railroad freight

Railroads are making targeted investments, developing innovative technologies and evolving operations to combat climate change.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City railroad announced a deal with Knight-Swift Transportation to provide intermodal capacity for a Mexico-to-Chicago train.

Fallout from Ohio train derailment calls to mind disasters from years past.

An economic study commissioned by three rail supply trade groups has determined that the U.S. rail supply industry’s impact to the nation’s GDP exceeded $75 billion in 2020.

US Freight Railroads are the Best Rail Network Since the Staggers Act of 1980

10 longest railway networks

Freight railroads and climate change

Members of rail union BMWED have rejected a tentative contract deal with U.S. railroads.

With a Friday deadline looming for some rail unions and management to make a deal, a shutdown is looking more and more possible.

History of US Freight Railroads

Managing the Harvest Season

See current and future emission reduction technologies for locomotives

Comparing Amtrak and Freight Railroads

See how much fits on a single rail car

Craig Fuller explains the impact of higher diesel prices on the U.S. economy and consumers.

See how much a single rail car can carry

BNSF Railway Co. last week acquired 3,508 acres in the Phoenix region with plans to develop it as its Western hub.

U.S. freight railroads, on average, move 1 ton of freight more than 480 miles per gallon of fuel.

Freight Railroads Keep American Moving

Freight railroads are committed to delivering the best possible service product for customers and consumers

The world’s 10 longest railway networks

Railroads are a responsible way to mitigate the transportation-related causes of climate change

See why Freight Railroads are Separated Into Classes

1997: “Comparing our project to the Panama Canal is to confuse an apple with an orange,” New York lawyer Don M. Bosco said. “Our competition won’t be the canal. Instead, we intend to take significant business from the 3,000-mile U.S. landbridge system.”

SONAR is the leading freight forecasting platform. Two recently added SONAR indices are proving very useful to SONAR subscribers. Learn more.

Railroads are leveraging automation and evaluating assets to improve fuel efficiency. Corporate climate goals are on the rise as railroads increase their conservation and emission-reducing efforts.

1998: The Surface Transportation Board has approved the division of Conrail between Norfolk Southern and CSX, which will be left in control of most railroad traffic in the eastern half of the United States.

The U.S. rail network comprises nearly 140,000 miles of track, broken into three main categories.

Freight trains can carry a multitude of cargo, with car variations to serve each type.

1963: Trucks have moved into the lead as the primary mode of transportation for Florida’s half billion dollar citrus and vegetable crops.

Jason Miller, associate professor at the Michigan State University Eli Broad College of Business, paints a bearish picture.

1972: Tropicana is now exporting around 70,000 shipping tons annually with 90% going to Western Europe.

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.  That search for modal share growth is still fundamentally the real strategic challenge for the seven Class 1 North American railroads.  Profitability remains excellent.  Net cash flow? Down a bit during the second quarter […]

About 25% of the total railcar fleet is in storage of one kind or another. Jim Blaze writes about best practices of rail storage.

The cost to build a railroad is staggering. Jim Blaze gives an overview of the costs involved in such an endeavor.

Jim Blaze explores the pontential for a merger or mergers among the Class 1 railroads.

Railroad volumes continue to drop. What might they do to increase volumes? Where are the volume increases going to come from?

Jim Blaze writes about the advantages to the railroads of rebuilding locomotives instead of buying new ones.

Like all industries, the coronavirus has impacted railroads. What should they be doing to gain market share and better serve their customers?

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic the Class I railroads were mothballing freight cars – and locomotives. Jim Blaze examines the issues surrounding the surplus of locomotives.

Customer service (in many forms) is the key to keeping and/or expanding business during the pandemic.

The pandemic’s economic toll has hit all sectors of transportation, including rail. Read how railroads can manage costs during this global crisis.

Transporting grain is a major source of revenue for the railroads. How will the coronavirus impact the grain market and the railroads?

Jim Blaze looks at the declining need for railroad tank cars. Why is this happening and what’s next?

Using shock recorders when shipping freight may help shippers and carriers better protect freight and assign fault when damage occurs.

The coronavirus is impacting all sectors of the economy, and railroads are no different. Read what expert Jim Blaze thinks will happen going forward.

Should the railroads pare the number of types of railcars? Jim Blaze explores this topic.

FreightWaves SONAR can help those in the freight industry stay current with what is happening in transportation and logistics during the coronavirus pandemic.

Are there too many railroad freight cars? Jim Blaze writes about many reasons why this is the case.

Jim Blaze writes about the outlook for intermodal rail in 2020.

FreightWaves Market Expert Mike Baudendistel writes about the issues impacting rail intermodal in 2020, and the ongoing battle between the railroads and the trucking industry.

