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!
New bills in both the Senate and House of Representatives would upgrade the 45G tax credit for inflation and expand trackage covered under the program.
Norfolk Southern on Wednesday terminated the contracts of embattled CEO Alan Shaw and the railroad’s chief legal officer, Nabanita Nag, for having a consensual relationship in violation of company policy.
Regulators may consider more oversight as a way to improve rail volumes.
The Montreal Port Authority is spending more than $42 million to restore and upgrade the Pie-IX rail bridge, a project that will also help a port-based sugar refiner boost capacity.
The Norfolk Southern board of directors is investigating allegations that CEO Alan Shaw had an inappropriate workplace relationship.
U.S. rail traffic has seen its third consecutive week of increases of 8% or more.
In a lawsuit dating back to 2018, CSX accused rival Norfolk Southern of jacking up rates for dockside access to the East Coast container gateway.
Rail’s lower shipping costs and reduced carbon emissions often come at the expense of reliability and service. CSX is committed to changing that.
Norfolk Southern and BNSF Railway have reached tentative five-year contract agreements with additional unions four months before the opening round of national collective bargaining.
Canadian Teamsters filed four separate challenges Thursday in the Canadian Federal Court of Appeal challenging the labor minister’s order for binding arbitration and the Canada Industrial Relations Board decision to stop the lockout and work stoppage.
A New York-based venture capital firm and European transport specialist are vying to acquire Schenker, the logistics unit of German national railway Deutsche Bahn, which could shake up the market for logistics services in the U.S.
Intermodal outpaced most U.S. rail carload shipments as shippers raced to get end-of-year retail merchandise through import gateways ahead of disruptions in the global supply chain.
Despite peak season stress, supply chain bottlenecks failed to materialize during the recovery from the brief lockout of union employees by CN and CPKC.
Minnesota’s federally mandated State Freight Plan identifies key areas for investment in the statewide transportation system to ensure goods movement that is safe, efficient and sustainable.
The railroads got what they wanted in Canada’s contract dispute: binding arbitration.
Norfolk Southern’s final RoadRailer train left Detroit early Sunday morning for the 715-mile run to Kansas City, Missouri.
It could take the two largest Canadian railroads a week or more to recover from the effects of a shutdown that briefly stalled billions in freight including transborder trade with the United States.
The union says it will appeal ruling to federal court.
Eastern railroad CSX said it had come to tentative agreements with seven more unions ahead of scheduled collective bargaining, just days after it announced five early deals with unionized workers.
The agreements were announced just days after CSX completed early deals with its unions as labor flexes its newfound strength with employers following the pandemic.
