railroad

U.S. rail volumes trended downward again for the week ending June 15, with weekly volumes falling over 5 percent and year-to-date volumes declining nearly 3 percent, according to the latest data from the Association of American Railroads.

North Dakota’s lawmakers are fighting Washington state’s new crude-by-rail law, saying it could curtail shipments of state-produced Bakken crude oil.

The Federal Railroad Administration is awarding more than $326 million in grants to help states and localities repair, maintain and build rail infrastructure supporting freight rail and intercity passenger rail.

Flooding impacts, cheap natural gas prices, and trade and economic uncertainty could be factors contributing to a significant slump in weekly U.S. rail volume.

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association is urging Congress to pass legislation that would make permanent the tax credit that short lines receive for infrastructure improvements.

The transition to e-commerce and anticipated advances in automated trucking are forcing the freight railroads to adapt to supply chains that require railroads to be more responsive and nimble. One way that the railroads are seeking to address this challenge is by hiring executives outside of the railroading community, in the hopes that placing a non-rail executive in a leadership role will help the railroad weather systemic changes within the supply chain.

The Surface Transportation Board is considering initiating a more formal review of how it resolves rail rate disputes.

“It’s just a confusing time for all of us in transportation and anybody in manufacturing or business in general to have a really good sense of why we’re seeing this kind of softness,” said CSX chief executive officer Jim Foote.

U.S. intermodal volumes fell 5.9 percent in May, while carloads fell 2.1 percent amid economic uneasiness and uncertainties surrounding U.S. trade between Mexico and China.

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.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case again about whether Amtrak can have a role in crafting the on-time performance metrics and standards for the freight railroads. The Court’s June 3 action paves the way for Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration to finish establishing those metrics and standards.

Canadian National’s (NYSE: CNI) strategy to build up its eastern network could include even more partnerships with trucking and intermodal partners, the company’s chief executive officer said at an investor conference.

e railroad industry is “concerned” about a possible disruption of the North American supply chain should the U.S. impose tariffs on imports from Mexico. But for now, the rail industry is taking a wait-and-see stance.

Only 17 percent of the relationships between the U.S. passenger and freight railroads required to utilize positive train control technology have interoperability, meaning that the host railroad can communicate with a non-host train through the technology, according to data released by the Federal Railroad Administration.

Total number of trains carrying loads, total number of trains held both increasing as Great Plains flooding washes out tracks.

Eastern U.S. railroad CSX intends to increase the speed of its trains along a route in Alabama to Georgia as part of broader efforts to increase train velocity and improve network fluidity.

Market expert Jim Blaze dissects the recent Surface Transportation Board hearings on demurrage and accessorial charges. Read his observations on the relationships between the railroads and their shipper customers…

“The board has the authority to define reasonable practices. If you were in our shoes, what would you do?” said Surface Transportation Board vice chairman Patrick Fuchs to a panel representing BNSF, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific.

U.S. rail volumes fell again for the week ended May 18, while Canadian volumes grew, according to the latest data from the Association of American Railroads. The theme of higher U.S. carloads but lower intermodal volumes was also expressed by CSX this week.

“The economy feels pretty good right now,” GWR chief executive Jack Hellmann said at an investor conference on May 14.

At least 35 groups will be testifying before the Surface Transportation Board this week to provide their perspective on how the Class I railroads assess demurrage and accessorial charges. The charges have become controversial because some shippers say the changes that the Class I railroads have made in administering the charges are unfair.

A Trinity Industries subsidiary has bought 230 acres in Iowa to construct a multi-million-dollar railcar maintenance facility. The facility’s location in Butler County will give Trinity access to the Class I railroad network and the upper Midwest, Trinity said.

Nevada joins Colorado in requiring freight trains to have at least two crew members on board. Meanwhile, preliminary data from the Surface Transportation Board shows April rail headcount level to be the lowest so far in 2019 and since January 2017.

Rail congestion in regions such as Chicago and Houston may have eased for now, but the railroads will still need to find ways to increase capacity at those busy city locations as the U.S. population grows, Class I railroad executives said at an investor conference this week.

Executives with eastern railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern expressed confidence this week that they can compete alongside trucks for e-commerce business.

