WASHINGTON – Railroads have filed suit against the Surface Transportation Board’s new rules that are designed to streamline the settlement of rate disputes with shippers. Last month the STB established two new rate reasonableness procedures, including a voluntary arbitration program and a new process called Final Offer Rate Review. Shippers applauded the move, while the […]
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WASHINGTON – U.S. rail traffic was down 4.8% in December, capping off a year in which volume fell 2.8% amid broad service problems on the big four U.S. railroads. Total U.S. carload traffic for 2022 was 11,976,283 carloads, down 0.3%, or 34,001 carloads compared to 2021, according to the Association of American Railroads. U.S. railroads […]
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Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific were the only major Class I railroads to show volume growth in 2022. UP took the crown among the top six systems, with its overall traffic up 2%. The increase was driven by a 5% gain in carload traffic, including a 9% jump in coal volume. UP’s intermodal traffic was […]
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BOSTON — Days before the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority removed some of its newest rapid transit cars from service for the latest in a series of mechanical issues, the agency claimed in a letter that the manufacturer of those cars “has completely abandoned its core responsibilities and commitment to lead, monitor, and support quality management,” […]
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OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific, citing ongoing harsh winter weather, is continuing an embargo it placed last week on all traffic to and from Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. “A powerful storm system will swing through the Central U.S. early this week, bringing heavy snow, freezing rain and ice to Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. […]
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MONTREAL — Canadian National announced Tuesday that the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference has ratified a new contract agreement covering approximately 160 CN rail traffic controllers in Canada. The agreement, ratified on Dec. 23, is effective through Dec. 31, 2025 and includes wage increases of 3% in 2023, 3% in 2024, and 2.5% in 2025, as […]
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – Schneider says it has successfully shifted its intermodal traffic in the west from BNSF Railway to Union Pacific. Schneider began transferring some business to UP last year in anticipation of the full move on Jan. 1. “Schneider’s intermodal operations on Union Pacific transitioned seamlessly as the companies collaborated closely over the […]
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Five common shortline diesel locomotives in North America: When it comes to short lines and regional railroads, differences abound. Their location, size and overall operation makes each stand out from one another. It’s usually true with motive power too, but railroads can and do populate their rosters with common locomotives that have proved their worth […]
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WASHINGTON – A Government Accountability Office report on Precision Scheduled Railroading says the impact of the low-cost operating model on safety and service is unclear. The Federal Railroad Administration told the GAO that the data are inconclusive about how PSR-related operational changes may have affected safety across the industry. There’s no clear link, for example, […]
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COCOA, Fla. — Brightline crews are set to resume 110-mph tests this Friday, Jan. 6, south of Fort Pierce, Fla., as part of continuing preparations for the passenger operator’s expansion of service to Orlando. The tests in Martin and St. Luicie counties, along an 11-mile stretch of the 129-mile segment of Florida East Coast Railway […]
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LOMBARD, Ill. — CEOs of three Class I railroads are among the impressive list of speakers for this year’s winter meeting of the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers, set for Jan. 17-19 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center in Lombard, Ill. Katie Farmer of BNSF Railway, Tracy Robinson of Canadian National, and Alan Shaw of […]
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Trains News Wire wrapped up its countdown of 2022’s top stories on Saturday. In case you missed any of our coverage, we open the new year with a recap — not only of this year, but of five years of News Wire top stories. 2018: Richard Anderson The highly controversial three-year tenure of the former […]
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