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!
The Surface Transportation Board is grappling with fallout from its March decision to approve the CP-KCS merger. Three progressive groups want STB Chairman Marty Oberman stripped of his role, while western Chicago suburbs have filed a lawsuit against the board.
The Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO wants Congress to pass a rail safety bill that addresses train crew sizes, train lengths and inspection times.
Kennan Beard, president of the California Short Line Railroad Association and president and CEO of the Sierra Northern Railway, talks to FreightWaves about why he thinks CARB’s new regulation governing locomotive emissions isn’t well thought out.
Intramotev will use the $200,000 grant to test and deploy three self-propelled rail cars in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in late 2023.
A hearing held by the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on freight rail supply chain challenges focused on a range of topics.
The Senate Commerce Committee passed the Railway Safety Act, sending the bill to the Senate floor for a vote. But will it have smooth sailing?
Canadian Pacific Kansas City is building its intermodal service between points in the U.S. Midwest and Mexico, announcing a new daily service that aims to take away market share from trucks.
Fuels feedstock manufacturer Oleo-X has a new production facility on CSX’s network in Mississippi.
Higher expenses and lower carload volumes contributed to a year-over-year dip in BNSF’s net profits for the first quarter.
Union Pacific wants a federal court to review STB’s approval of the merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern.
Shippers want Congress to expand FMC’s power over rail storage fees, but shipping lines say the power is already in the hands of the STB.
Truck transportation jobs rose in April, defying the worst forecasts from the freight recession.
CPKC and Canadian coal producer Teck Resources’ new service agreement includes a pilot program in which CPKC will test out its hydrogen locomotives to transport Teck’s coal.
Reduced North American rail traffic isn’t dampening the outlook for these rail equipment manufacturers and rail car lessors.
In the wake of the East Palestine train derailment, Congress is poised to take action to improve rail safety. Here’s how they can do it.
Union Pacific, BNSF and Norfolk Southern need to go further in improving rail service, according to a Surface Transportation Board decision requiring the railroads to submit service performance reports.
Maritime and logistics services company Crowley and Canadian railway CN have joined in a new service that will connect Canada, the Midwest and the Gulf Coast of Mexico.
Union members working for CSX and CN said they have ratified labor agreements with their employers.
FreightWaves discussed with Railroad Workers United organizer Ron Kaminkow what craft union employees need from the railroads to improve morale.
Norfolk Southern and SMART-TD, the union group representing train conductors that work at NS, have reached a tentative agreement that addresses scheduling issues and sick leave.
The impact of the movement of trade to the East Coast and Gulf ports can no longer be denied in the railroad data.
The California Air Resources Board has passed a regulation that compels freight and locomotive operators in California to adopt technologies to reduce locomotive emissions and phase out diesel locomotives.
Hub Group had year-over-year revenue declines in its intermodal and logistics segments during the first quarter.
FRA has issued a safety advisory asking freight railroads to be aware of the operational adjustments that must be made when they deploy longer trains.
The partnerships with the two truck carriers for intermodal service will create new business opportunities for all three companies, CPKC officials said during the company’s first-quarter 2023 earnings call.
The California Air Resources Board is expected to discuss this week a proposed regulation calling for zero-emissions locomotives by 2030 and 2035.
Norfolk Southern is adjusting how it configures trains in response to the February East Palestine, Ohio, derailment. That will help the company improve productivity later this year, officials said during the railroad’s first-quarter 2023 earnings call Wednesday.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City railroad announced a deal with Knight-Swift Transportation to provide intermodal capacity for a Mexico-to-Chicago train.
Not to be outdone by CPKC, CN said it is partnering with Union Pacific and Grupo México to provide a new, cross-continent intermodal service that will seek more truck-to-rail conversions.
Unions representing locomotive engineers and train conductors are still working through some sticking points with railroads regarding work schedules, sources told FreightWaves.
Service improvements at CSX come as headcount levels are at “a good number,” officials said during the company’s first-quarter 2022 earnings call.
Schneider said Friday it will be a strategic intermodal carrier for the Canadian Pacific Kansas City rail line from Mexico to Chicago.
