in lost revenue in the first quarter, a company executive told an investor conference.
David Fink, President Trump’s nominee to oversee rail safety in the U.S., was questioned Tuesday about his own safety record as former head of a railroad.
Union Pacific President Beth Whited will step down to an adviser role after 37 years at the railroad.
BNSF has laid off a number of workers as it restructures its technology operations.
The Association of American Railroads is asking the Trump administration to repeal a Biden-era rule requiring two-person train crews.
Railcar builder FreightCar America said net income was $50.4 million on revenue of $96.3 million in the first quarter.
Volumes by carload at Grupo Mexico’s transportation division fell 6.1% in the first quarter, including declines of 21% in automotive traffic and 20% in minerals traffic.
Pricing gains and volume growth spurred BNSF Railway to modestly higher first-quarter profits.
Carload volumes for North American railroads are still running ahead of year-ago levels.
Most major railroads maintained their 2025 outlooks even amid worries about trade and the economy.
Canadian National saw 8% earnings growth and had an improved operating ratio in the first quarter.
CN said cost control and disciplined operations helped it to better revenue and profits in the first quarter.
The latest heritage unit to join Union Pacific’s fleet honors Abraham Lincoln, who enabled the building of the transcontinental railroad.
CPKC CEO Keith Creel says the railroad, which reported higher revenue and profits for the first quarter, is “off to a strong start” for the year.
New legislation would upgrade a federal tax credit short line railroads depend on for infrastructure spending.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City said earnings rose on higher revenue and increased freight on its network.
Shortline rail operator Maine Switching Services has signed a lease agreement to restart operations on a coastal Maine branch line.
Freight carriers are pressuring Congress and the Trump administration to address the rise in “strategic” cargo theft.
Supply chain businesses ranging from rail to trucking to warehousing saw layoffs and bankruptcies throughout April, as tariffs and other economic factors slam freight markets.
The Surface Transportation Board will decide whether Union Pacific is blocking rival BNSF from accessing a Utah logistics park.
A new shortline railroad helped mark the ribbon-cutting on a multimodal development at Indiana’s largest port.
With Chinese imports tanking and fewer calls expected at West Coast ports, many empty containers won’t have a way back to Asia.
Union Pacific has brought a rare trackage rights dispute with BNSF to the Surface Transportation Board.
Railcar owner GATX won’t have to help pay the $600 million settlement related to the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment, a jury decided.
Falling fuel surcharge revenue offset record freight revenue for Class I railroad Union Pacific in the first quarter.
Union Pacific said first-quarter earnings were flat as the railroad’s volume gains were offset by the mix of freight on its network.
Growth in its freight and transit business segments powered higher first-quarter revenue and earnings at rail technology company Wabtec.
Flat revenue and a “vicious winter” didn’t keep Norfolk Southern from posting improved first-quarter profits.
Norfolk Southern shook off severe winter weather in the first three months of the year to post improved operating income in the first quarter.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a CSX appeal regarding an antitrust suit over access to Norfolk International Terminals.
Congestion hurt volumes and revenue in CSX’s first quarter.
Parallel Systems says its autonomous electric railcars will begin testing on two Georgia railroads this month.
A bipartisan bill in Congress would tackle the burgeoning problem of rail cargo theft.
Shortline railroads are precisely the business partners that major railroads need to stanch a decline in the carload business, a consultant says.
Rail traffic in the U.S. rose 11.2% for the week that ended Saturday – the sixth straight increase.
The upgrade of a critical tax credit and federal grants were in focus at the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association conference.
The strength in ocean bookings today will not translate into domestic freight volumes until May at the earliest.
Patricks Fuchs, President Trump’s pick to lead the Surface Transportation Board, wants to speed up decision-making to help railroads grow their business.
Genesee & Wyoming short line Central Oregon & Pacific can take over local operations from Union Pacific in Eugene, Oregon, as early as Saturday, federal regulators say.