In the past 30 years railroad freight cars have been able to carry heavier loads, thanks to decisions made in the late 1980s. Read Jim Blaze’s article about what happened and how it has been very important to the railroads.

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.

Jim Blaze writes about the transportation of hazardous materials by rail. Accidents have occurred, and the railroads need to continue to work to decrease their number. However, rail is the safest way to transport hazardous materials.

Jim Blaze explores whether the Class 1 railroads are downsizing their railcar fleets.

Jim Blaze writes about the long, slow decline of coal as the key commodity for railroads, and whether plastics might replace the lost volume.

FreightWaves SONAR has new information for subscribers.

Railroad expert Jim Blaze writes about coal, a key commodity hauled by rail. The amount of coal being hauled by rail is declining. Why? And what does the future hold?

Jim Blaze explores the decline of railroad freight volume and what may happen going forward.

Jim Blaze profiles TTX, a company that is essential to the railroad industry.

Jim Blaze writes about the key messages he extrapolated about railroading in 2019.

Jim Blaze writes about the potential of short-haul intermodal traffic on the North American Class 1 railroads.

Jim Blaze writes about the financial issues inherent in an Alaska-to-Alberta rail route.

Market Expert Michael Baudendistel writes about rail intermodal volume is lower for the long-term, or can it be more competitive with trucking.

Railroad market voice Jim Blaze writes about technological advances that are making railroads’ capital expenditures on infrastructure more efficient.

The European Green Deal is looking to shift 75% of EU freight traffic from road to rail and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2050.

Jim Blaze writes about the decline in rail freight; is it a recent event, or has it been taking place over a longer period?

Jim Blaze writes about the Alameda Corridor in Los Angeles, that takes some of the freight from the harbor to distribution centers. Is it still economically viable?

Jim Blaze writes about the North American railroads KPIs, and what the railroads need to do to increase railcar use, revenue and shipper loyalty.

For anyone in and around the Corn Belt in 2019, the lasting effects of this spring’s flooding are still front and center in everyone’s mind. The economy has been impacted as two of the area’s largest industries have been hit the hardest – agriculture and transportation.   Farming and freight are indelibly tied in this part […]

Market expert Michael Baudendistel writes about whether there is a rail recession, or are railroads paring operations and employees to fatten their bottom lines.

Shipping liquified natural gas by rail is a controversial topic. Read what Jim Blaze thinks about the idea in his latest commentary.

Connecting the Alaska Railroad with rail service in Canada and the U.S. is a bold, expensive plan. But it would generate tremendous benefits. Read more here.

Jim Blaze writes about Conrail Shared Assets and its accomplishments on behalf of CSX and Norfolk Southern.

Jim Blaze explains the new CSX trip compliance reporting… perhaps the first step for railroads to compete more effectively with the trucking industry.

Market View commentator Jim Blaze writes about the advantages short line railroads offer to shippers.

Jim Blaze writes about the competitiveness of railroads vs. trucks and the railroads’ lack of interoperability.

Jim Blaze writes about the decisions that will go into determining 2020 capital expenditures by the freight railroads.

Market Voice Jim Blaze contents that railroads are using the wrong KPIs to increase volume and capture market share from trucks.

Several intermodal containers on trains running between China to Europe run empty due to lack of exporter demand for capacity.

Market Voice Jim Blaze writes about rail intermodal and what is happening to this area of the railroad sector.

Jim Blaze writes about FreightWaves SONAR and how it could be a helpful tool for the freight railroads.

As railroads cut less profitable routes, shippers should learn as much as possible about railroads plans for future service.

Jim Blaze writes about the recent history of intermodal rail service and what may happen in the next few years.

The U.S.-China trade war has dropped trade volumes between the two countries to date in 2019. One result – Mexico is now the #1 trade partner of the U.S.

The Class I railroads have reported their second quarter/first-half of 2019 results. Jim Blaze writes about what may happen during the remainder of 2019.

Jim Blaze writes about the pros and cons of shippers owning or leasing their own freight railcars to move their products.

Jim Blaze writes about earnings season for the railroads, and what investors, customers and employees should be looking and asking for in the railroads’ quarterly earnings reports.

Jim Blaze writes about railroad movement of scrap – the market today and the future of the market.

Jim Blaze writes about the movement of grain by rail. This is a huge business for U.S. and Canadian railroads, and is also critical to the export market of the two countries.

Market expert Jim Blaze writes about the railroads’ transportation of fracking sand, as well as stone and gravel, aggregates and phosphates.

Market expert Jim Blaze writes about the movement of coal by rail. He explores the history of rail-coal; more importantly, he writes about what the future may hold for coal in the U.S. and how that will impact the railroads.

Market expert Jim Blaze explores what railroads need to do to capture more of the market share of oversize loads, which are essential to the economy and profitable as well.