TRN_CPKC_paint_locomotive_StahlFreshly painted CPKC AC4400CWM No. 8101 leads a stack train across the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal in East Chicago, Ind., on March 8, 2025. Bruce Stahl.jpg
That light at the end of the rail merger tunnel is becoming an oncoming investment express.
Norfolk Southern board chair Claude Mongeau, who guided the panel after a failed takeover, has resigned.
Intermodal volumes so far seem to be dodging the “air pocket” expected in the wake of steep tariffs on goods from China.
Railroad executives told an investors conference that future mergers face likely insurmountable regulatory hurdles.
Coordinated effort is vital to optimizing use of the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s busiest port complex, says Canadian National CEO Tracy Robinson.
Cross-border tensions are moderating Canadian National’s outlook, but its CEO still expects around 3% growth in freight volumes this year.
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.
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.
Shortline railroads are precisely the business partners that major railroads need to stanch a decline in the carload business, a consultant says.
Canadian National workers represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference will get a 3% annual pay raise under an arbitrator’s contract decision.
Class 1 railroads saw mixed results in Q4 of 2024, but consultant Oliver Wyman sees a steadier year ahead.
Canada’s largest railroads see mixed progress at the country’s busiest container gateway.
Port fees on Chinese ships are aimed at boosting U.S. shipbuilding but could have follow-on effects for intermodal traffic, too.
The Belt Railway of Chicago has appointed former CN and CP executive Jerry Peck as president and general manager.
The early-year supply chain lull swept rail freight in the latest carload data from the Association of American Railroads.
Railroads are weighing the uncertainty of President Trump’s proposed tariffs and foresee a moderate cross-border impact, executives told an investor conference.
U.S. rail traffic has risen for the fifth time in the first six weeks of 2025.
Canadian National and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers of Canada have reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract, averting a strike that was slated to begin Tuesday. The union represents approximately 750 signals and communications employees across Canada. They have been working without a contract since Dec. 31, 2024. Montreal-based CN (NYSE: […]
Canadian National Railway is bracing for a work stoppage Tuesday after members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) in Canada issued a 72-hour strike notice. The union represents about 750 signal and communications workers, who are prepared to walk out if a new agreement is not reached by a Jan. 28 deadline. “CN […]
U.S. rail traffic showed a massive jump for the week ending Jan. 18, 2025, with both carload and intermodal traffic up more than 25% from the same week a year earlier. Statistics from the Association of American Railroads show overall traffic for the week was 500,160 carloads and intermodal units, a 25.9% increase. That included […]
Intermodal volumes boosted weekly U.S. rail traffic even as overall carloads slipped compared to the same week in 2024.
CN has rolled out a hybrid biofuel-ready locomotive it says could reduce fuel consumption by 50% compared with typical diesel power.
Weekly U.S. rail traffic showed a slight uptick over 2024 in the first report from the Association of American Railroads for 2025. Overall volume for the week ending Jan. 4 was 421,410 carloads and intermodal units, a 1% increase over the first week a year ago. That included 198,500 carloads, down 4.6%, and 222,910 containers […]
Intermodal continues to pace weekly U.S. rail traffic while carloads edged downward, according to the Association of American Railroads.
Teamsters Canada leaders want federal officials to stay out of contract negotiations and back rail workers’ right to strike.
U.S. rail traffic is back on track after November swings, with intermodal gains outpacing weaker carloads.
Short line and regional railroads are polishing their entrepreneurial skills as they prospect for new customers and solidify links to Class 1s.
CN and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference have scheduled mediation for early 2025 as the sides move closer to a new collective bargaining agreement.
Canadian National Railway posted third-quarter revenue slightly better than a year ago as operations appeared fully recovered from destructive wildfires and a labor dispute that briefly shut down the railroad.
U.S. railroads see the highest weekly intermodal traffic since the pandemic, and ongoing supply chain issues could aid further gains as a threatened longshore strike creeps closer.
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 Teamsters Canada Rail Conference is returning to work at Canadian National Railway, but the union said the work stoppage continues at Canadian Pacific Kansas City pending an order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
CN and CPKC early Thursday locked out 9,300 union employees, bringing trains to a halt in a move that could disrupt supply chains throughout North America.
The threat of a rail worker strike across Canada could be extended through at least mid-July amid stalled negotiations between Teamsters Canada Rail Conference and CN and CPKC railroads.
Federal officials have pushed back a potential CN and CPKC rail worker strike in order to review whether a work stoppage would jeopardize Canadians’ health and safety.
Teamsters Canada said negotiations with Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City have stalled over issues of pay and working conditions.
Canadian railway CN is acquiring family-owned Iowa Northern Railway, a 275-mile short-line railroad serving the Upper Midwest.
Canadian railway CN, the Mississippi State Port Authority and Ports America have signed a memorandum of understanding for an intermodal service at the Port of Gulfport.
The rail industry continues to streamline operations and realign rail car fleet management via acquisitions.
Partnerships with other Class I railroads will help the freight rail industry gain market share, CN executives said during the Canadian railway’s third-quarter 2023 earnings call Tuesday.
Patrick Whitehead and Derek Taylor will lead different aspects of CN’s operations as the Canadian railway seeks to make its operations more “innovative” and “modern.”
CN has released its operational plans for the 2023-2024 winter season. But the Canadian railway says new regulations create some uncertainty.
An internal system update caused internet connectivity issues at CN on Tuesday, affecting the Canadian railway’s customer service portal.
Expanded service offerings, such as a reduction in transit time for the Falcon Premium intermodal service, should help support Union Pacific in the third and fourth quarters, UP leaders said at an investor conference this week.
Canadian railway CN and Norfolk Southern are partnering to create a domestic intermodal service that will connect Canadian customers with markets in the U.S. Southeast.
