OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific will report a record-low operating ratio for 2018 thanks to an unexpected combination of lower costs and strong traffic volume in December, the railroad said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday. On Nov. 29, UP warned that it did not expect an improvement in its full-year operating ratio due to […]
MARCO ISLAND, Fla. – Catching up on some notable moments from the first three days of the National Railroad Contractor and Maintenance Association Conference: PRECISION SCHEDULED RAILROADING AND CAPITAL PROJECTS: Tuesday’s panel discussion on Precision Scheduled Railroading, featuring three current or former Canadian National executives and Howard Green, author of the biography of former CEO […]
MARCO ISLAND, Florida – BNSF Railway’s capital plans for 2019 include a cluster of major bridge projects in Washington state, and pairs of bridges near Quenemo, Kan., and on the Hannibal subdivision in Missouri. Not included is a bridge over the Missouri River at Bismarck, N.D., and therein lies a tale that serves an an […]
MARCO ISLAND, Fla. – Canadian National’s “very ambitious capital program” for 2019 include up to 105 miles of new double track, said Jim McLeod, the railroad’s chief engineer for structures, design, and construction, in a Tuesday presentation at the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association Conference. Up to 75 miles of the new double track […]
Jim Vena, Union Pacific chief operating officer Canadian National OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has named former Canadian National executive Jim Vena as its chief operating officer, effectively putting a protege of E. Hunter Harrison in charge of its transition to Precision Scheduled Railroading. Vena, 60, served as CN’s chief operating officer from February 2013 […]
How did your favorite railroad fare in traffic growth last year? Probably about the same as every other railroad. Five of the big six Class I systems ran neck-and-neck and ended 2018 with 4-percent traffic growth, according to a review of the railroads’ Association of American Railroads weekly carload reports for the final week of […]
Matt Rose MARCO ISLAND, Fla. – Matt Rose thinks the railroad industry is placing itself at regulatory risk with its embrace of Precision Scheduled Railroading. “We have this common-carrier obligation to provide freight service to all customers in all markets,” said Rose, BNSF Railway’s executive chairman, during a Monday morning “fireside chat” at the annual […]
Association of American Railroads Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads on Thursday reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Dec. 29, as well as volumes for December 2018. U.S. railroads originated 1,021,978 carloads in December 2018, up 2.9 percent, or 29,139 carloads, from December 2017. U.S. railroads also originated […]
WASHINGTON — With the new Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., has taken the reins of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, succeeding Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), who served as chairman during the 115th Congress. DeFazio has served as a member of the committee since 1987 and as ranking member since […]
WASHINGTON — The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association has announced winners of its 2018 Field Employee of the Year and Projects of the Year awards, to be handed out at the upcoming NRC conference at Marco Island, Fla. Joe Sudduth of Herzog Contracting Corp. has been named Field Employee of the Year after most […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board, which was down to just one commissioner as of Jan. 1, now has three commissioners. The Senate on Wednesday night confirmed two new STB commissioners, Patrick Fuchs and Martin Oberman. They join board Chairman Ann Begeman on the railroad regulatory body, which remains idled during the partial government shutdown. […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific says its new operating plan continues to gain traction. “Since September, overall operating inventory has been reduced by 10 percent, car velocity is up 7 percent, and dwell is down 10 percent, all of which indicate we’re moving your freight faster,” Kenny Rocker, the railroad’s executive vice president of marketing […]