Union Pacific’s earnings guidance for the year is based on the assumption that a recession won’t occur, officials said during the railroad’s first-quarter 2023 earnings call Thursday.
BNSF is conducting further analysis on a piece of fractured rail from the March derailment of a BNSF train in Minnesota, according to an initial investigation report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
SC Ports’ Inland Port Dillon handled record rail moves in March, although volumes for the port authority overall were down year over year.
Trammell Crow and CBRE Investment Management have acquired 192 acres in Arizona and are seeking companies interested in developing facilities on their rail-served site.
An industry trade group advisory questioning the safety of wheel sets manufactured by National Steel Car has been canceled, National Steel Car said.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City, or CPKC, marked its first day as the merged company of CP and KCS on Friday.
Rail service for chemical and agricultural shippers has gotten better, but further improvements could be made, according to two reports.
Parallel Systems is proceeding with the next step in its development of autonomous rail vehicles, which is to test having multiple vehicles strung together and see how these vehicles can integrate into the existing freight rail network.
To view more FreightWaves infographics, click here
Rail car manufacturer Greenbrier posted gains in its second fiscal quarter net income amid revenue increases for its manufacturing, maintenance and leasing business segments.
The way that trains are configured might have factored into the derailments of six Class I trains over the past two years, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
The truck transportation sector increased jobs in March, reversing a one-month decline in February.
A Nevada bill restricting train lengths has been introduced, while Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a bill that mandates freight train crew sizes of at least two people.
The Port of Virginia has plans to expand capacity at its inland port and at the Richmond Marine Terminal, while CSX has reached a sick leave agreement with another union group.
Democratic lawmakers from Pennsylvania and Ohio have introduced a second piece of legislation, the Railway Accountability Act.
Electricity generated from renewable sources outpaced coal-fired power generation for the first time last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The Federal Railroad Administration is taking action on a proposed rule that would provide hazmat train crews with safety equipment that would protect them from breathing in hazardous fumes in the event of an accident.
The partnership between both companies will help companies that might need to comply with additional safety regulations down the road, the head of IntelliTrans told FreightWaves.
The Department of Justice, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency, has filed a lawsuit against NS to ensure the railroad pays for the cleanup at the site of the Feb. 3 Ohio train derailment.
Four rail cars caught fire when a BNSF train 100 miles northwest of Minneapolis derailed early Thursday morning. The incident spurred an evacuation of area residents within a half-mile of the scene.
The Natural Resources Defense Council wants the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Association to prohibit the transport of LNG by rail unless a company receives a special permit.
Rail car manufacturer FreightCar America is eyeing opportunities to manufacture tank cars that would carry nonflammable materials should its competitors be busy manufacturing DOT-117 tank cars.
For railroads to increase market share and grow volume, it will require new services and a very different mentality on service performance.
Union Pacific will hold off on plans to redeploy the train conductor from the locomotive cab to grounds-based work, according to a tentative agreement between UP and SMART-TD.
Norfolk Southern and SMART-TD are tabling discussions about how to handle conductor redeployments as congressional lawmakers want more information about what rail safety initiatives should become law.
CSX inks another sick leave deal with a union, Greenbrier releases some preliminary Q2 results and Norfolk Southern adds two executive roles to its marketing division.
Rail is dominated by just a few large players. A new merger is going to make the industry even more consolidated. Some farmers are worried.
Union Pacific is the latest railroad to set an agreement with several unions granting workers paid sick days.
The National Transportation Safety Board has published preliminary findings on two recent Norfolk Southern incidents.
Although February volumes at SC Ports were down 13% year over year, they still represented the second-highest total for the month in port history.
Canadian railway CN and the union Unifor have reached a tentative collective deal, thus averting a potential strike. BNSF and Canadian Pacific also have reached agreements.
CSX makes changes to its operational team and beefs up its industrial development program, while Norfolk Southern reaches another sick leave agreement with a union. Also, RailState names a former BNSF executive to its advisory board.
A law firm specializing in stockholder rights wants Norfolk Southern investors to join a class-action lawsuit over precision scheduled railroading. The firm says certain PSR practices compromised safety and depressed NS stock prices.
Two congressional representatives from Ohio have introduced a rail safety bill that they say would build off of NTSB’s findings into the cause of the Feb. 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern train.
