railroads

Jaguar Transport Holdings is seeking to buy two railroads in Washington state, the company said in filings. 

Carload rail freight edged down in the latest week but stayed ahead of year-to-date levels.

A panoply of socioeconomic factors are weighing on rail freight, as the economy wrestles with signs of strength and uncertainty, a new analysis finds.

A proposed private passenger train will make the Los Angeles to New York City trip in less than 72 hours – and carry tractor-trailers and their drivers. 

That light at the end of the rail merger tunnel is becoming an oncoming investment express.

Surface Transportation Board moves to expedite delayed cases, some of which have languished for years.

Shippers can book, track and trace, and get improved freight car visibility through a new tech partnership.

Republicans and Democrats split over automated track inspection systems and Federal Railroad Administration safety regulations

Agri-business giant Louis Dreyfus has been selected to operate the multimodal grain terminal at Indiana’s Lake Michigan port.

Duration Capital Partners said it has invested $600 million in short line railroad operator Watco Cos.

BNSF and CSX hauled a trainload of tanks and other military equipment to Washington for the Army’s 250th birthday parade. 

The Reading & Northern Railroad has promoted executive Jim Raffa to vice president, marketing and sales.

The largest U.S. railroad is taking a customer-focused approach as it deploys technology across it 32,000-mile system. 

Shortline operator Regional Rail expanded its network with the acquisition of Minnesota Commercial Railway.

A California startup wants to repurpose a lightly used freight route for a luxury overnight train connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco.

BNSF Railway introduced the First Mile/Last Mile team dedicated to development of single-carload traffic.

The Surface Transportation Board has opened a formal review of Watco’s acquisition of Michigan rail short line Great Lakes Central. 

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling, clearing the way for a rail line that would move Utah crude oil to the national rail network.

The Greenbrier Cos. has added Ted Baun as senior vice president of its North American commercial team.

Railroad executives told an investors conference that future mergers face likely insurmountable regulatory hurdles.

Surface Transportation Board Chairman Patrick Fuchs has added a team of public-private advisers as he reforms the federal freight rail regulator.

Union Pacific President Beth Whited will step down to an adviser role after 37 years at the railroad.

Railcar builder FreightCar America said net income was $50.4 million on revenue of $96.3 million in the first quarter.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City said earnings rose on higher revenue and increased freight on its network.

Shortline rail operator Maine Switching Services has signed a lease agreement to restart operations on a coastal Maine branch line.

The Surface Transportation Board will decide whether Union Pacific is blocking rival BNSF from accessing a Utah logistics park.

Railcar owner GATX won’t have to help pay the $600 million settlement related to the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment, a jury decided.

The upgrade of a critical tax credit and federal grants were in focus at the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association conference.

Patricks Fuchs, President Trump’s pick to lead the Surface Transportation Board, wants to speed up decision-making to help railroads grow their business.

A partnership of BNSF, Norfolk Southern and the Northwest Seaport Alliance are offering expedited service from the Pacific Northwest to the Chicago rail hub.

Railroads in January saw their share of North American transborder trade slip as trucks posted double-digit gains.

Union Pacific is partnering with Jaguar Transport Holdings to establish a new shortline railroad in Kansas City, Missouri’s West Bottoms industrial district.

BNSF Railway said customers invested $4.2 billion in industrial projects on its network in 2024.

Norfolk Southern has expanded its offerings of certified rail-served properties for industrial site development.

The National Transportation Safety Board said proper risk assessment by the state of Maryland could have averted the collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge that killed six road workers in 2024.

More than 8,700 members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the Teamsters Rail Conference ratified a new contract with the railroads of the National Carriers’ Conference Committee.

Rail traffic in the U.S. is staying ahead of 2024 levels, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Rail services provider County Line Rail has acquired short line Sabine River & Northern in east Texas.

A joint venture led by shortline operator OmniTRAX has acquired the Santa Maria Valley Railroad in California’s Central Coast region.

Weekly U.S. rail traffic posted a 5.5% gain from the year-ago period as coal and grain led commodity gainers, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Investors’ overreaction to seasonal volatility may represent a buying opportunity, Citi says.

Railroad holding company Watco is adding Great Lakes Central to its network of shortline railroads.

Theft of cargo cost Class I railroads more than $100 million in 2024, according to the Association of American Railroads.

CSX announced that members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers ratified a new five-year agreement.

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.

Railcar builder Trinity Industries saw fourth-quarter profit decline on lower deliveries despite improved lease rates.

Carload volume on U.S. railroads for the week ending Feb. 15 finished narrowly ahead of the same period in 2024.

A new study by the Federal Railroad Administration proposes dual-mode locomotives to help railroads save money in the switch to electric power.

New Orleans Public Belt Railroad and Gulf Gateway Terminal have announced an expansion to handle liquid bulk terminal traffic.

Union Pacific announced plans on Presidents Day to honor Abraham Lincoln with a commemorative locomotive.

Locomotive builder Wabtec’s shares declined despite fourth-quarter revenue and profit increases.

Union Pacific might be running the smoothest rail network.

Matthew Lane and Herman Crosson earn the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association safety awards.

A tax credit to help pay for the renewal of the U.S. freight car fleet has been reintroduced in Congress.

A ceremony marked the opening of CPKC’s new Patrick J. Ottensmeyer International Railway Bridge crossing the Rio Grande, at the busiest rail gateway connecting the United States and Mexico.

