railroads

The volume drop has created ripple effects, including some lower railcar leasing rates.

The Federal Railroad Administration hopes to collect data on blocked rail crossings from the public and law enforcement.

Jim Blaze writes about the potential of short-haul intermodal traffic on the North American Class 1 railroads.

Kansas City Southern and Canadian Pacific deliver goodwill to local communities along portions of their rail networks.

Private equity firms are likely to continue M&As in freight rail industry next year and beyond, observers say.

Jim Blaze writes about the financial issues inherent in an Alaska-to-Alberta rail route.

The continued dip in rail volumes comes as North American freight rail groups press for trade pact.

Market Expert Michael Baudendistel writes about rail intermodal volume is lower for the long-term, or can it be more competitive with trucking.

Railroad market voice Jim Blaze writes about technological advances that are making railroads’ capital expenditures on infrastructure more efficient.

The funding includes $14.4 million to support CSX’s double-stacking efforts near the Port of Philadelphia.

The European Green Deal is looking to shift 75% of EU freight traffic from road to rail and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2050.

Stakeholders address the Surface Transportation Board, which is mulling over whether it should change the way it defines revenue adequacy.

Economic uncertainty weighs on rail volumes.

How the board calculates cost of capital is outdated. How much of an overhaul is needed?

The company sees the new facility as a way to expand and reach its manufacturing goals.

Jim Blaze writes about the decline in rail freight; is it a recent event, or has it been taking place over a longer period?

U.S. rail volumes are down, but don’t call it a freight recession, according to Association of American Railroads executive.

Teck Resources opts not to renew 10-year deal for the transport of metallurgical coal.

The rail regulatory agency says the changes would help make the rate review process more accessible and transparent.

Railway Age reports NS wants to double-stack its trains as they move through Pittsburgh, but residents in the north side of the city are stacking up arguments and fighting back.

The changes come as the railroad deploys precision scheduled railroading.

West Coast freight volumes have been robust in 2019, but empty rail containers signal that the balance is shifting east heading into 2020.

Shippers need to take heed of the Congressional push to allow Amtrak to sue freight railroads over on-time performance.

The notice of proposed rulemaking pertains to training for Class II and Class III rail employees.

CN CEO said railway is focusing on safety as it resumes normal operations after eight-day strike that rippled across Canada’s rail supply chain.

Headcount within U.S. Class I rail operations tumbles amid declining rail volumes and the deployment of precision railroading.

Rail executives discussed short-term strategies for growing rail volumes amid expectations that volumes won’t pick up until well into 2020.

The railway seeks to extend its reach to non rail-served markets.

U.S. rail volumes continue to slip as rail executives see muted peak season.

The strike, coupled with and trade uncertainty, could hit businesses hard, groups say.

The Federal Railroad Administration is proposing all states address highway-rail grade crossing safety.

Jim Blaze writes about the Alameda Corridor in Los Angeles, that takes some of the freight from the harbor to distribution centers. Is it still economically viable?

The railway cited challenging economic headwinds and could release up to 1,600 employees.

U.S. rail volumes have been trending lower all year.

Jim Blaze writes about the North American railroads KPIs, and what the railroads need to do to increase railcar use, revenue and shipper loyalty.

Hunter Harrison’s timing was perfect for someone breaking into the rail transport industry, bestselling author Howard Green, who penned “Railroader: The Unfiltered Genius and Controversy of Four-Time CEO Hunter Harrison,” […]

The regulatory agency for rail receives a flurry of feedback on rail rate reasonableness and demurrage and accessorial charges.

TrinityRail has two new railcars: the Hourglass™ and the TrinFlo™.

The Class I railroads furlough workers in times of lower volumes but unions think the cuts have been too deep as a result of precision scheduled railroading.

BNSF placed in service approximately 2.5 miles of second main track near Westmond, Idaho, closing the gap between two larger sections of double-track main line on one of the busiest segments of BNSF’s Northern Corridor.

Third-quarter revenue fell for the shortline operator.

Market expert Michael Baudendistel writes about whether there is a rail recession, or are railroads paring operations and employees to fatten their bottom lines.

U.S. rail volumes fell 8.1% amid trade uncertainty and “sluggish” growth abroad.

Railway rebounds after slow start in August and September.

U.S. rail trade associations say changes will help employees responding to unplanned events.

Shipping liquified natural gas by rail is a controversial topic. Read what Jim Blaze thinks about the idea in his latest commentary.

Connecting the Alaska Railroad with rail service in Canada and the U.S. is a bold, expensive plan. But it would generate tremendous benefits. Read more here.

The credit ratings firm sees coal and intermodal volumes under continued pressure next year.

Train crew size, healthcare are among the key issues, on top of grappling with systemic changes to the industry

Ben Thrower writes about the positive and negative aspects of precision scheduled railroading in this commentary article.