Canadian Pacific laid out who will be in key leadership roles after the company merges with Kansas City Southern in April.
Shippers and others weigh in on the Surface Transportation Board approving the railroad merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern.
The Surface Transportation Board has approved merger plans between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads.
The International Association of Machinists and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen have each reached sick leave agreements with Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC).
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said Tuesday the state has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Norfolk Southern in order to ensure the railroad will be financially responsible for derailment costs and economic damages.
The Georgia Ports Authority reported its second-busiest February ever.
A roundup of recent news items from Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, Amtrak and the Surface Transportation Board.
A Senate hearing Thursday provided Congressional leaders a chance to grill Norfolk Southern President and CEO Alan Shaw not just on the Feb. 3 train derailment in Ohio but also on the industry’s views on rail safety.
BNSF and three unions reach sick leave deals; Trinity Industries acquires a 3PL; and STB names new members to an energy transportation advisory committee.
Norfolk Southern notified federal officials about loose wheels, and the Association of American Railroads put out an advisory to halt the use of rail cars that might have this issue.
The Association of American Railroads has laid out initiatives the freight rail industry expects to take up to boost safety amid calls from federal officials in the wake of the Feb. 3 Ohio train derailment.
A study found use of hot-box detectors has contributed to a 59% decrease in certain train accidents since 1990.
“While the Railway Safety Act of 2023 has potential, railroad workers are concerned with what is glaringly left out of the bill and what aspects are left to the DOT and FRA to draft, implement, and administer,” said Matt Weaver of Railroad Workers United.
Three rail unions representing mechanical workers say BNSF violated federal labor laws because of the way it has handled the staffing for its locomotive maintenance program. The unions also argue that BNSF has been deferring maintenance and adhering to a minimum standard.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration will conduct investigations into Norfolk Southern’s safety practices.
Following two recent derailments in Ohio, Norfolk Southern received more bad news as a conductor died after a crossing accident at a customer facility.
Union members representing those working in mechanical, intermodal and facility management at Canadian railway CN voted to go on strike should talks between the parties fail to reach an agreement.
The Federal Railroad Administration collects a lot of data related to rail safety. What does that research show when it comes to the performance of the Class I railroads?
The New Mexico House of Representatives has passed a bill to require a freight train crew size of at least two members. The bill now goes to the state Senate.
Norfolk Southern has released a six-point plan that addresses how the railroad expects to improve its use of hot box detectors.
This AskWaves article describes the various stakeholders involved in regulating rail safety.
All seven Class I railroads have agreed to participate in a federal program in which workers can anonymously provide tips on operational conditions. The participation will complement existing internal programs at the railroads, says the Association of American Railroads.
Ohio members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way – Employes Division are concerned about the health of workers who responded to the Feb. 3 train derailment, and they disagreed with NS’ attempt to address automated track inspection during early negotiations over sick leave.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s probe of the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment will include a close look at the protective housing covers on the derailed tank cars.
The Federal Railroad Administration and a bipartisan group of five senators aim to show their responsiveness to rail safety concerns via new initiatives and proposed regulations.
The Port of Virginia says it’s nearly done with its channel deepening project, which will enable the port to allow for two-way traffic of ultra-large container vessels.
The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a safety advisory that calls on railroads to evaluate their procedures for using and maintaining hot box detectors in light of the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment in Ohio.
Despite an increase in revenues for BNSF, higher fuel costs contributed to a softer operating income for the fourth quarter of 2022.
The Environmental Protection Agency will direct Norfolk Southern where to transport contaminated waste from the Feb. 3 train derailment amid concerns by communities in other states that it was coming to them.
Rail unions warn that revisions to a rule affecting railroad contract workers could be a step backward for safety.
Union Pacific confirmed that CEO Lance Fritz will be leaving his role. The railroad is looking for a replacement.
Rail trade groups’ and rail unions’ responses to NTSB’s preliminary report on the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment offer different views on what the next steps should be.
BNSF signs deals with the Transportation Communications Union and National Conference of Firemen & Oilers (NCFO), while NS also seals a pact with NCFO.
Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, urged the parties involved in the derailment to heed the board’s recommendations to improve rail safety.
