FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway’s first-quarter earnings and revenue declined despite a 7% increase in freight volume. Quarterly operating income declined 7%, to $1.72 billion, as revenue declined 6%, to $5.66 billion, BNSF and its parent company, Berkshire Hathaway, reported on Saturday. The railway’s operating ratio was 69.5%, up 1.1 points from a year […]
Section: News Wire
Norfolk Southern activist investor predicts a carload growth miracle: Analysis
If activist investor Ancora Holdings wins its Norfolk Southern proxy battle this week, its new management team aims to generate unprecedented growth in carload traffic over the next four years. Ancora plans to run the same playbook that CSX has used since it shifted to a Precision Scheduled Railroading operating plan in 2017. Improve your […]
Latest Gulf Coast report to STB ‘hopeful’ of progress
MOBILE, Ala. —“Hopeful” is the key word in the status report on Gulf Coast passenger service submitted by Amtrak, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and the Port of Mobile to the Surface Transportation Board last week. The May 1 report was required by the STB after a February hearing and subsequent explanation of delays was short on […]
Concert, 10-day open house to mark Michigan Central Station grand opening
DETROIT — A 90-minute concert to be livestreamed globally and 10 days of open-house tours are on tap for the grand opening of the renovated Michigan Central Station, officials said in plans outlined for the Detroit City Council last week. The concert will be held June 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET in Roosevelt Park in […]
Sand takes increasing role to protect rail line in San Clemente, Calif.
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Use of some 500,000 cubic yards of sand as a buffer has been added to the Orange County Transportation Authority’s plans to protect the Surf Line through San Clemente, the Orange County Register reports. The route used by Metrolink commuter trains, Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliners, and BNSF freight traffic has been plagued […]
Metro-North adds trains, capacity while I-95 is closed in Connecticut
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad on Friday announced plans for additional weekend trains and other capacity moves on its New Haven line in light of a collision and fire involving a gasoline tank truck that has closed Interstate 95 in Norwalk, Conn., at least through Monday. Today (May 4) and Sunday, […]
With Norfolk Southern proxy battle entering the homestretch, activist investor woos shareholders
CLEVELAND — With less than a week to go in its Norfolk Southern proxy fight, activist investor Ancora Holdings has questioned the railroad’s service improvements, won support from a small proxy advisory firm, and sought to woo shareholders with a letter from CEO candidate Jim Barber Jr. NS has touted the pace of operational improvements […]
Union Pacific speeds up domestic intermodal service linking Southern California and Chicago
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has tightened its domestic intermodal schedules between the Los Angeles Basin and Chicago by two days, and now offers three-day transit time that is competitive with team driver truck service. “In an effort to better serve our customers and simultaneously penetrate volume moving over the road, Union Pacific is pleased […]
The value of timetables
Train timetables The digital information age has spawned a flurry of welcome advances in rail transportation, such as the convenience of online , ticketing and instantaneous notification of delays. Getting rid of easy-to-access timetables showing stops trains make isn’t one of them. Fortunately, other providers have helped fill the void. History From their inception in […]
Norfolk Southern’s Lackawanna heritage locomotive emerges from shop with fresh coat of paint
ALTOONA, Pa. — Norfolk Southern’s Lackawanna heritage locomotive, SD70ACe No. 1074, has emerged from the Juniata Locomotive Shop with a fresh coat of paint. NS, which showed off the locomotive on social media yesterday, says it took 10 carmen 750 hours to blast, prep, and paint the unit. More than 105 gallons of primer, color […]
PRR T1 Trust to hold open house for its new-build 4-4-4-4 frame
ALTOONA, Pa. — A series of events, including a public open house, will be held next weekend to show the progress on building a 21st-century recreation of the Pennsylvania Railroad’s T1-class 4-4-4-4 streamlined steam locomotive. The nonprofit Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust will display its 64-foot-long, 35-ton fabricated frame at the Blair County Convention […]
National Railroad Museum breaks ground on expansion project
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The National Railroad Museum on Thursday held groundbreaking for its planned $17 million Fox River Expansion, which will add more than 25,000 square feet to the facility. The addition will approximately double the size of the museum’s Lefenstey Center and includes almost 19,000 square feet of climate-controlled space for exhibits, community […]