US rail traffic plummets more than 11 percent for the last full week of March 2020; coal posts slight increase NEWSWIRE

U.S. Rail Traffic1 Week 13, 2020 – Ended March 28, 2020 This Week Year-To-Date Cars vs 2019 Cumulative Avg/wk2 vs 2019 Total Carloads 219,844 -9.1% 2,993,051 230,235 -6.3% Chemicals 32,706 -3.2% 427,594 32,892 3.1% Coal 60,983 0.1% 833,542 64,119 -16.7% Farm Products excl. Grain, and Food 16,027 2.2% 206,011 15,847 2.1% Forest Products 9,694 -3.6% 126,608 9,739 -2.9% Grain 22,212 -1.6% 260,986 20,076 -6.0% Metallic Ores and Metals 20,875 -10.4% 268,111 20,624 -1.3% Motor Vehicles and Parts 5,423 -69.5% 196,624 15,125 -6.8% Nonmetallic Minerals 31,159 -9.7% 378,773 29,136 -6.6% Petroleum and Petroleum Products 11,220 -11.4% 168,493 12,961 3.6% Other 9,545 -9.7% 126,309 9,716 5.4% Total Intermodal Units 229,923 -14.2% 3,178,285 244,483 -8.6% Total Traffic 449,767 -11.8% 6,171,336 474,718 -7.5% 1 Excludes U.S. operations of Canadian Pacific, CN and GMXT. 2 Average per week figures may not sum to totals as a result of independent rounding.

Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 28, 2020, as well as volumes for March 2020. U.S. railroads originated 899,673 carloads in March 2020, down 6%, or 57,148 carloads, from March 2019. U.S. railroads also originated 935,380 containers and trailers in […]

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News Wire Digest Second Section for Saturday, March 28 NEWSWIRE

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Some significant rail news for Saturday morning: — The $2 trillion coronavirus relief package passed by the House of Representatives and signed by President Trump on Friday includes expansion of railroad unemployment benefits, in addition to the previously reported financial aid for Amtrak and transit agencies [see “Trains News Wire Digest for Thursday, March 26”]. […]

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Canadian Pacific expects to weather coronavirus traffic slump NEWSWIRE

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CALGARY, Alberta – Canadian Pacific CEO Keith Creel sought to reassure investors that the railway is well positioned to weather the economic downturn related to the coronavirus epidemic despite an anticipated decline in traffic and revenue. “This company is weathering the storm, and weathering the storm quite well,” Creel said during an investor call on […]

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Unions ask railroad, FRA to increase virus protection NEWSWIRE

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Labor unions representing rail and transit workers have asked the Federal Railroad Administration for two emergency orders to address the dangers in their work environments amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The orders, requested March 20, are requested for Class I railroads and for Amtrak and passenger operators. “Currently, the railroads have made very little effort […]

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News Wire Digest Third Section for Friday, March 20 NEWSWIRE

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More Friday rail news: — VIA Rail Canada has announced further service cuts because of the coronavirus pandemic, extending suspensions of the Montreal-Halifax Ocean, Toronto-Vancouver Canadian, and Jasper-Prince Rupert service until at least May 1, the CBC reports. Montreal-Senneterre and Montreal-Jonquiere, Quebec, trains will be reduced to one round trip per week, as will Sudbury-White […]

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