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!
Canada’s prime minister calls two-week-long disruptions to country’s supply chains in protest of a gas pipeline ‘unacceptable and untenable’ as rail freight continues to shift to trucks.
Head of academic center sees spike in rates, or continued pain through the sector.
Montreal-based Energy Transportation Group moving on loads of bulk commodities as nervous shippers lose patience with two-week disruption of Canada’s rail services from pipeline protests.
The rail equipment manufacturer and lessor is reducing deliveries of new railcars at the start of 2020, but it’s eyeing an improving market later this year.
Year-to-date U.S. rail traffic is over 6% lower than the same period in 2019.
Private equity firm Stonepeak hopes the acquisition of TRAC Intermodal, a marine chassis pool manager and equipment provider, will beef up Stonepeak’s infrastructure and transportation market portfolio.
Incident captured on video on Manitoba highway underscores high stakes and worsening tensions across the country as anti-pipeline protests severely disrupt Canadian supply chains.
The rail equipment manufacturer and lessor managed to increase quarterly revenues despite a slump in North American railcar demand.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at International Falls, Minnesota, discovered the illegal product in two 40-foot containers from China.
Canadian National lays off employees, industry groups warn of significant supply chain disruptions and government and First Nations leaders continue to discuss the multi-day protests that have blocked portions of Canada’s rail network.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance calls for an end to disruptions to Canadian National’s network as it warns of effect on intermodal carriers and the broader industry.
The Eastern U.S. rail company cites declining coal volumes and fewer utilized locomotives as contributing factors for the closure.
Railroads once carried much of the fresh produce across the U.S. Can they do it again? Jim Blaze explores the topic in his latest commentary.
The rail equipment and locomotive manufacturer eyes freight opportunities abroad amid a sluggish North American freight rail market.
Fifteen projects net funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration.
The rail equipment and locomotive manufacturer benefits from its merger with GE Transportation.
Series of book reviews makes clear there is much to learn from successes of the past.
Rail disruptions cause operational issues at the ports of Vancouver and Halifax.
Freight trains carrying dangerous goods in Canada can now travel at faster speeds, according to a revised government order. Transport Canada had restricted how fast those trains could go following a fiery Feb. 6 derailment of a crude train.
Canadian National warns protesters they’re jeopardizing their safety, while passenger rail service on VIA Rail remains cancelled.
Transport earnings were rough but may have bottomed.
To reduce or eliminate blocked highway-rail grade crossings, the federal government needs to define the roles of stakeholders and technology, hearing witnesses said.
Labor attorney takes issue with allowing carriers to keep accident evidence from being used in court.
Ben Thrower explores the U.S. food chain is complex, but provides a cornucopia of food choices in almost unlimited supply.
Canadian National begins “disciplined and progressive” shutdown of eastern network and plans to halt all transcontinental service in response to anti-pipeline protests as impact hits intermodal carriers.
The court ruled in favor of the Class I railroads and said SMART-TD must discuss crew size during ongoing collective bargaining negotiations.
Jim Blaze writes about the transportation of hazardous materials by rail. Accidents have occurred, and the railroads need to continue to work to decrease their number. However, rail is the safest way to transport hazardous materials.
Protestors’ actions to block rail routes are causing major supply chain disruptions, they say.
Year-to-date U.S. rail volumes are still sluggish, and the effect of the coronavirus on intermodal volumes remains unclear.
Demonstrators say their actions, which have blocked rail lines and access to several Canadian ports, are in support of a First Nations group’s concerns over a proposed pipeline.
The C$15 million federal investment aims to reduce bottlenecks and facilitate export capabilities in a region of Alberta known for its chemical, petrochemical, and oil and gas output.
The Mexican Federal Competition Commission says certain rail routes in Veracruz, including those operated by Kansas City Southern, don’t have adequate rail market competition to haul chemicals and petrochemicals.
The transportation of goods and people was transformed when eastern and western rails were connected in 1869.
A temporary order in Canada restricting the speed of freight trains carrying dangerous goods could potentially affect the broader economy.
Rand Logistics will purchase the American Steamship Company for $260 million.
Jim Blaze explores whether the Class 1 railroads are downsizing their railcar fleets.
When responding to requests for proposals in the contract bidding process, rail and intermodal service providers should tout not only their competitive pricing but why shippers should diversify their modal options.
The federal agency issues the order following a fiery derailment of a Canadian Pacific crude train.
Full year net income set a record; CEO speaks highly of rail operations
January was a record month for grain volumes for CP.
Authorities evacuate town of Guernsey, Saskatchewan, and close five-mile stretch of key Western Canada highway after morning accident involving CP train.
Trade uncertainties, softness in the manufacturing sector contributed to lower rail volumes in January.
Jim Blaze writes about the long, slow decline of coal as the key commodity for railroads, and whether plastics might replace the lost volume.
The railroad is reducing its capital expenditures budget for this year, but it will allocate more funding toward replacing and upgrading network infrastructure.
The acquisition will expand Regional Rail’s short line operations into North Carolina.
Members overwhelmingly ratified the agreement with Canadian National. The collective agreement will last through July 2022.
Lawmakers in Missouri, New York, Virginia and Wyoming introduce legislation to require freight trains to have a minimum crew size.
FreightWaves SONAR has new information for subscribers.
A short line acquisition in Atlantic Canada and enhanced crude oil production in western Canada could boost rail volumes in the coming years, executive said.
