The rule defines performance and service metrics for Amtrak and it requires freight rail to meet an on-time performance standard.

CSX and Union Pacific executives talk about their companies’ plans to grow the business.

What won and what lost in the third quarter for the rails?

Weekly intermodal traffic is still higher year-over-year although on a sequential basis, volumes appear to be leveling off for trailers.

Market conditions hastened the railcar manufacturer’s decision to move all of its railcar production to Mexico, according to company executives during the third-quarter earnings call.

But passenger rail stakeholders are hoping Biden will continue his longtime support of their industry.

Canadian Pacific, CN, and the Canadian government are taking steps to ease the social and reputational risks, according to a Monday report by Moody’s Investors Service.

Third-quarter revenue fell 14% year-over-year, parent company Berkshire Hathaway said. However, lower operating costs led BNSF to a sub-60 operating ratio.

In this Fuller Speed Ahead episode for FreightWaves LIVE @HOME, Steve Hackney, head of solutions engineering at Front, talks about how technological tools to improve workflow can not only reduce cluttered in-boxes but establish more personal connections with prospective customers.

Jaguar acquires five short lines, while OmniTRAX readies more business-ready sites.

With intermodal volumes growing in the third quarter and October, how will the railroads handle intermodal traffic in the fourth quarter?

Research on dangerous goods transportation is still ongoing, the agency said. The announcement follows an audit published last month that suggested that Transport Canada failed to fully implement several safety recommendations.

Exports drive Canada grain volumes higher.

Data drives the development of those opportunities, according to Sapphire Ventures Managing Director Kevin Diestel in the fireside chat “VC Perspective: How FreightTech is Different” during the FreightWaves FreightTech Virtual Summit.

A panel of economic experts weighs in on the future of the Surface Transportation Board and the rail industry itself.

The bond credit ratings firm updates its outlook for the freight rail industry from negative to stable amid rising rail volumes.

The U.S. Department of Transportation hopes the changes will help more short line and regional railroads modernize and upgrade their infrastructure.

A politician’s perceived influence over transportation policy may factor into who gets financial support.

The international market for freight rail services and equipment is pulling ahead of the North American market, but that should catch up eventually, Wabtec said during its third-quarter earnings call.

U.S. rail volumes on a weekly basis were 2% higher last week amid a 9% increase in intermodal traffic.

Zeta, which weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall Wednesday, could cause some service issues.

Privately owned short line operator Patriot Rail is planning to acquire the 26-mile short line as it eyes business opportunities in Utah.

The railroad will be idling rail yards around Atlanta and will cease humping operations at its Macon, Georgia, yard.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding $291 million to 11 intercity rail projects. Some of the projects will benefit freight rail.

Rail stakeholders debate the legacy of precision scheduled railroading and the common carrier obligation.

The Eastern U.S. railroad reported an adjusted net income of $643 million in the third quarter of 2020, compared with $657 million a year ago.

Lower volumes blamed for the job reductions in Kansas.

The railcar manufacturer sees mid-2021 as a possible time frame for a post-coronavirus economic recovery for the rail industry.

The railcar lessor has developed a new strategy that will focus on providing rail-related services and products as part of a broader effort to boost its profitability.

UP expects longer and heavier trains in its future as it seeks to take more intermodal market share away from trucks.

The company is also eyeing opportunities to develop its real estate offerings and will bring on more assets to handle additional volumes, executives said during CSX’s third-quarter earnings call.

Intermodal traffic props up rail volumes and gains for retail sales; CSX, Union Pacific announce new appointments.

Lower fuel prices drove Union Pacific’s operating ratio lower. Meanwhile, third-quarter net profit fell 12% year-over-year.

Just like its other Class I counterparts, CSX grappled with lower volumes year-over-year in the third quarter as the broader economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

Higher rail volumes continue to be a trend in the fourth quarter, but the pace of volume growth could depend on how the COVID-19 pandemic plays out this winter.

Revenue growth in the railcar lessor’s international segment and in its portfolio management program affiliated with Rolls-Royce helped offset losses for its North American segment.

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to put pressure on CN’s volumes in the third quarter.

The railroad has 1,000 acres it can develop with partnering customers.

Canadian Pacific’s net income fell 3% in the third quarter.

An investigation is underway into a fatality that occurred last week at CSX’s Acca Yard in Richmond, Virginia.

Executives are confident about an economic recovery but uncertainty persists over how much volumes will grow in the fourth quarter and into 2021.

Lower operating expenses drove the increase in third-quarter net income.

U.S. intermodal traffic on a weekly basis rose 8.4% year-over-year. Carload volume still lags although the year-over-year gap is narrowing.

Intermodal containers arrived this week at North Dakota’s first and only intermodal facility in Minot.

The groups say more federal oversight is needed for the transport of liquefied natural gas by rail.

A rail shippers coalition continues efforts to ask the Surface Transportation Board to consider collecting first-mile and last-mile data.

GoRail sent a letter on the 40th anniversary of the Staggers Act telling the Surface Transportation Board not to make wholesale changes to rail regulation. The letter had over 1,000 signatures from local, state and federal officials and executives.

GameAbove Capital takes equity stake in Pro-Tech Group’s patented technology for better utilization of empty railcars.

The Canadian government will invest C$33.4 million in the inland Quebec port.

