Many automation solutions companies are penetrating the industry to remove supply chain friction, improve efficiency and job satisfaction.
The RFP process should be easier, vaccination mandates cause border woes, and the power of rail.
U.S. freight railroads, on average, move 1 ton of freight more than 480 miles per gallon of fuel.
The efforts it takes to ship the great Rockefeller Center Christmas tree; rail is the new hotness in shipping; and why we buy so many presents at Christmas.
Freight Railroads Keep American Moving
Freight railroads will need to report cyber incidents and take steps to improve security under a new Transportation Security Administration directive.
Federal regulators will soon begin analyzing how transportation data sharing can move more containers.
Freight railroads are committed to delivering the best possible service product for customers and consumers
Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: The TexAmericas Center looks to expand its rail transload business; Mexico’s exports of commercial trucks fell 11.3% in September; Bridgestone completes a $100 million expansion in Mexico, creating 150 jobs; and a cold storage facility is set for Southern California.
Congestion around the ports and drayage capacity issues are pushing shippers to use trucks more frequently while loaded container volumes dip. But shipping patterns are changing in more ways than just mode conversion.
Federal action addressing matters of concern in the rail industry, particularly regarding safety, seem to be an afterthought.
The world’s 10 longest railway networks
Railroads are a responsible way to mitigate the transportation-related causes of climate change
Truckers may be more likely to be involved in accidents at railroad crossings in the Phoenix area than anywhere else in the country.
See why Freight Railroads are Separated Into Classes
The Kansas City region, with its centralized location, is becoming a prime area for commercial warehouse space, with KC Smartport expecting 15 million square feet to become available in 2021.
Tremelle Sykes allegedly filed false reports covering railyard companies in Dallas, Fort Worth, Garland, Cleburne, Gunter and Saginaw, Texas.
Wabtec is working with railroad customers to transition from diesel power to cut emissions.
U.S. rail operator CSX says it is investigating a “data security incident” after a ransomware gang appears to have leaked personal information of employees and retirees.
What suggestions would you give new Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg? Our reporters share theirs in this FreightWaves roundtable.
Biden’s executive orders address the COVID-19 supply chain and mask mandates among transportation modes.
UBS equity research analyst Tom Wadewitz’s 2021 outlook calls for a continuation of healthy freight activity during the first half of the year with a little more uncertainty in the back half.
A rail blockade in west-central Mexico has ended, freeing key rail lines connecting to the Mexican seaport of Lázaro Cárdenas on the Pacific coast.
Railroads are leveraging automation and evaluating assets to improve fuel efficiency. Corporate climate goals are on the rise as railroads increase their conservation and emission-reducing efforts.
The U.S. rail network comprises nearly 140,000 miles of track, broken into three main categories.
Freight trains can carry a multitude of cargo, with car variations to serve each type.
The Port of Brownsville recently received a $14.5 million grant to expand and upgrade the port’s 3 million-bushel grain elevator, including rail and road improvements.
The Agriculture Transportation Coalition, together with TradeLanes, surveys hundreds of American shippers about the cost to their bottom lines of uncommunicated earliest return dates from ocean carriers.
Freight volumes are not the only thing putting pressure on capacity.
The inability of ocean carriers to timely inform shippers of schedule changes results in costly logistics disruptions and potential for lost international sales.
Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Mexican train blockade costing millions; Toyota and VW expand in Mexico; tire manufacturer opens Houston facility; Xxentria opens border operation; US, Mexico and Canada extend border closures.
CBP’s Virtual Trade Week symposium kicked off Tuesday with a panel on the advantages of United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Logistics aid network seeking assistance from transportation sector.
The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates. That search for modal share growth is still […]
About 25% of the total railcar fleet is in storage of one kind or another. Jim Blaze writes about best practices of rail storage.
The cost to build a railroad is staggering. Jim Blaze gives an overview of the costs involved in such an endeavor.
Jim Blaze explores the pontential for a merger or mergers among the Class 1 railroads.
Railroad volumes continue to drop. What might they do to increase volumes? Where are the volume increases going to come from?
Jim Blaze writes about the advantages to the railroads of rebuilding locomotives instead of buying new ones.
Like all industries, the coronavirus has impacted railroads. What should they be doing to gain market share and better serve their customers?
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic the Class I railroads were mothballing freight cars – and locomotives. Jim Blaze examines the issues surrounding the surplus of locomotives.
The pandemic’s economic toll has hit all sectors of transportation, including rail. Read how railroads can manage costs during this global crisis.
The groups want the Federal Railroad Administration to ensure that railroads’ requests to waive certain regulations stem from a true labor shortage.
Transporting grain is a major source of revenue for the railroads. How will the coronavirus impact the grain market and the railroads?
The railroads say the coronavirus pandemic could influence their financial results in 2020, but how deep that impact will be will depend on how long the pandemic lasts.
The coronavirus is impacting all sectors of the economy, and railroads are no different. Read what expert Jim Blaze thinks will happen going forward.
Should the railroads pare the number of types of railcars? Jim Blaze explores this topic.
Import volumes are showing the first signs of recovery since the initial decline in early February.
Are there too many railroad freight cars? Jim Blaze writes about many reasons why this is the case.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen wants freight and passenger railroads to temporarily alter their sick leave policies and provide stronger sanitizing materials.
Jim Blaze writes about the outlook for intermodal rail in 2020.
Excluding coal carloads, U.S. carloads in February fell only 0.8% from last year, according to the Association of American Railroads.
The rail industry could see merger activity in the next five to 10 years should the regulatory and economic environment make them necessary.
FreightWaves Market Expert Mike Baudendistel writes about the issues impacting rail intermodal in 2020, and the ongoing battle between the railroads and the trucking industry.
The rule, effective on April 3, addresses concerns of shippers, particularly those involved in paper products, steel scrap and agricultural goods.
Positive train control has been fully implemented on the Class I rail network, with 48% of the network able to communicate with tenant railroads.
In the past 30 years railroad freight cars have been able to carry heavier loads, thanks to decisions made in the late 1980s. Read Jim Blaze’s article about what happened and how it has been very important to the railroads.
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.
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.
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.
Labor attorney takes issue with allowing carriers to keep accident evidence from being used in court.
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.
Year-to-date U.S. rail volumes are still sluggish, and the effect of the coronavirus on intermodal volumes remains unclear.
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.
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.
Members overwhelmingly ratified the agreement with Canadian National. The collective agreement will last through July 2022.
FreightWaves SONAR has new information for subscribers.
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.
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 […]
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.
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?
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.
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 […]
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.
Railway Age reports industry veteran will lead the RSI Equipment Leasing Committee.
Association of American Railroads reports volumes continue to run lower than a year ago.
Jim Blaze writes about the key messages he extrapolated about railroading in 2019.
Wabtec says the $29 million acquisition of RELCO will expand its freight services offerings.
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 […]
New hopper cars and a high-efficiency train model at some elevators help boost volumes.
U.S. rail volumes fell 5% in 2019 amid trade worries, a sluggish industrial economy and a significant drop in coal carloads.
Lower rail volumes, an active Surface Transportation Board and a strike were among the key events that the U.S. and Canadian freight rail industry experienced this year.
The U.S. operations of the Class I railroads continue to shed employees.