Canadian rail volumes rose again year-to-date for the week ended May 11, while U.S. rail volumes continued downward amid U.S. tariff uncertainty and a fuzzy economic picture.

FreightWaves market expert Jim Blaze looks at a regulatory spat between Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway over the concept of “open access.” Learn why that is important to all railroads – and shippers!

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.

Canadian Pacific (NYSE: CP) and Canadian National (NYSE: CNI) both moved record volumes of grain in April, following a harsh winter that sometimes curtailed rail shipments. Canadian National said on […]

Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) announced which intermodal terminals it would close around Chicago, Illinois, weeks after hinting on its first quarter earnings call that it planned to consolidate operations there. […]

The uncertainty over whether and when the U.S. and China will reach a trade agreement this year is creating a cloudy outlook for grain volumes this fall.

“We expect uncertainty to persist in the grain market due to the foreign tariffs,” said Kenny Rocker, Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) executive vice president for marketing and sales.

April rail volumes fell year-over-year but rose slightly from March 2019, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) said on May 1. But the AAR predicted that improving economic conditions could lead to rail volumes stabilizing or growing in the second half of the year, although some uncertainties still persist.

BNSF (NYSE: BRK) says proposed rules in Oregon would make it harder for the railroad to comply with the common carrier obligation, a federal mandate requiring a railroad to provide transportation to all parties and for all goods, including hazardous materials.

Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.78 for the first quarter of 2019, which were 11.4 percent better year-over-year, but less than the consensus estimate of $0.83.

Rail shippers could gain more leverage in rate disputes should the Surface Transportation Board (STB) proceed with its staff recommendations for how to reform rate review methodologies.

Canadian National Railway Company reported adjusted earnings per share of C$1.17 per share for the first quarter 2019, 17 percent better than the same period a year ago.

Legislation has been approved by the Washington State Legislature that could restrict the movement of crude oil via railroads. The bill is sitting on the desk of Gov. Jay Inslee (D).

U.S. rail traffic dipped again for the week ending April 20, according to data from the Association of American Railroads.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) expects to have the next stage of its new operating plan in place by the end of July. In this next stage, which Norfolk Southern dubs “TOP 21,” the railroad will seek to run heavier trains and have them run faster along some routes.

Despite higher operating income, Trinity Industries’ (NYSE: TRN) first quarter 2019 net profit fell 24 percent to $30.6 million from $40.2 million in the first quarter of 2018. TRN consists of three business segments: a rail group that includes the manufacturing of rail parts and tanks; a leasing group; and a highway products and logistics service.

GATX’s (NYSE: GATX) first quarter profit fell 46 percent to $41.5 million, or $1.12 per diluted share, from $76.3 million, or $1.98 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2018. Chicago-based GATX is a railcar lessor, providing railcars and boxcars to freight railroads and shippers.

The company posted an operating ratio (OR) of 66 percent, improving on its fourth quarter 2018 OR of 67.8 percent and setting a first quarter record.

“This past winter was one of the most challenging in my railroading career,” Canadian Pacific (NYSE: CP) president and chief executive officer Keith Creel said. “I applaud our employees for their resiliency in overcoming loss and pushing through extraordinary conditions and challenges throughout February and March. Our commitment to precision scheduled railroading [PSR] enabled a strong recovery, and gives us a solid foundation moving forward.”

The Greenbrier Companies (NYSE: GBX) is planning to buy the manufacturing arm of American Railcar Industries as a way to increase its North American presence.

Add Ohio and Washington state to the list of states where leaders are debating whether to require freight railroads to have at least two crew members per train. Ohio and Washington state legislators have introduced bills this spring mandating a minimum crew size for freight trains. Washington state’s bill takes the debate one step further by also defining how many crew members should be operating a train that’s carrying crude oil.

Union Pacific’s (NYSE: UNP) first quarter net profit rose 6 percent amid company efforts to rationalize or reorganize existing assets to streamline operations under precision scheduled railroading (PSR).

Higher coal and chemicals volumes drove U.S. carloads upward on a weekly basis for the first time since late February, according to the latest data from the Association of American Railroads (AAR). But despite that weekly gain for U.S. carloads, overall U.S. rail traffic still softened.