Rail service for the 2023-2024 crop year in Canada is expected to be smooth — provided that weather conditions and unforeseen global events cooperate.
Rail volumes to and from the Canadian ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert are returning to normal after the 13-day strike in July, although capacity to catch up on the backlog appears limited for now, according to RailState’s analysis of its data.
Consumer demand is putting pressure on intermodal and lumber volumes and that is weighing on how CN views the back half of this year.
The Canadian wildfires and lower volumes for intermodal and crude oil put pressure on Canadian railway CN’s revenue for the second quarter of 2023.
As the labor strike continues at the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert, Class I railroads are taking steps to ensure that their networks face minimal disruptions.
Some families of victims of deadly railway accidents say railway police are torn between seeking the truth and protecting the company name. Railroads say safeguards are in place.
Canadian railway CN is monitoring wildfires across several provinces and is adjusting operations as needed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
CN will adjust its operating plan to run faster and potentially shorter trains and concentrate on courting customers where network capacity is available, executives said on the railway’s fourth-quarter 2022 earnings call.
Four Class I railroads have asked the Surface Transportation Board and U.S. appeals courts to review an order that seeks to resolve small rate disputes through voluntary arbitration.
The Surface Transportation Board wants Union Pacific to address service hiccups at California’s Foster Farms. Also, CN reports rail traffic controllers have ratified a new collective agreement.
Class I railroads CSX, CN, CP and KCS tout recognition for their sustainability efforts, while rail technology provider Wabtec gets a nod for its battery-electric locomotive.
CN and Norfolk Southern announce leadership changes. Transport Canada looks to fund projects aimed at promoting climate resiliency for rail infrastructure.
CN boasts record Canadian grain volumes, Watco completes a Texas terminal expansion, and the Association of American Railroads and the Intermodal Association of North America detail volume ups and downs.
CN expressed confidence it can handle any market downturns, pointing to areas such as grain and coal where demand strips away any potential macroeconomic softness, officials said during the railway’s third-quarter 2022 earnings call.
Freight projects get underway in Chicago and Laredo, Texas; CN beats its grain record; Patriot Rail appoints a new COO; and Canadian Pacific disputes a court ruling on an Alberta land sale.
Canadian railway CN and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers members who are part of CN’s Canadian operations have a new labor contract at hand.
Canadian railway CN says it is positioning assets and adding more horsepower in order to keep the network fluid during extreme winter weather.
The Surface Transportation Board logged over 25 hours last week to hear from stakeholders about the advantages and drawbacks of the proposed Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern merger.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada wants the country’s major railways to install enhanced train-control technology similar to positive train control in the U.S.
Canadian midstream operator Keyera and CN are considering creating an energy terminal that would serve the production-rich region.
CN and Canadian Pacific say they’re ready for an anticipated grain volume rebound in the new crop year that runs from Aug. 1 to July 31.
The Canadian government wants the railways to submit details on how they will maintain equipment when it gets cold in winter as part of a rail safety initiative.
Anticipated strength in domestic intermodal and higher grain volumes will support CN in the back half of this year, company executives said during the Canadian railway’s second-quarter 2022 earnings call.
The STB is sifting through hundreds of pages on the perceived advantages and disadvantages of a merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern.
The Canadian government says it will fund infrastructure projects in Saskatchewan and Ontario, as well as research into how the railways can respond to climate-induced events.
Congressmen back calls from fertilizer and agricultural products shippers to improve freight rail service, plus news about a new federal grant program to eliminate railroad crossings and updates on CN and Canadian Pacific.
NS starts a new operating plan for intermodal; CN plans investments in Louisiana and Wisconsin; and MxV Rail agrees to share expertise with a UK group.
CN announced Monday it anticipates spending $355 million in 2022 to improve infrastructure in Illinois, Tennessee, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.
The railway’s recent 2022 capital investment announcement brings the total to nearly CA$1.7 billion (US$1.32 billion) for six Canadian provinces.
In the past two days, the Canadian railway has announced approximately CA$1.5 billion (US$1.16 billion) in capital investments for four provinces.
The investments will go toward network improvements as well as technology and decarbonization initiatives.
Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers went on strike on Saturday.
Canadian railway CN has received a notice from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers that its members could go on strike this Saturday.
CN will implement Wabtec’s precision dispatch system over the next year.
“There’s been a big shock in the supply chains, and we’re working very hard to get our rhythm back and our operation back and to serve our customers well,” says new CEO Tracy Robinson.
Democratic leaders urge the Federal Railroad Administration to act on worker fatigue, while the Port of Montreal’s new container terminal will be served by rail.
Four Class I railroads have donated funds to support humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine and surrounding areas. Also, U.S. and European rail sector officials form a task force to support Ukrainian freight and passenger rail.
CN and three other Class I railroads outlined to the Surface Transportation Board conditions that should be met before the board approves a merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern.
The Surface Transportation Board wants more details about the concessions that BNSF and CN are seeking as Canadian Pacific acquires Kansas City Southern.
Canadian railway CN eyes volume growth from vaccine mandates and grain, and it expects higher volumes in the second half of 2022.
Canadian railway CN announced that former Canadian Pacific executive Tracy Robinson will succeed retiring CEO JJ Ruest at the end of February.
CN is asking the Surface Transportation Board to require Canadian Pacific to divest KCS’ Springfield Line in Missouri and Illinois to help ensure competition.
In this Q&A interview, FreightWaves chats with two CN executives about what customer benefits might arise from a seven-year partnership with Google Cloud.
Canadian Pacific inks a potash contract while CN’s British Columbia operations are nearly back to normal.
The end of 2021 brings the confirmation of a Surface Transportation Board member and approvals of short line requests.
The railroad veteran removed himself from consideration over the weekend.
