Union ratifies new agreements with VIA Rail Canada Unifor, the union representing more than 1,600 VIA Rail Canada employees, has ratified tentative agreements with the passenger carrier reached in January. The two-year agreements include a 2% wage increase, benefit improvements, and a review of several work rules. “We are delighted by the ratification of the […]
WASHINGTON — In an unusual move, the company seeking to lease Colorado’s Tennessee Pass line from Union Pacific is asking that shipment of hazardous materials be prohibited from the line. In a filing Monday with the Surface Transportation Board, Colorado, Midland & Pacific Railway — the affiliate of holding company Rio Grande Pacific which has […]
Six hospitalized when Phoenix light rail train derails after collision with vehicle Six people were hospitalized Sunday evening after a Phoenix light rail train derailed following a collision with a vehicle. KNXV-TV reports the accident occurred about 4:45 p.m., and a photo appears to show the light rail vehicle hit one of the supports for […]
CP says Minnesota derailment could be cleaned up in weeks Just days after city officials said cleanup of a March 7 Canadian Pacific derailment in Plymouth, Minn., could last into the summer, a new estimate says the work could be done in about four weeks. The Sun Sailor newspaper reports the change reflects a determination […]
The flood of Powder River Basin coal that became so important to successor Burlington Northern began modestly on NP, with a 1969 contract to move coal from Colstrip, Mont., to Cohasset, Minn. In July 1969, a Cohasset-bound train pauses in Mandan, N.D. Duane Durr collection […]
Financier, ag firm exit consortium for Churchill, Manitoba, railway and port Two major corporations have given away their stake in the railway and port serving remote Churchill, Manitoba, but the local group overseeing both say their region will be better served by having full control. The Winnipeg Free Press reports Toronto financing firm Fairfax and […]
Canadian National’s proposed acquisition of CSX Transportation’s Massena Line linking the Syracuse, N.Y., area with Montreal remains in limbo, two weeks after the Surface Transportation Board refused to reconsider a condition it placed on the deal. The railroads have declined to comment and they have not updated U.S. regulators. The railroads previously said they would […]
WASHINGTON — With continued strength of intermodal traffic and a rare rise in carload traffic as recovery continued from February’s winter weather issues, U.S. railroads showed an 11.4% increase in total volume for the week ending March 6, 2021, compared to the same week last year. The latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads […]
Schneider plans to double intermodal operations as part of sustainability efforts Intermodal, logistics, and trucking firm Schneider plans to double its intermodal operations by 2030 as part of its Environmental, Social, and Governance objectives, a move the Green Bay, Wis., company says will reduce carbon emissions by an additional 700 million pounds per year. […]
The Home Depot is in the midst of a five-year, $1.2 billion expansion of its distribution network that will allow railroads to increase their share of inbound bulk items sold in the retailer’s 2,200 stores. The expansion, which includes larger buildings with more rail spots, is an opportunity for railroads to convert freight from the […]
WASHINGTON — February’s severe weather across the nation drove rail traffic downward for the month, but traffic showed recovery during the week ending Feb. 27, according to the Association of American Railroads. In a press release, AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray said the weather wrecked “havoc on all forms of transportation, including rail. […]
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — In separate bills, Illinois legislators are proposing to limit train lengths in the state to 8,500 feet and provide multiple actions to address trespassing along rail lines. The train length bill, HB 2524, sponsored by state Reps. Jay Hoffman (D-Belleville) and Kelly Burke (D-Evergreen Park), was prompted by increasing complaints from constituents […]
