Railroad

Jim Blaze writes about railroad movement of scrap – the market today and the future of the market.

This morning (July 8) Morgan Stanley’s transports equities analysts cut their 12-month price targets for most of the companies they cover, but said that following the release of second quarter […]

Ben Thrower profiles Virgin Trains USA’s plans for private passenger service in Florida, Nevada and California. Richard Branson changed air travel; will he be able to do the same thing with passenger train service in the USA?

FreightWaves’ Freight Intel Group has released a new study of the impact of IMO 2020 on the U.S. trucking industries (and other industries). Read what may happen to diesel fuel prices.

The service problems associated with precision scheduled railroading (PSR) have motivated forest products and scrap recycling shippers to press the Surface Transportation Board to renew a longstanding request for regulatory oversight.

Rail volumes were off again for the week ending June 29, 2019 with U.S. railroads reporting a 5.5 percent decline.

Rail union workers are at odds with other members of the freight rail industry over how cross-border rail operations are run at Laredo, Texas.

Gemini Shippers Group, a non-profit shippers association that is nearly 100 years old, has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA). Read about Gemini and why it has joined BiTA.

Blocking railroad crossings in Oklahoma now could come at a financial cost for freight railroads.

In the longer-term, rail industry observers are waiting to see how and whether Genesee & Wyoming will be able to make the capital investments needed to maintain its infrastructure.

Canadian National announced record western Canadian grain shipments and a C$210 million investment to support exports.

Brian Aoaeh has written a thought-provoking commentary on the impact of climate change on supply chains, and what governments, companies and startups can do to mitigate supply chain disruptions.

Barge grain movements on Mississippi 85 percent lower than a year ago

FreightWaves, the leading source of news, data and insights for the freight markets, has acquired American Shipper, a leading news publication serving the global shipper community.

Jim Blaze writes about the movement of grain by rail. This is a huge business for U.S. and Canadian railroads, and is also critical to the export market of the two countries.

China has developed a prototype magnetic levitation train that can travel at a maximum speed of 373 mph, and is expected to go into production by 2021.

Top transportation economist Paul Bingham goes in-depth on trade war freight consequences, both pro and con.

Some members of Congress remain determined to address the question of whether having more crew members on a train makes that train safer.

Generic corn and wheat futures are up nearly 30% since May 10 on depressed yields and constrained transportation in the Midwest.

The Port of Brownsville recently received a key permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deepen the 17-mile Brownsville Ship Channel. Dredging on the $350 million project could […]

Year-to-date U.S. rail volumes fell again amid a loosening truck market, receding floodwaters in the Midwest and overall economic uncertainty.

Intermodal giant sees rail and truck as better than option than truckload into

An additional $300 billion in proposed U.S. tariffs against China could result in lower railroad freight volume , but economic uncertainty and competition from trucks appear so far to be bigger threats for rail volumes.

Amendment would hinder LNG export plans by New Fortress Energy

UPS is hosting workshops to help women-owned small businesses gain access to global export markets.

Market expert Jim Blaze writes about the railroads’ transportation of fracking sand, as well as stone and gravel, aggregates and phosphates.

Should the Class I railroads see U.S. rail volumes sustainably increase, furloughed workers could be called back to meet network capacity needs, resulting in a bump up of headcount levels. But another factor that could affect headcount levels in the long-term is the deployment of automation technologies.

There are an enormous number of price relationships that will ultimately determine the supply and demand of fuels compliant with IMO2020.

The implementation of precision scheduled railroading has contributed to dwindling morale and could result in creating unsafe working conditions should the federal government withhold intervention, according to union witnesses at a June 20th Congressional hearing on rail safety.

The Trump administration is considering levying tariffs on the remaining $300 billion of Chinese exports to the United States so far unaffected by duties. Freight Intel, FreightWaves’ proprietary research group, […]

Mexico became the first country to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) when its Senate approved it by a vote of 114 in favor to 4 against on June 19. […]

Autonomous trains might be fully running in remote Australia, but it will take awhile before those kinds of trains will be rolling down the North American countryside.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said this week that it is ready to be the second largest port in the U.S., thanks to the completion of […]

The FreightWaves Freight Intel Group is producing research culled from FreightWaves SONAR and other sources. Read about its first several research papers and how to learn more.

U.S. rail volumes trended downward again for the week ending June 15, with weekly volumes falling over 5 percent and year-to-date volumes declining nearly 3 percent, according to the latest data from the Association of American Railroads.

