Railroads continue to play a significant role in North America’s economic infrastructure. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration, the U.S. rail freight network covers almost 140,000 route miles and is generally considered the largest, safest, and most cost-efficient freight system in the world. In addition, says the FRA, the almost $80 billion rail freight industry creates more than 167,000 jobs across the country.
In essence, rail freight companies charge businesses to carry cargo across their network of rails. Their rates are overseen by the Surface Transportation Board, a federal agency that regulates financial aspects of surface transportation. Major railroads in North America include Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National Railway.
Keep up with the latest news, trends and reports concerning rail freight transport here!
The Association of American Railroads applauds the 24/7 approach to container operations, which the association says is similar to the way freight railroads function.
Tiger Cool Express is acquiring a cold storage warehouse in the Pacific Northwest, while Greenbrier’s leasing subsidiary is exceeding the target for the value of its first-year leasing fleet.
The platform will help improve supply chain visibility for shippers, KCS said.
Intermodal rail volumes were lower again year-over-year in September as the ability to process containers and imports is stymied by ongoing supply chain capacity constraints.
Officials say a proposed inland port near where the Mississippi and Ohio rivers meet will have ample capacity to serve Midwest customers seeking export access via barge, rail and truck.
The Transportation Security Administration will begin requiring U.S. air and rail operators to report cybersecurity incidents under new directives, the Department of Homeland Security secretary says.
The NS terminal will serve “strong growth in the Louisville intermodal market.”
Canadian railway CN and shareholder TCI Fund Management are publicly squabbling about who should run the company as CN sets a March meeting date to address TCI’s board candidate picks.
Two rail unions contend that NS is forcing some locomotive engineers to perform train conductor and brakeman duties following NS’ efforts to reduce its workforce.
CN and CP unveil their annual winter operational plans, which include expectations that grain shipments will be down this year and that a La Nina event could mean lower winter temperatures for western Canada.
FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller analyzes inflation in the supply chain.
The board affirms its previous approval of Canadian Pacific’s voting trust application.
Industry observers grapple with the complexities of implementing reciprocal switching on U.S. rail networks.
Despite flat-to-higher rail volumes in August both year-over-year and sequentially, the number of employees working at the U.S. operations of the Class I railroads fell slightly.
The East Coast ports of Savannah and Jacksonville are adding more container capacity amid long-term plans to serve as an alternative to West Coast ports.
The railroads have been facing a number of headwinds in recent months, all of which could put pressure on their financial outlooks for 2021, according to investment firm Cowen.
AskWaves answers why rail industry observers like to keep track of the number of railcars in storage. Hint: It has to do with broader economic trends.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against BNSF over alleged sexual harassment at BNSF’s rail yard in Alliance, Nebraska.
A compilation of the past week in social media images features Northeast flooding, late summer Rockies snow and a white-knuckle helicopter landing.
FRA Deputy Administrator Amit Bose testifies on crew size and LNG by rail at his nomination hearing.
Elevated steel prices are driving railcar owners to scrap outdated equipment, according to a Greenbrier manager.
The Transportation Technology Center Inc. appoints a new president while truckers recognize TRAC Intermodal for its performance.
2022 could be a busy year for the Surface Transportation Board if it decides to tackle a number of long-standing, hot-button issues.
INRD’s expansion will benefit Indianapolis-area intermodal customers seeking access to the Asian market.
CN is seeking to generate CA$700 million in additional operating income in 2022 through cutting labor and operational costs and seeking pricing opportunities.
Expanding intermodal, grain and automotive offerings would be part of the growth strategy pursued by a merged Kansas City Southern-Canadian Pacific.
Recent rail news includes investments, technology purchases and cleanup fees.
The Department of Transportation seeks “practical solutions” from the freight industry to alleviate container shortages and supply chain chokepoints.
Kansas City Southern returns to its old flame and opts to merge with Canadian Pacific. Rival railway CN acknowledges its merger plans have been scrapped.
August was a record month for the Port of Virginia in Norfolk, and the trend of higher year-over-year volumes could persist through the rest of 2021 as peak season approaches.
The three have signed agreements committing to work together on developing advanced locomotive power technologies.
August data from Cass shows freight expenditures extend their torrid pace. Freight demand remains high but a lack of capacity is constraining shipment growth.
Major CN shareholder TCI Fund Management wants CN’s board to have more operational experience. The company is also still pushing for the removal of CN’s current CEO.