Separate legislation to broaden the definition of high-hazard trains and reimburse rail hazmat incident first responders have been reintroduced in Congress.

The Greenbrier Cos. said Chief Executive Lorie Tekorius has been appointed to the Portland, Oregon, branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

Liner operator Ocean Network Express and LX Pantos are partnering on Boxlinks for U.S. domestic intermodal logistics.

How bad can it get for cross-border?

British infrastructure investor Ancala and Arkadia Rail Partners have teamed up to purchase Lehigh Valley Rail Management.

Norfolk Southern COO John Orr has the railroad running tighter and faster.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City said fourth-quarter revenues increased to $3.9 billion from $3.8 billion a year ago, as diluted earnings per share increased to $1.28 from $1.10 in the same quarter in 2023. The Calgary, Alberta-based company (NASDAQ: CP) said after markets closed that its operating ratio decreased by 210 basis points to 59.7% from […]

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: […]

Railcar and locomotive lessor GATX reported 2024 fourth-quarter net income of $76.5 million or $2.10 per diluted share, compared to net income of $66 million or $1.81 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2023.  Chicago-based GATX (NYSE: GATX) said utilization of its Rail North America unit’s wholly owned fleet, comprising approximately 111,400 cars, […]

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 […]

Declines in coal and fuel surcharge revenue hit CSX profits in the fourth quarter.

CSX Corp. today reported fourth-quarter 2024 operating income of $1.11 billion that fell compared to $1.32 billion in the prior year period.  Revenue totaled $3.54 billion for the quarter, off 4% year over year as declines in fuel surcharge and coal revenue offset higher pricing, merchandise volume and volume growth in intermodal. Net income was […]

Union Pacific reported profit 7% higher from a year ago, as rail freight volumes gained and operating margin improved.

Container volumes have not slowed in January, blowing out year-over-year comps.

Republican Patrick J. Fuchs has been designated by President Trump as chairman of the Surface Transportation Board.

CN has rolled out a hybrid biofuel-ready locomotive it says could reduce fuel consumption by 50% compared with typical diesel power.

While U.S. businesses look forward to 2025, the Association of American Railroads says policy and economic uncertainty tempers the year-ahead outlook.

At TRB, educators and rail executives urge a strategic rethinking of how the industry attracts new talent, upskills current workers.

Resilient consumer spending and a healthy jobs market underpinned record intermodal volumes through November, a new report finds, as the U.S. economy enjoys stable footing approaching 2025.

While railroads for years have talked about growth, the head of a major short line says it’s high time they embraced enterprisewide technology that’s reshaping the transportation industry.

Trinity Industries, which builds tank cars, covered hoppers and other freight cars saw lower revenue but higher profits on better railcar lease rates and improved efficiencies.

Union Pacific Corp. in the third quarter saw double-digit gains for income and earnings on modest carload volume improvement and lower fuel prices.

CPKC saw single-digit gains in freight volumes in the third quarter, but the operating ratio climbed as a brief lockout of union employees hit network operations.

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.

An early peak shipping season, strong economy and resilient consumer spending boosted container volume to a record quarter at the Port of Los Angeles.

Port-owned New Orleans Public Belt Railroad and logistics specialist Heniff Transportation Systems have opened a new state-backed transload facility aimed at dry and liquid bulk customers.

Norfolk Southern in a filing detailed salary and stock awards that signal it expects Mark George to be a long-term chief executive.

Schenker has been sold, but not to the U.S. private equity group vying for control of the German logistics provider. Transport provider DSV of Denmark has emerged as the winning bidder, Reuters reported, in a deal worth 14 billion euros ($15.43 billion). A consortium of private investors led by CVC Capital Partners of New York […]

New bills in both the Senate and House of Representatives would upgrade the 45G tax credit for inflation and expand trackage covered under the program.

The Montreal Port Authority is spending more than $42 million to restore and upgrade the Pie-IX rail bridge, a project that will also help a port-based sugar refiner boost capacity.

A New York-based venture capital firm and European transport specialist are vying to acquire Schenker, the logistics unit of German national railway Deutsche Bahn, which could shake up the market for logistics services in the U.S.

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.

It could take the two largest Canadian railroads a week or more to recover from the effects of a shutdown that briefly stalled billions in freight including transborder trade with the United States.

Eastern railroad CSX said it had come to tentative agreements with seven more unions ahead of scheduled collective bargaining, just days after it announced five early deals with unionized workers.

As eastbound import traffic continues to grow, Union Pacific announced surcharges for its premium EMP and UMAX services out of the Southern California gateway.

Natron Energy plans to build the first U.S. sodium ion battery plant, thanks to investment by the state-owned rail corridor and other public/private economic development organizations.

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.

While contract talks between Canadian National, Canadian Pacific Kansas City and union employees continue, a rail shutdown would reverberate through the supply chain connecting Canada and the U.S.

Amid lockout and strike notices, contract bargaining continues as Ottawa makes a push for both sides to come together on a new rail labor contract.

Canada’s busiest import gateway is managing port fluidity as railroads issue lockout notices, and Teamsters are warning of a planned strike as the latest contract talks fail.

Construction continues on a Chicago bridge project designed to reduce delays and improve flow by untangling freight and passenger rail lines.

Operators of first-mile and last-mile railroads are staffing up for a legislative push ahead of fall elections.

Eastern Class 1 railroads Norfolk Southern and CSX will help reach Midwest cities with double-stack trains from the newly expanded Port of Virginia central rail yard.