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!
In addition to financial benefits, rail offers shippers a simple, well-established way to ramp up their focus on sustainability and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Higher labor expenses, reduced volumes and regulatory uncertainty were among the third quarter’s headwinds for railroads, according to Susquehanna transportation analyst Bascome Majors.
U.S. intermodal volumes actually grew in September, according to the Association of American Railroads. And with the harvest season in full swing in the fourth quarter, expect rising grain volumes.
The National Transportation Safety Board will focus on CSX’s safety training of railway carmen as the agency continues investigating the death of a carman at a CSX yard in Ohio.
An internal system update caused internet connectivity issues at CN on Tuesday, affecting the Canadian railway’s customer service portal.
Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin and West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito want the Surface Transportation Board to “move swiftly” on reciprocal switching.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against Union Pacific in federal court over the dismissal of 21 conductors and locomotive engineers who had failed the railroad’s vision test.
NS is examining the root cause of the Friday evening to early Saturday morning outage, which the railroad says was not a result of hacking or related to a previous system outage that occurred in late August.
BNSF and SMART-TD have reached a tentative agreement addressing how BNSF handles work schedules for train conductors and other related union members.
Sixteen environmental groups have filed a rulemaking petition with the EPA asking for the federal agency to require coal train operators to have Clean Water Act permits when moving coal.
This AskWaves article looks at how a U.S. federal government shutdown would affect freight rail operations and proposed rail safety and economic rulemakings.
Declaring East Palestine, the town impacted by a Norfolk Southern train derailment, as the site of a public health emergency would allow area residents to have long-term access to Medicare, Ohio’s senators said in a letter to the EPA.
Two Florida East Coast Railway terminals will gain access to Norfolk Southern’s network, and NS and FEC will use a steel wheel interchange in Jacksonville, Florida, which will bolster access to Midwest markets.
The Georgia Ports Authority reported a dip in August volumes at the Port of Savannah. But volume increases for rail traffic and roll-on/roll-off cargo were bright sports for GPA last month.
Cincinnati voters will determine on Nov. 7 who should own the Cincinnati Southern Railway, which is currently owned by a group affiliated with the city. The city wants to sell it to Norfolk Southern for $1.62 billion.
The Federal Railroad Administration’s CRISI program for rail infrastructure projects awarded a record $1.4 billion to 70 projects across the U.S.
DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy says Atlas rail car system has undergone final testing, while Minneapolis-based Thermo King introduced its next-generation temperature-controlled slimline rail unit.
Although U.S. rail volumes may still be sluggish, Greenbrier received orders for 15,300 new rail cars in its latest fiscal quarter. The orders have an aggregate value of $1.9 billion.
President Joe Biden wants Norfolk Southern and federal agencies to stay involved in recovery efforts in East Palestine, Ohio, where an NS train carrying hazardous materials derailed on Feb. 3.
Progress Rail is asking a federal court to order Wabtec to divest of its GE Transportation unit, hold up its end of two agreements and correct statements it made about Progress Rail and its locomotive manufacturing program.
