News briefs involving short line acquisitions, Class I rail headcount in August and rail technology developments.
While headcount for train and engine employees is up for the first six months of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021, the freight rail headcount across all categories hasn’t risen.
Adoption of technology has influenced U.S. Class I railroads’ staffing. Will additional technological innovation cut headcount even more, or will other factors have greater weight?
U.S. Class I rail headcount totaled 113,461 employees in January.
Lower volumes blamed for the job reductions in Kansas.
The rail equipment and technology provider is one of many companies that have laid off or furloughed employees because of the lower-volume environment exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
An increase in U.S. rail traffic pulled headcount higher in July.
The reduction in employee levels comes as the railroads deploy cost-cutting measures to match network capacity needs with market demand.
The pandemic’s economic toll has hit all sectors of transportation, including rail. Read how railroads can manage costs during this global crisis.
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?
