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 volumes rose 5.3% in January as gains for intermodal, chemicals and grain were enough to offset losses for coal and petroleum products, according to AAR data.
What suggestions would you give new Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg? Our reporters share theirs in this FreightWaves roundtable.
The Union Pacific employee, who was working in Vail, Arizona, was struck by a rail tamper and fatally injured, according to the railroad and the National Transportation Safety Board.
During a panel discussion, Home Depot and others talk about how to grow freight rail.
Higher consumer spending, inventory restocking and rising import levels contributed to a 9.6% gain in North American intermodal volumes in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to the Intermodal Association of North America.
TrinityRail, Canadian Pacific and Rocky Mountain Industrials announce company news; unions seek appointments to the National Mediation Board.
A train conductor in Georgia stopped a CSX train from hitting a homeless man on the tracks who was suffering from hypothermia.
“Demand in the intermodal and trucking sectors is at an all-time high, which makes this an ideal time to optimize FYX’s many assets and take it to the next level,” says new CEO Kenneth Forster.
FreightWaves’ Global Supply Chain Week will feature media expert Gary Vaynerchuk, Tyson Foods’ John Tyson, and Johnson & Johnson’s Kathy Wengel among dozens of speakers scheduled to appear at the free virtual event, scheduled for Feb. 22 through March 3.
Anticipated consumer spending levels, retail restocking and tight truck capacity are among the factors that could support intermodal volumes this year, according to Class I rail execs.
Revenue gains and lower costs in the fourth quarter weren’t enough to offset losses from GATX’s passenger airline-affiliated joint venture with Rolls-Royce.
With its acquisition of an Atlantic short line railroad in place, Canadian Pacific said the next opportunities to expand its network lie in its land holdings and partnerships.
Norfolk Southern seeks to increase train lengths and weights as part of its next stage of precision scheduled railroading deployment, executives said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Wednesday.
Canadian Pacific reported a fourth-quarter operating ratio of 53.9%, a record low. Fourth-quarter net profit was CA$802 million, up nearly 21% year-over-year.
CN expressed confidence that it has the network capacity available to handle more volumes in the second half of 2021. But pandemic uncertainties loom in the first quarter.
Fourth-quarter net profit was $671 million. An 8% decrease in operating expenses helped to offset a 4% decline in operating revenues.
Two FreightWaves SONAR charts illustrate Union Pacific’s views of the West Coast intermodal spot market.
CN’s fourth-quarter net income was C$1.02 billion amid a 2% increase in revenue and a 5% decrease in operating expenses.
Former CSX executive Dean Piance will serve as CEO of short line operator and logistics provider OmniTRAX.
KCS plans to deploy the third phase of its precision scheduled railroading program this year as it eyes an operating ratio goal in the mid-50s by 2022.
