NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. – R.J. Corman Railroad Co., has reached an agreement to purchase a 43-mile branch line and lease another 20-mile branch in North Carolina from Norfolk Southern. This will be the 19th railroad operated by Corman. The sale is subject to customary regulatory approvals. The newly created Raleigh & Fayetteville Railroad, LLC (RFCC) […]
FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway has given four new locations its Certified Sites designation, clearing the way for rail-served development along its network. The new sites, which are ready for development, are located in Kansas, Nebraska, Washington, and Wyoming. The include Dodge City Business Park in Dodge City, Kan.; Seward/Lincon Regional Rail Campus in […]
CHICAGO – This column intends to consider the intricacies of today’s carload business in an environment constantly influenced by what’s happening in the world. Labor unions, pandemics, the economy, equipment usage, and technology all effect how railcars move. These factors shape what type of freight goes where, the volume, the urgency, and how the service […]
ARLINGTON, Va. — The boilermakers’ union that represents 300 railroad workers has rejected their tentative agreement with the U.S. Class I systems, becoming the third labor organization to give a new contract a thumbs down. The union announced today that its members rejected the contract that had been based on the recommendations of the Presidential […]
ATLANTA – Norfolk Southern Chief Operating Officer Cindy Sanborn will retire at the end of the year and will be succeeded by Paul Duncan, who is currently senior vice president of transportation and network operations. “Cindy joined Norfolk Southern during the pandemic and helped us navigate a global supply chain disruption. She strengthened our culture, […]
WASHINGTON — A rail labor union coalition has proposed that Congress require federal regulators to conduct an annual “stress test” that would determine whether the Class I railroads have enough people, equipment, and infrastructure capacity to meet freight demand. The recommendation, made Nov. 10 by the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO, comes amid […]
CHICAGO — Metra’s board of directors has voted to maintain its current special post-pandemic fare discounts — a $100 flat-rate “Super Saver” monthly pass and $10 and $6 day passes — through the end of 2023 as part of the operating budget for the coming year approved on Friday. The current fare structure was one […]
A Canadian Pacific manifest freight heads through Deerfield, Ill., on July 3, 2022. David Lassen WASHINGTON — The long-running Chicago interchange dispute between Canadian National and Canadian Pacific is back in the spotlight again. The Surface Transportation Board last month said the case raises broad issues regarding interchange practices. And so it’s seeking input from […]
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. — Regional Rail LLC, a holding company with 10 U.S. short lines and other rail-related companies, has announced it will expand into Canada with acquisition of the Great Sandhills Railway, along with interests in three other freight rail assets in western Canada. The new companies, acquired from grain firm 3G Canada Limited, […]
ALAMOSA, Colo. — An outdoors group has filed an objection to plans by OmniTRAX to buy the bankrupt San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad, saying it will permanently damage the group’s effort to expand recreational trails in Colorado’s San Luis Valley along the railroad’s right-of-way. The Mineral County Miner reports San Luis Valley Great Outdoors […]
WASHINGTON — Having been told there is a “substantial probability” the parties involved can reach an agreement through mediation, the Surface Transportation Board has agreed to postpone the final two days of hearings over Amtrak’s efforts to launch Gulf Coast passenger service until Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. The hearings had been scheduled for Nov. […]
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency will consider new, stricter regulations regarding diesel locomotive emissions, the agency said Wednesday. Reuters reports that the agency said it had formed a team “to evaluate how best to address air pollutant emissions from the locomotive sector. This team will develop a set of options and recommendations for possible […]