The federal agency says the rule would reduce unnecessary costs and incentivize innovation while also improving rail safety.

Two Class I railroads select members for their respective boards of directors.

U.S. intermodal volumes grew in September amid a continued increase in U.S. imports.

Erik Caldwell, Last Mile president for XPO Logistics, and FreightWaves President George Abernathy talk about the consumer demand and the last mile in the keynote event for the FreightWaves Last Mile Logistics Summit.

The Eastern U.S. railroad said it expects preliminary operating revenue of $2.5 billion and operating expenses of $1.67 billion in the third quarter of 2020.

Grain members of Surface Transportation Board advisory committee say the railroads have been supplying sufficient amounts of power and crews to meet service needs.

Although the hurricane isn’t expected to make landfall until later this week, the Class I railroads are preparing now for potential service disruptions.

CN and Canadian Pacific say they’ll use communication and technology to grapple with winter’s operational challenges.

The independent federal rail agency is looking at the market factors determining exemption from board oversight. The board also separately declared five Class I railroads as being revenue adequate in 2019.

The rail sites are for manufacturers wanting to expand their footprint domestically or tap into the export network.

U.S. intermodal traffic continues its upward trend but carloads are still lower year-over-year.

Alaska and South Dakota received $6.9 million in grants from the Federal Railroad Administration for rail-related projects.

Using data aimed at developing workplace safety practices can not only enable safer environments, it can empower employees and bolster a company’s safety culture, according to speakers at FreightWaves’ The Future of Real Estate Logistics summit.

Individuals who allegedly crossed border illegally were reportedly found climbing moving train and locked in grain hopper.

U.S. rail volumes were down by only 1.3% compared with the same period in 2019. Intermodal traffic provided the boost.

The railroad will convert to flat switching at the Pennsylvania yard.

The grants help localities, short lines and passenger railroads improve the safety and efficiency of their rail networks.

The new standard developed by the Railway Supply Institute builds upon existing federal and trade standards.

The U.S. railroads with operations that cross the U.S.-Mexico border are bolstering their networks to manage an anticipated increase in volumes.

But despite the increase between July and August, employment totals of the U.S. Class I rail operations are still down year-over-year.

FreightWaves chatted with Norfolk Southern’s Chief Sustainability Officer Josh Raglin to learn how the company’s sustainability efforts complement operations.

U.S. rail volumes, including intermodal traffic, fell in a week that was shortened by Labor Day.

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $1 billion in BUILD grants. A handful of those grants went to projects improving freight rail traffic flows.

Effective communication, great talent and good problem solving are three keys to withstanding supply chain disruptions.

The deal comes amid wider efforts from both companies to expand their reach and increase supply chain efficiency.

A bountiful harvest, anticipated surge in export volumes as well as wild card factors could test U.S. rail network capacity post-PSR.

Kathryn M. Farmer will assume the role of president and CEO in January, taking the reins from current President and CEO Carl R. Ice. Ice is retiring but will remain on BNSF’s board of directors.

The hurricane is expected to make landfall in the New Orleans area sometime Tuesday.

The wildfires in Washington state aren’t a major threat to BNSF’s Washington operations, but the railroad deployed trains to help area first responders. Union Pacific grappled with wildfires near a Northern California subdivision last week.

“Depressed railcar demand” and the need to cut costs factored into the manufacturer’s decision.

A Colorado county has paved the way for the construction of a 620-acre rail-served industrial park in the greater Denver area.

U.S. intermodal traffic continues upward trend; separately, Kansas City Southern reportedly rejects takeover bid.

The railroad didn’t say where the layoffs occurred, but they affect union and management employees across the 23-state network.

The Class I railroads update agencies on service issues; shippers use the opportunity to ask for data collection on first-mile and last-mile movements.

The Board is modifying what data it collects from the waybill samples of the U.S. freight railroads.

The year-over-year growth comes amid reports of congestion at some West Coast ports.

Railroads and union disagree over Federal Railroad Administration final rule enabling use of continuous rail inspection technology.

Canadian Pacific and CN say the deepwater ports are key to gaining market share.

CSX expects the construction of two new intermodal terminals, one in North Carolina and the other in Ohio, to be completed in the first quarter of 2021.

Weekly U.S. intermodal traffic continues upward, but Hurricane Laura could threaten that trend.

Wabtec’s former chief technology officer departs for CN; Wabtec appoints a new leader to the role.

The Surface Transportation Board and the Federal Railroad Administration administrator seek answers about Class I rail performance, while labor groups question furlough-related actions.

The Freight RAILCAR Act would provide a tax credit incentive for railcar owners to upgrade or replace railcars to more fuel-efficient models.

The railroads are taking precautions to ensure their networks are secure ahead of two U.S. Gulf Coast storms.

Environmental groups and several states have filed lawsuits against regulation governing liquefied natural gas by rail over environmental and safety concerns.

An increase in U.S. rail traffic pulled headcount higher in July.

Weekly U.S. intermodal volumes notched higher again for the second week in a row.

Veterans who work for trucking companies and trucking companies that hire veterans discover a mutually beneficial relationship.

To reach out to prospective younger drivers, effective branding and social media are a trucking company’s best tools.

The short line operator prepares itself to manage future growth opportunities.