Historic flooding in the Midwest and poor demand from electric utilities are stranding coal hoppers west of the Mississippi, pushing up prices for storing railcars. The American Association of Railroads […]

The US logistics industry is making strides in overcoming macro volatility by a focus on IT improvements and shipper-carrier relationships

North Dakota’s lawmakers are fighting Washington state’s new crude-by-rail law, saying it could curtail shipments of state-produced Bakken crude oil.

Market expert Jim Blaze writes about the movement of coal by rail. He explores the history of rail-coal; more importantly, he writes about what the future may hold for coal in the U.S. and how that will impact the railroads.

Trans-border freight totaled $107.2 billion in March, with trucks moving 63 percent of all freight by value with United States trading partners Canada and Mexico, according to data released by […]

New incentives for container shipping could bring more boxes through the canal to the U.S. East Coast.

BP imagines a scenario where a plastics ban crushes demand for petchem feedstocks.

Donald Broughton explains the harm that tariffs can do to the economies of the United States, the country(ies) that tariffs are imposed on and the global economy.

New Fortress Energy wants LNG transport efficiency using tank cars

The Federal Railroad Administration is awarding more than $326 million in grants to help states and localities repair, maintain and build rail infrastructure supporting freight rail and intercity passenger rail.

Flooding impacts, cheap natural gas prices, and trade and economic uncertainty could be factors contributing to a significant slump in weekly U.S. rail volume.

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association is urging Congress to pass legislation that would make permanent the tax credit that short lines receive for infrastructure improvements.

Millions of tons of cargo, inducing U.S. grains, remain stuck due to flooding.

Laredo’s historic reign as the top United States trade port was short-lived, as the Port of Los Angeles rebounded from its lowest monthly total in three years, enabling it to […]

The transition to e-commerce and anticipated advances in automated trucking are forcing the freight railroads to adapt to supply chains that require railroads to be more responsive and nimble. One way that the railroads are seeking to address this challenge is by hiring executives outside of the railroading community, in the hopes that placing a non-rail executive in a leadership role will help the railroad weather systemic changes within the supply chain.

Railroad market expert Jim Blaze writes about the movement of chemicals by rail and how that sub-set of railroad traffic is profitable and may grow significantly in the near future.

The Surface Transportation Board is considering initiating a more formal review of how it resolves rail rate disputes.

U.S. coal export volumes are down 12.7 percent in the first four months of this year and the outlook looks even worse for 2020.

Market expert Donald Broughton writes about the numerous consequences of a U.S. Mexico trade war and the damage that will be done on both sides of the border.

“It’s just a confusing time for all of us in transportation and anybody in manufacturing or business in general to have a really good sense of why we’re seeing this kind of softness,” said CSX chief executive officer Jim Foote.

Volvo and Mack used trucks are now backed by factory warranties of up to 24 months and 250,000 miles for parts and labor on certain components.

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.

Market expert Jim Blaze explores what railroads need to do to capture more of the market share of oversize loads, which are essential to the economy and profitable as well.

Trade growth, demography and land use changes in the city of Melbourne, Australia, have made necessary a shift of freight from truck to rail, according to an analysis by Melissa Horne, Victorian Minister for Ports and Freight.

The railway moved 15 million metric tonnes of grain for export through Vancouver in May, breaking the record set in May 2017 by 5 percent, the company said on June 4.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case again about whether Amtrak can have a role in crafting the on-time performance metrics and standards for the freight railroads. The Court’s June 3 action paves the way for Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration to finish establishing those metrics and standards.

Market expert writes about how current trade issues between the U.S. and China, the U.S. and Mexico and the U.S. and the EU may disrupt supply chains and cause economic problems.

Military members under the age of 21 can now apply for inclusion in an FMCSA pilot program for younger drivers.

Canadian National’s (NYSE: CNI) strategy to build up its eastern network could include even more partnerships with trucking and intermodal partners, the company’s chief executive officer said at an investor conference.

The Port of Savannah aims to boost its market share of freight moving into the U.S. Midwest, saying it offers a cheaper way into the Gateway of the West than […]

e railroad industry is “concerned” about a possible disruption of the North American supply chain should the U.S. impose tariffs on imports from Mexico. But for now, the rail industry is taking a wait-and-see stance.