The drop comes as the Class I railroads look to the second half of 2020 for volume growth.
Union Pacific opens lanes, while Norfolk Southern talks lane opportunities to take market share from trucks.
Moscow-based Grand Service Express began offering service to the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula in December.
Recent trade developments should help rail volumes improve, particularly in the second half of 2020, executives said.
Railroad giant Norfolk Southern Corp.’s fourth-quarter profit declined 5% as the company hauled 9% less freight, officials said. Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) reported its operating and financial results for the […]
Revenue gains for grain, energy, chemicals and plastics provide boost.
The railway cited the labor strike and weak freight demand in lower fourth-quarter profits.
The railway and the rail union respond to a CBC documentary about a fatal February 2019 train accident.
The railroad eyes slight volume growth in 2020 amid plans for longer trains and reduced headcount.
Spare aircraft engine dispositions stave off weakened demand for railcars in North America.
Year-to-date U.S. rail traffic is 7.8% lower compared with the same period in 2019.
Employment levels at the U.S. operations of the Class I railroads hit their lowest point in years, according to data from the Surface Transportation Board.
Net income falls in the fourth quarter amid a decline in operating revenue and a decrease in rail volumes.
Geopolitical tides, e-commerce and technology are today’s “disruptors” in freight transportation, say panelists at Transportation Research Board convention.
Railroad expert Jim Blaze writes about coal, a key commodity hauled by rail. The amount of coal being hauled by rail is declining. Why? And what does the future hold?
Organizations may lobby Parliament to declare rail service an essential service so that access remains available during events such as labor strikes.
Kansas City Southern can attribute its growth in cross-border traffic to a former president, a Railway Age essay says.
The latest features in SONAR 5.0 make it the most future-focused version to date.
Service improvements will help grow rail volumes and revenue, the company said during its fourth-quarter earnings call Friday.
Jim Blaze explores the decline of railroad freight volume and what may happen going forward.
Coal declines and a still sluggish industrial economy could put pressure on revenue this year. Still, CSX sees upside potential for intermodal and merchandise volumes.
Net profit for Kansas City Southern (NYSE: KSU) slipped in the fourth quarter of 2019 compared to the prior year, but revenues were 5% higher amid increases for chemicals and […]
Los Angeles port signals efficiency gains as the third-largest container alliance plans additional SE Asia stops.
Net earnings fell 8.5% in the fourth quarter of 2019 compared with the same period a year ago.
Darren Prokop explains why Positive Train Control – a positive safety measure for “Lower 48” railroads – doesn’t make sense for the Alaska Railroad.
U.S. carloads and intermodal units are down year to date from the same period in 2019.
Improving rail volumes and service are among the crucial issues to look out for as the railroads reveal their 2020 guidance in the coming days.
Jim Blaze profiles TTX, a company that is essential to the railroad industry.
The rail equipment manufacturer and lessor has tapped a Caterpillar executive and Trinity board member to head the company.
Technology will have a key role, but how will shippers and labor benefit from the railroads’ high-tech initiatives, panel asks.
The Denver-based short line operator promotes from within for the new roles.
The bill would prohibit the transport of crude oil via rail if the Reid vapor pressure of the crude oil exceeds 9.5 pounds per square inch.
We gear up this week with a man charged on Thursday with shooting a truck driver on I-269 outside Memphis, Tennessee, after an in-cab video captured the suspected killer. Violence […]
The Containerization & Intermodal Institute, EROAD and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock announce board appointments.
Two Norfolk Southern-owned or -operated rail facilities in West Virginia and Virginia have been impacted by closure and layoffs.
Railway Age reports industry veteran will lead the RSI Equipment Leasing Committee.
The principles of Environmental/Social/Governance are going to be a factor in the future, according to Morgan Stanley
The transport of cargo from China to Europe by sea is likely to remain more important than Eurasian railway routes, says the CEO of the German forwarder DACHSER.
Buttigieg proposal part of candidate’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan.
OmniTRAX and R.J. Corman seek to cultivate customer relations with recent appointments.
The railway will work with NorFalco Sales, a division of Glencore Canada, to handle sulfuric acid volumes at facilities in Ontario and Quebec.
Road, rail, port environmental permits to be completed in two years.
Association of American Railroads reports volumes continue to run lower than a year ago.
Companies from Amazon to Zulily agree to help Customs and Border Protection figure out how to identify and target high-risk shipments.
Jim Blaze writes about the key messages he extrapolated about railroading in 2019.
Precision Scheduled Railroading, or PSR, is the operational method of running a railroad for maximum asset utilization by which freight movements are scheduled and managed on the individual carload (rather than entire train level). That contributes to efficiency improvements by, for instance, using more direct point-to-point routing, bypassing classification terminals, and having the flexibility to use long mixed-commodity trains.
Wabtec says the $29 million acquisition of RELCO will expand its freight services offerings.
A U.S. judicial panel will hold a hearing in late January that will take up defendant Class I railroads’ request to move legal proceedings on fuel surcharge price fixing to one court.
Railcar manufacturer says deliveries fell off from a record sequential quarter.
During the third quarter of 2019, the number of train robberies in Mexico rose 13% compared with the previous quarter, according to data compiled by Mexico’s Railway Transport Regulatory Agency […]
Drop in imports and exports in November occurred as Canadian National network’s capacity declined by 90% amid an eight-day rail worker strike.
