Increasing biofuel consumption will be a key way for Norfolk Southern to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to its inaugural climate transition plan.
In this fireside chat, FreightWaves’ chief economist Anthony Smith talks with Union Pacific’s Matt Gloeb about how collaboration between the railroad and truck carriers in the intermodal space can help customers reach sustainability goals.
The U.S. and Canada plan to form a joint task force aimed at developing and integrating zero-emissions technologies for locomotives at a wider and accelerated scale.
Rail electrification and locomotives powered by green hydrogen are two goals that the rail industry and federal and state leaders should adopt, according to the Sierra Club’s revised statement on how to encourage clean transportation for the railroads.
Two Genesee & Wyoming subsidiaries are seeking a permit from the Federal Railroad Administration to conduct a pilot project that would involve deploying Parallel Systems’ autonomous rail vehicle technology on limited portions of their networks in Georgia.
Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are looking at the idea of using the battery systems of battery-electric locomotives as a way to back up the U.S. power grid.
Class I railroads CPKC and CSX are working together on developing CPKC’s conversion kits that can retrofit diesel locomotives into hydrogen locomotives.
The Association of American Railroads has outlined eight ways that the freight rail industry and the federal government can work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
CPKC and Canadian coal producer Teck Resources’ new service agreement includes a pilot program in which CPKC will test out its hydrogen locomotives to transport Teck’s coal.
The California Air Resources Board has passed a regulation that compels freight and locomotive operators in California to adopt technologies to reduce locomotive emissions and phase out diesel locomotives.
The California Air Resources Board is expected to discuss this week a proposed regulation calling for zero-emissions locomotives by 2030 and 2035.
Parallel Systems is proceeding with the next step in its development of autonomous rail vehicles, which is to test having multiple vehicles strung together and see how these vehicles can integrate into the existing freight rail network.
FreightWaves chatted with Wabtec’s Philip Moslener, who leads Wabtec’s advanced technologies team, about why companies should conduct research in hydrogen in locomotives.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory and Wabtec are in the middle of a four-year project aimed at developing a locomotive engine that can incorporate both diesel and hydrogen.
Union Pacific has been recognized for sustainability practices. Commtrex and Railinc are working together to develop a product aimed at using data to simplify rail movements.
Class I railroads CSX, CN, CP and KCS tout recognition for their sustainability efforts, while rail technology provider Wabtec gets a nod for its battery-electric locomotive.
CN and Norfolk Southern announce leadership changes. Transport Canada looks to fund projects aimed at promoting climate resiliency for rail infrastructure.
AskWaves looks at what carbon calculators are and why potential and existing customers of freight rail might benefit from them.
Thanks to a federal grant, the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University will be working with four other colleges to develop climate-resiliency strategies and tools for U.S. freight and passenger railroads.
The two eastern U.S. Class I railroads say they’re well on their way to meeting greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.
Norfolk Southern issued green bonds in 2021 that enabled it to fund $496 million in projects that aimed to lower carbon emissions.
The Federal Railroad Administration has established a Climate Challenge initiative, which is targeting net-zero greenhouse gas emissions for the industry by 2050.
Norfolk Southern Chief Sustainability Officer Josh Raglin chats with Tyler Cole of FreightWaves about the ways that the freight rail industry is helping stakeholders adopt sustainable practices.
With Wabtec’s help, NS will retrofit locomotives so that they can last 20 more years.
The second-generation carbon calculator helps customers and shippers gauge the carbon emissions their shipments produced.
Union Pacific will test B20 biodiesel and R55 renewable diesel on the locomotives that it acquired from Wabtec. The western U.S. railroad also said it reduced fuel consumption for three years in a row.
The company, which seeks to create autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles, will use the funding to support a 29-month advanced testing program of its technology.
From executive transitions at Union Pacific and Pacific West to January rail volumes to new offerings in the MoW lessor space, here are some news items rounding out the week.
The investments rely on expectations that customers will want easy or green access to railroads’ intermodal offerings.
North American freight railroads can pursue sustainability that not only benefits customers but also the railroads’ bottom line, according to panelists at a Transportation Research Board session.
Rio Tinto is the second Australian mining company that will use Wabtec’s FLXdrive battery-electric locomotive in mining operations.
The three companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to pursue the demonstration project to test the feasibility of hydrogen-powered locomotives.
The three companies have partnered to produce a more sustainable gondola car in anticipation of the eventual retirement of the existing fleet.
CN and CSX received recognition for their action on climate change. UP has upped its targets and released a plan to reach them.
CNGmotive’s solution for fueling locomotives provides potential to decarbonize rail using renewable natural gas.
CSX and Canadian Pacific were recognized this month by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America for the ways they address environmental, social and governance issues.
The Canadian railway is purchasing battery-electric freight locomotives from Wabtec and it is testing renewable fuel blends with Progress Rail.
A private investment firm’s acquisition of a MOW services company, AAR’s environmental nods and Lineage’s new cold storage warehouse round out the rail roundup.
Canadian Pacific, Norfolk Southern and the broader freight rail industry describe how they plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The AAR released climate policy proposals encouraging partnerships and market solutions that promote competition and carbon capture, utilization and storage technology.
Kansas City Southern’s new, more stringent emission target will keep the company in line with the Paris Agreement emission goals.
Major railways are classified as leaders among thousands of companies that disclosed climate information to the CDP this year.
Wabtec shares its “30 by 30” strategy for combating climate change. Greenbrier plans to track its emissions and energy intensity in 2021.
As a major shareholder of CN and CP, TCI Fund Management has submitted proposals for climate action. TCI also requested shareholder votes on climate plans at yearly meetings.
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.