The supply chain has become a pawn in the battle over immigration, and freight businesses are the ones who will be hurt.

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.

U.S. rail volumes tumbled 6.7 percent for the week ending May 25 as slumping intermodal volumes dragged total volumes lower. Softness in the housing and manufacturing sectors could be contributing to lower U.S. rail volumes year-to-date.

Government agency Transport Canada has released a proposed regulation requiring the use of video and voice recorders in locomotive cabs of freight trains operating in Canada.

Eastern U.S. railroad CSX intends to increase the speed of its trains along a route in Alabama to Georgia as part of broader efforts to increase train velocity and improve network fluidity.

Market expert Jim Blaze dissects the recent Surface Transportation Board hearings on demurrage and accessorial charges. Read his observations on the relationships between the railroads and their shipper customers…

Famed artist Syd Mead worked for Volvo Trucks at one point in his career, leaving behind a series of conceptual drawings.

Prologis and Blackstone Group are both trying to acquire the U.S. warehousing portfolio of GLP.

The Federal Railroad Administration is withdrawing its notice of proposed rulemaking for train crew staffing. Regulating train crew staffing is not necessary or appropriate for rail operations to be conducted safely, the agency said.

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 […]

“The board has the authority to define reasonable practices. If you were in our shoes, what would you do?” said Surface Transportation Board vice chairman Patrick Fuchs to a panel representing BNSF, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific.

Last week the widely reported headline was “Housing Starts Climb Almost 6 Percent in April” yet many in the transportation marketplace openly questioned how that was possible. Whether it is […]

U.S. rail volumes fell again for the week ended May 18, while Canadian volumes grew, according to the latest data from the Association of American Railroads. The theme of higher U.S. carloads but lower intermodal volumes was also expressed by CSX this week.

Old Dominion has made a commitment to donate up to $250,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief fund.

Regulators frustrated by carriers’ lack of candor in justifying service fees

This article brought to you courtesy of NEXT Trucking Intermodal and drayage carriers are seeing a drop in demand about midway through the second quarter. The U.S.-China trade war gets […]

John Larkin, arguably the father of all transport analysts and recently an investment banker, is leaving banking to join a small private equity firm

The three stocks get an upgrade not just on Cowen’s optimistic view of the market, but by how much their prices have been hit.

FreightWaves SONAR now features railroad-related data from Commtrex. The article provides insight about the Commtrex, the data it will provide to SONAR and how SONAR users will benefit from it.

“The economy feels pretty good right now,” GWR chief executive Jack Hellmann said at an investor conference on May 14.

U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing ahead on the successor of NAFTA following the end of tariffs on Canadian and Mexican metals.

Market expert Jim Blaze explains the economics behind railcars. He also provides information about the various types of railcars and what market conditions the railroads are facing as they seek to “right-size” their fleets.

At least 35 groups will be testifying before the Surface Transportation Board this week to provide their perspective on how the Class I railroads assess demurrage and accessorial charges. The charges have become controversial because some shippers say the changes that the Class I railroads have made in administering the charges are unfair.

Saudi Arabia Customs successfully transported a container to the Port of Rotterdam using blockchain for the packing list and commercial documents.

A Trinity Industries subsidiary has bought 230 acres in Iowa to construct a multi-million-dollar railcar maintenance facility. The facility’s location in Butler County will give Trinity access to the Class I railroad network and the upper Midwest, Trinity said.

The state of Georgia plans a $35 million sale of bonds to upgrade its rail network, a move that could help boost volumes for Genesee & Wyoming (NYSE: GWR) and […]

For years, shippers have tapped spare capacity of railcars and tracks as a low-cost option for storing and staging bulk commodities. But the widespread adoption of the business model known […]

Nevada joins Colorado in requiring freight trains to have at least two crew members on board. Meanwhile, preliminary data from the Surface Transportation Board shows April rail headcount level to be the lowest so far in 2019 and since January 2017.

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.

Executives with eastern railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern expressed confidence this week that they can compete alongside trucks for e-commerce business.

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.

Rail market expert Jim Blaze discusses how FreightWaves SONAR can help determine how best to ship freight.

Amazon has broken ground on its Kentucky air hub, which will bring 2,000 jobs and up to 100 planes to the area.

FreightWaves market expert Jim Blaze looks at a regulatory spat between Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway over the concept of “open access.” Learn why that is important to all railroads – and shippers!