Year-to-date U.S. rail traffic continues to trend lower.

The rail equipment and technology manufacturer sees international opportunities as an area for business to grow.

The number of employees working for the U.S. operations of the Class I railroads slumps to its lowest level in years.

Jim Blaze writes about Conrail Shared Assets and its accomplishments on behalf of CSX and Norfolk Southern.

The rail equipment manufacturer said it delivered record railcar deliveries in the quarter.

Rail volumes fell yet again and the industry is casting its doubts about the fourth quarter.

Despite lowering its operating ratio, the railroad tempers its 2019 outlook.

Jim Blaze explains the new CSX trip compliance reporting… perhaps the first step for railroads to compete more effectively with the trucking industry.

With U.S. rail volumes still slumping, the Class I railroads wondered in third-quarter earnings calls when the downward trend would end.

The eastern U.S. railroad declined to share its expectations for 2020 but said it would be prepared should rail volumes rebound.

Government initiatives are encouraging the freight rail sector to address cyber threats. But what else needs to be done?

Market View commentator Jim Blaze writes about the advantages short line railroads offer to shippers.

Freight shipments and expenditures declined on a year-over-year basis again in September according to the latest Cass Freight Index Report. The firm now believes that the index is “signaling an economic contraction.”

Reports have been surfacing that the Alberta government could grant more crude-by-rail contracts.

Excerpt: The companies promote and assign new roles to longstanding employees.

Jim Blaze writes about the competitiveness of railroads vs. trucks and the railroads’ lack of interoperability.

The railroads say the union refuses to negotiate on train crew size as both sides prepare for a new collective bargaining agreement.

For decades, the European freight rail system has had no major upgrades with regard to axle load capacity, train length or car vertical height.

The new executives contributed greatly to CSX as the railroad made operational changes, the company said.

Companies file a flurry of lawsuits against the big four U.S. Class I railroads, alleging their fuel surcharge programs violated antitrust laws.

The rulemakings address cost of capital calculations and rail performance data for chemicals and plastics traffic; shippers also press Board to act on fuel surcharges.

Groups say existing federal laws trump Illinois’ mandate on train crew size.

The railway grappled with not only the potential for cold temperatures but also macro uncertainty in crafting plan.

The upgrades come as company and state officials eye anticipated volume growth at the Port of Savannah.

Jim Blaze writes about the decisions that will go into determining 2020 capital expenditures by the freight railroads.

Year-to-date U.S. rail traffic down 3.8 percent from the same period in 2018.

To meet future rail demand, stakeholders must confront communication dysfunction.

Declining coal consumption in the U.S. may have led to the dispute.

Mike Baudendistel, a 13-year equities analyst with deep expertise in rail, intermodal, Jones Act and transportation OEMs, joins FreightWaves as a market expert.

As precision scheduled railroading takes hold, headcount levels drop to their lowest in years.

The rail equipment manufacturer will close its Boise facility and move operations to Erie.

Two lawmakers want more extensive review of the risks and practice of using tank cars to haul liquefied natural gas.

Trade uncertainty and loose truck capacity continue to weigh on rail traffic.

The Port of Savannah’s expansion plans will benefit shippers — so long as infrastructure needs outside the port are met.

The trade group has been lobbying Congress to make permanent a tax credit for infrastructure investments.

The railroad, which has dedicated operations in Mexico, has invested in capital infrastructure related to energy.

The Surface Transportation Board has proposed two rules that could ease shippers’ burdens when contesting rail rates.

CSX needs to be more proactive if wants to compete with trucks, CSX’s chief said.

U.S. rail volumes are down nearly 4% year-to-date amid a 6.6% decline for coal and a 4% drop for intermodal.

Three Class I U.S. rail operations earned enough returns on investment in 2018 to support their capital projects.

The railcar manufacturer says the covered hoppers are shorter but enable faster grain discharges.

This week’s addition of intermodal volume data to our SONAR platform brings us one step closer to having price, volume, and capacity for all modes of transport including air cargo, trucking, inland waterways (barge), ocean and rail.

The two railroads said customers should expect delays and possible rerouting.

The decline in U.S. coal production could cost the railroads billions in lost revenue.

Weakness in the manufacturing sector is dragging U.S. rail volumes lower, AAR says.

Grain shippers wonder if the Canadian railways will keep up with demand in the 2019-20 crop year.

With rail traffic lower year-over-year and PSR initiatives in full swing, it’s understandable that soft railcar demand attracted attention at an investor conference.

Slumping coal demand, trade wars and a competitive truck market are weighing on rail volumes for the remainder of the year.

The railroads say customers should expect delays and rerouting because of the hurricane

Market Voice Jim Blaze contents that railroads are using the wrong KPIs to increase volume and capture market share from trucks.