Kansas City Southern is returning to its original merger partner after federal regulators rejected CN’s proposed voting trust, which would’ve been used to acquire KCS.
Labor and chassis shortages, as well as congestion in the wider supply chain, have contributed to lower U.S. intermodal traffic compared with a year ago.
Container volumes were “strong” in August amid continued retail import volume growth at the Port of Charleston, the South Carolina Ports Authority said.
Work-related fatalities for trucking and delivery driver jobs increased 4% year-over-year in 2019, when 1,005 drivers were killed on the nation’s streets and highways.
The Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development and OnTrackNorthAmerica have formed the Southwest Supply Chain Coalition as a way to develop a regional approach to supply chain infrastructure investments.
The Vancouver transload facility will primarily handle fast-moving consumer goods and auto parts.
Hyperloop is a proposed high-speed ground transportation system for passengers and commercial cargo moving at speeds up to 745 mph and powered by emission-free renewable energy, according to Swisspod.
Kansas City Southern shareholders pushed back a vote on whether to approve CN’s merger agreement to Sept. 24.
The agency is seeking comments from freight railroads on whether it should collect data pertaining to first- and last-mile movements.
Stakeholders and observers such as Amtrak, Canadian Pacific and the Vermont Department of Transportation want the Surface Transportation Board to consider placing conditions that would bolster both competitive access and passenger rail service.
Kansas City Southern shareholders must decide whether to continue to pursue merger plans with CN or go with Canadian Pacific.
FreightWaves market expert Mike Baudendistel chats with Norfolk Southern’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Alan Shaw about intermodal challenges and opportunities confronting NS and other Class I railroads.
Elise Gosch, assistant VP of intermodal sales at Union Pacific, shares strategies the company has implemented throughout the pandemic to address shifting customer needs.
Virginia’s competitive advantages: a naturally deep harbor, semi-automated terminals and its own, newer chassis pool.
The Surface Transportation Board rejected CN’s application to establish a voting trust, which would be used as part of the process to acquire Kansas City Southern.
As fall harvest nears, grain shippers and freight railroads are taking steps to ensure network fluidity for export-bound grain trains in and out of the Pacific Northwest.
Will Hurricane Ida impact freight contracts? Will carriers move from shippers’ contracted freight to the spot market?
Federal action addressing matters of concern in the rail industry, particularly regarding safety, seem to be an afterthought.
Canadian Pacific, Norfolk Southern and the broader freight rail industry describe how they plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Class I railroads are keeping an eye on Hurricane Ida as the storm is expected to make landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast this weekend.
U.S. rail terminals that handle imports are still grappling with chassis shortages, although efforts are being made to address overflow at the terminals.
Railcar manufacturer Greenbrier’s Q4 orders total over $530 million, plus U.S. weekly rail volumes dip on an intermodal traffic decline.
The facility at CP’s Bensenville, Illinois, rail yard, which is already in operation, will support the construction industry’s supply chain.
Both Canada and the U.S. have provisions that allow for reciprocal switching, or interswitching. But rail shippers’ ability to participate in the program differs in the two countries.
Progress Rail will use Union Pacific locomotives that are capable of handling a biodiesel blend of 20%.
As this year’s peak season gets underway, dislocations in the supply chain are increasing. However, this is really nothing new as the industry has been in peak mode for a year.
The past week in social media images features a menacing wildfire in California, tropical storm deluges, a train hitting a tractor-trailer and more.
KCS’ board of directors confirmed plans to postpone the shareholder vote on the CN-KCS merger agreement until after the Surface Transportation Board renders a decision on CN’s proposed voting trust.
News about BNSF, Kansas City Southern, Trinity Industries and TTCI.
Container volumes rose 25% at the Port of Savannah, while auto and machinery units grew 39% at Brunswick.
Although Canadian grain shippers anticipate lower grain harvest volumes for the 2021-2022 crop year, adequate rail service remains a chief concern.
The Association of American Railroads responds to regulator’s inquiry about supply chain congestion, while GoRail advocates for regulation supporting freight rail industry growth.
AskWaves looks at the regulatory might of this small, independent federal agency.
NS plans to reopen a Pennsylvania intermodal facility in response to e-commerce rise, market demand and supply chain congestion.
The past week in social media images features a fire whirl in Northern California, train derailments in the Plains, humongous hail and more.
