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.
While the degradation was seen across most sectors, the transports are seeing outsized declines.
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.
Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) announced this week it would lay off almost 200 employees in eastern Oregon as part of a series of cuts the railroad is making in order to boost profits. The bulk of the layoffs are taking place at a railyard in the city of Hermiston. The yard will close. Additional layoffs […]
Hundreds of miles of rails still out of service, other assets at risk from flooding by severe storms.
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.
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.
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 railroad said on May 2 that the changes are a result of its efforts to “simplify” its supply chain along its intermodal network and […]
Berkshire Hathway (NYSE: BRK) chairman and CEO Warren Buffett said he would be willing to consider some form of precision scheduled railroading (PSR) for western U.S. railroad BNSF, although he didn’t say when or even if BNSF would eventually adopt the operating model. ”We are not above copying anything that is successful, and I think […]
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).
Hundreds of miles of critical freight rails once out of commission due to flooding are back in service.
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.
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.
Historic flooding has caused around $1 billion dollars in agricultural damage in Iowa, Nebraska. Roads, rails still out of service.
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.
BNSF (NYSE: BRK) and Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) are grappling with the aftermath of the recent historic floods, with both companies scrambling to assess and repair damage as quickly as possible.
Two major railroads have stopped freight service because of catastrophic flooding in the Midwest where rails are washed out.
Rise in expansion and efficiency projects comes after strong year of growth in company’s intermodal business.
Five-year high in growth seen last year thanks to tariff front-loading and tight truck supply, but shippers likely to put brakes on growth this year.
Class 1 railroads may have to shorten train lengths and reduce speeds to cope with cold, while drayage supply will also be tight.
The company moved up its operating ratio targets on the back of a strong performance in the early days of precision railroading.
Just a few months after its CEO expressed some skepticism about the practice, the NAFTA-focused rail company will adopt its principles.
The operating ratio—strong enough in the third quarter that it can be argued it was earth-shaking—weakened slightly but was still ahead of the fourth quarter of 2017.
A current rail attorney who was with the STB for many years wonders whether it has ever broken free of the changes envisioned by the Staggers Act.
After first saying in November that operating ratio for the year would be flat, a strong December has enabled it to tick up slightly.
Jim Vena, protege of vaunted rail executive Hunter Harrison, seen as likely helping boost UP’s move to greater efficiency.
Cowen expects softening trucking prices in 2019 to be a headwind for truckload carrier earnings, but should widen gross margins for freight brokerages.
Rail and truck demand a secondary casualty in trade dispute.
In this final part of the three-part series, the author looks at what steps need to be taken to successfully implement precision railroading.
Precision railroading has worked, but consistent success has been elusive.
The Unified Plan 2020 is in place in one corridor, with another to come. So far, UP executives are boasting about its success.
The usual signs of an upturn in the trucking sector aren’t there, according to the Wall Street house, and Morgan wonders if a lot of the demand got pushed forward.
Railroad sees more appliance and brown paper freight moving off road transportation to rail.
In his preview of the railroads’ Q3 earnings reports, Susquehanna’s Bascome Majors set optimistic price targets but warned that P/E valuations are at historically high levels.
Michigan-based asset-light logistics provider aims to boost western U.S. presence with latest acquisition.
Howard Green is best on fights between the serial CEO and his boards, activist investors, and proxy wars, but there’s a lot in the book for railroad buffs who want to know more about Harrison’s signature philosophy, precision scheduled railroading.
Mike Lacey sees some improvement in his relationship with railroads, but it’s coming from a very low point.
Largest U.S. intermodal rail carrier sees uptick in domestic containers and trailers as trucking capacity remains tight.
Port aims for new on-dock rail facility to handle increased container throughput and meet clean-air goals.
The Southern California International Gateway is no nearer completion 13 years after it was first proposed.
Never the trains shall meet as CSX’s intermodal changes rile UP service.
The class 1 railroad owned by Berkshire Hathaway had the worst OR of any of the class 1 railroads for the second quarter.
Analysts have issues with the operating rate, and price increases that seem small compared to the transport sector as a whole.
Delays by other railroads in implementing PTC is the basis for BNSF to request a delay in its end-year deadline.
With transport stocks surging, some market watchers are hopeful that the current expansion period will continue despite downturns in the broader market earlier this year.
The truckload business is booming, but how high will rates go? Hyundai Merchant Marine orders 20 new containerships; China keeps the door open on US trade talks; global equities rise on US jobs report; a pension fund is building a $4.9B railroad in Quebec; manufacturing activity expands.
Much of the focus is on its financials rather than any significant shift in operations.
Earnings season is here; UPS posts 13th quarter of double digit growth; Knight-Swift finds synergies; Maersk trials autonomous ships; the Mustang is the last Ford car left; Barclays and Goldman Sachs collab on data standards for derivatives and blockchain; Union Pacific beats the Street.
Transport stocks outperforming broader economy; FedEx adds robots to distribution centers; Knight-Swift picks up a 400 truck fleet; CMA CGM turned around in 2017; Union Pacific’s drones monitoring workers cause union trouble.
The CFO of Union Pacific looks at the trucking market and likes what he sees.
Volkswagen invests $25B in EVs; Tesla exposed to neodymium supply shocks; FedEx to announce earnings today; Union Pacific plans $127M capex in Arkansas; Maersk says Canadian container trade growth will outpace U.S. in 2018.
Union Pacific is investing $550M in its new Brazos Yard in Texas, aiming to smoothly manage growth in two crucial sectors: Mexican automotive production and Gulf Coast petrochemicals and plastics.