Kansas City Southern (NYSE: KSU) said its first quarter 2019 net profits rose nearly 16 percent amid its ongoing transition to precision scheduled railroading (PSR).

Canadian National (NYSE: CNI) plans to appeal a determination by a federal regulator that the railway breached rail service obligations last fall at the congestion-prone Port of Vancouver.

CSX (NYSE: CSX) achieved an operating ratio of less than 60 percent in the first quarter amid continued efforts to employ precision scheduled railroading (PSR) throughout its network.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) lowered its export projections for corn and wheat in the 2018-2019 harvest season amid slumping grain volumes and Midwest rail operations coping from last month’s record flooding.

With almost all of the Class I railroads transitioning to precision scheduling railroading (PSR), an operational model that emphasizes running railcars on a fixed schedule, a question surfacing within the rail industry is how much emphasis should the railroads place on lower operating ratio.

Year-to-date rail volumes for every commodity except petroleum and petroleum products slumped last week in the United States, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Precision scheduled railroading (PSR) can’t succeed if the Class I railroads aren’t able to fold the shortline railroads into the new operating model, according to one of the early developers of the precision railroading model.

Hundreds of miles of critical freight rails once out of commission due to flooding are back in service.

Canadian National (NYSE: CNI) yesterday unveiled plans to invest US$505 million in capital projects along its U.S. corridor spanning from Wisconsin to Louisiana.

The Surface Transportation Board wants to hear from shippers and the Class I railroads on whether the railroads should supply more rail performance data to the board.

Norfolk Southern’s (NYSE: NSC) chief marketing officer sought to assuage shippers’ concerns at a rail shippers’ conference on April 5, saying his company would engage with shippers and seek opportunities to grow capacity as NSC transitions to the precision scheduled railroading (PSR) operating model.

Precision scheduled railroading (PSR) could benefit customers and shippers, but its deployment pace and how shippers respond to changes will be key to its success, panelists said today at the North East Association of Rail Shippers conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

U.S. rail volumes fell again last week as rail service issues continue to plague the post-flooding Midwestern landscape.

Canadian National (NYSE: CNI) laid out plans to invest C$615 million this year in network infrastructure in eastern Canada amid wider efforts by stakeholders to revamp Canada’s transportation infrastructure and support the nation’s export markets.

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is seeking public comments on amendments to regulations that govern the rail rates that Canadian National and Canadian Pacific set for hauling grain in western Canada.

Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) confirmed that it is slowing down its pace of construction at the multi-million dollar Brazos classification yard in Robertson County, Texas. This comes amid UNP’s plans to implement precision scheduled railroading and modify its operating plan to minimize railcar classification events.

U.S. rail volumes are poised to be lower in the first quarter compared with last year, but whether that decline indicates a looming recession remains to be seen.

Flooding has taken many railways out of commission. Here’s a look at the BNSF tracks that are currently underwater.

The largest freight railroad network in the U.S. still has several tracks out of service after Midwest flood damage. At least one other company also suffering losses.

UPS has sued a pot delivery company in California saying the company is infringing on hits trademarks; also FreightWaves announces a War on Detention, Connecticut wants to add tolls, and Ford leaves South America.

Missing USDA data on wheat stockpiles has traders reacting cautiously.

America’s freight railroads operate the safest, most affordable, efficient, and environmentally sound rail system in the world.

A severe earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck southern Alaska on Friday morning at 8:29 AM AST, disrupting transportation and energy infrastructure.

Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the Virgin Group that has dabbled in hundreds of businesses over the years, can now add U.S. commuter train operator to his portfolio.

The dispute sheds light on the extraordinarily secretive process governing the intermodal agreement.

We look at Old Dominion’s latest operating metrics update.

SONAR’s signature index has a birthday; Ocean Network Express to lose $600M; oilfield service companies guide for tight margins in Q3; President Trump bails on coal industry incentives; pros and cons of blockchain in container shipping; spending 60,000 hours reverse-engineering a Tesla Model 3.

Hurricane Michael is forecast to make landfall as a strengthening Category 4; Sears may go bankrupt; retailers struggle to fill the hole left by Toys R Us; Cowen is bullish on Canadian Pacific; Seoul continues ploughing money into HMM to cover operations.