Kansas City Southern declined Canadian Pacific’s revised bid, opting to stick with CN. But a shareholder vote to approve the CN-KCS merger agreement could be held off if the Surface Transportation Board doesn’t issue its decision on CN’s voting trust by Tuesday.
Canadian Tire is acquiring a 25% stake in Ashcroft Terminal in a deal that will allow the retailer to move containers from the Port of Vancouver more efficiently, while securing rail capacity.
South Carolina ports started the fiscal year off with a bang, moving a record volume of containers in July.
The CEOs of five Class I railroads tell the Surface Transportation Board that the root causes of the congestion facing rail intermodal terminals are beyond the railroads’ control.
August is likely to see a new monthly record for retail container imports, with 2021 doing the same. However, ongoing supply chain dislocation clouds how quickly consumers will be able to get their hands on the goods.
CP is offering a stock-and-cash “superior proposal” worth an estimated US$31 billion.
The Surface Transportation Board will review Amtrak’s request to restore Gulf Coast service, dismissing calls by CSX and Norfolk Southern, whose networks will be affected by the service restoration, to reject the request.
A 26% gain in revenues helped boost BNSF’s net profits in the second quarter of 2021 to $1.5 billion.
The rail manufacturer has been modernizing locomotives to improve their fuel efficiency and longevity.
The pace of U.S. rail volume growth slowed in July, according to Association of American Railroad data. But still expect intermodal growth through 2021 in North America, the Intermodal Association of North America said.
Also on the podcast: The investment drought in oil setting the table for higher prices
The past week in social media images features a mudslide-damaged highway, a truck rollover during a flood, destructive wildfires and more.
A Norfolk Southern employee suffered fatal injuries Wednesday at its Enola yard, outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
NS is investigating the cause of the derailment, which stopped train traffic from Monday afternoon to early Wednesday.
Canadian Pacific and CN shattered records for hauling Canadian grain and grain products in the 2020-2021 crop year, which ran from Aug. 1, 2020, to July 31, 2021. More efficient […]
TRAC Intermodal President and CEO Daniel Walsh chats with FreightWaves about chassis availability and market conditions into 2022.
Transport Canada has approved updates to the rules, regulations and standards regarding switching operations as part of a broader effort to make operations safer.
Four shipper associations have asked the Surface Transportation Board to see if demurrage charges can be applied to privately owned railcars to improve the flow of railcars through the network.
The railroad reopened the Dry Canyon Bridge in Northern California weeks ahead of schedule.
Kansas City Southern told its shareholders to focus on the proposed CN-KCS merger transaction and not on Canadian Pacific’s attempts to cast doubt on the merger’s chances of being approved by federal regulators.
The Surface Transportation Board has accepted CSX’s revised application to acquire Pan Am Railways, allowing the acquisition proceedings to continue.
The “significant” damage has caused BNSF to reroute trains, and the railroad is uncertain when service in the area might be restored.
SMART-TD must negotiate with Class I railroads on train crew size; Rail Customer Coalition calls on STB to take up reciprocal switching; ASLRRA praises progress on infrastructure bill; and Canadian Pacific urges KCS shareholders to vote against the proposed CN-KCS merger.
The past week in images features train cars used to fight fires, a wreck caused by a dust storm, a trucker who flipped in floodwaters and more.
The trucking industry’s issues with driver availability along with customers’ commitment to sustainability are factors that could support growth for intermodal beyond 2021 and 2022, executives said during Hub Group’s earnings call on Thursday.
Market alliances that seek to convert truck traffic east and west of the Mississippi River could be a way for Canadian Pacific to grow its network, executives said during the second-quarter 2021 earnings call Wednesday.
Supply chain congestion is more about issues with throughput among various stakeholders and less about Norfolk Southern’s ability to handle volumes, executives said during NS’ second-quarter 2021 earnings call Wednesday.
CP’s second-quarter 2021 revenue totaled $1.64 billion in U.S. dollars.
A 24% increase in operating revenue contributed to record second-quarter net income of $819 million for Norfolk Southern.
Both Union Pacific and BNSF have taken to rerouting trains because large wildfires have temporarily closed portions of their networks in Northern California.
Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., doesn’t want federal regulators to approve a voting trust that Canadian railway CN would establish as part of the process to acquire Kansas City Southern.
Employment levels in June for the U.S. operations of the Class I railroads held steady from May, although U.S. rail volumes grew by one-fifth over the same period.
