TE Management affiliate American Industrial Transport has completed its acquisition of the rail car assets of SMBC Rail Services.
The Federal Railroad Administration has proposed that rail car manufacturers certify that their rail cars were made in countries that haven’t been flagged by the U.S. government for national security concerns. Two trade groups representing rail equipment manufacturers support this measure.
Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary Rail Link has secured five new contracts since September, the private short-line operator recently announced.
High numbers of migrant crossings in September disrupted freight rail operations, including Trinity Industries’ and FreightCar America’s ability to send new rail cars into the U.S., executives said on recent earnings calls.
The rail industry continues to streamline operations and realign rail car fleet management via acquisitions.
The Greenbrier Companies, GATX and Wabtec all reported quarterly earnings this week. Among the themes expressed during earnings calls was pervading market uncertainty domestically but an abundance of international opportunities.
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.
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.
Australia-headquartered Martinus is making its first North American acquisition — Missouri-based Bottom Line Co., a railroad contractor specializing in rail infrastructure maintenance.
Looming rail car retirements and high rates for rail car scrapping — not rail volumes — are driving the rail car market, according to the CEOs of rail car leasing companies and rail equipment manufacturers.
An industry trade group advisory questioning the safety of wheel sets manufactured by National Steel Car has been canceled, National Steel Car said.
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.
Trade groups are supporting the reintroduction of a U.S. House bill to spur the industry to produce new rail cars or modernize existing ones through a tax credit.
A report commissioned by railway supply manufacturers suggests that direct and indirect contributions by the industry to U.S. GDP exceeded $75 billion in 2020.
Pennsylvania has awarded $26 million to 24 freight rail improvement projects, while technology provider RailState completes coverage of the Canadian rail network and Alterra IOS acquires industrial facilities for $86 million.
Union Pacific and the Railway Supply Institute are among those forming partnerships, while the CREATE Program gets a $70 million federal grant.
Shippers want to move more goods via rail, and they will do so once rail service improves. This will ultimately benefit lessors like Trinity Industries, CEO Jean Savage told investors on a recent earnings call.
FreightWaves chatted with new National Railway Equipment CEO Merritt Becker about how NRE expects to help companies deploy technology to their older locomotive and inland waterway fleets.
Nexxiot will provide tracking technology for Knorr-Bremse’s railcar component systems.
The railcar manufacturer sees elevated scrapping levels and higher leasing rates.
North American rail equipment manufacturers have customers and offices in the region, and they’re assessing what steps to take next as the situation unfolds.
From executive transitions at Union Pacific and Pacific West to January rail volumes to new offerings in the MoW lessor space, here are some news items rounding out the week.
Auxo Investment Partners explains rationale for why it chose to invest in rail service providers.
Railcar order backlogs can help the freight rail industry understand where the railcar market is in the supply-and-demand cycle, according to this AskWaves article.
The world’s 10 longest railway networks
Consulting firm FTR expects railcar orders and deliveries to grow as North American railcar utilization increases amid growing volumes and owners seek to scrap less-utilized cars.
Freight car and rail parts manufacturer National Steel Car is extending a suspension of operations at its facility Hamilton, Ontario, amid a local order and COVID-19 cases at the facility.
VIP Rail and Procor announce partnership that provides Procor’s railcar repair and cleaning services to VIP Rail customers in Ontario, while Navis Rail develops a workforce management system.
An anticipated increase in North American rail traffic, coupled with FreightCar America’s move of its manufacturing to Mexico, should provide support to the company in 2021, executives said.
Rail technology provider Wabtec plans to acquire Nordco as Wabtec eyes the railcar mover market and the technologies associated with it.
Railway supply workers support critical infrastructure, the trade group says.
The new rule takes into account recent technological advancements and harmonizes U.S. regulations with Canada’s.
Freight trains can carry a multitude of cargo, with car variations to serve each type.
The international market for freight rail services and equipment is pulling ahead of the North American market, but that should catch up eventually, Wabtec said during its third-quarter earnings call.
The new standard developed by the Railway Supply Institute builds upon existing federal and trade standards.
“Depressed railcar demand” and the need to cut costs factored into the manufacturer’s decision.
The latest infrastructure bill phases out DB-60 air brake control valves manufactured before January 2006 over concerns about their effectiveness in cold weather.
The drop in North American rail traffic could push railcar leasing rates lower.
The partnership will produce remote tools that will enable railcar owners and operators to know where their cars are and what is their mileage and cargo capacity.
Should the railroads pare the number of types of railcars? Jim Blaze explores this topic.
The rail equipment manufacturer and lessor is reducing deliveries of new railcars at the start of 2020, but it’s eyeing an improving market later this year.
The rail equipment manufacturer and lessor managed to increase quarterly revenues despite a slump in North American railcar demand.
Railroads once carried much of the fresh produce across the U.S. Can they do it again? Jim Blaze explores the topic in his latest commentary.
The rail equipment and locomotive manufacturer eyes freight opportunities abroad amid a sluggish North American freight rail market.
The rail equipment and locomotive manufacturer benefits from its merger with GE Transportation.
The rail equipment manufacturer and lessor has tapped a Caterpillar executive and Trinity board member to head the company.
Railway Age reports industry veteran will lead the RSI Equipment Leasing Committee.
Wabtec says the $29 million acquisition of RELCO will expand its freight services offerings.
Railcar manufacturer says deliveries fell off from a record sequential quarter.
Private equity firm Paceline acquires a maintenance-of-way equipment lessor from Progress Rail, a Caterpillar subsidiary.
Railway Age reports Wabtec also will help ENR modernize its existing fleet.
The company sees the new facility as a way to expand and reach its manufacturing goals.
CRRC Yangtze Co. Ltd., owner of 22% of Vertex, claims nearly all of the debt listed in the petition filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.
Remaining employees will complete the final order before decommissioning equipment at the facility.
Jim Blaze writes about the North American railroads KPIs, and what the railroads need to do to increase railcar use, revenue and shipper loyalty.
Gregg Mitchell promoted to new role after serving as chairman for Trinity’s highway products and logistics group.
TrinityRail has two new railcars: the Hourglass™ and the TrinFlo™.
The rail equipment and technology manufacturer sees international opportunities as an area for business to grow.
The rail equipment lessor said corrosion damage was found in 160 railcars.
The rail equipment manufacturer said it delivered record railcar deliveries in the quarter.
Mike Baudendistel, a 13-year equities analyst with deep expertise in rail, intermodal, Jones Act and transportation OEMs, joins FreightWaves as a market expert.
The rail equipment manufacturer will close its Boise facility and move operations to Erie.
The railcar manufacturer and lessor has been tinkering with its designs for railcars to expand their volume capacity while also making them lighter.
Total company revenue for Trinity Industries (NYSE: TRN) grew 16 percent to $736 million in the second quarter amid revenue gains for its rail product group.
A number of rail equipment lessors and manufacturers have been merging and consolidating in recent months as a way to leverage themselves against marketplace changes brought about by precision scheduled railroading. Meanwhile, industry observers are watching whether railcar utilization grow in 2019.
